To sensitise schoolchildren about various health issues, Penn Nalam, a wing of Dhanwanthri Trust will be conducting “Aaroghya Chennai Kolu Kondattam”, a three-day event (October 27–29), at three Chennai Corporation Schools.
As many as 30 children from each school will present programmes such as villupaattu, pattimanram and drama that would highlight the facts about health conditions and diseases, including anaemia, dengue and cancer.
The performances will be assessed against many parameters, including the amount of information provided and how it was presented, by a panel of judges which will include Corporation health officers, doctors and VIPs.
All participants will be given books as prizes. On October 27, the programme will be held at Chennai Corporation School in Tiruvotriyur; On October 28, it will be held at Dr. M. G. R. Nagar Corporation School (near K. K. Nagar bus stand); On October 29, it will be held at the Corporation school in Velacherry.
On all three days, the programme will be conducted between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
On each day, a group of artists from the Tami Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram will present Thappattam, a folk art, in all the schools. Through this, they will provide information on prevention and care of some of the diseases prevalent in the city.
This is the third that year Penn Nalam is sensitising children of Corporation schools on health issues. Apart from this, the organisation has taken up the task of educating, treating and counselling women about cancer. They provide diagnostic tests and screen women for breast and cervical cancer (at a nominal cost) so that the disease can be detected at a very early stage.
As many as 30 children from three Corporation schools will perform villupaattu, pattimanram and drama to spread awarnesss about wellness
