Nayana Adarkar, a graduate in commerce, working as a Sr. SubEditor for Daily Bhaangarbhuin,  has published 3 poetry collections, 2 literary essays, a collection of short stories and 16 books for children. Her songs have been included in chilren's audio CDs and her poetry is a part of the Goa Higher Secondary syllabus as well as B.A. syllabus. One of her poems has been included in the  Maharashtra Higher Secondary Board syllabus.  She has received two awards for children's literature, six awards for her poetry and one for her for story collection. She is also the recipent of the  Goa State Yashodamini Award for Literature.

Nayana Adarkar, our Konkani enthusiast lovingly shares with us her many adventures in the World of Stories. She carries us along, right back to the very beginning of her wonderful tryst with poems and stories. We trot alongside as she tells us about how she became and remained the animated, child-like storyteller that she is (Touch Wood:)); how the audience kept changing through the different phases of the growing up years, to marriage, to motherhood - but the stories, they always remained by her side. 

We find ourselves eagerly listening in to our favourite Manikantan’s story as she narrates it to a room full of enthusiastic children…and just like her very young audience, we want to hear more and more stories from you, Nayana. Keep weaving magic with the stories, like only you can!

Join us, on this wonderful journey with Nayana… 

हांव भुरगेपणांत खूब मस्ते, भरपूर खावप, वाचप , अभिनय करप आनी नाच करप म्हाका आवडटालें. चांदोबा, काणयांची पुस्तकां, पेपर... हाची आवड निर्माण जाली ती म्हजी आजी आनी म्हज्या आज्याची भयण बा कडल्यान. बा मुंबय सावन गोंया येताली. तेन्ना आमी तिका म्हणप, बा, काणी सांग. तिणें मागीर म्हणप, काणी दिल्लीक बसल्या राणी आनी मागीर ती काणी सुरू करताली. म्हजी आवय शिवलिला, भगवतगिता बी वाचून दाखयताली तेंवूय कानार पडटालें. 

चवथेंत आसतना एकदां फॅमिली पिकनिकेक गेल्ले कडेन म्हजी पयली कविता जल्माक आयली. मागीर काणयो, नाटकुलीं. आमच्या बाबान वाड्या वयल्या भुरग्यां खातीर शाळा काडिल्ली. ते शाळेंत हांव भुरग्यांक काणयो सांगपाक वतालें. म्हजी वाचनाचे, अभिनयाचे आवडीक सारें मेळटालें. 

हांव व्हड जालें खरें पूण म्हज्यांतलें भुरगें तशेंच म्हज्या मनांत उरलें. तें पिकनिकेक, इश्ट-इश्टिणीं मदीं भायर येतालें आनी मस्तेंपणा करतालें. भुरगींय म्हजे कडेन म्हज्या सभावा खातीर ओडटाली. जायत्या जाणांक म्हज्या ह्या प्लस पॉयंटाचो अदमास आयलो. तीं म्हाका काणयो सांगपाक आपोवंक लागलीं. कोंकणी भाशा मंडळ, शाळा, क्लब, ग्रंथालय...

हांव भुरग्यां मदीं वता तेन्ना भुरगें जाता. आनी तेन्नाच म्हाका कळटा भुरग्यांक कितें जाय आसता. नव्यो नव्यो काणयो, तातूंत हांसप आसपाक जाय, नाटक आसपाक जाय, पूण शिकोवणी आसपाक जायना. तूं अशें कर, तशें कर म्हणल्यार भुरग्याक (आनी म्हज्यांतल्या भुरग्याकूय) राग येता. ते परस आडवळणान ती गजाल भुरग्यांच्या मनार घाली, जाल्यार तांकां दुसऱ्यांचे काणयेंतल्यान त्या गजालीचें म्हत्व कळटा. त्या भुरग्याच्यो चुकी आपल्या कडल्यानूय घडटात हें ताच्या लक्षांत येता. आपणें तशें केल्यार कितें जातलें हें नकळटा ताका समजता. आनी तें शाणो जाता. 

आतां भुरगीं कसली आसची काणी सांगपा खातीर हाका म्हजे नदरेन अर्थ ना. भुरगें भुरगेंच आसता. हां कांय जाणांची लेव्हल मातशी वेगळी आसूं येता. पूण भुरग्यांक मारप, बडोवप, मरप, दुख्ख जावप ह्यो गजाली आवडनात. चड करून त्या परिस्थितींतल्यान आयिल्ल्या भुरग्यांक. भुरग्यांच्या कलान घेवन तांकां काणयो सांगपाक म्हाका आवडटा. तांचे भशेन नाचून बी काणी सांगल्यार तांकां हांव मागीर तांच्यांतलें एक भुरगें कशें दिसता आनी तिवूंय मनमेकळीं काणयेचो आनंद घेतात. एक थर्ड पर्सन जावन तांचे मदीं काणी सांगूंक गेल्यार भुरगीं तुमकां आपणायनात. हो म्हजो अणभव.

म्हज्या भुरग्यांक काणी सांगता सांगता हांवूय काणयो घडयत गेलें. पेपरांत कामाक आसतना हांव बालसाहित्य विभाग सांबाळटालें. तेन्नाय म्हजे कडसून काणयो घडत गेल्यो. वट्ट 14 काणयांचे संग्रह जाले. आनीकूय काणयो घडटात. बालकविताय करतां. भाशा मंडळान म्हज्यो कविता सी.डी. खातीरूय घेतल्यात. हांव कथा, कविता वांगडा बालसाहित्यूय रचता. त्या बालसाहित्याचो बिंब प्रकाशन, आनी कुडचडें केंद्रांन पुरस्कार दिवन भोवमान केला.

हांव ज्या जाग्यार काणी सांगूंक वता थंय चडश्यो म्हज्यो काणयो सांगतां. आनी केन्ना केन्ना म्हाका आवडटात आनी भुरग्यांक सांगपाक म्हाका बरें पडटात, त्या काणयांतल्यान मनरिजवण जाताच पूण नवें गिन्यान मेळटा, तातूंतल्यान भुरग्यांच्यो भावनाय समजतात. अश्यो काणयो हांव घेता. म्हाका राजीव तांबे हांच्यो काणयो आवडटात. वेगळे तरेच्यो . जनावरांक, वस्तूंक मनशाच्या रुपान पेश करपी. मनिकंठन ही काणीय म्हाका आवडली. आयच्या धांवपळीच्या जगांत भुरगीं फकत अभ्यास, करियराच्या फाटल्यान घुस्पल्यांत. तांच्या मदल्यो भावनांय आमी पालक समजून घेनात. सैमाचीं तरेतरेचीं रुपां तांचे पसून पयस उरतात. तांचे मुखार आसता तें बेगडी टिव्ही, कंप्युटरा वयलें जग. हांवें मणिकंठनाची काणी भुरग्यांक सांगली आनी त्या भुरग्यां मदली मातयेची उदकाची , आजी-आजो हांची ओड पळोवन मन भरून आयलें. 

म्हजी इश्टीण रत्नान एकदीस आमनाबायचो फोन येतलो म्हूण सांगलें. आमनाबायन म्हजे मुखार तरातरांच्या काणयांचें भांडार दवरलें. आगळ्यो वेगळ्यो काणयो. वेगवेगळ्या लेखकांच्यो. तांचो अणवाद बी करतना मजा आयली.

Watch Nayana Adarkar in action: 

 

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Q:  What do you usually read? Which language do you prefer to read in?

A:  I read whatever I get to and whatever I find interesting: from newspapers, magazines, online articles, my children's academic books to everything! I prefer to read in English the most.

Q:  Do you have a favorite book / author and why is it a favorite?

A: I find no particular book or author as my favorite, I love many books, many authors and many languages.

Q: You have contributed for us immensely. How has the StoryWeaver journey been?

A: Simply GREAT! I have learnt many new things, I discovered the ability to express my thoughts in a simple manner.

Q: Could you share with us a story or anecdote from the translations / reviews? Or one big thing that you take away from this experience?

A: Not just one or two things, I have learnt so much and experienced so many things from these children books. In one of Pratham Books’ Annual Storytelling sessions in Delhi, I went to a Telugu school to conduct a Telugu story-telling session, I was apprehensive about the response of the staff and most importantly the kids with whom I was supposed to interact. But to my surprise, at the end of the session I was very emotional with tears in my eyes, I was encircled by so many small children, requesting for more stories.  I was totally a stranger to them but the stories made me their favorite, the feeling was indescribable. It was a moment I will treasure all my life.

Q: How does it feel when your story gets published online?

A: Great! Because being a person of seventies and eighties, that too coming from Odisha a state, wrongly labeled as backward and poor it feels GREAT when I think I am not lagging behind with the modern time and methods, and whatever I am doing I am repaying my debt to my mother state.

Q: You have translated / reviewed a handful of stories for us. Which one has been your favourite and why?

A: My favorite book is 'We Call Her Ba', the book is about Smt.Kasturba Gandhi. Though I had read about the freedom struggle and Gandhiji in my student days, this book took me to a period of time not familiar to me. I loved the language, narration and everything about it.

Q: What is your key driver in taking this up?

A: The driving cause is the concept of introducing children to stories of languages other than their mother tongue. The exposure to different kinds literature in one’s childhood  transforms the child into a person of responsible nature, knowledgeable, and more tolerant towards other cultures which is the need of the hour at present.

Q: How else do you think we can join hands in taking bigger steps for children’s literature?

A:  I feel I have no such high intelligence to offer any constructive ideas but in my small mind I feel that, in these TV addiction days it will get more attractive for children if the story telling or narrating session could be telecast on television.  

Q: How has the overall experience with StoryWeaver been?

Ans.  ବହୁତ ବଢ଼ିଆ , ତୃପ୍ତିକର କାମ |  Very Pleasant, Highly satisfying .  

Q: How did you cross the technology barrier for this?

A: Without facing much difficulty. I always want to change with times and like to keep pace with my grown up children so my children taught me everything . They encouraged me a lot and boosted my confidence. So it was smooth sailing.

To read all the wonderful translations by Indugu on SW, click here!

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Communities Rising runs after school programs for children attending government primary schools in underserved rural villages in the Villupuram District of Tamil Nadu. When they started their  new reading program, Betsy McCoy, founder and President of Communities Rising asked the students "How many of you ever read books for pleasure?" Not a single student said yes. Fast forward two years, and a totally different picture has emerged.

“All of our students are reading every day; story books, non-fiction books, biographies, all kinds of books. They are discovering the joy of reading! Without StoryWeaver, this remarkable change in our students’ reading habits would not have been possible.” shared Betsy.

Communities Rising was struggling to find beginner reader books in English and Tamil that the children would enjoy reading at affordable prices. Plus, they discovered that once their student’s were bitten by the reading bug, they could not keep up with their voracious appetite for books!

StoryWeaver’s relationship with Communities Rising started earlier this year, when they attended one of a workshop and demonstration in Bangalore.  Through StoryWeaver, Communities Rising has access to a wealth of books in both English and Tamil, which they can download quickly and print to share with children. StoryWeaver also provides them a choice of titles in a variety of genres, including books on STEM subjects. If a particular title is not available in Tamil, they can translate it to Tamil on the platform itself and have it ready for the children to be enjoyed.

“We especially love the bilingual books printed in both Tamil and English that allow our students to read in both languages on the same page. These books are a tremendous help with comprehension - it's like getting two books for the price of one!” said Betsy.

Communities Rising have downloaded all of the StoryWeavers titles in levels 1 and 2 in English, and levels 1-3 in Tamil. They are in the process of printing and distributing one set of all these titles to each of their 6 centres, thus reaching 360-400 students.

“We tried printing the books in two formats. One with single pages hole punched and attached with rings and the second with the pages stapled in the center. Durability is an issue and so we printed samples on heavy, card stock.” shared Betsy.

     

Creating Super Readers

The organisation believes that reading makes children learners for life and encourages reading in a big way in their after school programme. Each child is assigned a 'book box' which contains books that he/she must read each week - in both English and Tamil.  Children are incentivised to read through the SuperReader program which has been developed by Communities Rising.

“Each student has a CR reading necklace. They get a bead for each book that their teacher certifies they have actually read. After reading 10 books, they get ‘Readers Are Leaders’ pencils, and after 20 books, they get pins that proclaim them ‘CR Super Readers’. I'm happy to say that we are giving our many pencils.” said Betsy who believes that the necklaces, reading pencils and Super Reader pins help build a sense of community and sense of belonging to Communities Rising amongst the children.

 

                A CR Super Reader necklace.

At the end of the year, the top readers from each center will travel to Chennai to visit Tara Boks for a program there and the top reading center will have a book party!

“Last year, I told some of our kids, that I was looking forward to hearing complaints from their parents that they were spending too much time reading, instead of playing or helping at home. We aren’t quite there yet, but with the help of StoryWeaver, I have no doubt those complaints aren't far away.” said Betsy.

We look forward to hearing those complaints too!

You can follow Communities Rising on FaceBook. If you’re an organisation working with young children and feel that StoryWeaver could benefit them, please write to us at [email protected]. Do remember to add Freedom to Read in the subject line!

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