In collaboration with the School Education Department, Government of Telangana, a pilot project called ‘Compassionate Citizenship Program’ has been organised by the Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA) in the state to sensitize school students about social issues faced by the society and help them develop a sense of purpose to transform communities and social environment thereby to promote a better society to live-in.
During the program, it is said that around 500 students from 33 schools in Hyderabad city picked-up an array of the topics to work over the project being initiated by the COVA, an NGO working for the upliftment of the society through ensuring peace and harmony and literary promotions across the country.
According to Mazhr Hussain, the Executive Director of COVA Hyderabad, “Four districts such as Hyderabad, Mahabubnagar, Warangal and Vikarabad have been selected for implementation of a message oriented ‘Pilot Project’ that stretched over five months.”
During the five month long program, he said, around 25,000 students from 122 government, private and residential schools from both urban and rural areas of the four districts took part in the pilot project and picked up different themes that include Care for Elders, Problem faced by Parents while Educating Children, Social Media: Fake News, Child Labour, Eve Teasing, Public Services, Environment: Plastic Usage, Participatory Budgeting for Children, Basic Introduction to Social Science and Social Advocacy.
While working on a theme ‘Care for Elders,’ the students found that most of the elders suffer loneliness, ill-health and financial constraints in their serenity. After finding this, many students said they have started spending more time with their grandparents and enjoying their compassion.
The students even submitted representation to Ministers and officials concerned demanding special counters or timings for elders in government hospitals. They felt that elders should be with their families in serenity instead of Old Age Homes.
As part of the program, an event was organised today at Boys’ Town High School in Jahanuma area under Bahadurpura constituency experts delivered lectures to the students who participated in field visits and earned a formative experience while interacting with the society through working over the project.
It is said that so far, 44 experts delivered 1000 lectures on 10 different topics and sensitized a volume of 25,000 students out of which 10,700 have carried out nearly 230 field visits covering the pilot project spread over five long months.
“The pilot project will be extended further to other districts of the state in the days to come with a sole purpose to sensitive the students and help them turn a better human and transform the society through their individual and collective demeanor. Similar programs will be held in Warangal on March 25, Vikarabad on March 27 and Mahboobnagar on March 29,” informed Mazher Hussain.
