Children living in a small village in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district are sending across a message that people the world over need to get and imbibe—that protecting our biodiversity and our dying art forms at the same time are sustainable initiatives we all need to take up.
At Insight Walk’s Solidarity Art Farm, children from local villages in the Kolhapur district are being taught how to observe nature and learn from the environment. The kids at this farm are being taught all about the climate crisis, and the urgent need for wildlife and biodiversity conservation—that too through the medium of dying art forms like crochet, chalk carving, pencil carving, embroidery, painting, miniature art using tissue paper and waste paper, etc.
Apart from representing their local biodiversity through these art forms, the kids are also spending time with the women and labourers of their communities—most of whom are working in the informal agricultural sector—spreading awareness about climate change and conservation as a key method of climate action. Further, these children are also learning how to mitigate gender bias in rural economies by becoming self-sufficient and helping the local community create systems of self-reliance.
Image courtesy: Instagram/insightwalk