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KANAL
Major Initiatives
COLLECTOR'S SUPER 100
The Collector's Super 100 program, initiated by the Thiruvananthapuram district administration under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, stands as a groundbreaking STEM education initiative. Developed in partnership with Kanal, this program specifically caters to the educational needs of tribal and coastal populations. Under the leadership of Thiruvananthapuram District Collector Mr. Geromic George I.A.S, the project aims to empower underprivileged students by customizing science education to align with their unique cultural and geographical contexts. The primary objective of introducing STEM education in Thiruvananthapuram District for tribal and coastal students is to bridge educational gaps and enhance academic performance in science and mathematics. This initiative not only equips students with essential skills and knowledge but also inspires them to explore and excel in these foundational subjects, thereby creating pathways to future opportunities and academic success. Recognizing the significance of tailoring education to the specific needs of tribal and coastal communities, this initiative is designed to actively engage and resonate with the backgrounds and daily lives of these students. Its purpose is to make STEM subjects relatable, fostering an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from an early age. The program goes beyond traditional teaching methods, incorporating interactive and practical approaches that link theoretical learning with real-world applications. Through the integration of technology, hands-on activities, and culturally relevant examples, the initiative endeavors to make the learning process both engaging and accessible.
PROJECT X
Sex education should encompass a high-quality discourse covering a wide range of topics related to sex and sexuality. The goal is to foster a progressive attitude and knowledge that ensures everyone understands the sensitivity and importance of the subject, encouraging individuals to reconsider their behavior and personal development. This, in turn, contributes to the overall welfare of society. However, the current scenario reveals numerous myths, taboos, and misunderstandings surrounding this topic. Kanal strives to bring about a positive change in this regard. The Project X campaign is dedicated to reframing sex education as comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). By focusing on age-appropriate knowledge dissemination and adopting a participant-centered approach, our Project X campaign aims to make CSE more effective. This initiative marks the first Comprehensive Sexuality Education campaign in Kerala. Through our CSE sessions and campaigns, Kanal has already reached over 10,000 students across Kerala. As part of our policy intervention, we successfully facilitated the initiation of the Pratheeksha campaign by the Women Protection Office in Thrissur in 2021. This campaign provides training to parents and school counselors in Comprehensive Sexuality Education, and our training programs are ongoing. In 2023, we expanded our efforts by launching the Project X campaign in collaboration with the Thiruvananthapuram District Administration and the General Education Department, Government of Kerala. In this campaign, we aim to provide Comprehensive Sexuality Education to 5,000 adolescent children from 50 selected government and aided schools in the district. We are currently planning to replicate the same initiative in another district.
CHANGATHI
The Changathi Project is a holistic mentoring program with the CSR support of Infoblox for pre - adolescent coastal children, focusing on their bio-psycho-social development. Through identification of their issues and making them aware of their strengths. The initiative empowers these youth, fostering awareness and resilience. The project aims to uplift coastal children in various life domains, contributing to the overall empowerment and well-being of their community. With the help of initial assessment done on children, it was identified that low water intake was a habit among children i.e; less than 5 glasses of water a day. The introduction of the water bell campaign enhanced water consumption awareness, with approximately 916 children now consuming an average of 11 glasses daily, reducing health issues, including urinary tract infections. The project also identified children with learning disabilities and low academic backgrounds. Those with learning disabilities were referred to government-appointed counselors, while others received one-on-one training from expert volunteers provided by Kanal. Home visits pinpointed vulnerable individuals among the marginalized, offering information on government policies and programs for those with low incomes. The introduction of a happy hour at home sparked a positive change in children's behavior, encouraging parents to spend quality time with their children. Consequently, parents themselves began referring their wards based on observed behavioral improvements.
THEERAM
The Theeram (Trash Eliminating and Environment Restoration Mission), led by Kanal NGO with TATA Elxsi CSR support, targets trash elimination and environmental restoration. Executed at Valiya Kadappuram beach in Thiruvananthapuram's Kottappuram ward, the project goes beyond physical cleanup. It emphasizes fostering environmental consciousness within the local community, promoting sustainability, and nurturing a lasting commitment to maintaining a clean and healthy beach environment.
NJANGALKUM ORU VAYANAYIDAM
In this Community Development program, we are helping unprivileged societies to start their own Vayanayidams. Vayanayidams are a unique concept of a library and social space where the administration is fully controlled by children. After the establishment of Vayanayidam, we have conducted a number of training and awareness sessions for children and their parents. It is completely different from conventional training methods. In our training, we use folk arts, songs, theatre, play, painting, etc as our tools of comprehension. We are using theatre as the main medium to fight fear. All these exercises help them to overcome fear and lack of confidence. The reading space contains a library that is fully managed by children. They collect old and new books from all well-wishers, instilling leadership qualities, thereby making them responsible. The first of these was started in association with Kudumbashree in Kavumkal Desom at Vettikavala Panchayat in Kollam Dist, Kerala on June 24, 2017. This was inaugurated by Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson, Ms. Sobha Koshy. As per the report of Kudumbashree, Kavumkal Desom has been identified with more than 15 child marriages in the last 3 years as well as chronic alcoholism in the neighborhoods. Kanal adopted the area in collaboration with the Kudumbashree Mission for the upliftment of this region. Kanal has started various campaigns like personality development, public health care, and the need for education in this region. Children of Kavumkal Vayanaidam had an opportunity to meet the Nobel Prize Winner, Kailash Sathyarthi, during his Bharatha yatra, where they recited Nadanpattukal in the presence of Hon. Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan. To address the language barrier faced by the children of Attapady Kanal started Vayanaidams (library) in association with NRLM Kudumbashree under the name “Namath Nayika” which means ‘our language’ in various places such as Jellipara, Daivagundu, Nakupathy of Agali panchayat. This was inaugurated by the Principal scientist of the National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Shri Chandrakant on 02.10.2017. A documentary was also made under the name “Namath Nayika” which was exhibited at International Children’s Film Festival in 2018. This documentary received special mention and was exhibited again at the film festival due to the request from delegates. Kanal has also started initiatives to publish books for children in various tribal languages like Irula, Muduka, Kurumba. We conducted two days theatre camp ‘NATIKA 18’ for tribal children in Attappadi with the collaboration of NRLM Kudumbashree. Kanal began its Fifth Vayanayidam at Poonthura, Thiruvananthapuram in collaboration with a native organization called Cheruresmi on 05.01.2019. The Vayanayidam was inaugurated by Dr. Deepa Shankar, Head of Education, UNICEF, Uzbekistan. On 10.02.2019 Kanal started its sixth Vayanayidam (Oduva Mane) at Halagayanahundi, a rural village in Mysore district, Karnataka. This Oduva Mane was inaugurated by Dr. Zeb Waturuocha, a mentor and scholar at the Indian Society for Applied Behavioural Sciences (ISABS). Kanal started its 7th Vayanayidam at Idinjar Govt Tribal School on 24.06.2022. It was inaugurated by Oleena A.G, Director, Kerala State Literacy Mission. Kanal has also started initiatives to open Vayanaidam (Reading and Social Space) at various places. On 3rd April 2023 we started our 8th Vayanayidam in Manipur. Kanal, in partnership with the Chunngailom Village Federation, National Resource Organization, and NRLM, initiated a rural library project in Sita Village, Manipur. The library was inaugurated by Mr. Jamminthang, Head Master of Sita Village High School in the Tengnoupal District of Manipur.
CHANGATHI FREE MEDICAL CAMP
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Under the leadership of the Kanal NGO and Mar Dioscorus College of Pharmacy, NSS Unit, a free medical camp was organized on Saturday, May 27th, from 9 am at Thope St. Roch High School in Thiruvananthapuram. The camp was inaugurated by Dr. Ashwati Srinivas I.A.S, Thiruvananthapuram Sub Collector. We were honored to have Dr. K. C. Chandrasekaran Nair, former CFO of Technopark, as the chief guest. The medical camp was conducted in collaboration with NIMS Medicity, Ahalya Eye Hospital, Samajya Ayurveda Wellness Center, and Care to Home Healthcare Solutions. These esteemed organizations provided their expertise and resources to ensure the camp's success. We are grateful for their support. The camp saw an overwhelming response from the local community, with more than four hundred residents participating. It was heartening to witness the community's active engagement and eagerness to avail of the medical services provided. Additionally, the PN Panicker Foundation organized an anti-drug camp and exhibition at the venue. This initiative aimed to create awareness about the harmful effects of drug abuse and promote a drug-free society. We applaud the foundation's efforts in addressing this critical issue.
G 20 EMPOWER SUMMIT
Kanal Team actively participated in the prestigious Second G20 EMPOWER meeting organized by the Ministry of Women & Child Development on April 4th. The meeting, held in Thiruvananthapuram, revolved around the theme of "Women's Empowerment: A Win-Win for Equity and Economy." It emphasized the vital importance of empowering women to achieve both social equity and economic progress. As an alliance of G20 business leaders and governments, G20 EMPOWER aims to accelerate women's leadership and empowerment within the private sector. Under India's presidency, G20 EMPOWER 2023 seeks to advance India's women-led development agenda. Kanal Team's active participation in this event showcases our unwavering commitment to supporting women's empowerment and contributing to India's progress towards gender equality and inclusive economic growth. We are proud to join hands with other key stakeholders to drive positive change and create new opportunities for women's economic empowerment. Through our collective efforts, we aim to build a society that fosters equal opportunities for all and celebrates the achievements of women in every sphere of life.
IMMINI BELYORU PUSTHAKAPETTI & CONCLAVE
In collaboration with Kanal Innovations Charitable Trust, the Literary and Debating Club of NIT Calicut hosted a Conclave on the topic "Sex Education in Schools" on 18th August 2022 at NIT Calicut Senate Hall. The event was organised to mark the success of our collaborative book drive "Immini Belyoru Pusthakapetti", which saw a remarkable collection of over 500 books and Rs 15601. The collected amount and books were officially handed over to the representatives of Kanal at the occasion. The conclave was conducted shortly after, with a panel consisting of Adv. Anson P D Alexander along with two Club Representatives and faculty members from NITC. The audience witnessed a fruitful exchange of ideas among the panelists and was left with a broader perspective on the topic.
WALKATHON PURPLE DAY- 2K23
We have partnered with The Academy of Pediatric Neurology of Kerala, Lifeart, and KITES Foundation to make the Lulu Walkathon Purple Day - 2k23 event a success. As a partner, we were committed to helping raise awareness about epilepsy and supporting the epilepsy community. Our involvement in this event allowed us to show our support for people living with epilepsy and demonstrate our commitment to the cause. By participating in the event and encouraging others to do the same, we were able to help raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding epilepsy. We are proud to have played a part in making this event a success and are committed to continuing our efforts to support epilepsy awareness and advocacy initiatives. By working together, we can make a difference in the lives of those living with epilepsy and move closer to a brighter future for all.
KALAPILA
Kalapila is a life skill enhancement and knowledge acquisition training program designed by Kanal. Word Kalapila in Malayalam means chattering As the word suggests, the campaign will be giving a platform for children to chatter and learn relevant things from an informal environment that suits best for their childhood age. In this campaign, Kanal is conducting workshops that cover many relevant themes that dealt with children. This is a child-friendly, child-centric, and activity-oriented campaign based on the experiential learning process. We conducted more than 100 camps all over Kerala.
PAVAKUTTY- SAFE TOUCH CAMPAIGN
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This program addresses sexual abuse against children between the ages of 3 to 10years. The name of the campaign was later changed to PAVAKUTTY. This program teaches the differences between good and bad touch through various games, stories, rhymes, theatre, painting etc. for children below the age of 8years, including basic sex education to children in the age of 9 and 10years. This campaign got a special mention on several occasions by Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights and the Kerala state child welfare council.
REVIVE
Revive is a Mental Health Awareness Campaign that we conduct among adolescents through awareness sessions in educational institutions. These sessions focus on the importance of mental health and how to cope with stressful situations in life. Before conducting these sessions, we study the emotional and psychological aspects of students through a survey and based on the results, the interventions are made. Different mental issues and their causes are discussed along with some interactive activities which enable students to focus on proper stress management strategies. We have conducted six studies in the field of Mental Health. We are giving more importance to promoting early intervention and access to mental health services, and to advocate for policies and programs that support mental health and well-being in Kerala.
NJAN KANNAKI ; ATHIJEEVITHA
Njan Kannaki; Athijeevitha was the psycho-social campaign initiated by Kanal directed to problems faced by women. The campaign was unique in the way it was conducted, where the message to the spectators was given through traditional art forms in a satirical manner. The campaign was conducted in association with the Department of Women and Child Development and the District Child Protection Unit on several platforms.
CHAKRAVYUHAM- SAFE ONLINE
This is a school-college-oriented cyber awareness campaign. The objective is to make our children safe in the cyber world. In this program, we cover different aspects like technology, socio-economic & political behavior of internet and social media, cybercrimes and law, psychological influence of the media etc. This campaign was conducted by Kanal in more than 50 institutions. Kanal is giving leadership for the workshop of the trainers of South Kerala of Kerala Women’s Commission State Awareness Program “Cyber Lokathilae Kanna Kenikal”. We have organized more than 25 sessions of Chakravyuham as a part of this initiative in Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram Districts.
NOOLIZHA
This is a job training initiative conducted for the mothers of children in Vayanayidams. This aims to provide financial empowerment to women in the weaker and neglected sections of the society. Kanal is conducting this training program in association with Extension Cell, Department of Home Science, Govt College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram. Now, we are providing training to 11 mothers from Kavumkal Vayanayidam in stitching and food processing. The program was started on January 27, 2019.
BREAK THE CHAIN WITH MUSIC
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Kanal VIBES is a set of music that gives a soothing effect to the mind. This was music therapy to overcome mental agonies. The idea is inspired by the mood tapes series of Ron Roy who pioneered to use of sounds of nature to make graceful videos the melodious music has minimal background music and nature sounds with nature visuals are added to them. During the lockdown period in 2020, Kanal started a campaign with this idea named "Break the chain with music". Composer Jassie Gift, playback singer Mridula Varrier, Vidhu Prathap, and more than 40 professional singers have become part of this campaign. In a stretch of 65 days, Kanal released 118 VIBES songs.
EZHUTHANI - BOOK HUNT CAMPAIGN
Kanal conducted the Ezhuthani book hunt campaign focusing on the upliftment of socially, economically and culturally isolated communities. This was one of the biggest campaigns conducted by Kanal in collaboration with the Department of History, Govt College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram. It was a 10 day campaign from 09.03.2018 to 19.03.18 where children’s literature books were collected for various Vayanayidams. Students from more than 25 colleges participated in this event and collected more than 3000 books in just 10 days. This was the first-ever campaign conducted by the Department of History in the last 25 years. The book handover ceremony was inaugurated by Hon. Trivandrum Mayor, Adv. V. Prasanth in the presence of Thiruvananthapuram District sub-collector, Smt. Divya S. Iyer and City Police Assistant Commissioner, Sri Jayadev IPS, and famous actor Sri Kishore. The ceremony was enriched with the cultural activities by the students.
PROJECT RAKSHA
"Project Raksha" - A Transformative Self-Defense Training Initiative! Led by Kanal in collaboration with Zed Budo Karate Academy, this program aims to empower children from rural areas in the Kollam district through essential karate skills, fostering personal safety, and confidence. With affiliations to Karate Budokan International, Sydney, Australia, and recognition from the Kerala Karate Association & Kollam District Karate Association, Zed Budo Karate Academy brings expertise and dedication to this noble endeavor. The comprehensive curriculum covers fundamental karate stances, effective self-defense techniques, and exercises enhancing physical fitness and flexibility. Beyond self-defense, Project Raksha instills empowerment and positively impacts various aspects of participants' lives. It is a valuable tool for children and teenagers in combating bullying and promoting self-assurance and assertive responses. The Training by Zed Budo Karate Academy is recognized by the Kerala Sports Council and the Kerala Olympic Association, which assures excellence and credibility to this program.
THENDARIYILE VASANTHAM
It is a campaign that aims to eradicate the taboo and discrimination associated with menstruation in our society towards the girl child. Through this campaign, we promote the idea of sustainable menstruation. In the awareness campaigns, we cover the medical, historical, gender, socio-economic and political aspects of menstruation. We also include comprehensive sexuality education in this campaign. In association with Nirbhaya Cell, the Government of Kerala, Kanal has conducted this campaign for more than 900 children in Nirbhaya Homes. In 2019 we merged this campaign with Project X.
KERALA FLOOD: DEEP PENETRATION MISSIONS
The Deep penetration mission of Kanal during the floods of 2018 & 2019 was the outreach of essential medical facilities through medical camps and psycho-social care as part of the flood relief activities. In this mission, distribution of basic useful amenities such as medicines and counseling were done. Medical camps were conducted in Mitrakkari and Kayalpuram of Kuttanad region and Thirunanvandoor, Venmony, Parachanda of Chenganur in Alappuzha district and Amboori, Puravimala of Thiruvananthapuram district.