Thiruvananthapuram, Revathy, a first-year BSc pupil from Malayinkeezhu Madhava Kavi Smaraka Authorities Arts and Science School , walks down a slim lane with a bunch of fellow college students. All of them are NSS volunteers. Collectively, they knock on the door of a home in a quiet village.
School college students lead grassroots anti-drug marketing campaign in Kerala village properties
An aged man solutions. Revathy greets him politely and explains that they’re a part of an anti-drug marketing campaign. She then begins asking a sequence of questions as a part of a family survey.
The person listens and responds patiently. The questions are supposed to collect fundamental particulars in regards to the household and to seek out out if anybody within the family could also be utilizing medication.
These younger volunteers are a part of a particular venture launched within the Kattakada Meeting constituency in Thiruvananthapuram. The initiative was launched by native MLA I B Satheesh and is targeted on figuring out, stopping, and serving to folks affected by drug abuse in six panchayats below the constituency.
What makes the programme stand out is its method. The scholar volunteers keep within the properties of the villages for 3 days.
Throughout their keep, they observe the household’s residing situations and attempt to discover if anybody exhibits uncommon behaviour.
On the identical time, they discuss to the households in regards to the risks of drug use particularly the rising downside of artificial medication.
“The experience we got was excellent. We could try and understand what is going on in that house and also in the surroundings. We got valuable inputs regarding those who are using drugs in the area,” Revathy instructed PTI.
She stated together with the anti-drug marketing campaign, it was additionally an effort to socially combine the scholars with the native communities, understanding their wants and considerations.
MLA Satheesh stated the result was a lot larger than they’d anticipated.
“We are carrying out this survey in all six panchayats so that we can understand the situation on the ground. I must admit that the cases of drug abuse in society are far more than we had imagined,” Satheesh, who’s the driving drive behind this distinctive programme, instructed PTI.
He stated that, arguably, that is the primary time such an initiative has been launched within the nation, and that the entire of Kerala may undertake it in its battle towards drug abuse.
The MLA defined that the thought of permitting college students to remain within the properties of strangers was to provide them the expertise of residing in a totally unfamiliar family, whereas carefully observing the residing situations and assessing whether or not something appeared uncommon.
“They gained an experience that no university could have taught them. At the same time, they were able to educate parents especially mothers about the harmful effects of drug abuse and how to identify if something is going wrong with their children,” Satheesh stated.
He stated each the dad and mom and the youth in Kattakada have rallied behind the venture.
“This is a great initiative, and the change has to start from the family. Through this programme, parents are becoming more aware and are able to recognise if their children display unusual behaviour, allowing them to intervene at an early stage,” stated Geetha, a trainer on the native authorities boys’ highschool.
The scholar volunteers, normally teams of 5 to 10 at a time, determine households and keep there for 3 days. Along with conducting the survey, additionally they organise group discussions and interactive periods to boost consciousness in regards to the risks of drug abuse.
“They organise special programmes, constantly reminding the parents and children in the household about drug abuse and its effects. The data we collect through the survey will be handed over to the Survey and Statistics Department of the Kerala government,” stated Abhilash, the NSS programme coordinator at MMSC.
He stated they’re planning to cowl each family with the survey, in order that they’ll determine and stop instances of drug abuse in Kattakada.
“These volunteers are very committed, and they spend all three days effectively, bringing about a change in people’s mindset and making them more proactive in the fight against drug abuse,” Abhilash stated.
The scholars who’ve participated within the consciousness marketing campaign performed by the volunteers additionally see it as a step in the fitting course.
“They are making an effort, and it is showing results. The youngsters are warned about the harmful influence of drugs and how it contributes to the rise in crime in society. Parents are also becoming more aware,” stated Ashtami, one other pupil who took half within the consciousness programme.
This distinctive venture helps the authorities to determine those that are utilizing medication in these six panchayats, enabling social employees and counsellors to succeed in out to them, MLA Satheesh stated.
It additionally helps stop attainable drug abuse by encouraging members of the family to concentrate on adjustments of their kids’s behaviour and to report such instances to the authorities, he stated.
The programme was launched amid Kerala’s launch of Operation D Hunt, following an increase in crimes associated to drug abuse within the state. To date, below the particular drive, 2,11,274 individuals have been checked and 14,603 instances are registered statewide, police headquarters sources stated.
A complete of 15,331 individuals have been arrested in reference to these instances.