Naveen’s blessings
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik recently felicitated Monika Mankedia, the first member from the Mankedia community, considered as one of the most primitive tribal groups in Odisha, to sit for the matriculation examination. A student of Shrama Shakti Uchcha Vidyalaya in Jajpur’s Kaliapani mining region, she overcame odds, such as lack of books and financial crunch, to take the exam. Naveen presented her a tablet and wished her success in her future endeavours. She wants to get skilled at ITI, Bhubaneswar, and the Naveen assured help to her.
Karate kids
A month-long camp was organised by Utkal Karate School at Jeypore with more than 400 students, including 200 girls, taking part. The students were trained on self-defence tricks and how to survive during natural calamities. The camp was organised by Sensei Muna Singhlal. The camp aimed to build up discipline and confidence among students. The trainees were felicitated with certificates.
Village campaign
Gaon ku Chala Aviyan (Move to Village Campaign) of KISS Bahini and KISS Seva Bahini was flagged off from KIIT campus on May 31. The campaign, with the “New Mind, New Dream” slogan, will continue till June 6 and, as part of the campaign, students, teachers and staff of the institute will cover the villages of all the 30 districts of Odisha. The members of KISS Bahini will conduct plantation drives, ensure adult education, motivate stray children to join schools, clean villages as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and impart training on various life skills. They will make the villagers aware of health issues and provide tips on personal and community health.
PWD workshop
A three-day summer camp was hosted by city-based organisation Swabhiman at Mendhasal in Khurda recently. Around 40 children with disabilities from Bhub-aneswar slums and 20 other children from Mendhasal village attended it along with 30 volunteers. Mendhasal children welcomed the children from Bhubaneswar with flowers. The briefing and self-introduction process was conducted with games. Children were divided into six groups. Activities included trekking, water activities, traditional village games, nature craft, and science models.
Children’s learning
Pratham Education Foundation, in an attempt to improve the basic learning ability of children in primary schools, conducted a 20-day summer learning camp in about 756 villages of 14 blocks in various districts of the state.
More than 20,000 children from classes III to VIII took part in these camps and enhanced their reading, arithmetic and scientific abilities.
The activities involved reading story cards and books, making leaf art, conducting low cost science experiments such as flotation of potato, disappearance of coin due to refraction, projects like finding out cost estimate of a wedding function or economics of agriculture. All camps involved children presenting their work in front of other children and parents.
