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During September, Our Responsibility to Children (ORC), guided by SVARNIM Puducherry, continued its efforts to support the holistic development of children and adolescents through life skills education, health awareness, teacher training and community outreach. The month’s activities focused on strengthening essential life skills, promoting personal hygiene, encouraging healthy relationships and expanding awareness of the programme among students and educators.
Three-day Smart-40 Camps were conducted across five schools: Kasthuriba Gandhi GGHSS, Bahour; PM Shri MOHFMGGHSS, Kalapet; Cheddilal GHS, Abishegapakkam; GHS, Uruvaiyar; and PM Shri MAGHSS, Embalam. The camps reached 236 students, comprising 150 girls and 86 boys.
Through interactive sessions and engaging activities, students explored ten essential life skills: problem-solving, decision-making, creative thinking, critical thinking, self-awareness, empathy, interpersonal relationships, effective communication, stress management and coping with emotions. The activities encouraged students to reflect on everyday challenges, make informed decisions, understand their emotions and build positive relationships with others. Students also learned about protecting nature and the Earth, reinforcing the importance of environmental responsibility in everyday life.
As part of the camps, health awareness sessions were conducted by Dr. S. Ravindran and Dr. K. Krishna Bindu at CGHS, Abishegapakkam, and GHS, Uruvaiyar. The sessions addressed oral hygiene, hand hygiene, dengue outbreak awareness and scrub typhus, helping students understand the importance of preventive healthcare and healthy daily practices.
An IKMSS training session was organised for class teachers at Government High School, Suthukeny, with the participation of three teachers—two women and one man. The training introduced teachers to the pathways and components of the Our Responsibility to Children programme, bio-psycho-social issues and the use of IKMSS cards.
These tools support teachers in identifying children who may benefit from additional guidance and selecting suitable participants for upcoming Smart-40 Camps. By equipping teachers with the necessary understanding and resources, the programme aims to strengthen the connection between schools and the support available to children.
A general awareness session on “Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships” was conducted for adolescent girls at GHS, MG Palayam. The session encouraged participants to recognise the characteristics of safe, respectful and supportive relationships and understand the importance of maintaining healthy personal boundaries.
Discussions covered respect, trust, communication, consent, emotional support and mutual understanding, alongside the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationship patterns. By addressing these topics in an educational setting, the session sought to help adolescents recognise warning signs, communicate their needs and make informed choices in their interpersonal relationships.
On 9 September 2026, ORC conducted a one-day induction programme at Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Engineering and Technology, Mahabalipuram, reaching more than 800 first-year students.
The programme was designed to support students as they transition into college life, introducing them to essential life skills that contribute to personal, emotional, social and academic development. The initiative extended ORC’s life skills approach beyond schools, emphasising the importance of self-awareness, interpersonal relationships and effective coping strategies during significant stages of young people’s lives.
The team also participated in an orientation programme for first-year Master of Social Work (MSW) students from Pondicherry University at Aurovanam, creating an opportunity to engage with students preparing for professional work in social development.
Throughout September, the ORC team continued to engage with schools across Puducherry to coordinate programme activities, collect completed IKMSS cards and follow up with teachers on student identification and camp schedules.
Visits included Government High Schools and Higher Secondary Schools in MG Palayam, PS Palayam, Kattamanikuppam, Kothapurinatham, Uruvaiyar, Kalapet, Dharmapuri, Lawspet, Veerampattinam, Muthialpet, Mangalam, Kodathur, Suthukeny, Santhaipudukuppam, Bahour and Embalam. The team worked closely with nodal teachers and school leadership, including newly appointed headmasters and headmistresses, to facilitate coordination and ensure the continued implementation of programme activities.
These visits formed an important part of the programme’s ongoing efforts to identify children who may benefit from life skills interventions, strengthen school-level collaboration and prepare for upcoming Smart-40 Camps and teacher training sessions.
In addition to its school-based activities, the team participated in the Advanced Water Hyacinth Handicraft Training at Sri Aurobindo Society. The participation provided an opportunity to engage with a skill development initiative focused on exploring the creative and practical applications of water hyacinth.
The team also participated in a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Socio-Economic Survey Programme at Vilvanatham. Such community-level engagements contribute to understanding local needs and socio-economic contexts, supporting more informed approaches to community development.
September’s activities reflected ORC’s continued commitment to creating supportive environments in which children and adolescents can learn, grow and develop essential life skills. From school-based Smart-40 Camps and health awareness sessions to teacher training, relationship education and college outreach, the programme continued to engage with students, educators and communities at different stages of learning and development.
Through these collective efforts, ORC seeks to strengthen the support systems around children, promote informed decision-making and encourage the development of healthier, more confident and socially responsible individuals.
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