Bal-samoohs are children and youth forums in villages that provide a platform for adolescents to develop their creative and leadership abilities. They are run by a team of three or four youth from the village, with the network of 19 bal-samoohs being coordinated from the Hoshangabad education resource centre. Each bal-samooh is centred around a library run by a team member from his/her home. In addition, activity workshops and bal-melas are organised and children contribute their writings and drawings to wall magazines they produce and a monthly magazine Udaan brought out from Hoshangabad.
At present, bal-samoohs function in Tugaria, Bairakhedi, Amupura, Hirankheda, Raisalpur, Kotgaon, Matapura, Bagra Tawa, Pothia, Mahendrawadi, Managaon, Sontalai, Parsapani, Hoshangabad Police Line and Malakhedi in Hoshangabad district.
One important component of the leadership development programme is the monthly meetings held on the first Saturday of every month at the Hoshangabad centre. Bal-samooh coordinators and Eklavya staff review the functioning of their forums and plan the activities for the following month. They also discuss issues of interest and learn new skills during these meetings. The issues taken up for discussion include organisational matters, historical and cultural topics and current socio-political happenings.
Other important activities of the bal-samoohs are theatre, writing workshops and community based events like tree planting etc. Several bal-samoohs independently produce and perform plays with a social content in their own as well as neighbouring villages.
Bal-Samooh Activities
Udaan