THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As Christmas is almost here, children’s world is filled with anticipation as they eagerly await their gifts. For them, this is a season of excitement, not just for what Santa might bring, but for the thrill of exchanging gifts with their Christmas friends at school.
In between exams, children can often be found hunting for the perfect greeting card, spending ages deciding what to write inside to make it truly special. It’s a tradition full of suspense, creativity, and joy — something that lingers fondly in memories.
This year, in Thiruvananthapuram that spirit is alive and well. Over the past few days, around 30 children from two schools have been busy crafting their own Christmas cards. These handcrafted cards are set to be sold to classmates and teachers.
The Christmas card-making initiative is part of Changathi, a unique bio-psycho-social intervention programme, designed by the non-profit organisation Kanal. Funded as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity by Infoblox, Changathi aims to encourage creativity and emotional well-being among class 7 children from coastal areas.
“These children will soon enter adolescence, a stage where they will face various challenges. The Changathi project is designed to prepare them to handle these challenges effectively,” explains Anson P D Alexander, founder of Kanal.
“Children residing in coastal regions, where one or both parents are working in the fishing field, often face challenges such as nutritional deficiencies, as well as academic and behavioural difficulties. Changathi initiative seeks to implement solutions through ongoing training for students, educators, and parents,” Anson added.
Regular counselling of students and parent management training are given. Basic motor skills, mental health improvement activities, and workshops such as theatre, pottery, or Christmas card-making are part of this project to address behavioural issues in children. Materials and training were provided to the children, along with guidance.
“When I told my students about the Christmas celebration, they were excited but nervous about making their own cards. They doubted their creativity, but we worked through the challenges together. Slowly, their confidence grew, and we created beautiful cards. Students themselves are astonished after witnessing their own creativity. It helped them discover their hidden talents. That was the biggest success of the initiative,” Sneha Paleri, child welfare associate at Kanal, says.
“These cards will be sold within the school or at Christmas exhibitions around the city, and the amount collected will be used to organise medical camps in the schools. We conducted a similar activity last year. The aim is not financial gain but rather to help the children develop a skill, boost their self-esteem, and understand the importance of earning income or learning the means to do so,” Anson elaborates.
The medical camps, organised twice or thrice a year at the schools, address health concerns like nutritional deficiencies, low haemoglobin levels, and hydration habits.
The Changathi project is currently being implemented in two schools — St Roch’s High School and St Mary’s Higher Secondary School. Together, the project reaches around 250 children.