A project for children-at-risk to develop and empower them to reach their maximum potential via music and movement, recitals, theatre, project work and peer facilitation.

The project was a collaboration with Educational Welfare and Research Foundation (EWRF).

Target group : students aged 13 to 15 years old

Duration : 3 hours per week for 15 weeks

Location: Penang / Sg Petani / Sg Siput / Teluk Intan / Tg Malim / Rawang / Ampang / Seremban / Muar / Johor Bharu

Number of children : 30 per location

The theme that used was “Samudra,” which is Sanskrit for ocean. It literally means the “gathering together of waters”.

Water is a significant element in our lives. It rehydrates us and cleanses our bodies. Samudra brings to light the negative effect humans have towards the environment. From global warming to daily water wastage, water is becoming scarcer as our natural rivers and seas get more polluted daily. All these were taught interactively to our participants, with movements and music.

The students were exposed to the rivers and oceans of the world as well as some stories that relate to the Indian culture & heritage. They also had lessons in water conservation and cleanliness.

The spirit of patriotism to our country will also be evident in the final production. All lessons were not taught through ‘blackboard teaching’ but through songs, dances, demonstrations and interactive plays. Segments were kept interesting by incorporating hip and modern elements into an age-old subject.

 

Objectives

 

♦   To impart good human values

♦   To build self-esteem, self-confidence, develop self-discipline, leadership and productivity through creative learning.

♦   To enhance communication skills; eg presentation skills

 

Components

The program structure and components are the key elements leading to positive youth development. The program provided in depth information on water preservation and conservation, major rivers of the world and the traditions and culture related to the rivers via sessions covering aspects relating to:

♦   Water pollutions

♦   Major rivers of the world

♦   Traditional and cultural values

♦   Importance of water preservation and conservation

Outcome

Most of the participants enjoyed the training sessions and the final show. Along the way we witnessed changes in many students in various aspects. The testimonies from some parents, teachers and local coordinators were very positive and encouraging. Below are a few observations by the trainers:

1.    Even though the participants had very low self-esteem, they were ready to embrace change when shown care, love and guidance.

2.    One of our participants who was under medication for anxiety had improved and no longer needed medication.

3.    A boy who never takes instruction from females whether a teacher or guardian, began taking instructions from the female trainer and started listening to her. His perception over female leadership also changed.

4.    Many participants who were not attentive and seemed not interested in the beginning, showed tremendous improvement after a few sessions of training.

5.   Most participants gained self-confidence towards the end of the program. This was witnessed when they went up the stage fearlessly and performed flawlessly.

 

Conclusion

As a whole, the YETM program was successful despite some hurdles faced throughout the project. Despite all the obstacles, we managed to make the best of the situation and bring out the best from the participants.

As we know, the objective of this program is not to create performing artistes but to provide a platform where the participants have an outlet for creative expression as well as to build intangible qualities and characteristics which will help them in various aspects of their lives.

The education system of our country which emphasizes on academic achievement and glorifies students who obtain a string of of As, while neglecting those with intelligences in other areas such as bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, visual-spatial and musical.

The YETM program module used several areas of intelligence such as bodily-kinesthetic (movement and dance), musical (singing), verbal-linguistic (script reading and understanding/ memorisation), interpersonal (learning in social settings/ through synergy), intrapersonal (self-learning at home/ solitary) and visual-spatial (dance/ movement/ positioning/ stage use).

As such, the participants had a wide range of areas to find their niche and to showcase their abilities. Indirectly, this boosts their self-esteem and confidence while at the same time trying new areas of interest which were not available to them before. New skills were learnt and many came out from their shells and stared to communicate better with their peers as well as the organisers.

Besides this, lovely memories were created for the participants which we hope will impact them in positive ways in the future.