Six child artists of unprivileged background from Uttarakhand represented India in Brave Kids Educational and Cultural Programme held in Ukraine and Poland. The programme was conducted under the patronage of UNESCO and the Polish Ministry of Culture and Heritage. This year around 300 children-44 groups of artists from 20 different countries- participated in the event.
The students from Nanhi Dunya school based in Dehradun represented the Indian culture through their performances in the foreign countries. Their performance ranged from chanting Sanskrit mantras to staging folk dance and singing folk songs from Garhwal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. The students presented the rich traditional culture of the country. Notably, the Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu spoke volume of the students’ performance in the international programme after they returned.
Talking to the media persons in Dehradun on Tuesday, the children said that they were overwhelmed by the rich culture of Georgia. “It was a fun experience of sharing cultures of different countries. Spending one month in Poland and 10 days in Ukraine was a journey which we would never forget. We presented the varied cuisines of our country and they relished them.
likewise they presented the popular food of their countries which we relished. We learned new languages from them and we helped them learn something of 'Hindi'. The most appreciated performance was the Punjabi dance,” said Ashu Satvika Goyal, the group leader of the students. “It took us two years to complete the preparations for taking the children to the foreign countries. This was indeed a memorable experience for all of us. The children were immensely enriched through their interaction with those of other countries.
They learnt new languages and many other things. The give and take of culture would definitely help the children march ahead while nurturing an inclusive culture which proclaims oneness of humanity,” Goyal said.
The chief promoter of Nanhi Dunya Kiran Ulfat Goyal said, “It is a kind of dream come true experience for the children. It is a matter of pride for us that they are from Uttarakhand. Though they are not from the privileged strata of the society, they represented the peerless cultural genius of the country with brilliance.
They are now back, much richer with the varied experiences they acquired in course of their interaction with the children of other countries. They have made all of us proud by their brilliant performance on the foreign lands.”