Every morning, Mohammed Mifzal, a class seven student of Sree Narayanaguru School in Coimbatore, sits cross-legged surrounded by discarded newspapers, a pair of scissors, glues, paints, plastics and other junk he finds at home. For the next few hours he snips, and rolls paper pieces with gum, and transforms them into a toy or a decorative piece. “I just finished making a jeep in military green colour,” he giggles. He has made cars, bikes, scooters and a JCB vehicle! Mifzal turns discarded plastic bottles into flower vases and tries his hand at art on glass bottles. “I use a rolling method where I shape newspapers with gum to get the desired shape of a vehicle. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I got bored. I got the idea to make something creative when I watched some YouTube tutorials on do-it-yourself toys from trash.”
Mifzal explains that the activity is fun and is also good for the environment. “ We have cut down on sending waste to the landfill. We also get to decorate our home with artwork made entirely from junk,” he says. His siblings Basil and Famna also join him in up-cycling.
The children have become celebrities in Selvapuram where they live after a TV channel showcased their talent. His father, PMA Faizal, says that children in their neighbourhood are keen to learn. “We have told them to come after the lockdown period. During the activity, children stay focussed and think creatively as they give shape to their ideas. And, there is no need to buy any new stationery!”
Mifzal’s mother, F Fazeena, says the lockdown has given them extra time to work on their extra-curricular skills. “They make something valuable, and learn lessons in mathematics and science too as they work with shapes, proportion, and balance. It’s a great learning experience.”
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