Bal Mela is an annual event hosted by Fountainhead  which was held on 25th February  2023 . The purpose of this event is to provide fun filled time to underpriviliged kids by involving them in lively and creative activities such as face painting , sac race , dog and bone and many more . I volunteered for tattoo making as art is something I always have been good at .

LO1 : Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

Art and painting has always been my strength and I realized how knowing gujarati helped me communicate with the kids . Something I developed during this was how patient you need to be when you deal with kids as they tend to lack patience , stand still and are very hyperactive .

LO2 : Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills

The challenge here was as there were too many kids , so the ratio of kids to a single volunteer is huge , so we divided then in groups. Tattoo is something that every kid likes to have a different design so for I tried my best to make the tattoo that they wanted , also the skill I developed during this was of managing large groups with short period of time as kids are a bit impatient and there were too many activities in the event for them to enjoy.

LO5 :Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively

Teamwork and communicating well among the team was integral for us to make it fun and succesful .As mentioned earlier there were hundred of kidsn.There were only 7 volunteers and 2 didis  ,so by communicating and delegating work according to the skill  and as every member participated sucessfully we were able to to do this .

LO 6 : Demonstrate engagement with issue of global significance

Bal mela was held to reduce the economic disparities and for underpriviliged kids to experience all those things that they deserve to but arent able to .The experience increased inclusivity and helped bring kids from various backgrounds, age groups, and social strata to have a good time together.

LO7 : Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

Fairness, being respectful, honest, and being accountable are the core values that must be taken into account in this situation. This must also be reflected in our behaviour. They may be a little delicate because they are young, so we should be a little more cautious around them. Additionally, just because someone comes from a less fortunate past doesn’t mean they should be treated any less respectfully. We saw to it that they were all well attended and we were compassionate and empathetic towards them

Overall this event was fun and happiness on the face of kids made the hardwork worht it . The learner portfolio I demonstrated in this experience is a caring individual and  of a communicator .