Awareness Event 2019
WORLD AIDS DAY
This year the theme for World Aids Day was “Rock the Ribbon”, which encourages people to wear a red ribbon to show everyone – especially people living with HIV and their families – their support. With similar message in mind, PARAS INDIA organised awareness rallies across its regional centres. The day was an opportunity for people to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Children were asked to draw and speak on what they understood from AIDS and its consequences.Various efforts were made by the PARAS team to de-stigmatize the syndrome and put out facts, myths and the treatment for the virus. People were warned of the potential ways one could get in contact with the disease. Children were sensitized about the social impact on people suffering from the disease in addition to the physical pain one has to go through. It was widely shared in the communities that anyone who tests positive for HIV will be offered antiretroviral treatment immediately free of cost by the government. Once children had gathered enough knowledge on the subject, they went to their neighbourhood and explained them on why we celebrate the day. It is PARAS INDIA’S constant endeavour to raise children and
adults, with empathy and kindness, associated with them.
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CHILDREN’S DAY CELEBRATION AT PARAS India
This Children’s Day was celebrated at PARAS’s regional center with reciting quotes from Shri Jawaharlal Nehru. Children immensely enjoyed the occasion making charts, painting pictures of “Chacha Nehru” , reciting poems, playing games and eating sweets. Children were told about the contribution made by our first former Prime Minister from building institutes of education to calling dams “the temples of modern India”. Children were asked to recollect their favourite memories from their school and share with others on the occasion. It was a fun-filled event that included decorating the centres with balloons, collective participation of children in cultural events like comedy act, speeches and various competitions. The event concluded with announcing winners and a thank you speech from one of our participants. The children went to home with sparkling smiles on their faces.
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INTERNATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY CELEBRATIONS
PARAS India celebrated International Girl Child Day on this 11th of October 2019. The participants included children and teenagers, majorly girls. The event started with briefing the children about the need to celebrate girl child.
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The theme for this year was “Girl Force: Unscripted and Unstoppable”. In lieu of the theme, we conducted an activity “Grow Courage” on the event. Paper chits were distributed among the participants. Each person wrote down a fear of theirs on the piece of paper and anonymously dropped into a hat. Each person was then called to choose one out of the hat, read it aloud, and say why it might be scary to someone. Then, as a group, children came out with a few options for navigating that fear and the solution henceforth. The common fear among the teenage girls was to go out of their homes by their own. They were scared of the dark, of being called out names and being harassed. We discussed the issue at large and instilled confidence in them.
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Students made drawings and posters for the event. The day concluded with motivational speech from the team member. The day of the girl child was focused on encouraging them to give their best in fields of education, jobs and their personal lives to stand out.
GANDHI JAYANTI CELEBRATIONS (2nd October)
This 2nd of October PARAS India celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in all the regional centres. The event witnessed interesting activities and large scale participation from the communities.
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Since the driving theme for this year was awareness on the harmful use of plastics, rallies and speeches were organised for the same. Children took away with them the message of “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”.
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On this historic occasion, the ideals of truth, non-violence and satyagraha were imparted through speeches and skits. Children were told how under the leadership of Gandhi ji, freedom fighters used innovative methods of resistance for making India independent. Mimicry competitions were held imitating the historic messages from Gandhi ji. Recitation of poems and patriotic songs added to the spirit of the occasion.
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TEACHER’S DAY (5th September)
On the 5th of September, PARAS India celebrated Teacher’s Day with much fun and love. On this day, children were told that it is celebrated on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the first vice-president and second president of India, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. It was told that Dr. Radhakrishnan was a staunch educationist and hence the importance of education in one’s life is inevitable for being good human beings. With much fervor, various programs were held like Poster Making and speeches by children for their favourite teachers.
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Children were explained that teachers are the building blocks of this nation. A teacher’s guidance shapes their future. A teacher is a friend, philosopher, guide, mentor and their companion in good and bad times. To achieve one’s dream in life, support from teachers and parents was utmost important.
The program included a few students becoming teachers for the day. They dressed up as their teachers in sarees and formals. They enacted like their teachers and taught the classes. The atmosphere was filled with joy and happiness.