Through the meandering lanes and swarming bastis of Nizamuddin, storyteller Amrita Jolly reached the SPYM centre for the first Bookaroo in the City session on 20th September, 2023. SPYM is the largest shelter provider for homeless children, women, men and senior citizens across Delhi. The caretakers at the centre happily welcomed and escorted Amrita to the room where the session was held. The session was attended by 20 children, five more than what we estimated, who listened to Amrita’s story with great attention. They bent forward in excitement to catch the strokes of colour in the picture book blend in harmony. An activity session followed the storytelling which gave the children an opportunity to channel their free-flowing thoughts onto paper using the technique of block painting.
The one-hour long session kept the children engaged throughout and received a cheerful response. Bookaroo’s attempt to take the joy of stories to every nook and corner of the city came alive in their giggles and creative spirit.
