Tamil Nadu   

Now they are `swayed by a wave of joy'

P.S. Suresh Kumar

Cultural programmes to help tsunami-hit children overcome the shock

CHILDREN'S CHOICE: A child dressed like Santa Claus dancing with children during a cultural event, Arise with confidence to overcome the losses, in Colachel on Monday.

Nagercoil: A mood of jubilation filled the air during the cultural programmes exclusively organised for the benefit of tsunami-affected children by the Life Care Trust, a non-governmental organization at Colachel under the concept of `Arise with confidence to over come the losses'.

As many as 120 semi-orphaned tsunami-affected children thrilled the audience by reciting poems, presenting dance performances and other cultural events on Monday.

The Life Care Trust conducted a scintillating `kolattam' by four children from a family in Maramadi village, who lost their parents on December 26, last year.

It was not only a golden opportunity for the tsunami-affected children of the worst-hit Colachel, Maramadi and Kottilpadu villages to exhibit their hidden talents before the audience, but also gave them a chance to forget the horrible events caused by tsunami, said the Director of the Trust, Aloysius.

Disasters pose a mammoth threat and monumental challenge to the total fishermen community.

The tsunami has had a devastating effect on the fisher folk particularly children.When they had lost their parents, they felt angry and expressed it by weeping and screaming.

But they should not allow them to feel helpless and depressed about the loss of their parents and they would be trained in such a way that they should be looked at the positive side of life.

That can be achieved by accepting and acknowledging the changes in their behavior after the event.

There are more than 1000 tsunami-affected children in the coastal areas of the district particularly Colachel, Kottilpadu and Maramadai coastal villages and they had already enrolled themselves with the 15 evening schools run by the Life Care Trust, where they were being trained in sports, drawing, painting, story-telling, plays, dramas and puppetry shows in order to help them overcome the shock, frustration and desperation and lead them to a prosperous future. Not only the students, but also the employees of the Life Care Trust performed Kollattam, Karakattam, Oylilattam, Mayilattam, Kummyattam and Group dances with an intention to make the affected children merry.

The audience mostly children in the age group of 3 to 15 years clapped and danced along with the employees.

The highlight of the programme was the entry of Santa Claus in the dais, who distributed sweets and prizes to tsunami-affected children.

As part of Christmas celebrations, Arockiya Celsa (6), who lost her mother distributed cake pieces to all, including the General Manager of Pandiyan Grama Bank, Raveendran, who was the chief guest.

Pleasure trip

Earlier they were taken to various tourist spots including Kanyakumari, Kovalam, Thirparappu, etc., as part of a pleasure trip.

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