Summary
The initiative is aimed at generating discussion around important topics such as education, health and child protection, which affect the community
The outdoor learning spaces have been set up at Shivaji Nagar slum area in Faridabad
SOS Children’s Villages of India – the country’s largest self-implementing childcare NGO – has set up child-friendly outdoor learning spaces for children from underserved communities in Faridabad in a bid to support continuity of education and raise health and hygiene awareness.
At a time when the pandemic-induced closure of schools have disrupted the education of children, the organisation painted five walls of the Shivaji Nagar slum in Faridabad with information related to child protection, education, health and hygiene in order to encourage the continuation of schooling.
One of the walls was even turned into a blackboard to encourage consistent learning at the community level. The initiative has been taken under the Family Strengthening Programme Shivaji Nagar-Auto Pin.
The population of the Shivaji Nagar slum is estimated to be between 10,000 and 12,000 individuals – all of them migrant labourers from nearby states. The families sustain themselves by doing low-paying jobs in nearby factories or are reliant on daily minimum wages.
While speaking about the initiative, Sumanta Kar, secretary general, SOS Children’s Villages of India, said, “Children, especially those living in slums, have seen their education being majorly disrupted by the pandemic, especially since they did not have access to the internet and/or smart phones to continue their schooling remotely. A significant number of children, especially girls from vulnerable settings who have been out of school for long, may never return when schools reopen. This initiative helped reiterate important aspects such as health, hygiene, education and so on. We wanted to provide children with some semblance of learning, even when they were not attending schools.”
A member of the Bal Panchayat there added, “The closing of schools due to the pandemic has caused major disruptions in our lives, leaving us confined within our homes with very little outdoor time. The lack of social exposure was affecting our interactive skills. The learning walls of our locality have helped us a lot. We all like coming to the space ever since the walls were painted, which has allowed us to learn, play and engage. It has helped us make new friends, enhancing our interactive skills. These paintings have brought us comfort, while spreading important messages.”
The initiative by SOS Children’s Villages of India is aimed at generating discussion around important topics such as education, health and child protection, affecting the community. Today, the community blackboard is being used for various awareness programmes and remedial classes functioning in the community. It has also become a space for the Bal Panchayat (children’s parliament) for their day-to-day activities.
Last updated on 06 Jan 2022
