2 workshops, back-2-back
​
3 + 3 Days Residential

4th EDITION

No Child’s Play

Reimagining Participation of
​Children, Adolescents & Young People

March 2026

Do you believe in the ability and agency of children, adolescents and young people?

Why then, do they remain on the margins when it comes to their meaningful participation? Do we need to analyse the culture of being unheard or silenced? Would understanding layers of exclusion before talking about participation help in ensuring that voices of children, adolescents and young people are heard?

Meaningful participation of children, adolescents and young people, we believe, could positively impact social and ecological justice!

How to design and facilitate such processes?

Are you a parent, teacher, community organiser, trainer, facilitator, researcher, project or program manager, activist, volunteer...
​or anyone who works for/with children, adolescents, and young people?

This workshop then is an opportunity to explore possibilities of children, adolescents and young people’s participation… away from tokenism.

Square Pegs, Round Holes

Reimagining Life Skills for
Children, Adolescents & Young People

March 2026

Do you believe that the purpose of life skills education is to build children, adolescents and young people as better beings?

​Why then are we boxing them into narrow definitions of success? Why are we disconnecting them from their communities and environment? Why are we shaping skills that prioritise individual gain over collective well-being? In the mad rush for development, are we fostering attitudes that place humans above all else?

Building values and shaping attitudes, we believe, will enable and empower children, adolescents and young people to live together!

How to design and facilitate such processes?

Are you a parent, teacher, community organiser, trainer, facilitator, researcher, project or program manager, activist, volunteer…
​or anyone who works for/with children, adolescents, and young people?

This workshop then is an opportunity to reexamine and reimagine the idea of life skills… beyond employability skills.

Venue
Leslie Sawhny Centre
​Deolali, District Nashik, Maharashtra

​
Language
Bilingual (Hindi & English)

​
​Facilitators
Anju Uppal & Prabir Bose


Interested?
The 4th Edition of the 2 workshops, back-2-back will be announced in January 2026.
If you would like to be notified, please email [email protected]

3rd Edition

Mar 17 to 22, 2025

Across two back-to-back residential workshops, 21 individuals—including those representing 10 organisations, as well as activists, students, and children—came together from across eight states in India to critically reflect on what participation and life skills mean for children and young people in today’s world.

The first of these workshops—No Child’s Play—held from March 17 to 19, 2025, at the Leslie Sawhny Centre, Deolali, brought together 14 participants.

We began not with theories or frameworks, but with a collective pause. We reflected on our own experiences of participation, identifying the conditions that enable or hinder meaningful engagement. Drawing from our memories and observations—particularly from childhood—we unpacked what it means to grow up in an “adult’s world.”

​Through this shared reflection, we co-created a space that modelled what meaningful participation could look like. The workshop became a live demonstration of what is possible when facilitation is grounded in trust, openness, and intent.

The process affirmed our belief: participation is not a given—it must be consciously cultivated. We left with insights, tools, and, most importantly, a renewed commitment to creating spaces where all voices—especially those of children and young people—are heard and valued.

The second workshop—Square Pegs, Round Holes—held from March 20 to 22, 2025, at the Leslie Sawhny Centre, Deolali, brought together 19 participants. Twelve continued from the first workshop, while seven new participants joined the process, enriching it with fresh perspectives. With two children participating in the process, we were reminded that any effort to shape life skills must begin with listening to those for whom these skills are intended.

Together, we unpacked what life skills mean to us, why we value them, and whether they can—or should—be taught in conventional ways. What do children and adolescents truly want to learn? Are we equipping them to live together in a shared world with empathy and awareness—or are we reinforcing narrow definitions of success that disconnect them from their communities and environments?

This reflection deepened as we examined the role of facilitators and educators. How can we hold space for learning that honours both individual journeys and collective realities?

​The workshop left us with more questions than answers—a sign of meaningful engagement. It enabled us to reflect on our respective contexts and carry forward the challenge of reimagining life skills—not just as tools for individual gain, but as building blocks for co-existence.

2nd Edition

2024

1st Edition

2023

facilitate workshops

We facilitate processes that encourage dialogue, analysis and provoke a rethink on the dominant power relations and explore rights, gender, participation and communication to challenge the "culture of silence".

We carry out learning needs assessments (LNAs), design and develop modules and handbooks, facilitate workshops, provide handholding support and document learning processes.

Our workshops bring together participants from diverse backgrounds. Our past workshops have been attended by community volunteers, development workers from non-profits, donor agencies & government departments; activists from campaigns & movements; ​theatre and media practitioners; students and faculty members, children and young people, farmers and workers.

We invite you to an exciting, engaging and enriching learning journey! If you would like to host or participate in any of our workshops, please email [email protected]