Child's Play Indian Express  "Hello and welcome to Mumbai Magic Tour. My name is Priyanka and I am your guide for today," says a perky Priyanka Parit (16), one of the five youngsters from non-governmental organization Akanksha as we start a four-hour journey through the architectural and cultural heritage of Mumbai city. We accompany Michael Corwin, a tourist from New York, as we discover the many facets of the island city before returning impressed.Meet five teenagers from varying difficult backgrounds, Priyanka, Shirajul Khan, Parveen Ansari, Kavita Pawar and Sana, who have been trained by Deepa Krishnan of Mumbai Magic Tours to work as guides for foreign tourists. Among the other personalized tours is "Mumbai Local", Krishnan's brainchild that sees these children taking foreigners around the city to experience Mumbai?s unique culture in all its forms. "I was super-excited when our Didi at Akanksha told us that a tour operating company was going to interview us to be tour guides. Plus we were promised a good amount of money around Rs 500-Rs 750 per tour", says Parveen (16), a gleam in her eyes. Parveen says she loves to shop for clothes and accessories but also understands that she needs to support her family as well. "I always used to donate some amount of my profit to Akanksha but I thought that was not enough. That's when I got the idea to involve these kids from Akanksha in my project. I interviewed 15 children and selected five of them", says Krishnan. These five children were trained for three months, during which they received training in diction, language and were also made to learn scripts to be brought into play during the guided tour. For the tourists, it's a chance to experience the local flavour of the city along with local modes of transport and local food, with bright and enthusiastic kids playing guides. As Krishnan fondly says: "Mumbai Local through the eyes of local people." The voyage begins from the Gateway of India and includes spots like Mumbai University, Mani Bhavan, a scrumptious treat at Swati Snacks, a walk through Bhaji Galli in Grant Road and finally, a peek into Dhobi Ghat. It's all about learning for the children. Every tour teaches them to handle tricky situations, at times cater to nasty tourists and learn from their mistakes. Shiraj (19), a first year commerce student, says: "On my first tour I forgot to carry the handouts and script. But thankfully because the tourists were not aware of it I managed my show well." In tight situations, of course, Deepa "Di" is only a phone call away and always eager to help them.  Narrating another incident, Priyanka says cheekily: "While on a similar tour I had to put up with very demanding clients. They wanted to visit Chor Bazaar and Haji Ali that were not part of the itinerary. They were also adamant about buying mangoes in the off season." These children are not only talented but are also academically inclined. Akanksha has identified their skills and have channelised them into social work and social leadership. "I must congratulate Deepa for this concept which is so novel and impressive. I was very excited about it," says Michael who loves to meet local people of the places he visits. He adds: "It's good to see that these children are doing such a wonderful job." At the end of the tour, one comes away remembering what Krishnan said: "After all, everybody in the game must get something out of it."
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