GOING GHUMAN GHERIYAN

The name Ghuman Gheriyan is a play on words in Punjabi/Urdu. “Ghuman” (گھمن) can be translated to mean “quirky” or “mischievous,” and “Gheriyan” (گھیریاں) generally refers to “twists” or “whirls.” Together, Ghuman Gheriyan evokes a sense of being caught in a world full of fun and mischief, where quirky characters get caught up in hilarious twists and playful adventures, while hinting at deeper themes of societal exclusion, quirky adventures, mischievous labyrinth or the challenges of identity.

Fig.1 | Ghuman Latu (Owner of Ghuman Gheriyan)

Aligned with the goals of “Going Together” initiative, Ghuman Gheriyan is a youth-led children’s puppet TV show that highlights the importance of creativity, inclusive, and well-being uses engaging storytelling, puppetry, and animation to tackle critical social topics such as identity, self-worth, and social justice in a fun and relatable way. The project empowers young viewers (ages 6-12) to embrace diversity, enhance empathy, and promote mental well-being through creative problem-solving.

Puppetry is a medium that resonates with audiences of every age group and the limitless imagination capabilities of the medium, and with it you can tackles topic of any nature whether politics, abuse or talking in sign language for neurodivergent children.

Although the program will be targeted primarily towards children, adult audience is an indirect target audience as well. For example, An adult/parent would be watching it with the child and if they see that such a program promotes positive engagement, they would let the child to continue watching it and hence in turn would recommend others as well. In summary they themselves would be hooked on it and promote the lessons learned.

This youth-led initiative aims to foster social cohesion, inclusivity, and creative self-expression, contributing to UNESCO’s vision for cultural diversity and children’s well-being.