What is KA THIANTE IN?
Ka Thiante In is a Mizo dialect which literally means ‘My Friends’ Place’. It is designed to be a hangout zone, a space where one can just chill, eat, drink coffee/tea, a space to express oneself freely under mentorship, without the fear of being judged and discriminated. It is a safe space where young people are facilitated and encouraged to explore and discover themselves and connect their selves to society and then find their own space to contribute to society. And most importantly it is a RESOURCE CENTRE for young people.
Why Ka Thiante In?
Lack of opportunities to express oneself in the community, lack of hangout zones and recreational centers, the regimented life structures which results in the ‘bottled up’ condition of young people are the major motives that made Ka Thiante In came into existence.
When a young person wants to go out and hangout with friends, in order to get the permission from the parents he/she would say “I’m going to my friend’s place”, without really going there and instead hangout outdoors and go to places where the family and society forbid it as it is considered as a unhealthy spot. Those who visit those particular hangout zones are most of the time labeled as anti-social, ill-mannered and an indiscipline person. With the passion and empathy for young people, FLAT would like to be their friend and co-create, co-own and co-design a safe space with young people, with a hope that Ka Thiante In would be that kind of space, FLAT gladly launches Ka Thiante In for all young people and also adults to co-own the space.
What can you find at Ka Thiante In?
- A cafeteria – To eat, drink coffee/tea or just sit without doing anything, chat, play games, inspirational card readings etc
- A reading room– For those who want to read and equip themselves
- Listening room– For those who need counseling, career guidance or for those who just want to pour their hearts out.
Programs at Ka Thiante In:
- Weave your dreams: A dream catcher making workshop using a designed module, where young people talk and share their dreams and aspirations and are encouraged to take steps in following their dreams.
- Learning to live: A short session on different topics of life skills education, for eg: self esteem, decision making, critical thinking etc. with lots of fun activities and games.
- Talk it Out café: It is an ongoing activity of FLAT to create youth space. It is a collaborative dialogue in a café ambience to discuss about self and society, from ‘Me’ to ‘We’. A space where people pour their hearts out while discussing issues that matters to them.
- Messed Up Night! : A space where young people share their stories of failure. A society where we live in, a family we grow up with provides us with a limited space to make mistakes. We are told not to fail in life as results many young people are afraid of exploration because they are afraid of making mistakes. This program aims to assure our young people that it is okay to make mistake and failure is just a stepping stone to success.
- Personal Safety Education Program (PSEP): It is an education imparted to young people on how to keep their body safe from sexual abuse and to accept themselves as they are and become more aware of themselves.
- Book Reading: There is a Reading Zone provided in the hangout space with books to read. To enhance the reading habits of young people and boost their interest in reading books, Book reading is conducted, starting from 2018. Here, a particular book was chosen to be read together and discuss their favorite parts/characters and their reflections from reading the book.
- Movie Screening: In this session, movies, short clips and videos relatable to young people are shown and discussion is held after the show.
As per our records available, it is roughly estimated that atleast 5000 youth have visited Ka Thiante In since its inception and atleast 600 youth have attended the programs conducted inside the space. ( March 2021)
