As a part of our Children-in-conservation initiative, the trust organized a workshop for children at Navlakhi Vav, Laxmi Villas palace grounds, on the 19th, 20th and 21st of January 2012. About 1000 children (Class VIII-IX) from 16 English and Gujarati medium schools along with two schools working with hearing impaired and autistic children participated in the workshop.
The program was supported by the Federation Samaj Kalyan Trust (FKST). The workshop focused mainly on the traditional ways of water conservation practiced over centuries in India and exposed the children to the development of man-made reservoirs like step-wells (Vavs). Interactive techniques were used to garner children’s participation. Activities such as model building, clay structures etc. were taken up with the objective of delivering the message of water conservation.
The children were guided by resource persons with educational backgrounds in architecture, Environmental sciences, Archaeology, History and Arts and Crafts. After an interactive session each day, the participating children were divided into different groups and engaged in different activities such as –
Information on awareness of ecological issues regarding water conservation and harvesting and understanding the role of step-wells for the same.
- Archaeological cleaning of the Vav under expert guidance
- Taking rubbings from the sculptures in the Vav
- Creating clay models of the motifs in the Vav
- Sketching, drawing, painting, writing stories, composing poems with Vav as the theme
- Choreographing dances, enacting plays, performing stories (real or imaginary) with Vavs as the main concept
Posters and Panels were displayed during the workshop to provide further awareness and information regarding different Step-wells all over India and water conservation.