The month of May is synonymous with ecstasy in India. It is usually a time for relaxation and enjoyment with schools being closed for summer vacation. People go on tours, to beaches and parks and spend quality time with their near and dear ones. But none would have dreamt of staying locked up in their homes like the present scenario.
Despite their vacations being shattered, the energetic youngsters of India try their level best to lighten up things around them. One such group of friends – Siya Agarwal, Vedaa Choradia, Simran Gupta, Diya Arun, Dhiya Nachiyar, Anahita Elias, Swayam Dey, Madhav Venkatachalam and Simhan Arumugam, all 13-year-olds, who call themselves QuaranTEENS. They intend to make the best use of this lockdown and contribute their bit to help beat this pandemic. “During this lockdown, there is not much for children like us to do except to attempt online competitions. But even these contests are often not for kids younger than us,” says Siya.
This concern for the young ones led the QuaranTEENS to put their heads together and come up with a creative idea. The idea was to conduct online sessions for kids in the age group of five to nine years old. The session aims to make kids aware of our frontline heroes who work tirelessly for our well being and to show them our gratitude.
The interactive session conducted via Zoom Cloud Meeting would include ice-breaker games and some fun activities which would be knowledgeable to the kids. With the help of Mrs. Mahima Poddar, founder of Kindness Foundation, and Mrs. Antara Pandit, an author, the QuaranTEENS have also managed to arrange meetings with frontline workers to wrap up the session. “We are targeting the youngest members of our society so that they can express their gratitude to frontline workers who are risking their own lives for ours,” Siya says.
The first session was held on May 11, 2020, and the group received encouraging feedback from the children who participated in the session as well from their parents. The teens taught the kids how to draw and make a thank you card for a doctor. At the end of the session, the cards were presented to the doctor.
The subsequent sessions were held on May 14, May 18 and May 21. “The kids were taught to do a craft after which there was an interactive session with a service engineer,” says Siya Agarwal.
The sessions are ticketed at INR 150. All proceeds would be given to Kindness Foundation‘s and Chennai Task Force’s COVID Relief Fund. Parents who wish to enrol their kids for this online session can do so by contacting +91 93445 02996.
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Sanjitha, 16, loves to read novels, write, paint, sing, dance and play the guitar. She is an animal lover and admirer of nature and music.
I like the way of writing by gathering the news and highlighting how the TEENS are engaged in this lockdown period. Spending the time in productive manner gives lot of satisfaction. All the best for taking time to report and this kind of encouragement will surely help others too to follow the good work.