No one understands children better than their peers. Only they know when their friend needs help or support. ‘Children for Children,’ the latest endeavour of the Caring 4 Childhood Cancer and Chronic Illness (C4CCCI), a Kozhikode-based organisation that offers support to chronically ill children, is based on this principle and it has proved to be a grand success.
The project involves creating awareness of cancer and other chronic illnesses among the school and college students in Kozhikode city and surrounding areas, thereby encouraging them to play an active role in palliative care.
So far, the project has been implemented at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Eranhikkal, Zamorin’s Guruvayurappan College, and Providence Women’s College, where special groups or clubs of C4CCCI have been formed. The clubs include students who are interested in social activities.
They are given lessons on various diseases, chances of cure, and other details. The most important message passed on is that “leukaemia is curable with proper treatment and medication.”
“Our sessions create social commitment among these students and also make them aware of the suffering of people who are less fortunate,” said Deepa Ajith, secretary of C4CCCI.
Focus on leukaemia
Interested students of these clubs take part in the activities of C4CCCI, which includes providing mental support to children suffering from leukaemia. “They are closer in age and hence will be of the wavelength. The presence of a friend who is their own age will be a great consolation for the patient,” said Ms. Ajith, who added that the students will be properly trained to interact with patients.
Recently, the student volunteers of C4CCCI played a major role in organising ‘Punarjani,’ a get-together of children who are suffering from cancer, those who have survived cancer, and their parents.
The students and the PTA of Bhavan’s School, Chalappuram, went on to adopt a child who is suffering from leukaemia.
The C4CCCI now has another project in the pipeline for the rehabilitation of children who survived cancer.
