HYDERABAD: Books for food. Books to build a library. It’s the kind of barter you would not have the heart to say ‘no’ to. and that’s what happened when ‘Sahasra - A Centre for Learning’ organised the programme ‘Food for Thought’ at Juxtapose in Jubilee Hills. As part of their SpringUP Leadership Programme, children with learning difficulties curated and served a menu that consisted of their favourite food memories. But there was no exchange of money anywhere. To have the meal that had vegetarian dishes from all over the country, guests had to donate three books or more, which would go towards building a library for MRC Nagar government primary school.
Akshata, who had brought pulihora, said: “I love the pulihora my mother makes. I have very fond memories associated with this dish as it is served in temples. In fact, because it is served in Sai Baba temples, I call it Sai Annam. I go to temples with my grandfather and the whole experience holds a special place in my heart.” Guru, who had brought Adai, said: “Adai is my favourite dish and I like to have it with Avial. My grandmother used to make it, and now my mother does it. I have brought a dessert called Kesari too.” The children talked about their food memories, and their experience of putting the meal together. Later, they served the food for guests on banana leaves.
Anjali Kariappa, the founder of SpringUP, said: “This project was conceptualised to help children experience and understand the power of community and how small acts of collaboration can bring about change and create impact. Other than essential skills like planning, coordination, teamwork, communication etc., the focus was on conversations within the family, collaborating with family members, understanding family history and bringing together shared memories and experiences to create a space of learning and reading for less advantaged children.”
“Every food in the thali is sourced from the children’s favourite food memory. The dishes are authentic recipes, which have a history of their own within their families. Recipes which have been passed down through generations in their families.”
— Kakoli Mukherjee kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com @kakoliMukherje2