THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Students of St Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Pattom, have joined hands recently, in a noble venture to help their less fortunate friends in need. As part of the school’s social responsibility project ‘Changaathikkoru Kaithangu’, school students have come forward to help their mates who are from financially backward households, lending a helping hand.A project which had been started from the year 2007, ‘Changaadikkoru Kaithangu’ has had students join together for many activities including building a house and other activities, according to the school principal, C C John.
The mission of the project this academic year was to provide around 60 financially backward students with basic learning facilities of chairs and multi-purpose tables with drawers. As part of the initiative, a fund was formed for the cause from students’ contributions which was used for the chairs and tables. These were made for distributing to around 100 students from financially poor backgrounds.
“As part of this social outreach initiative, school students have taken part in activities to provide medical and academic aid to fellow students in need. This year’s programme seeks to help children who do not have basic facilities to learn at home, many of them having parents who are terminally ill,” says a school staff and PRO Binny Joseph.
The collected multi-purpose benches and chairs were distributed to the children at an event held recently on the campus premises. Mathew T Thomas, Minister for Water Resources, distributed the materials to the students. Headmistress Asha Annie George also attended the event which was presided by principal C C John. Manoj Abraham, the staff secretary said, “We conduct different activities every year. The aim is to help the students in need. Through these activities, we hope to create a mentality of sharing among the school students as well as make them feel to have a sense of social responsibility.”
While keys for the tables were distributed to around 50 students at the recent event, the rest of the materials will be distributed shortly, said the staff secretary. “This year’s project aims at instilling confidence among these students as well as improve their learning facilities. Almost 70 per cent of children studying in schools are from poorer financial backgrounds and the social outreach programme which aims at creating the sense of social responsibility among students seeks at reaching those students”, said C C John, the Principal.