THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Karthikeyan S, 12, is on cloud nine as finally, he is getting a chance to travel after being cooped inside the house for almost two years. The class 6 student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom, hs been chosen as one of the junior ambassadors to attend the 32nd Asia-Pacific Children’s Convention to be held in September in Japan. He is the sole Keralite in the six-member team of children, all of whom are all set to take part in the global convention.
“It is double delight for me. First, I can get out of the house and travel abroad. Second, it is a great opportunity to meet new people and build new friendships. The programme aims to teach children to respect and accept various cultures. I believe this convention will help me become a good human being,” said Karthikeyan.Karthikeyan was selected for his active academic, cultural and social activities.
“Usually, children in other countries are selected by the Ministry of Emigration or through consulates. But here, it was done by Junior Chamber International (JCI), a worldwide federation of young leaders and entrepreneurs. I came to know about this programme and made him sent a scrapbook about his community works, sports, cultural and academic records. The convention will help kids learn more about gender equality, cleanliness, cultural ethnicity and many more,” said Karthikeyan’s father Satheesh Ambady. The 21-day convention will be held at Fukuoka city in Japan, where Karthikeyan will get to attend cultural exchange programmes and engage in team activities.
“I came to know that we will be exploring Japanese culture, school life, the bond between local citizens and the local lifestyle etc through homestay system. So, I have started to learn Japanese through YouTube tutorials,” adds Karthikeyan.