Join us on an adventure that explores how the cave constrains expansive imagining for young people working on the ground in their communities, and for professionals working in philanthropic institutions designed to help them.
A captivating journey introducing the magnificent creatures living in the abundant forest, the constraints that the cave puts on them and the co-conspiring that can happen inside the cave that helps the seedling of change take root inside the cave.
Watch a short teaser from the Tiny Cave Puppet Film — a glimpse into the story and spirit behind the project.
Salma, a curious young girl, leads the reader on a journey into the Cave, unveiling the complexities of traditional philanthropy.
A is a spider, Selma’s companion and the storyteller.
Kin is a group of friends, who live in the forest. In a story that A the Spider tells Selma, a girl about Selma’s age is a part of this group of friends. They encounter the cave and the girl goes into the cave on behalf of the group. Through her adventure, readers gain insight into the limitations of the tiny cave of traditional philanthropy.
For years, whenever our team spent time with child and youth activists and heard their dreams for change, we always saw how expansive, joyful, and creative their dreams were. This is the abundant forest.
But whenever we attempted to turn those creative conversations into a “project” or “plan — or worse yet, when we introduced the idea of grants and funding — the space for possibilities shrank, as the youth organisers worked to “get it right” and to be “professional”. This is the cave.
The wild, abundant, rich and colourful forest represents the expansive imaginations of the young people, the courageous actions they take in the face of immense challenges and the abundant ecosystems that nurture these imaginations and actions.
The supportive networks, mentors, and community members who nurture young activists in their natural environment. They represent those who believe in young people’s potential, offering care, wisdom, and resources before they encounter the rigid structures of philanthropy.
The ideas, aspirations, and solutions young people carry with them, even when faced with rigid funding structures. These seeds hold the potential for transformation but require genuine trust and investment to grow into something meaningful. The ‘professionals’ working within the cave have their own seeds too, that brought them to this work in the first place
The Orange Tree represents a hope — a dream of what might one day grow in the cave, if authentic partnership is nurtured between young people who belong to and lead change in communities, and those who live and work within the cave
