With summer vacation in full swing in the city, some school students are engrossed in part-time vacation jobs leaving them much happier and their pockets richer.
Abhish K S whose father runs a tailor shop in Mundamveli works as a newspaper boy at Palluruthy. Abhish tells ‘City Express’ that he has been waking up at 5 am every day for the past one month. “I set the alarm for 5 am and quietly leave my house by 5.30 am. After collecting the papers, I cycle may way to Palluruthy where I start distributing the paper. I cover around 100 houses every day,” says Abhish, a Class XII student of SDPY Higher Secondary School with pride. By the end of the month, he had made `1,300, sufficient enough for some purchases, if needed, for the next school year.
His father, Shine says that he has opened bank accounts for both his sons. “They have been an earning an income during the past few summer vacations and I opened a bank account so that they would know how to keep accounts and save money. Above all they can be proud of their worthwhile deed and grow up with a sense of responsibility,” Shine said.
Abhish said that he was encouraged to take up the vacation job, by one of his teachers. “She told us in class that we were pretty old enough to earn some money during the vacation instead of whiling away our time. That spurred me on,” he said. Also, we were encouraged to take up simple and worthwhile tasks by the sisters at the Catechism class during Sunday School. They said such jobs would help in personality development.
Jean Sebastian, Headmaster of St Augustine’s School, said that it is usually government school children who for such jobs.
Maybel (name changed), a 15-year-old from Thoppumpady, earns his expenses by working as a catering service hand at his hometown. “Catering services are in need of people and they are always willing to recruit boys like us. The money is quite good, too. Also, he goes for work only on Saturdays and Sundays leaving him, with free weekdays. “I can go for tuition classes or do other jobs on the weekdays since they require our services only on a Saturday and Sunday.” However, he admits that the work hours are quite long. “It’s nearly 12.30 am when I return home. It is not a very welcome idea in many homes, but the pay is good. I earn about Rs 350 per work day,” he says.
High school boys are seen donning the role of sales boys at mobile and recharge shops between 6 pm to 8 pm. Some kids work in refreshment shops, mostly to help their families. Some little ones put up juice and buttermilk stalls on the wayside. A few fast food chains and malls are reportedly recruiting kids as part-time hands during summer.