The term Jijivisha means the desire to live. This desire can take many forms: the desire to grow as individuals, the desire to hone what one loves doing, the desire to work with a sense of purpose.
The Jijivisha Fellowship is an initiative by Slam Out Loud where practitioners of art work with children and youth in marginalised communities to build creative expression through poetry, theatre, storytelling, or visual arts. In the process, the fellows and their students build leadership, expression, and mindfulness, amongst a host of values and mindsets. The transformational power of the arts, of working with children, of operating with grit, resourcefulness, and reflection, is what allows the Jijivisha Fellowship to live up to its name.
Ayush Manik, a 2018 Jijivisha Fellow (JF), was personally impacted by his fellowship experience.
“The biggest highlight of this fellowship was the opportunity that it provided me to combine my passion for arts and teaching. It gave me satisfaction that I was striving to bring about a significant change in the lives of underprivileged. I also met people who shared a passion and vision similar to mine. Meeting such people and spending time with them was such a beautiful experience. In such an environment you start expressing and exploring yourself without the fear of getting judged by anyone.”
For Ayush, the children have helped him develop from an introvert into a person who can express himself and his feelings. Of course, the children’s curiosity keeps him on his toes.
Seep Agarwal, another 2018 Jijivisha Fellow, used poetry as her coping and defence mechanism. However, after joining the Jijivisha fellowship, Seep interacted with multiple poets who had performed nationally and globally. This honed her poetic skill, as well as gave her an alternate perspective towards her own writing and performance. Over time, Seep has managed to build a culture of empathy, deep reflection, and acceptance in her classroom.
For Ayush, Seep, and countless other fellows, the classroom has reinstated a belief in the power of children to be the greatest teachers. In this way, the Jijivisha fellows receive more than they could ever give back.
To find out more about the Jijivisha Fellowship and Slam Out Loud’s work, visit www.slamoutloud.com.