Cancer Aid Committee Update
Tobacco is one of the world leading killers. 1/3 people use tobacco in India. 15% children use tobacco. 29% of school personnel use tobacco in school. Every shop has displayed tobacco advertisements. Tobacco is responsible for almost half of all cancer diagnoses in men and a quarter of all cancer diagnoses in women. Children in India are particularly vulnerable. Every 16 seconds, a child in India tries tobacco for the first time. This means that every day, 5,500 Indian children try tobacco for the first time – up to one-third of these children are under the age of 10. Due to these reasons our children need protection from the menace of tobacco.
To tackle this threat of tobacco, Rotary Club of Bombay and Salaam Bombay Foundation have joined hands together to continue the Super Army – In School leadership programme at Byculla School. This programme helps the students to stay away from tobacco and help build leadership and life-skills. To develop the awareness and leadership skills the programme has sessions and allied activities. This programme is conducted with the students of 7th, 8th and 9th grade with 4 modules in each session.
The 2nd session in Byculla East Municipal School was conducted from 22nd September to 23rd September 2017. Through this session 221 students were reached. The topics covered with the students are given below:
7th std: Introduction of Super Army & Quit tobacco movement Through this session the students are introduced to the concept of Super Army. In this session battalions are formed in the respective classes and each battalions have been given specific tasks. They are also given an introduction to events which would be conducted with them in this programme.
8th std: Balpanchayat and tobacco control activities In this session the students are introduced about the concept of Balpanchayat and the various activities in tobacco control that they would take initiatives. During this session the class level balpanchayats are formed. These balapanchayat students would be the leaders who would take initiatives to make their schools tobacco free.
9th std: Skills Development (Leadership and Writing skills) Through this session the students are trained on the qualities of leadership skills, Goal settings & Decision making which would be necessary for the students of Balpanchayat.
Through these session students are equipped to stay away from the use of tobacco as well as lead the tobacco control activities in their school & environment.
