‘School in a box’ for children in Assam flood relief camps
At least 31 people have died in floods and rain-induced landslides across the State since May
GUWAHATI
Flood-affected children are set to get a “school in a box” in model relief camps across Assam.
Such a box or child-friendly space (CFS) kit containing learning materials and other items to ensure the continuity of education will be provided for each of the 167 model relief camps in the State where floods and rainfall-induced landslides have claimed at least 31 human lives since May.
Most administrative circles in Assam have a model relief camp. Some with denser population have two.
5 die in landslide in Assam’s Karimganj
Although the kit designed by UNICEF for Assam has been around for some time, the new-look box caters to the educational needs of children and teenagers aged 6-18 years. Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said this was done after assessing the psychological impact of displacement on children older than 6 years.
“The focus of CHS earlier was on children up to 6 years old. The ‘school in a box’ concept covers older children and provides for them notebooks, drawing books, pencils and other learning materials to help them overcome the trauma of losing their homes or a parent or a family member,” Mridusmita Borah, a project officer for disaster risk reduction told The Hindu.
The ASDMA began training officials and field workers of the Women and Child Development and Education Department on maximising the utility of the box for flood-hit children in the model relief camps apart from helping reduced their mental stress.
“The training is being conducted at the block and circle levels to equip Anganwadi workers and other grassroots stakeholders with the skill to maintain the education continuity of children in the model relief camps,” Ms Borah said.
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ASDMA officials said the ‘school in a box’ kit could be provided to the non-model relief camps too.
Apart from the educational needs of children, officials are also being trained to run the relief camps smoothly through initiatives such as installing sanitary napkin vending machines with incinerators for women and adolescent girls in the relief camps.
Killer landslides
Rainfall-induced landslides or landslips have killed more people than floods across seven of the eight northeastern States over the last 30 days.
A statement issued by the ASDMA on June 19 night said five people — two women and three children — died after their house on a hill slope collapsed in the Badarpur area of southern Assam’s Karimganj district. The incident was one of 10 reported from across the State on Wednesday.
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More than 40 people have died in landslides across the northeast after Cyclone Remal struck Bangladesh and West Bengal in the latter half of May, bringing thunderstorms and heavy rainfall with it. Landslides claimed 29 lives in Mizoram followed by Sikkim (nine).
So far, floods have claimed 26 lives in Assam. According to the ASDMA, floods have affected 19 districts and 2.96 lakh people and 12,166 of them have moved into 105 relief camps.
- Telegram
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