Summer camps bring cheer to underprivileged children in Bangalore

BENGALURU: Although the mercury levels are high, the season beings its own perks for children – summer camps. Catering to the all-round development of underprivileged children, many voluntary organisations are conducting activities for them. Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota (BOSCO) has launched the initiative in nine areas in the city. “We conducted a five-day camp until April 16, which had 147 children.

The camps involve life skills, child rights, child protection mechanisms, advocacy actions, self-awareness, waste management, yoga, health awareness, art and craft, eye checkup, music and dance, movie show, etc. The motto of the summer camp is to nurture their interest towards education through recreational and multicultural activities,” said Priya Magadeshwarn, a project manager at BOSCO. Their next camp beings on April 22, and is expected to receive enrolment from over 100 children from Shivaji Nagar.

These camps also include dropouts from schools. “We encourage parents from slums to get their children to participate. We then motivate the children to admit themselves back into school,” Priya added. Last year, 84 children returned back to school.

The Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA), an NGO for child rights, is working with 50 children in the shelter home this year. “These children are either runaways, victims of abuse, or have single parents who are underprivileged,” Usha V G, a coordinator at the organisation, said. “One of our camps, which will be on until April 30, is a 20-day event where children get information about child rights, and attend tutorials, and sports and drawing classes,” she added. 

Summer camps is considered something available for the high class society, pointed out Father Mathew Thomas, executive director of BOSCO. “Most of those camps focus on one activity. However, we give whatever information a child needs to grow and sustain. Children of all societies must receive the best education possible.”