Chennai: "I am sorry that you changed yourself to feel included," said a cloud to Elmer, an elephant, after listening to his story. The cloud was flying to learn about the world.
"I am not like other elephants. I was born light-skinned. Everyone teased me for that. So, I left my herd and blackened myself with jamun juice," said Elmer to the cloud. Then, nobody teased him. He felt accepted for the first time. Alas, it did not last. It rained one day, and his 'true colours' came out. "We thought you were naturally that colour. We didn't know that teasing you would affect you so much that you had to change yourself. You could have told us. I am sorry," said another elephant to Elmer.
The cloud, elephants, and the surroundings were all mere paper cutouts whose shadows were supposed to make the children reflect on their mental health.
This puppet show was staged for around 150 children, aged 8-18, in Vyasarpadi as part of the mental health festival organised by the local community and civil society organisations, including Aarvam, Omega forum for social impact, and Aram Porul.
A nearby corporation school was recently busted for alcohol and substance abuse among students. "Addressing their well-being and mental health can prevent them from being addicted to drugs in the long term," said Sumithra Devi, the event coordinator. Read More
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
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