KARAN CHAUDHARY, The Hindu (Metroplus), January 15, 2014
The Delhi chapter of Plan India is running media clubs to train young reporters in the underprivileged sections of the society. Karan Chaudhary reports from one such centre
[…] The enthusiasm of the children is palpable. Talking about her experience with the centre, Aparajita (name changed), one of the younger members of the centre, says how the centre allows her to attend dance classes and take part in performances. […]
Plan India, the India chapter of the organisation Plan International, has been working with disadvantaged children since 1979 and has a presence in 11 states across the country. Its Delhi chapter, which took off in 2008, runs seven such clubs across the city.
The Media Club provides the children learning opportunities beyond those they can get from their schools. The club trains children in report writing and photography. They are trained to be cub reporters so that they can report on the happenings in their localities. The media clubs are a part of the wider children outreach programmes run by the organisation. The children were sent to Dehradun for comic training and to Mongolpuri for cartoon training, gaining technical skills they would normally not have been able to access, say Plan officials.
The centre provides children with training in other fields, alongside the general outreach initiatives. “All the children in the area can come to centre. There are around 700 children who visit the centre,” says Yllaylee, a Plan India functionary.[…]
“The movies are used so that the children are able to engage with the ideas better. Children here often miss out on critical lessons on hygiene, safety and social awareness at home, so these movies attempt to fill that void,” she adds.
The kids are also informed of their rights and taken on exposure and field visits which expand their worldview. “They were taken on visits to the SGPU, the Juvenile Justice Board as well as the police station. There was also a discussion on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. These are done to make the children more aware of their rights,” explains Seema. […]
“The media clubs and the other training programmes can only be given to a limited number of children, and selections need to be done, but these are done by the children themselves in a democratic manner. The children take part in workshops where a technical assistant helps them in forming an application of interest. The children then vote on which children are selected,” explains Yllaylee.
Source: The courage to question – The Hindu
Address : http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/the-courage-to-question/article5578774.ece?homepage=true
Date Visited: Sat Jan 18 2014 19:42:47 GMT+0100 (CET)
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Learn more about Plan India
Our programs and advocacy for child rights will be targeted on the following social groups:
- Dalit communities
- Tribal communities
- Most backward communities
- Ethnic and religious minorities
- Urban poor communities
Source: Plan India: Program Priorities, Child Rights, Girl Child education
Address : http://planindia.org/our-work/our-programme-priorities
Date Visited: Sat Jan 18 2014 20:01:03 GMT+0100 (CET)
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