NGO takes up massive awareness campaign on climate change

Selects 240 children to train them on a host of issues

Children taking part in a drawing session on the theme of 'climate change' as part of the training camp conducted by the Vasavya Mahila Mandali in Vijayawada on Thursday. Photo: Special Arrangement

The city-based non-governmental organisation Vasavya Mahila Mandali (VMM), in association with the Deutsche Bank Asia Foundation, has taken up a massive awareness campaign on ‘climate change' with children as the target group.

On a pilot basis, the VMM has selected 240 children in the age group of 14-16 years from nine districts of Andhra Pradesh to train them in minimising environmental pollution and improving green cover.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, VMM secretary G. Rashmi, medical director G. Deeksha and technical support manager Keerthi said that besides children, parents and grandparents too were being involved in the campaign, so that the message would reach the large sections of society.

“During a two-day programme for each batch of 40 children, issues like reducing the use of plastics and using alternatives like paper covers and jute bags and improving the green cover by taking up plantation drive were being covered,” they said.

Competitions

For each batch, various competitions on environmental protection were being conducted.

“There is a need to create awareness among the children about bio-degradable wastes and bio non-degradable wastes and to underscore the need for reducing the use of products that result in increasing the bio non-degradable wastes,” they pointed out.

The plan was to extend the programme to at least 10,000 children in the coming year and to visit places like slum areas to make people aware of the importance of environmental protection, they said.