Koya children groomed in Koya literature on the banks of Sokileru river in Chintoor Agency of Andhra Pradesh

Fifty Koya tribal children learn writing and poetry at a workshop in Ramannapalem village by Koitur Bata and Samata NGOs.

At least 50 children are being groomed to become professional writers during the ongoing five-day workshop on Koya children literature at Ramannapalem village on the banks of Sokileru river in Chintoor Agency in Alluri Sitarama Raju district. The workshop will end on October 9. 

Koitur Bata, a non-governmental organization, and Visakhapatnam-based NGO Samata are conducting the workshop for the Koya tribal children in the 6-14 age group.

“Some 50 children, including many girls, have registered for the workshop. They are being groomed in basics in writing short stories, poems and recite poems to express their feelings on their desired topics,” coordinator of the workshop Gangadevu Yadayya said. The workshop is being conducted under a Mahua tree at Ramannapalem village. 

The resource persons and amateur Koya tribal writers would read the tribal literature to the children from Ramannapalem, Kunjavarigudem and Tellamvarigudem villages, who are participating in the workshop. The resource persons are Koya tribal writers — Poonem Babu Rao and D. Bheemamma — and other writers Tellam Krishna and Mosam Satyanarayana. 

“We have introduced the Koya literature by reading out what has been written earlier by the amateur Koya writers. The children are also encouraged to sing songs and recite poems to attract them towards the Koya literature,” said Mr. Yadayya. The Koya literature is written in Telugu script. However, the songs are sung in the Koya tribal language in the workshop, he added.