Two artists, Bandana Tulachan and Ubahang Limbu produced two children’s book each over six months during an   art residency that was a part of the engagement work that Srijanalaya was able to achieve during the Climate+ Change Arts Education Program.

For the residency, we partnered with local organizations/bodies working on renewable energy and recycling/waste management to locate people’s personal stories. A key partner was Heralo, an organization that makes briquettes out of the water hyacinths removed from the lake every year and also use the hyacinths in biogas plants.  They are important mobilizers in creating a planned waste management system where people separate the waste into colored buckets and are well connected with local bodies such as Aama Samuhas (women’s groups).

MDO and the people from the Jalari community’s Cooperative supported the artists’ search of stories.  Both artists chose to focus on the relationship between humans and nature in two different communities—the Gurung community and the Jalari community— that live on different parts of the Panchase Watershed.

Two books, Sanu and the Big Storm and The Journey ( Yatra, in Nepali) have been published as a result of the residency. The books are available in English and Nepali.