The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Children to show the way this Deepavali

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 28, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Children to show the way this Deepavali

Staff Reporter

NGO chooses them to spread vital information.

— PHOTO:M.KARUNAKARAN

LEARNING SAFETY RULES: Children listen to Dr.Sharmila Balaji at the training programme organised by Shabnam Resources in Chennai on Saturday.

CHENNAI: With Deepavali round the corner and everyone in the mood for bursting crackers, some precaution and first aid training is always welcome.

Shabnam Resources, a non-governmental organisation working with child labourers, underprivileged children and children from broken families, has chosen children as agents of safety this Deepavali.

About 50 children from the Kodambakkam gathered on Saturday to learn the basics of fire safety. They listened intently as Sharmila Balaji, a doctor practising in the locality, took them through the basics in prevention of fire hazards.

Director of Shabnam Resources M.R.Hubert said the initiative was aimed at making children the managers of their communities. The children will, thus, take on the role of teaching the rest of the community what they have learned.

“Children will pass on the message to more people. The group of children will form the nucleus, and closer to Deepavali, the children, along with us, will conduct a surveillance of their areas. They will then discuss their findings at a meeting,” he said.

Dr.Balaji said every year 5-10 people of out every 100 persons suffered from serious injuries during Deepavali. As many as 15 out of 100 persons sustained minor burns. “All this can be prevented if a few simple steps are followed.”

“We tell the children not to light crackers indoors. One should always use a long agarbatti to light the crackers,” she said.

Highlighting the list of things that need to be kept within immediate reach, speakers said a basic first-aid kit, water, sand and oil were important. “One should also wear lose cotton clothes,” she said.

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