Chinnari Nestham Magazine
The idea of publishing a newsletter for and by children, emerged during the lockdown prompted by the COVID-19 Pandemic, when schools were closed, and rural children did not have any access to learning resources and expression of their thoughts. Over time, it has become a necessary and important output of the Chiguru programme of the Collective.
The Chinnari Nestham Magazine magazine is contributing to artistic expression and creative learning, boosting not only academic knowledge but personality growth and development of the children. What initially began as a two page newsletter to support reading and writing activities for children has now evolved into a full-fledged magazine. Over the past three years, a total of 1,833 contributions have been received for the children’s magazine. 80% of the articles were contributed by the members of the Children’s Clubs formed by the Collective, and 20% by adults of the Timbaktu Panchayathi.
The magazine adheres to five key principles in its preparation: Attraction, Amusement, Absorption, Valuable, and Pricelessness. What has become a key component of this magazine is the involvement of children in the form of the Editorial Team that selects the articles and makes changes to the magazine. It is published in Telugu and covers a wide range of topics including literature, child rights, ecology, bilingual stories, English, logical reasoning, puzzles, worksheets, poems, songs, jokes, riddles, drawings, and general knowledge.