Ajjimane camp offers children glimpse into traditional village life

Mangaluru: The ‘Ajjimane' camp, held at a school in Peraje near Mani, offered children, including those from Mumbai and Bengaluru, a unique experience of the past. Under the theme Ajji-Mane ‘Ondanondu Kalladalli, Mobile illada Oorinalli' (Once Upon a Time, in a Village Without Cellphones), 211 children from over 40 schools explored traditional household conditions, games, and songs. It was organised at Balavikas English medium school, and concluded a few days ago.
The participants made toys with natural materials, visited the Atrabailu D Ramdas Rai Guthu House, played rural games, and spent time with farm animals. Children also learned from artisans and participated in activities like jackfruit cutting and papad making. The camp, conceptualised by the school, aimed to introduce village life and practices to the younger generation.
Supriya D, head teacher at the school, said that the aim of the camp was to bring together children from urban areas to give them a sneak peek of village life, which they have not witnessed. "We made a 1990s village theme based on childhood village life in coastal districts," Supriya said. She explained that on the first day, Prapulla Rai from Mani took the children back in time to the era of grandparents. They explained the household conditions of the past, the games played, and the songs sung. Children enthusiastically participated in various activities using natural materials found around the house to make toys.
Next, all the children visited the Guthu House and marvelled at its design. They played games in the garden and fields and even played cricket with bats made from coconut fronds. They enjoyed blowing bubbles in soapy water and played various rural games like marbles, lagori, and stone games. They also fed hay to cattle. "Children slipped on banana leaves, swung on coconut fronds, and played in the mud," she added.
Children were introduced to the skills of senior artisans like coconut shell craftsmen, potters, and basket weavers. They even performed demonstrations of cutting jackfruit and making papads. All children participated in various rural activities, including roasting cashewnuts over a fire and building sheds with jackfruit leaves. During the camp, magazines like ‘Balamangala', ‘Tunturu', ‘Chandamama', ‘Mayura', and ‘Mangala' were introduced to the children to inculcate the habit of reading.