Meet these mompreneurs of igraasp, who have a channel for kids by kids
Have you been worried that your children are not getting the right kind of news? Igraasp offers the best solution for smart kids across the country.
(Left to right) Gayatri Luthra, Ruchi Mitroo, Shikha Chaturvedi, and Priya Wadhawan, cofounders igraasp
An exposure to worldly affairs is of utmost important for the elementary students today and more so for older students. However, since we live in a nation where sensational media leads the loops, kids do not have access to a good source of news and information. It was due to this reason that a group of four moms came up with idea of a children’s channel called igraasp.
We live in an increasingly connected world where access to information is on free-flow. Be it the local news, crime or politics updates, entertainment items, celebrity sound bytes, we have access to everything on our electronic devices. But, does this content add value to our kids? Probably, not.
Whether it is coverage on the global pandemic natural disasters, suicide broadcasts, bomb attacks, or violent protests, it is difficult to prevent children from consuming all kinds of news at a tender age.
Undoubtedly, exposure to the worldly affairs is of utmost important even for children, however, living in a nation where sensational media lead the loops, it is unhealthy for them to consume so much information.
A group of four moms came up with the idea of igraasp when faced with this problem.
In an interaction with YSWeekender, Co-founder, igraasp Ruchi Mitroo, says,
“All of us were worried about the kind of content our children were seeing and reading. Social media also has inappropriate or offensive content. This led us to the idea of igraasp, a specially designed and curated news channel for children and the entire family.”
Where it began
Started by four mompreneurs, Priya Wadhwan, Gayatri Luthra, Shikha Sharma Chaturvedi, and Ruchi Mitroo, igraasp is presently hosted on YouTube and is a bi-weekly news wrap, anchored primarily by school kids.
It was meant to bring content by kids, for kids.
Igraasp was launched in February 2020 and to date has hosted more than 90 videos. The channel has 1.69K subscribers, and kid anchors host all the videos.
“When we launched in February, our aim was to bring content for the kids, by the kids. This approach adds more value as kids when hearing or watching a piece of news from the anchor of their own age group, they grasp it more,” says Ruchi.
Content curation
Igraasp curates the news from subscribed content platforms like NatGeo and others. The scripts are created by all the mompreneurs and the shooting is done in a studio set up.
Ruchi says that the anchors are outsourced from schools and often, parents reach out to get their kids featured on-screen. However, due to coronavirus pandemic, the process is at a halt and Ruchi herself hosts the show and will do so, until the lockdown is lifted.
Igraasp was started with a bootstrapped capital of Rs 40 lakh and the amount was utilised in building the website, editorial and social media team. The channel has also reached out to schools across the country including The Heritage School in Kolkata, Kabir School in Gujarat, Step by Step in Noida, and Bloom Public School in Delhi, among others.
An igraasp anchor
Making a difference
Igraasp is specially designed for children and their families. It gives children plenty of kid-friendly- content where language and subject-matter are hand-picked by keeping the age and sensibilities of children in mind.
The short bi-weekly news capsules apprise children of current affairs. The news is available to them even while they are in transit and does not require much screen-time.
The chosen digital format for delivery of news will attract the interest of the children while providing safe, constructive and informative material. The presentation format is unique to creatively engage children in the world of news. This makes them knowledgeable, curious, and future-ready.
Creating an impact
“We believe that the young generation should be socially and intellectually aware of the changing global ethos in the fields of science, technology, politics, environment and other subjects without forming biases,” says Ruchi, adding that not only should the kids be equipped with knowledge of the world, but they should also be prepared to grapple with problems and be able to find solutions over time.”
“If nurtured at the right time, their emotional intelligence will enable them to comprehend issues, the scale of impact, and appropriate the means to find solutions with cool composure and even a smile,” Ruchi adds.
The tagline states, that the kid who igraasps will be ready to strike a conversation at any time, get a handle on serious situations, quip and quote experts with proficiency, and will always be able to step up to the occasion— in school, competitions and life.
“Today, thousands of children are able to watch us from the confines of their homes during the lockdown," says Ruchi. "They have shared beautiful stories of creativity and of being gainfully able to occupy themselves during this period of global duress. This has inspired many more children to get creative, build models, acquire new skills, but most importantly, remain informed without feeling an iota of panic or despair."
Edited by Asha Chowdary