Here, kids learn poverty can't limit their imagination

Come 4 pm each day, these children rush in with wide-eyed excitement. They are eager to narrate stories, do some role play and indulge in their favourite games.

While such activities would be fun for any children, it is a welcome diversion for this particular group as the place they go to each evening provides a welcome diversion from real life filled with poverty and violence.

Buguri, a community library set up for the children of rag pickers, is indeed a catalyst to stir their imagination and develop creative thinking.

"These are first-gen learners, who lack reading and socialising skills," said Lakshmi Karunakaran, who heads the library initiative. "Buguri, which means spinning top in Kannada, offers a space for them to learn in a fun and informal way."

More than a year ago, the library had its humble beginning in a single room at an elderly care centre in Banashankari, where a large number of rag pickers live. The library now caters to children of nearly 200 families residing in the slums.

Between Wednesday and Saturday, they are engaged in reading and storytelling, while excitement levels increase on the weekend as they dabble in art, music and dance.

"The children, aged between 6 and 16, are organised into two groups and are given suitable tasks," Lakshmi explained. "We've also had volunteers from different backgrounds like theatre and beat boxing giving them a flavour of their work."

She also pointed out that children who came here struggling to recognise the alphabets are now reading stories without a hitch.

Besides kindling their creativity, the library provides a healing touch to children vulnerable to emotional and psychological trauma, given their tough existence amidst struggle and violence.

Buguri is an initiative of the city-based NGO, Hasirudala, which works for the welfare of rag pickers. The library celebrated its first anniversary on Sunday, with the children and volunteers.