Twenty-five children studying in classes between 6 and 10 at the Chennai School in Rangarajapuram, sat hunched over, their attention focused on posters that they were painting. The topic for the event was something close to their heart — child rights protection.
Titled ‘I have a right to protection’, the competition was held in three other city schools and was organised by the NGO Arunodaya.
Says Regina, a worker attached to the NGO, “The participants are mostly children of daily wage workers or those doing odd jobs. Such children usually accompany their parents to work early in the morning before attending school.”
The topic has been chosen so that the children will be able to relate to it, she adds.
“Prizes are given, but it is the participation that counts and creation of awareness of child rights and related issues are what we wanted to focus on.” The NGO is conducting similar events over the next few days to sensitise the issue among different strata of society.