A section of children for whom vacation means more household chores or taking care of younger siblings at home are participating in a summer camp organised for them.
Their parents are mostly daily wage earners. Ek Tara Learning Centre, where the students go round the year, cannot close their doors during the summer break because the children then remain cooped up in their one-room dwellings or have no option but to wander on the streets.
The summer camp, being held over a fortnight, is engaging the children in activities like music, dance, theatre, games, mask making and gardening for a few hours every day.
“When the children are at home they get engaged in household chores like cooking or cleaning. Our objective is to combat this and give them opportunities that help them to learn while they enjoy themselves. This contributes to their overall growth,” said Paroma Sengupta, programme manager, Ek Tara Learning Centre.
If one group is dribbling a football to music in a theatre class, another is learning the basics of gardening.
“Our houses are small, where and how do we do gardening?” asked a girl. “You can grow plants in jute bags,” the students were told.
The students from Class II to X have enrolled in different activities that are designed according to their age group and interest.
Often, the children are too fatigued to pursue these activities when school is open. They do not have the privilege of focusing on school alone but have to pay attention to the household no matter their age.
“The summer camp enables us to maximise opportunities for our children by extending a number of activities for them, which are not possible during regular school hours,” said Vinita Saraf, founder and trustee, Ek Tara.
The camp started on May 22 and will continue till June 7.
After schools close for vacation in mid-May, many organisations conduct summer camps for students where children learn tie and dye, baking cakes and cookies or they play games. But most of it is against a fee.
“Our children do not have that kind of access or resources,” said Sengupta.
But there is no dearth of interest or inclination.
When the authorities told the children about the summer camp idea, they were keen to join.
“We wanted them to take ownership and raise their hands for it instead of us asking them to take part,” said Sengupta.
The children are not just taking a keen interest in what they are doing but also showing more pro-activeness to learn.
“Girls and boys have walked up to us to ask if we could organise cooking classes or classes to repair air-conditioners and television sets. They want to learn skills too,” said Sengupta.