Supplies and equipment are essential tools to deliver our fun, interactive and experiential learning programs. In EL Build, particularly, Lego blocks are the most important material to deliver our lesson plans. Providing each child with a set of blocks that they can carry back home can give them a sense of ownership and most importantly the – ‘lego experience’ to play and create things.
Lego donation drives are the most common and straightforward ways to ask grown-up children if they’re willing to give away their used LEGO blocks towards which their interest might have dissipated. Though our EL Build team has had this idea to solicit used blocks, it never materialized. But, as the saying goes – all good things come to you unexpectedly – such is this incident.
Aadi Khemka, an 11-year student had come across Enabling Leadership at an event that he had gone to with his parents. As he was glancing through the different stalls, he causally enquired what EL was all about. After hearing about our engagement with children across India, he felt the need to start his own effort to contribute in ways he could.
“When I saw some photos in the stall of children my age playing with LEGO, I went over to enquire. As a Charity Prefect in my school, I wanted to make an initiative out of it” says Aadi. He even made an effort to go back home and visit our website and watch our Youtube channel.
After this episode, he approached his principal to explain his interest towards this. “At first they weren’t fully sure, but I took close to thirty minutes to explain and finally they agreed to it,” he says.
Getting the word out …
With the support he received from his Principal, Aadi planned out a few activities to get the word out. His Deputy Principal even accompanied him to put up posters that Aadi had made to promote the donation drive in classrooms.
“I also made a PowerPoint Presentation with 12-15 slides. I utilised the school assembly time where all kids would be present to talk about this initiative”. His friend Aryav Mudgal (also a charity prefect) helped him during the presentation, Aadi said.
Close to three cartons of LEGO blocks were collected at the end of the drive. Many children came forward to give and share what they had. For our team, it was interesting and a learning process as well to witness how far children go to do what they like.
We are grateful to the school, the parents, and the children who initiated and responded towards helping children their age to have a playing experience as they did.
Storyline and incidents as narrated by Aadi Khemka (Student who orchestrated the LEGO drive)