As the flood-battered ‘God’s Own Country’ is slowly limping back to life, everyone is extending help in the best possible way. Typically, people are collecting and sending food, medicines and other day-to-day essentials to Kerala.
But the students of Zilla Parishad Girls High School located at the district headquarters have come up with an innovative idea to help the flood victims, with the active support of CARPED (Centre for Action, Research and People’s Development), an NGO working for child rights. Timed well — with the Rakhi festival just round the corner — they are making Rakhis, selling them and plan to send the proceeds to the Kerala government. Interestingly, there is no fixed price and anyone can purchase a Rakhi and pay whatever amount she/he wishes to contribute.
CARPED has supplied the required material and put a resource person at the students’ disposal. The resource person has trained the students in Rakhi-making. More than 100 students were involved in this and they have already made about 2,000 Rakhis which were exhibited in the school on Thursday. District Legal Services Authority Justice M. Bhavani has also visited the school and interacted with students.
Feel good
“It’s a great experience for us to make and sell Rakhis and sending the amount to the people suffering in Kerala. We will learn how to help people who are needy and whom we do not know,” Afrin Anjum, Safura Maheen and Nishath, all class 10 students told The Hindu .
“The idea is bringing the hidden skills and talents among the students to the fore and let them exhibit it. They will also enjoy a proud feeling of helping others which will be inculcated as a habit. The students are doing excellent work,” said M.S. Chandra, director, CARPED, coordinating the programme.
