UKKATTHA FEST

Remembering|Reclaiming|Rejoicing

Project Mukti team and students at Ukkattha Annual Fest 2022

Venue: Nav Nirman Buddha Vihar, R.K. Puram, New Delhi

Project Mukti team along with students and their parents at Ukkattha Annual Fest 2023

Venue: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Auditorim, Andhra Pradesh Bhavan, New Delhi

Project Mukti was established with the intention to create a safe and nurturing environment for women and children from the underprivileged communities to learn, unlearn and explore. Our motto is Equity, Empowerment and Excellence. 

We started working extensively with children from the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been roughly over 2 years and we have seen how much struggle each parent has put in order to have their children continue with their education even while the government schools were shut down, the children were cut off from learning, and left to do household work and play in the bastis.

As a team that comes from underprivileged communities ourselves, we know the struggle that each parent puts in to see a better future for their child. But are their struggles acknowledged? Are the children appreciated enough? Is everyone’s excellence celebrated? 

Excellence is often misunderstood in a meritocratic society. While meritocracy normally aims at conforming to the status quo, excellence always breaks away from it. Historically, different marginalized groups, despite the harsh and unfair social conditions, have always strived for excellence both, individually and communally. Striving for excellence has been an act of exercising freedom in an unequal society. It has stood as a commitment to self and community growth. 

Ukkattha was an opportunity that we all as a team felt was needed for everyone of us to celebrate our journeys - the whole Project Mukti team, children that we work with, and their parents, siblings and friends. Ukkattha is a Pali word which means Excellence. It is also an ancient Buddhist town in Kosala, once free from all taxes, built in the night by the light of the torches, and now forgotten in the ruins of history.

From the moment we decided on celebrating our journeys, we had seen and experienced different emotions within our own team members. I remember not being able to participate in any school event or bringing back any trophy or certificate home. I knew my parents weren’t able to afford a new dress either for me to participate in those events. We created different categories of awards (to make sure every child and every parent goes back home happily) and Project Mukti T-shirts for all children. 

Finding a physical space for the event was the most challenging. During our practice sessions, we were asked by the colony people not to use gardens or community spaces because our children came from a particular locality. There were moments when we had to return home heartbroken after being denied permission to use community halls and school grounds for the final event in the South Delhi region. Finally, through a friend and close ally Ms. Sunita Kamal, we were able to get permission to use the ground in front of Nav Nirman Buddha Vihar in RK Puram Sector 3. We couldn’t have asked for more as this place was perfect for celebrating the immense potential in our children. 

The day finally arrived and everyone was so excited for the event. Two of our Project Mukti children, Poonam and Shiva, compered the whole event. And the award function was facilitated by our brilliant education team, Gurveen, Maya, Iram and Rajeshwari. 

We started the event by chanting Buddha Vandana during which Sanghapali from the PM team, Shobha ji - one of the parents and our student Kartik lit the candles in front of the frames of Babasaheb, the Phules and the Constitution of India.

We had children perform to the Welcome song, Sonyana Bharli Oti by Kadubai Kharat, Jai Jai Bhim from Shudra The Rising, Ginni Mahi’s Fan Babasaheb di and Enjoy Enjaami by Arivu and Dhee. A group of children also sang “Kabira Kahe” from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar movie. 

We would like to thank all the friends (social activists, students, student leaders, Ph.D scholars, alumni of various universities and academics) who encouraged and motivated our children and distributed the trophies in the following categories: Academic Excellence, Creative Thinker, Problem Solver, Independent Learner, Team Player and Rising Stars.

During the entire event, all that I could see was faces filled with happiness and joy. The children and their parents were bubbling with positive energy and the air was filled with cheers. Friends and siblings of many children came forward expressing their willingness to join our classes. Some children’s whatsapp status that night was “my first award of my life”. I believe this was what we achieved as a team - a sense of pride in the eyes of every parent and child present there.

This is where our journey begins - acknowledging, appreciating and rejoicing every step forward by the Project Mukti family. We dream to have these children graduate, pursue higher education and careers of their choice.

I would like to thank our entire Project Mukti team: Kimi, Iram, Maya, Rajeshwari, Gurveen, Manisha, Sunita, Nangsel, Atul and Sanghapali for always making sure that the team feels heard and the needs being taken care of. Everyone has worked beyond our roles and responsibilities and made the event have a long-lasting impact on everyone that was part of it. 

“I can’t thank you all enough…I would like to say that I love you all a lot and I wish we continue to grow together and bring out the best in each other.” - Sanghapali

Jai Bhim & Jai Savitri to our Project Mukti family.