Through Play, Sanjay learned to collaborate with his classmates

Sanjay (name changed) is a 12-year-old studying at the Subhedar Ramji Ambedkar Vidyalaya in Dahisar. He resides in the nearby informal settlements of Ketkipada.

Our Outreach Play Worker had been observing Sanjay during play sessions and noticed that he usually played by himself and did not interact with others. Whenever the Outreach Play Worker asked him to play with a group, he would be hesitant. He would watch the groups play from a distance, but never interacted with them or took the initiative to join them.

When the Outreach Play Worker saw that this was repetitive behaviour, she decided to start playing games with Sanjay so she could understand his problem. In conversation, Sanjay said that he was scared to play in groups as other children made fun of him. Understanding his problem, the Outreach Play Worker let him play by himself and in the following session, she encouraged him to play in a group.

She made him part of a group that was supportive and made him feel inclusive. She noticed that when playing, Sanjay was getting involved in the group and was also feeling joyful. “I did not feel scared today,” he said. “I really enjoyed playing with others.”

Through the work we do, we create safe spaces for children to come and experience play and its benefits. It allows them to explore their thinking and imagination and build essential life skills that will help them become well-rounded adults. Like Sanjay, our Outreach Play Workers have helped many other children to build skills of collaboration and play in groups.