MADE IN MAIDAAN
Our longest running programme, MADE in MAIDAAN literally means building character on the playground. By playing with children over the years, we have reached the insight that the open/judgment-free space of a playground is the best space to start transforming children from inhibited bystanders in their own life to secure, informed citizens and even leaders. It is on the playground that they can be their spontaneous selves and be open to learning as well.
WE SPEAK PLAY. We use the language of play to impart the unlearnt and speak what is unsaid. Just like teachers in classroom use a weekly and daily lesson plan, we do the same to impart a particular life skill. Made in Maidaan (MIM) has a rigorous, theme-based curriculum which facilitators then follow and conduct the sessions with each group. Then they lead the children through a debriefing session which ends up transforming them – either by learning a skill or changing a mindset over time.
WHAT DO WE TALK ABOUT?
- GENDER ROLES
- LEADERSHIP
- COMMUNICATION
- HYGIENE
- BULLYING
- EMPATHY
- CONFIDENCE
- SHARING
- TEAM WORK
TYPES OF GAMES WE PLAY
MADE IN MAIDAAN CURRICULUM
STEP 1
Pre-Awareness
Understanding basic instructions and implementing them as asked by the facilitators.
STEP 2
Creating Interest & Understanding
Clearer instructions, but not completely, to encourage children to ask questions. Getting them comfortable to accept that it is alright to not know.
STEP 3
Structured
Progress
Encourage a deeper understanding of what is happening around them and urge them to take on leadership/followership roles.
STEP 4
Reaching
Awareness
At this stage, there is more awareness about what is happening. Children come up with their own examples and activities for the problems or issues they see around them.
STEP 5
Emerging as
Decision Makers
A solid base has been created from which emanates a self aware and solution-oriented approach. They have opinions and can find solutions to what they can do for their own lives, their own communities or maybe even the larger problems in the world around them.
STEP 1
Pre-Awareness
Understanding basic instructions and implementing them as asked by the facilitators.
STEP 2
Creating Interest & Understanding
Clearer instructions, but not completely, to encourage children to ask questions. Getting them comfortable to accept that it is alright to not know.
STEP 3
Structured
Progress
Encourage a deeper understanding of what is happening around them and urge them to take on leadership/followership roles.
STEP 4
Reaching
Awareness
At this stage, there is more awareness about what is happening. Children come up with their own examples and activities for the problems or issues they see around them.
STEP 4
Reaching
Awareness
At this stage, there is more awareness about what is happening. Children come up with their own examples and activities for the problems or issues they see around them.
STEP 5
Emerging as
Decision Makers
A solid base has been created from which emanates a self aware and solution-oriented approach. They have opinions and can find solutions to what they can do for their own lives, their own communities or maybe even the larger problems in the world around them.
STEP 5
Emerging as
Decision Makers
A solid base has been created from which emanates a self aware and solution-oriented approach. They have opinions and can find solutions to what they can do for their own lives, their own communities or maybe even the larger problems in the world around them.
Ultimate, more commonly known as Ultimate Frisbee, started almost 60 years ago in the United States. Today, it is a sport played by over 7 million people across 80 countries. It is a self-officiated mixed gender sport where different genders play together on the same line. SOTG or Spirit of the Game is the most important component of this sport. This unique sport, recognized by the International Olympic Committee, is in many ways the ideal sport to achieve developmental goals with adolescents due to its mixed gender format and focus on fair play and spirit. The incentive system of this sport is simple – a player embodies the values this sport stands for.
WHY ULTIMATE FRISBEE?
At Project KHEL, we speak the language of play as a tool to achieve developmental goals. Ultimate is a microcosm of life and the values learnt in this environment will carry the athlete through the sport and in their lives. The values include self-belief, how to practice self-discipline, how to be gender sensitive, how to persevere and develop a will to win, while also accepting failure gracefully. They also encompass behavior like how to help an opponent get up after being knocked down, instead of using it for one’s own advantage by scoring a goal and how to set shared goals with their teammates. It also builds character in a hyper competitive environment.
When players step on the ultimate field, they are expected to empathize, they are expected to not cheat, they are expected to self-regulate and they learn to calm their temper and practice conflict resolution through dialogue and the use of dialogue to solve differences. This sport requires one to run and catch, strategize, throw, dive and defend but more importantly, this sport encourages one to communicate, within teams and with the opponents. The on-field behavior slowly becomes a way of life and permeates into the players’ decision making in all aspects of their lives.
OUR ‘ULTIMATE’ STORY
Much before we got introduced to frisbee, we were already using the concept of Ultimate to run self officiated games on Kho Kho, Pitthu and Rumaal Kabaddi (a gender sensitive version of the sport designed by us to encourage mixed gender teams).
In 2015, 11 children from Project KHEL participated at the Ultimate Frisbee youth camp being held at Ahmedabad. These 11 children came back to Lucknow and introduced the skills they had learned to Project KHEL facilitators and other children. Soon frisbees were flying at Made in Maidaan sessions at 20 different locations in the city – being thrown by over 1300 children! Other than incorporating the concept of Ultimate and the sport of Ultimate Frisbee as a part of our regular programme, Project KHEL has 4 coaching chapters for training children to play this unique sport. They have participated and competed against India’s well-established teams in all India competitions like Ashoka Ultimate Championship (2016, 2017), Ahmedabad Ultimate Open 2018, Lucknow Ultimate Open 2017, Stephens Open 2018 and as part of the National Championship Series 2019.