#mariamma nagar

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Mariamma Nagar Presentation Day: Class Photo

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More Trees: Presentation Day in Mariamma Nagar

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Rubbish and Recycling: Presentation Day in Mariamma Nagar

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Mosquitos: Presentation Day in Mariamma Nagar

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Rubbish and Recycling: Final Design Drawings

The children focused on designing large bins for separate waste, one wet, one dry. They decided on the size based on the current dimension of BMC bins, but made them from tin, so the local tin maker could fabricate them. They chose to paint the dry bin green (for recycling) and the wet waste bin brown (for waste food). Bombay is supposed to have 2 waste pick ups but waste is very seldom segregated. They designed machine embroidered signs to be fixed on to the bins, made by local machine embroiderers Mahetab and Ameek, who had previously fabricated the embroidered map.

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Assessment of preliminary designs:

We brought the objects made in Mariamma Nagar during the school holidays back in to the classroom so that the children could see how their design drawings were interpreted. This session focussed on the importance of detail in design drawing, and what was right/what went wrong. 

The tree bag drawing was in its totality embroidered onto the bag. The mosquito net was too dense, and had no means of attaching to a wall or door. The tin gutter cover was flimsy. The children thought about how to make their designs better, and their drawings clearer.

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Working with the tin and bag makers:

Vinita Gatne an architect from Mumbai is facilitating the open gutter group. During the school holidays we took the children’s preliminary design drawings to be made by the craftspeople. We started discussions with the tin box makers and with the bag maker.

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Fighting and bad language:

The children identified fighting and bad language in the settlement as something they found upsetting and that disturbs life in the settlement. They decided to design a ‘debating not fighting’ table. The table would be laden with treats, and would be accompanied by a fine box and signage. The table top would be designed to say ‘Avoid Fight’ in big letters. They want the embroiderer to make the signage and decorate the table, and the tin box fabricator to make the fine box.