Meena club gets 'shy kids' to mainstream in DK

The initiative of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has already worked wonders with 19 migration students being brought back to the portals of school due to the effort of Meena Club of DK ZP Higher Primary School of Kodikal.

Meena Club has 20 members with 10 girls, 5 boys and 5 long absentee children. “The club has one girl leader called ‘Prerakhi’. The main motivation of this initiative is to give courage to girls and hence help them to improve their interaction, life skills and leadership qualities,” says Assistant Project Officer for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Geetha Devdas, speaking to Deccan Herald.

Cleanliness and health drive, enrollment drive, visiting houses of problematic children, children grama sabha, opposing social evils like dowry, child marriage, gender disparity, child labour are the main objectives of the club.

The club also has fun activities like mothers’ day and grandmothers’ day celebration, mother and daughter fest, mono acting, street play and various other activities, adds Geetha.

“The SSA in Dakshina Kannada is supporting this club by giving Rs 9,000 to each of its 98 clusters. Altogether 652 higher primary schools in Dakshina Kannada have started this scheme,” informs Deputy Director of Public Instruction S Chame Gowda.

Prerakhi Rakshitha Prabhu, a grade 7 student of Government Gandhinagar Higher Primary School, says that the Meena Club in her school has already planned the activities for the year and the students have been given information on adolescent changes, public behavior, grooming skills and coached on how to cope up with shyness.

“In case a girl child is given support from her family, especially her mother, she can face any difficulty and successfully come into the mainstream of the society,” informs Mangalore City Range Block Education Officer Dayawati