This year too Maithri, a non-profit organisation based at Kochi, is set to listen to the woes and anxieties of students reeling under exam-results tensions.
For over a decade, the NGO has been lending a shoulder for students. “We are at the reach of students at any time of the day during the exam season. We have been doing the same for the past 18 years,” says Aysha Salim, director, Maithri.
On other days, Maithri is open from 10 am to 7 pm and any student can avail free counselling from Maithri through their helpline number 0484-2540530. The details disclosed will be confidential and students can share their problems without anguish.
Maithri works under the aegis of Befrienders Worldwide, an international organisation that helps children overcome their frustrations and decrease the number of suicides in the world. Last year, Maithri had conducted workshops in more than 30 schools in the state. This year, they are planning to widen their service to more than 100 educational institutions.
Classes and counselling service are handled by experts in the field, including psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. Dr C J John, psychiatrist, supervises their outreach programmes.
“Students crave for a listener than an adviser. In most cases, they complain that there is no one to understand their problems and we stretch our helping hands,” adds Aysha. They also help them defeat the underlying mental pressures, fear, anxiety and humiliation in the minds of students.
Mathri has been receiving good response from the public. Their outreach programmes begin during the months of November and December. On the other hand, they also conduct awareness programmes in orphanages and other institutions.
The major thrust of the outreach programmes at schools are lifeskill development, interactive activities, career orientation and personal counselling. There are provisions for face to face counselling for students along with parents.
Apart from SSLC students, youth under 20 years of age, seek advice from Maithri. They also help students to choose a career according to their attitude and aptitude.
Special assistance to those who are weak in a particular subject are also being provided. Doubts related to higher secondary admissions and registration of Save A Year (SAY) exams will also be clarified. This organisation is now volunteered by 32 volunteers including teachers, other professionals and house wives.