A group of children from families struggling to eke out a living participated in a workshop that taught them to recycle waste and make products of daily use.
The children used plastic bottles, packaging box materials and paper to make flower vases, pen stands, carry bags, masks and decorative plates.
For the kids in private schools workshops such as this is almost a regular affair, but for 12-year-old Gaurav Prasad, whose father is a daily wage earner, this was a first.
The boy made a pen stand from a plastic bottle and told his instructor that he could use this newly-acquired skill to make a lot of other items.
Thirty children from three NGOs participated in the four-day workshop called “Waste to Wealth” at Science City from 10 to 13 July.
“Our children get limited opportunities but such workshops help bring out their creative side,” said Nawaid Akhter, secretary of Humanity for You and Me (Hum), one of the participating NGOs.
“The children picked up some of the skills and we would be eager to help them make products and give them a platform to hold an exhibition,” said Akhter.
The other two NGOs that participated are Tiljala Shed and SOS Children Village.
“Through this workshop, these children have learnt valuable life skills and gained confidence in their abilities. They have learnt to create something beautiful out of things considered trash. This will not only help achieve cleanliness but may also contribute to the economic development of the marginalised section of society,” said Anurag Kumar, director of Science City.
Samarendra Kumar, deputy director-general of the National Council of Science Museums, spoke of the need to find utilities for some of the urban waste.
“In urban areas, the escalating issue of waste poses a significant challenge. Very few people know its potential for reuse, a concept known as upcycling, which can lead to recycling and reuse of materials.”
The workshop aslo included a quiz and two puppet showson cleanliness and safeenvironment.