April is often regarded as the time for natural new beginnings. After all, the evidence is quite literally in the air. The skies appear lighter, the days are longer. When you step outdoors to make your way into school and work, the day has dawned. Emerging from dark wintry months, I’m sure that you will agree that this makes all the difference!
If you are a Third Culture Kid and you are reading this newsletter, you are probably well aware that April is filled with festivities. Everyone appears to be celebrating something! Perhaps you have been observing Lent, in anticipation of Easter? Perhaps you are fasting for Ramzan (Ramadan) in anticipation of Eid? Perhaps you are observing Navratri along with your family? In addition to these religious practices, many people are also planning to celebrate the beginning of a new year. As a mother, teacher and writer of Bengali origin, I myself am planning to celebrate ‘Nobo Borsho’ or the Bengali new year with my family. Other friends are looking forward to Vaisakhi while yet more have recently celebrated Ugadi.
April is the month of both fasting and feasting and really, it should come as no surprise – after all, spring is celebrated wherever we go and we each find our own way to benediction and peace.
April is also the month for awareness. On the 22nd of April, we will be celebrating Earth Day which marks the anniversary of the modern environmental movement and encourages us all, as global citizens to be more climate-conscious.
How can you be more climate-conscious? If you have any ideas, please do write to team@namasteswitzerland.ch. We would love to hear from you and publish your thoughts in the May edition of Young Voices.
In addition, April is Autism Awareness Month which seeks to promote inclusion and diversity in schools, educational institutions, at home and in the workplace. In April, we strive to celebrate and promote acceptance of the condition and ensure that autistic folks have equitable access to the world.
This month, for Young Voices, we are taking a retrospective approach. Two years ago, the world seemingly shut down. But, did it really? We are publishing Ishaan Parameshwar’s DIY article on making your own Easter decorations alongside Advay Singh’s artwork accompanied by his mother, Vantika Singh’s loving poem which celebrates accomplishments.
Together, they remind us of a time when there were rainbows in the windows and the world moved at a different pace as we all strove to keep each other safe.
We are also republishing Riyana Suri’s moving poem about ‘Earth Day’. All of these pieces were first published when the concept of Young Voices was still in the bud when it was known as ‘The IndoSwiss Kids’ Chronicle’. We have come a long way since then but it is truly wonderful to look back and think about how far we have travelled together.
Keep creating folks! We will see you again in May!
– Nayana Chakrabarti
Disclaimer: Namaste Switzerland does not undertake any financial, reputational, legal, misrepresentational or other obligation or liability which may arise from the content of this article.
