Unicef and Odisha govt launches talent hunt to engage kids during lockdown
BHUBANESWAR: With schools closed down and all outdoor activities remained suspended due to lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus , it has become a daunting task for parents to keep children engaged at home. In a bid to engage children at the time of lockdown UNICEF in association with Odisha government launched Mo Pratibha, a series of creative skill competitions for children of different age groups.
Children can take part in drawing, painting, poster, slogan, short story and poetry competitions upload their works and can get certificates every week.
Coronavirus lockdown: Latest updates
Children between five to 18 years can participate in these competitions with their works on two themes including ‘Being at home during lockdown’ and ‘My responsibility as a young citizen during Covid-19’. Children can send their entries in three different categories of 5 -10 years, 11-15 years and 16-18 years. The award for selected entry in each category will be announced every Thursday, official sources said.
Coronavirus lockdown: Latest updates
Children between five to 18 years can participate in these competitions with their works on two themes including ‘Being at home during lockdown’ and ‘My responsibility as a young citizen during Covid-19’. Children can send their entries in three different categories of 5 -10 years, 11-15 years and 16-18 years. The award for selected entry in each category will be announced every Thursday, official sources said.
“The entries should be created by children and must be original. Children can upload their entries through WhatsApp or mail it every day between 10 am to 6 pm ,” the official announcement said. The short stories should be within 500 words. Selected entries will be used as IEC material to create awareness on Covid-19 pandemic by the government and UNICEF.
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Parents welcomed the initiative and said it would help in keeping children busy during the lockdown. “It is indeed a good initiative. With all day sitting at home and so much negative news regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and deaths from around the world on TV and internet have an impact on the psychology of children. This competition will certainly reduce the stress level and prompt children in thinking something innovative,” said Bharati Parida , a homemaker in Saheed Nagar area and a mother of two kids.
Counsellors advised parents to keep clam during the lockdown period and not to lose patience due to anxiety and dealing with pressure of working from home and managing household chores.
“We all must take lockdown period as a challenge and teach our kids how to deal with such crisis in life and make them strong and resilient for the future. Parents must spend quality time with them and help them in having some good memories for the lifetime of these lockdown days. Parents must help them creative, imaginative and engage with them in positive ways,” said Isha Ipsita Satpathy , a counsellor at DAV Public School , Chandrasekharpur .
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