The Unconventional Activist – Amrita Milan

ChangeWarrior Amrita Milan always knew she could make a difference but didn’t quite know how. That’s until she decided to dive into a project at TribesforGOOD that blends art and activism to impart Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Once she knew how crucial yet underexplored SEL is, it hit her that more children, especially the underserved, need to know about it. Thus began her activism through fun art sessions where children learnt to manage their own emotions and those of others in the form of drawings.

Lack of SEL is yet to be considered a ‘problem’ that can impede children’s development. Children from humble backgrounds suffer the most as they don’t understand how to deal with their emotions in healthy ways.

Amrita’s Reflections

I had some exposure to mental health and emotional well-being through school and my upbringing. But knowing how these are turning into big problems, I realized we need more activism around it for it to be taken seriously. I want to take my learning from this project to more NGOs.

An Experience to Live Through

The young ChangeWarrior recalled how children – young and old – opened up to her team during the fieldwork sessions and truly enjoyed themselves. She acknowledged how art and empathy could create a safe space for children who lack effective support for mental & emotional well-being. For Amrita, it was a wonderful experience to live through as she learnt how art blurs socio-economic divisions besides picking up skills such as team building, planning & organization.