Uttrakhand Teen Teaches Children About ‘Good Touch, Bad Touch’

This 17-year-old girl's endeavour to sensitize children about good touch and bad touch is a testimony to the fact that India's youth is brimming with optimism and striving to lead change. Anushka Gupta from Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar has formed a trust - AAN-Dignity for All for the same purpose.

How did it start?

It was a visit to the nearby village that had a great impact on her. Seeing the miserable condition in which families especially woman and children in the villages live, she felt fortunate about herself. Anushka is an ardent believer that her trust would help her spread awareness in the times of increasing crimes against children.

"Private schools have a lot of money to put into the safety and security of children. Even corridors and other spaces in private schools including mine have got CCTV and other security measures. But government schools cannot afford these kind of things, which is why it is essential that children are made aware of good and bad touch," she said.

She is prepping up for her class XII exams scheduled to begin next month.

Other students join in

Gupta has managed to inspire students from a private school in Kashipur who join the drive and stage 'nukkad nataks' (street plays) on the topic of good and bad touch.

The volunteers regularly visit government schools and organise sessions with children telling them how to resist the touch of people to specific body parts. "This is a much-needed drive. Children need to be aware of predators who mostly are people known to the victims already," said Bindu Bhalla, teacher of a private school whose students are volunteering for the initiative.

Also: Schools No Longer The Safe Haven They Were, Say Parents

Project Sudama

That's another initiative of hers in which a student from an affluent family adopts students from weak financial backgrounds and help them in their education. The idea struck Anushka when she realised that girls of her age were living in a very bad condition.

The teenager has been successful in mobilizing various private schools to take part in her project. In the initial phase she wants to reach at least 100 government schools in her home district. The young girl and her zeal to spur change in the society is truly admirable.

More power to her!

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