Kutty Kutty Stories: The origin & evolution

Chandhni Sivashunmugam
Dec 10, 2025
3 min read

Dear reader, welcome to our first blog post. Kutty Kutty Stories is an art program for 30 adolescent children residing at a shelter home in Coimbatore. I am Chandhni S, a social worker residing in Coimbatore. Along with Ashik Jaffer-Ali, an artist and art educator, I initiated this program in October this year to teach children zine-making and express their voice through art.

Along with our team of keen volunteers, we conduct art classes for the children every Sunday for 2 hours. You can read more about our program in this article penned by a journalist who kickstarted the art program this year.

The young artists have completed 7 wonderful weeks of our program. As their half yearly holidays have rolled in, I took some time off to reflect on our program and how it all began. It reminded me of this beautiful quote by Nelson Mandela - Ubuntu. Ubuntu is how I feel about our program right now and I wish to share that experience with you.

Our art initiative started with a couple of young artists in the shelter home who doodled to distract themselves with hyperfocus during study hours. I was a volunteer at Make a Difference then tutoring children for 2 hours a week. Having always been interested in art, it was such a joy watching children doodle.

Fast-forward one year to October 2023, I had the opportunity to curate an art show as part of Coimbatore Reads & Paints, a hobby community in Coimbatore. Along with Vivek, another volunteer at the shelter home, we took one young artist from our shelter home to the art show. It was big win for us to observe him present his art along with 30 other artists from Coimbatore including Ashik Jaffer-Ali.

The next week when Vivek and I went back to the shelter home, we could visibly see how such a small effort from our side made a big difference in their perception of residing at a shelter home. The children told me it is unfair that we took only one child to the art show and not all the children.

For a minute, I was stunned as my principle of inclusivity was questioned. Vivek and I tried explaining to them there were only limited spots in the art show. Yet, they weren't convinced. I knew I am not someone who can curate an art program for the children that will do justice to their time and talent.

My inability to say NO repeatedly to children and their chirpy yet demanding voice drove me to request Ashik to curate an art program. Ashik, equally passionate about teaching art to children designed an 8 Sunday art program for the children. I did not miss even one of the 8 classes and learnt so much with the children and from the children.

The children taught me so much during the process. They told us which one of their artworks they want to get framed. I was inspired by their confidence because I always think so much before presenting my artwork to others. On the day of the art show named Identity, they presented their art works with creativity, teamwork and honesty.

I was presented with a new challenge then as they raised their voice again and asked me "Akka, you could have told us there will be these many visitors to our art show and it will in such a beautiful venue. We would have put more effort. It is okay akka. Anyway, next year tell us ahead so that we can plan ahead for the art program together".

This is when it hit me, a feeling I can't explain through words, art or even to my close ones. I was so proud at how they are demanding what they want from me with so much passion and expression in their own voice.

I am super proud to say children's voice is what's instilling passion in me and our team of 25 volunteers. One of my intentions to do Kutty Kutty Stories this year is to center children's voice in the art program. Though we have only completed 7 weeks of art classes, I am stunned at how much our team is learning from observing how children do art, think, express and also just be.

I love that it is the children's voice that is directing the art program. Now I know what Ubuntu means and I am grateful for having learnt this from and with the children - that we can experience the sense of shared humanity and belonging just in our neighbourhood communities.