Education of Green Friends’ children

60 percent green friends working with our Perungalathur MSWM project are from other state and speak Telugu as mother tongue. Over the years, it has been observed that these green friends’ in a zest to earn a living sometimes neglect the importance of providing elementary education for their children. Even if enrolled in anganwadis or schools, the distance and transportation has always been an issue of concern since the green friends (majority being women) would be at their work from 6 am onwards. Sending their children to school on time is always a challenge. This year, the dependency on local transport to reach school made 7 children of green friends to drop out from the A. C. Kamakshi Rao Middle School, Tambaram which is around 5 km from their tenements.

Understanding the situation, HHIDS reached out to the nearby schools and requested to enroll our green friends’ children along with the arrangement for pick up and drop service. In July 2018, Baby High School, West Tambaram, Chennai, a private school recognised by Govt of Tamilnadu came forward to support our green friends’ children and enrolled 26 children from I Std to VIII Std.

The school now sends a dedicated vehicle along with two assigned teachers with duties entrusted to ensure the safety and security of these children. These children are picked up from their locations in the morning and dropped back in the evening. Beyond free educational assistance and transportation, the school shall provide uniforms and lunch for the all the children enrolled. Above all, the school authorities have ensured special care and attention for their studies.

From our side, three staffs are given the responsibility to maintain a separate register to monitor the day to day pick up and drop service.  While it is a state of dream come true for many of our green friends, HHIDS is proud to have initiated the step towards making our green friends’ children enjoy their right to education. Besides improving the well-being, character and level of literacy amongst green friends’ children, this would create new pathways to build a better future.