Children from poor families take a break, learn new skills

NGO holds a three-day summer camp for 96 children

May 23, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:56 am IST - TIRUCHI:

Children show keychains that they painted on the first day of the summer camp organised by the non-governmental organisation People's Development Initiatives at TELC Middle School, Tiruchi.

Children show keychains that they painted on the first day of the summer camp organised by the non-governmental organisation People's Development Initiatives at TELC Middle School, Tiruchi.

As many as 96 children from economically disadvantaged areas of the city are being treated to a free three-day residential summer camp by the non-governmental organisation People’s Development Initiatives.

The annual camp, in its tenth year, is being held on the campus of the TELC Middle School in Kelms Town and was inaugurated on Thursday.

“The aim of this event is to give these children, many of whom are working in cottage industries, and attend night schools, the opportunity to enjoy and learn something new during the summer break, just like children from privileged backgrounds,” said Dr. Ila. Ambalavanan, Project Director, PDI.

Activities lined up for the camp include yoga sessions, clay modelling, embroidery lessons for girls, and craft for boys, besides drawing and handwriting classes.

N. Saminathan, District Differently Abled Welfare Officer, who presided, asked the youths to make good use of their holidays.

“A summer camp is a good way to learn a new skill, that could help you later in life,” he said.

He advised the children to source study material for the next academic year, to avoid a last minute rush.

S. Kamaraj, civil surgeon, Government ESI Hospital, Tiruchi, lauded the organisers for the initiative, and urged the youths to make full use of the craft courses and leisure activities.

“You must take every opportunity to participate in such camps to learn new skills and discover your talents,” he said.

“Students need to be accomplished not just in academics but also in extracurricular activities. You must take care of your health by avoiding junk food and pre-packaged snacks, because sickness can affect your school attendance,” he added.

Secondary and Higher Secondary schoolchildren, who had scored 800 and above in the board examinations (through the supplementary stream), were felicitated with trophies at the conclusion of the ceremony.

People’s Development Initiatives, a voluntary group of doctors, social workers, academics, and researchers, had been working in 20 slums of the city since 1998. The camp includes free meals and segregated hostel accommodation.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.