The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : The message: send them back to school

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 01, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

The message: send them back to school

Saptarshi Bhattacharya

Service organisation conducts puppet show to boost enrolment The children clapped hands, emoted with the dolls and giggled at every wisecrack

ALL EARS: Slum and homeless children enjoy a puppet show at a school enrolment campaign organised by Nesakkaram-Seeds at Saidapet on Wednesday. — Photo: Shaju John

CHENNAI: On the barren sandy grounds of St. Francis Xavier Middle School, Little Mount, about 200-odd children sat on Wednesday gazing at the small makeshift stage. Four dolls — a grandfather, a grandson and two neighbours — spoke gesturing at each other, at times soliciting a response from the children. The children replied in chorus.

Every funny dialogue was greeted by lilting peals of laughter. They clapped hands, emoted with the dolls and giggled at every wisecrack. The puppet show had a message for their parents — send your child to school. These children come from the slums and the homeless communities of Kalvankarai, Thideer Nagar, Saidai K.K. Nagar and Tod Hunter Nagar in Saidapet, Annai Sathya Nagar in Little Mount, Ambedkar Colony in K.K. Nagar and Nandambakkam.

They were called over to the school by Nesakkaram-Seeds, an organisation working with street and working children, as part of their school enrolment campaign day. The children received notebooks, writing tools and other accessories from the organisation. "This year, we had 153 children attending our dropout camp and the enrolment has been 200," said T.U. Nathan, coordinator, Nesakkaram. "At our evening classes, we motivate them to study, tutor them on their curriculum and ensure that they continue schooling."

The organisation runs such evening classes in 20 places in the city.

The children represented a section of society that has been pushed to its limits — even beyond — due to abject poverty and lack of opportunities.

Take S. Sulochana. Now studying in Twelfth standard at Corporation Girls' Higher Secondary School in Saidapet, she has taken up science group and aspires to become an engineer some day. She was a confident girl behind the microphone as she conducted the event. "I wish to study further but my parents want me to work," she said during a break. "I am continuing because of them," she points towards the volunteers and staff of Nesakkaram.

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