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A Plan Community healthworker teaches first-aid
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Chinnari Doctors
With the aim of creating awareness amongst schoolchildren about sanitation and personal hygiene, Plan India have been training children in first aid, personal and community hygiene and cleanliness.
The activity was started with the objective of creating awareness among school children about hygiene and sanitation. These children have been provided with first aid kits containing medicines to treat injuries, burns and other emergencies. They in turn carry out cleanliness drives in schools and communities.
So far, nearly 320 such children have been provided training in the project area and are actively involved in keeping schools and communities clean. This activity has been very effective in creating awareness in communities about sanitation and cleanliness with a decrease in the instances of outbreak of epidemics and spread of communicable diseases. The activity has also helped in developing leadership qualities among children, who now take active interest in advising elders on issues of sanitation and hygiene.
Dr Srinivas, the project doctor, says, "The program has helped develop leadership qualities in children and has inspired them to become the doctors of the future. They are made aware of volunteerism and channelize their energies towards social service at a very early age. These children play an active role in the health activities of the community by helping the project health personnel organize childrens and mothers meetings on nutrition, health awareness camps, school health camps, etc. They provide information about diseases in the community and school to the health personnel and create awareness on the preventive aspects of health to people in the community."
Prabhaker, a community health worker, said "These children are fulfilling the long-felt absence of health services in inaccessible communities, and helping in keeping the communities clean and hygienic. The activity has provided a launching pad for increased participation of children in community activities."
Ahmad, a community health volunteer, feels that knowledge about medicine at a very early age will definitely inspire them to take this as a profession and work for the betterment of their fellow human beings. Padma, a VII grade student and a child doctor in Ethonda Community said, "We are thankful to Samskar-Plan for giving us this opportunity to break the shackles of tradition and participate in community work."
Rajan Mohanty, Sponsorship Officer
Plan-Hyderabad Office
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