The Participatory Media Project, supported by the Alef Trust Conscious Community Initiative and facilitated by Manjusha Nair in partnership with Deer Park Institute, offers a vivid insight into how children in Himachal Pradesh are using creative media to make sense of their changing world. In this project, students from Bir and Matru Government Schools produced two original songs and accompanying short films; blending humour, symbolism and emotional clarity to express their concerns about climate change and waste.
Across both videos, the children position themselves not only as performers, but as commentators on the realities they witness. In one scene, pupils gather in small groups, drafting lyrics about confused seasons and rising temperatures: “In winter time, people are wearing summer clothing, and everyone is confused.” Their playful “Doobi Doobi Dub Dub” chorus soon gives way to sharper messages, reminding viewers to treat the earth gently and avoid spreading litter. This emerging environmental awareness flows directly into moments from the second film, where another group of students dress a classmate entirely in discarded rubbish. She becomes a living emblem of human excess, moving slowly under the weight of what society has thrown away.
¨The two films mirror and amplify one another. The girl dressed as the earth in the first project absorbs rubbish thrown by her peers, symbolising the planet’s fragility. In the second, the “personified rubbish” declares, “Give me another chance to live my life again,” giving voice to materials that linger long after use. These contrasting figures; the wounded earth and the neglected waste, form a dialogue across the videos, highlighting how climate change and pollution are interconnected, mutually reinforcing challenges shaped by everyday actions.¨
Throughout the process, Manjusha’s facilitation encourages the children to explore these themes not as abstract global issues, but as lived experiences. The songs shift between seriousness and playfulness, capturing the cultural rhythms of the region while carrying pointed messages: “The climate changed so much. What have we done?” and “At least now, let us be rid of plastic.” Their final scenes, from removing layers of clothing in the rising heat to dancing around the student dressed in refuse, create a shared emotional landscape that binds the two works together.
What emerges is a cohesive creative conversation – two interlinked expressions of concern, curiosity and hope. Through music, movement and visual storytelling, the children forge a collective narrative that speaks to ecological stewardship and community responsibility. Participatory Media: Images of Change stands as a testament to how the media can empower young voices, enabling them to shape stories that resonate far beyond their classrooms.
Discover more about Alef Trust´s Conscious Community Initiative projects, here.
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