The Women and Child Development Department has come up with a month-long State-wide contest to engage the inmates of childcare homes who could not realise their dream of rejoining families during summer vacation due to the lockdown.
The contest, ‘Log in to Sargalayam’, being organised by the Integrated Child Development Services, involving 16 different activities is already under way and will last till May 15.
“The contests are being held within the childcare homes with whatever facilities available there and in strict compliance with social distancing guidelines. The childcare homes will have to submit detailed reports, including videos and photos, of all contests to the District Child Protection Officer concerned by May 30 who in turn will forward three best reports for the State-level contest,” said M.K.P. Hafzeena, Protection Officer, Non-Institutional Care, District Child Protection Unit, Ernakulam.
Out of the 95 childcare homes in the district, 67 are functioning since their inmates could not return to their families. The contest aims at discovering hidden talents among the inmates while diverting their attention from the prevailing anxieties.
Among the activities lined up as part of the contest include daily exercise drills, painting, creating decorative articles out of waste, reality shows based on music, skit or play, vegetable farming or gardening making short films, cooking, hand wash challenge and story-telling.
The heads of childcare homes and counsellors should help students in the activities. Institutions that come up with best activities will be given prizes and certificates.
