‘Jomano Kotha’ explores parent-child relationships
Kotha, a primary intervention program aiming to address the culture of violence in Bangladesh, hosted an event titled, Jomano Kotha, at EMK Centre, recently.
Young individuals and their parents were brought together to openly discuss the challenges that disrupt healthy familial relationships.
During the discussion, children presented their views while the elders added personal stories from their teenage to bridge the age gap. "It is a 'two-way street'. We elders must try to understand our children, while they should open up about their problems. This way, we can come forward and help" shared a parent during the discussion.
"Instead of asserting dominance, effective discussions should be carried out. Parents should feel free to discuss their problems with us," suggested a young participant.
The discussion was followed by an 'Interactive Theatre'. The play consisted of two characters, a father (played by Auyon Islam) and a daughter (played by Aahir Mrittika), portraying two contrasting interactions between them. It was centred on the situation where a teen faces her father after returning home past curfew. The audience were allowed to ask questions and speak through the characters during the segment.
During the first scene, the father was furious at his daughter for returning home late and kept hammering her for an explanation. As the counter reaction, the scared daughter retreated away, and was on the verge of a mental breakdown, as he kept screaming on her.
Post the scene, while some parents justified the father's reaction as concern, many others argued that the care could be propagated in a number of alternative ways. Young people sitting in the audience also spoke about the effect this incident would have on the mental health of the child. "In the longer run, she will always struggle to talk to her father about her problems," shared a student.
The second scene depicted a better level of understanding between the characters. This time, the father listened to his daughter calmly, without questioning, as the daughter shared her fears and insecurities.
"We did not expect this initiative to work out like the way it did. It is a big achievement for our team," shared Umama Zillur, the Founder of Kotha.
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