Ameena wanted to show Tipu that turning throw-away stuff into useful things can be fun.
Ameena stuck the pill bottles on the magazine and started playing with it! She kept the magazine-pill-bottle game at a distance. Then she tried to throw a bangle around a bottle. Soon Tipu joined her. They had fun playing the game!
By Shahin Ashraf Ali
Eight year old Tipu was eager to meet his favorite cousin, 10-year-old Ameena Aapa and look into her fun box. Fun box?! “I have created a fun box for myself,” Ameena had told Tipu one day during Ramzaan when he had called her. “I have lots of fun with it,” she said and promised, “When we meet on Id I will show you how I have lots and lots of fun with it.”
“I have come to see your box of fun,” announced Tipu as he entered Ameena’s house on Eid day.
“Arrey! No salaam! No Eid Mubarak!” Khalajaan looked very annoyed.
“Sorry, sorry Khala! I was just so eager to see Appa’s fun box!” Tipu grinned sheepishly as he wished his aunt and uncle before dashing with Ameena into her room.
Ameena pointed to her box of fun in the corner of the room.
Tipu ran to the box to find what was inside.
Inside the box were used crayons, pencil, eraser, craft glue, scissors, pebbles, shells, stones, twigs, seeds, old greeting cards and other things. Most of the things were those that you throw into the waste paper basket!
Before Tipu could say anything, Ameena spoke: “I make something useful out of waste and have lots of fun.”
“I don’t think it is all that fun,” said Tipu and lost interest in her box.
Ameena wanted to show Tipu that turning throw-away stuff into useful things can be fun.
There was an old magazine, metal bangles and empty little empty bottles of pills in the box.
Ameena stuck the pill bottles on the magazine and started playing with it! She kept the magazine-pill-bottle game at a distance. Then she tried to throw a bangle around a bottle. Soon Tipu joined her. They had fun playing the game!
At the end of the game, Tipu exclaimed, “Making best of waste can be fun! You do have a box of fun!”
“You know, there are lots and lots of things you can make with simple things. I’m sure during your free time you will be able to think of many more ideas and make lovely things out of waste. So the next time you are about to throw away something, just think if you can make something out of it. Maybe you can,” said Ameena happily.
Later she would tell her young cousin what she had learnt: “Allah has blessed us with a beautiful earth. We should take care of it. The three Rs of Earth-care are recycling, reusing and reducing.”
This Eid she had introduced Tipu to Earth-care in a fun way and felt blessed.
Indeed, making best of waste can be fun. Try it!
(Shahin Ashraf Ali is an author of children’s books, a freelance journalist and teacher. She teaches memorizing techniques to school students in Mumbai.)
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