Parents help children to make paper bags at Baug-E-Jamshed School in Sakchi. A file picture

Jamshedpur, March 19: Next time the neighbourhood shopkeeper hands you a paper bag, don’t be surprised to learn that they have been made by children as young as two or three years old.

Thanks to the recent step initiated by city-based Baug-E-Jamshed School, the steel city is set to don a cleaner look. An initiative of Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (Jusco), this unique movement is part of the ‘Cleaner Jamshedpur’ concept launched by the company in January.

According to the guidelines issued by Jusco, all schools are supposed to submit a charter to senior officials stating ways in which they would like to make the city a better place to live in.

“Almost every city school is part of this campaign. We have to work out strategies to pass on the message to people. We decided to launch this ‘Clean-Jam’ campaign to help students become aware of the importance of a cleaner environment at a young age,” said Shireen Dotivala, principal of the Baug-E-Jamshed. The school submitted its final charter to Jusco this February.

The school has decided to involve parents and students in making paper bags, which would then be distributed in select stores in Bistupur and Sakchi market areas.

The first step in this direction was taken this weekend when the school flagged off its campaign by inviting parents to make the bags with messages written on them. Such a process not only helps students learn more but also helps in clearing their concepts on difficult topics such as environmental issues and cleanliness. So, we decided to go in for the changed idea,” added Dotivala.

At the event, as parents got busy in getting the right cut for the bags, kids were seen scribbling small messages and pictures on these bags.

“It was a joyous return to our childhood days but this time surely for a good cause,” said one parent.

Kids, too, enjoyed the day in full fervour.

Authorities at Baug-E-Jamshed have decided to make execution of such schemes a year-long process.