Indigenous Knowledge and Creativity

Indigenous (local or traditional) knowledge is a very significant part of human life. The national and international NGOs (Non Profit Organizations) become successful, when they connect the external knowledge into the local culture or vise versa.  

Our experiences remained an exemplary, when grandparents were interviewed regarding their best practices of making toys for their children in their times as Mothers. Their stories were recorded in writing and making videos. Based on those stories, few individual volunteers were engaged in drawing images of those stories.  Later on those images were enlarged on big charts, with captions of the stories and were displayed in the corridor.

The benefit of that experience was as following;

• ·    Attracted local communities so they felt honored
• ·    Attracted visitors in understanding the local culture 
• ·     Enhanced interest of children, who had heard those stories and had seen the tools at homes.
•     Developed staff members’ interest in demonstrating creativity
•     Enriched the curriculum of Early Childhood Education (ECD) according to the local contexts and needs.

Keeping these experiences in view, we would like to recommend the INGOs, working in the rural or urban contexts of any country, it would be marvelous to incorporate the indigenous knowledge into the ECD curriculum and demonstrate their creativity. It’s a fun, creative, relevant and an authentic approach towards quality and sustainability of any ECD program.