Hyderabad: A doll created by a rural innovator has become a powerful tool to teach children to protect themselves from abuse. The ‘Samskar’ doll developed by Yakara Ganesh26, from Warangal has so far been used to educate 60,000 students on ‘Good Touch and Bad Touch’.
After the initial success, Ganesh is now gearing up for Samskar 2.0. “I plan to create a humanoid that can be used even more effectively,” Ganesh told TOI. He has already had a preliminary discussion about the project with ‘T-works’, India’s largest prototyping center in Hyderabad, set up by the Telangana government. The doll helps children understand the ‘intentions’ of someone who comes close to them.
National recognition for Innovator
Ganesh, who studied up to Intermediate, found support from the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad, which helped him transform his idea with both technical and financial support.
In his ‘Mann ki Baat’ program in December 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Ganesh for another innovation he had come up with – providing a ‘device for the deaf’ that costs just Rs 150. On the market, a hearing aid costs as much as 2,500.
How does the doll work?
The Samskar doll is easy to use. When someone puts their hand on the doll’s genitals, it immediately shouts “Don’t touch it.” Ganesh had several people lend their voices to the puppet, including his friends. The doll has been adopted as a teaching tool in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district to sensitize students about ‘good touch and bad touch’. A former district collector also lent her voice for the recording.
“Parents and teachers feel sensitive about talking to children about ‘good touch and bad touch’. Samskar has made it easy for them to talk about it now,” said Ganesh. Upon request, he initially made 60 such dolls.
Interest beyond borders
Ganesh receives many requests for the doll. A school in Chengalpattu in Tamil Nadu has shown interest in the doll. Tamil Nadu police and child protection officials were also given a demo on how the doll can be used. On a global level, a visitor from Poland also showed great interest in India.
Last month, Ganesh presented the Samskar doll to Telangana’s IT Minister D Sridhar Babu for a formal launch of his innovation.
The doll can speak in seven languages including Telugu, English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Konkani. In the next phase, a facility will be provided where any teacher or parent can record his or her voice for the “Good Touch and Bad Touch” warning given by Samskar. Through metamorphosis, the humanoid that will be developed can be a teacher, explaining to children what ‘good touch and bad touch’ is. From being a mere instrument for teaching, ‘Samskar’ will become a teacher himself.
Making a difference
As a testament to its impact, during an awareness program organized near Hyderabad a few days ago, a boy stood up to tell the teachers that precisely this ‘bad touch’ was what someone did to his sister, and neither he, nor his sister knew that. it should not be allowed.
“It’s not just about creating awareness among girls, it’s boys too who need to know not to touch a girl inappropriately,” Ganesh said.
Although it is called Samskar doll, Ganesh has named it ‘Aadhya’ for its simplicity. He likes to call it ‘Chinnari’ (little one), which suggests that anyone can give the doll a name that suits children.
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