Maker Space Adda: Help ideas take shape from curiosity to creation

As a child, I was always drawn to fixing and building things with my hands—whether it was basic electrical work, plumbing, or carpentry. I had no formal training, just a corner in my home that became my own “maker space,” where these early experiments have stayed rooted in my mind, even today.

Years later, visiting different maker spaces across India showed me how powerful it is when curiosity has the right tools and space to grow—only strengthening my passion to create such spaces for others.

When Swara and I moved to Matroo, a village in Himachal Pradesh, we saw that the children here shared the same spark I once had. But in schools, hands-on learning was rare, and opportunities to experiment, explore, and build were almost non-existent. Children were confined to rote, book-based learning, leaving many to finish school without practical skills—skills that could open up more choices for their future. As a result, most young people here end up in professions like taxi driving, working in homestays, or taking up café jobs—not because they are passionate about them, but because they have no other options.

In 2023, we cleared a small space in our home, brought out some tools, and invited the local children to try something new. Around 20 children showed up.

Two of them, Anshu and Vibhu, noticed an old computer lying unused—not working properly. Without hesitation, they began examining it, opened it up, diagnosed a problem with the RAM, and—with a little help—got a new RAM to get the computer running again—with no prior experience at all.

Little stories and moments like these remind me why this work matters. With just a little space, a few tools, and the freedom to explore, children’s creativity and confidence can take off. Since then, we’ve experimented with building bamboo lamps, crafting wire jewelry, repairing electronics, making bio-enzymes, learning Bharatanatyam, and so much more.

Why do we need your help?

We tried replicating this same spark at our home-made Maker Space inside the local government schools through STEM education programs—due to the limited space we had. Here too, we saw how deeply the children would engage and apply the concepts in their science and math lessons practically, outside of their books.

With numerous administrative and time challenges within the school, our program could not continue beyond three months. We also realized we would need a consistent mentor who could facilitate this space daily for children—to really help bring alive their curiosity and show them how this could align with their future livelihoods.

What are we doing next?

We are setting up a dedicated maker space in Chanjra village, near our home. This time, we plan to run it independently creating a space where children and youth can explore, innovate, and build practical skills that can shape their futures.

While we have a few pieces of equipment from the experiment we began in 2023, we are in need of a few critical resources to help us get our Maker Space up and running.

Budget For Maker Space

For just ₹2,750 a month, you can give one child the tools, mentorship, and space to explore their curiosity, build real skills, and shape a future they choose for themselves.

Your support will keep the Maker Space running—covering our facilitators, materials, equipment, and learning journeys—so that over 20 children each month can learn by doing, not just by reading.