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Theatre for Change

18th February 2007-- the village of Praharajpur in Mayurbhanj was buzzing. Toothless,smiling children, men and women from the area started streaming into the village after lunch. The Cornerstones Children’s Club from Colony Sahi was staging a play and had invited people from nearby villages to watch their performance. The Children’s Club in Praharajpur was formed in November 2006—six girls and boys making up the membership.

The children of the club have decided on the objectives as—

	To bring about a social change in their village
	To increase the discipline in themselves and other children in their village
	Address injustices in society and to bring about a change in the social fabric in the state of Orissa
	The spiritual and mental growth of the children
	To act as agents of peace and harmony in society by bringing together people from different castes and communities for a common social goal.

The members of the Children’s Club believe that children are a reflection of society and their growth and development will lead to the development in society too.

The play staged on the 18th of Feb 2007 was about problems a family faces due to alcoholism and its affects on children. This has been identified as a problem in the area and was thus chosen as the topic for the play. The children underwent a two- week long workshop on theatre and this play was a result of that workshop. This performance has brought together the SHG members who have been fighting against alcoholism and country liquor distilleries in the area.

Staging the play cost the community and Unnayan Rs. 493 ( for travel, prizes for the children, drawing sheets and crayons for invitation cards and pictures), of which Rs. 225 was raised through collection from the community.