Date:27/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/27/stories/2007112761071200.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Young observers enthral MPP meet

M.L. Melly Maitreyi

HYDERABAD: They sure can give a lesson or two to the political ‘netas’ in what it takes to make a meticulous presentation of people’s problems and raising relevant issues during the Mandal Praja Parishad meetings.

So methodical are they in preparation of their case- be it child labour, school dropouts, mid-day meals, child marriages, community hygiene, bad roads or filthy village water tank-when they rise to speak, members of Varni Mandal Praja Parishad cannot but take them seriously.

The children recently attended the MPP meet as official observers, a distinction they earned through their sincere work for community good in their villages in Nizamabad district through Children’s Clubs.

Promoted by Nizamabad based NGO Samskar, Children’s Clubs provide platform to children for playing an active role in understanding social and community problems, children’s issues and seek betterment.

Samskar is a Gandhian organisation fundamentally working for attitudinal, behavioural and social change. “What better way than Children’s Clubs to achieve this? They serve as platform to involve children and groom them to become socially responsible citizens and to change mindsets of elders,” says Project Director, Samskar Plan International, V.H.S.S. Sundar.

About 70 Children’s Clubs are set up in the district and of them 40 are very active. They are the hub for various activities, funded by NGO Plan International, including the ‘Chinnari Doctors’. The latter are trained to render first aid to community members during emergencies.

The club members undertake surveys and take their findings to the notice of ‘Samskar’, run a radio programme ‘Allari Muchchatulu’, aired by Nizamabad AIR every Sunday, bring out a chidlren’s rights magazine ‘Ma Maata’ all on their own with informative and entertainment quotient.

When one such survey by children exposed the number of child labour in Venkatagiri mandal as 180, contrary to official version of mere 12, it not only served as reality check but won respect for children’s genuine work