Pompia pinto is a Behavioral skills trainer by profession. She has a robust experience of 20 years in Training and Development of corporate professionals as well as universities, colleges and schools, where she has trained the professors, lecturers and students alike. she has mastered the kinesthetic experential learning technique to train people of all strata. Her special liking for children has motivated her to write 2 books, one is a story book full of morals and Indian scenarios and values named 101 Morals and the other is a parenting book. The parenting book called The Ten commandments of Parenting has bagged an award from the Revenge Ink Publications.
The Literature Times: What inspired you to write 101 Morals and focus on stories rooted in Indian culture and traditions?
Pompia Pinto: From childhood I and scores of children have been reading stories of western origin, the fairytales. It didn’t quite resonate with our surroundings, cultural beliefs, topography etc. It was a conscious decision to bring a change in the way our children can read such stories which they can easily relate to as well as learn a life changing lesson out of it.
The Literature Times: How did your background as a behavioral skills trainer influence the way you crafted these stories?
Pompia Pinto: Being a behavioral skills trainer, I had the opportunity to interact with a plethora of human actions and behaviour, which gave me a good insight into the human mind and the way it perceives situations. Thus it came quite naturally to me when writing these stories.
The Literature Times: What challenges did you face while writing stories that appeal to children while staying culturally relevant?
Pompia Pinto: It was not a great challenge, since I was determined to tell the stories in a very simplified way which can be easily understood and practical in implementation. The morals of these stories gives the children a feel of their culture, beliefs, faith and most importantly the Indianness.
The Literature Times: Why do you believe it’s important for children to read stories that reflect their own surroundings and heritage?
Pompia Pinto: The stories should be relatable to each child’s background, upbringing and immediate environment, only then can be or she enjoy it and learn from it. If we want to pass on our cultural heritage and belief system to the next generation, then we have to give them the true picture of our values.
The Literature Times: Can you share one of your favorite stories from the book and why it holds special significance for you?
Pompia Pinto: There are 101 stories in this book and each is woven around a moral takeaway. Each story gives an insight into a different world, be it a city, a village, forest or the galaxy. Thus it is very difficult for me to pick one story as my favourite. All are very close to my heart.
The Literature Times: Your book emphasizes love for nature and animals. How can such stories encourage children to develop compassion and responsibility?
Pompia Pinto: We are living in a concrete jungle, and an equally chaotic lives. We are already facing severe environmental challenges and I personally feel that our next and coming generations will have to bear the brunt of it. So it’s better to sensitise and educate them about the sensitive balance that has to be restored in order to rectify the damage that has been done by mankind.
The Literature Times: Group reading is a unique aspect you’ve emphasized. How do you envision families and friends benefiting from this practice?
Pompia Pinto: Reading as such has taken a backseat in our lives with the advent of gadgets which our children are glued to. Also one of the main challenges facing the family is spending quality time with each other, thus group reading amongst family and friends can be an excellent bonding time, reading, sharing thoughts, conversing and understanding each other.
The Literature Times: How does 101 Morals differ from other children’s books currently available in the market?
Pompia Pinto: Firstly it’s a compilation of 101 stories which is rare and secondly there are 101 morals or learnings that comes with it. Also this book is based on Indian scenarios, culture and belief which is slowly getting diluted in each generation. These elements were missing in the story books that are available currently.
The Literature Times: What advice would you give to parents who want to instill moral values in their children through storytelling?
Pompia Pinto: Simply buy this book and read it to their children or ask them to read and tell the story in their words. It’s the parents who can instill the importance of reading in a child. Ask them their learnings and if possible stage a play based on the stories on gatherings and special occasions.
The Literature Times: With 101 Morals and your award-winning parenting book, The Ten Commandments of Parenting, what’s next for you as an author?
Pompia Pinto: I have not given it a thought as I want to see these two books reaching every household and both young and old benefitting out of it. It would be my success if each child and each parent gets good results on implementing my proposed thoughts. I dream of a society with strong morals and ethics as this will be the foundation of a strong nation.
Order the book: Amazon Link