Watering the Nurturing Tree

Our meeting starts with a drive in her SUV. Anjana Taggarse speaks with panache as she maneuvers her vehicle effortlessly through the traffic, taking me home. As we reach, her pooch ‘Prince’ scuttles from nowhere and dotingly follows us upstairs. A hot cup of tea later, she shares her insights, passion and the purpose of her club “Nurturing Tree”. The interaction reveals the multi-tasking pursuits she is chasing.

“Although a lawyer by profession, I started riding horses and teaching riding. Currently, I am a weekend instructor at the Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club (HPRC), an Elementary Pilot in Paragliding. I will take the Club Pilot course in the coming week. I have also completed the Open Water Course, Advance OWC, First Aid and Rescue Diver's Courses.

My moment of epiphany came when I saw a 74-year-old woman execute a perfect dive into a deep pool. It was my wake-up call and ever since I have been exhorting parents to guide their wards to other interests like sports, travel and creative activities. The six-year journey is gradually gaining momentum.

It pains me when women shelve such passions for the sake of socio-economic compulsions. I come across such distraught women and parents pouring their hearts out to which I instill confidence that the wings are clipped by societal and family dogmas. It is important for me that women realize their freedom.

We started Nurturing Tree and Aqua Terra Aero to enable children and adults to pursue their interests in adventure sports like horse riding, paragliding and scuba as well as in activities like photography, gardening, carpentry, etc. Horse riding requires that you understand the importance of grip and balance. A horse is five times heavier than an average human being. You cannot have power over a horse, you can only control it. On close bondage, children learn to be compassionate with animals and communicate with them.

Children are very receptive and can learn right between the from the age of two to four. On their clean slate, it is easy to teach them to deal with stranger anxiety and fear. They can be taught at a young age to differentiate apprehension from fear. The latter guards you but the former renders you incapable of even making an attempt. Once they understand fear and overcome it, their mind will make space for the lessons they need.

I also love Scuba diving. Three-fourths of the world is underwater. If we confine ourselves to the land, we will never know about the fauna and flora buried deep within. Unlike most activities that require you to compete with a contender, scuba diving and para-gliding do not pit you against an opponent. It is experiential learning.

I wish to travel a lot and believe it is a must, especially for children. Education should not be confined to textbooks and must be imparted even outside the classroom. When you travel, you understand how the topography of a certain place affects life, crafts and food habits. It also teaches you to be independent. They can learn geography and mapping and learn that the ipod or phone can be used to map co-ordinates, which helps them locate desired destinations in the dark. This can never be taught in a classroom.”

The latest eight-day programme of her club will begin from Saturday and kick off with a visit to Panchgani and Mahabaleswar, followed by a four day training with certification in paragliding at Kamshet. The idea behind the travel is to educate kids about the history and culture of the place, learn sports in a non competitive environment. It is a historical, culinary, cultural, crafts and sports tour, she says, all set to take on her hectic Saturday.

By:Mythili Sankara