Inventure Academy students serve community

Who would perhaps want to sweat in noon summer sun, cleaning a dusty school library never cleaned for years? I bet not many!. So was the case with most of the Grade 7 and 8 students who boarded their school buses heading to Gunjur Government School to clean up their library and classrooms, rather reluctantly.

It was just a pint-size start for these youngsters who, in the coming days visited old age home, schools for differently abled and a clinic, and realized how a small yet significant service towards community can change lives.

“Initially I took up community service as it was mandatory in school. `Clean Up’ was something that I would do only for my room, that too after my mama coaxing me 101 times,’’ confesses Tanujof Grade 7. But after we undertook the tedious task of cleaning a library not cleaned for over an year, there was a spirit of teamwork and doing good for our peers that made me feel good despite my dust allergy.”

Cheshire Home for the Aged, is a picturesque place in Whitefield known mostly for its sleepiness where Inventure Academy students visited next. Not only was there a need for the place to look more desirable it was also to make the inmates feel wanted. Inventure Academy students enthusiastically carried out wall painting, gardening, cleaning of the windows and mosquito mesh and later spent time with the senior citizens.

At the Cotollengo Special School for the mentally challenged situated at Whitefield, our students realized that even leading a normal life is a gift of God, we should thank Him for. The students chose to beautify the school by cleaning and painting for their peer inmates. Besides they presented the school with colorful and eco-friendly paper bags as a token of memory to convey `We care’.

The interaction with spastic children at Vydehi Special School was sole steering too. When kids their age would be running around playing soccer many of the inmates were still taught how to stretch their hands and hold their nose.

“After my interaction with the staff there I gathered that children with spasticity have a normal IQ, they understand the instructions, want to carry it out but their muscles do not agree with each other and they fail. Even holding their lips together could be a task to learn,” said a student who was visibly concerned how challenging a life could become for some.

Having realized how timely medical help could change the course of our lives, the students visited RXDX Clinic on ITPL road. Here they got an opportunity to interact with doctors and hospital staff. They were briefed on the day to day working of the diagnostic clinic. Some students visited and helped the staff in the Pharmacy, some helped in the Lab, and one helped at the Reception and also helped to coordinate patients records kept at the Reception. Students visited the Physiotherapy centre, Ultrasound and CT scan and some helped the nurses to make gauze for dressings. Such first hand experience was very enriching.

Our kids also mentioned that they would want to visit this place again. Our students interacted with them through various activities like painting and Craft.
All this could not have been possible without the support of the parents and the teamwork of students and staff which included Nagashree supported by Jagrithi, Shaheen, Sukanya ,Ruchi, Nandita, Sreenivas, Umadevi, Poornima, Jennifer, Smitha, Salome, Anuradha ,Venmal, Dhamayanthi, Rashmi Katti, Renuka, Ritika
For photos on community service please click here .
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