Students make innovative craft items out of waste

Students from this government school in the City seem to have mastered the art of making unique craft items out of dry waste.

That’s not all, these schoolchildren put littering adults to shame by gifting them these handicrafts each time they see someone litter.

Puneeth V, 10, a student of the Government Model Higher Primary School in Kurubarahalli near Rajajinagar, is an expert in making flowers out of waste paper. He says that when he sees people littering on the streets, he gifts them an art piece.

Sahana Balwanthappa, 13, another student, says that it is important to create awareness about waste management. “I have made many craft items out of waste paper and plastic. I gift them to family members, friends and people littering on roads,” she said.

Some of the craft items made by these students include pen holders, wall hangings, paper weights, paper flowers, photo frames, medicine holders and other items such as flexes, tissue papers, plastic packets, paper plates and coconut shells.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Manjula KS, Headmistress of the school, said that students studying in class 5 to 8 are taught how to recycle waste and turn it into craft as part of their co-curricular activity. The school has tied up with Art of Giving (AGF),  a unit of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, formed by students of Police Colony School, Bengaluru. AGF has conducted workshops at many government schools in the last three months. Some of the schools are: The Government High School, Police Colony, Magadi Road, Sane Gurubanahalli Government School, Basaveshwaranagar and Kurubarahalli.

Mamta N Swamy, a craft teacher and AGF member, said, “The aim is to cover all government schools in urban and rural areas. This is a social service initiative to teach children how to make craft from waste in their homes. This will help reduce the garbage menace which is becoming a big problem”

Guruprasad, South Regional Head, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, told Deccan Herald that it is good to encourage children to recycle. This is the first step towards reducing the garbage menace.