Lighting a Billion Lives Campaign

The Primary Wing of DPS, Sharjah had invited RIS to attend a Panel Discussion on the Lighting a Billion Lives Campaign, which is led by the New Delhi based energy and environment research institute TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute). The campaign aims to bring light into the lives of one billion rural people by replacing the kerosene and paraffin lanterns with solar lighting devices. This will facilitate education of children, provide better illumination and kerosene smoke free indoor environment for women to do household chores and provide opportunities for livelihoods both at the individual level and at the village level.

Our student representatives, Neelanjana Suresh of Grade 4A and Ebbani Juneja of Grade 3A represented RIS at the LaBL panel discussion. They had the opportunity to interact with other schools’ student representatives. The Video presentations and the different talks during the discussion helped them gain an insight into the problems of the poverty stricken segment of the Indian Population. They also had an opportunity to interact with Ms Meena Janardhanan, TERI Gulf Centre. The students and senior management of DPS gave a clear idea of the ways they raised fund for the previous LaBL Campaigns.

It was indeed a great experience for our students in learning more about the LaBL campaign as well as spend some quality time with fellow students of other schools. Once they came back to school, they were eager to share their experience with their classmates and friends.

Adding a New dimension to Friendship – Visit by Zara & Jess

The children of Grade 4 had the opportunity to meet Zara, a child with special needs who came to visit us at RIS. She came along with her friend Jess. Zara’s mother shared her experiences with us. She told us the difficulties Zara faces in her day to day activities and how she faces them. Jess told the children how Zara has been her friend since childhood. There was a Question & Answer session with Zara’s mother who patiently answered every question that the RIS children put up. The children of RIS had made a new friend that day.

It was a great experience for the students as well as the staff. The students were able to understand the difficulties experienced by special needs children and also understand the fact that she is also just like one among them. The students of Grade 4 have compiled a collection of letters, drawings and poems for Zara and her friend, Jess – which has been sent to their new friend, Zara.

Social Buddy Bags

Social Buddy Bags is a small action of social responsibility started in RIS to create awareness among the children to do their bit for the society. The programme was initiated by the members of the Parent Council in association with an NGO in Dubai to help the poor. Old clothes, shoes and toys is being contributed by our students.