A new awakening in the villages of Wayanad
Thansila - Kerala Peace Gong Chief Editor reports
Laila Sein, founder AFRC, “The best thing I found about the survey is that our students have started thinking beyond cricket and mobile phones— about critical issues that affect them.”
A group of 20 students
did the survey. It was led by a core team of five members with members
representing a few projects of the institute. All these children possess
excellent leadership and a deep commitment to society. Besides they have
attended a youth consultation on MDGs in Chennai and had gained insight regarding the importance of what they
were doing. These children motivated and guided the other children to do the
survey.
We have made sure that
the children should come out after the survey was over as students who are
really aware about the world they live in and also learn to prioritize the
issues mentioned in the survey.In May the students organised a youth conference
on volunteerism, and during the day discussions on My World and offline surveys
was conducted. In our institute too the children conducted offline surveys.
In the final stage
they covered the entire district. Even before the survey started they were all
highly motivated. They have taken a larger flex printout of a My World poster
and exhibited it in front of the institute (we impart communication, language,
leadership and media skills besides rural development initiatives for children
and youth). The students also made My World identity cards .
Every day before going to the survey students
would assemble at the institute and discuss the areas they have to cover. They
were very focused that all spheres of the society should be represented in the
survey. In different groups they have visited police stations, media people,
political party offices, government offices, coolie workers, tribal groups,
workers from Tamilnadu and Karnatak (neighboring states), schools, tourists,
people belonging to all religions, homemakers, in short they have covered
almost all living spaces of the society. every evening, after the survey was
over, they came back, shard experiences and made evaluations. important places
including schools, media offices etc. the students gifted My World posters as
part of the campaign.
It was very important
for the institute that the survey should serve as a great learning lesson for
the children and it did. The children did face many hardships to do the survey,
especially when they have to face criticisms from certain quarters. But happily
they faced all the questions as they have realised the selfless value of
volunteerism. It was a life changing experience for them as in limited days
they have communicated and interacted with 500 people. The survey made them
more socially committed, made them stronger and also gave them a sense of
feeling that they belong to the whole world and also it is very important to
think and find solutions for the burning problems of our nation.
News Flash
Kalpetta: MLA M V Sreymaskumar inaugurated the Millennium Development Goals Conference and Survey which was organized under the leadership of A F R C INDIA Shishu Panchayat and Leadership Village.
As part of the global survey conducted by United Nations the survey was organized here representing Kerala. During the event the students Thansila, Remees Roshan, Raiza, Shobi and Akhin who participated in the Millennium Development Goals Conference in Chennai were honored. The Chennai event was organized by Restless development UK with the support of UNICEF and U N F P A.
K. Prakashan (Municipal Counsellor) presided over the function. Meppadi A SI T J Joseph, Dr. Devadas, Laila Saein and Anil Emage delivered speeches.
