Diwali Campaign and schedule

CMCA’S CAMPAIGN FOR A POLLUTION FREE DIWALI

About us:

Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA) is a forum of school children in Mumbai, founded on the belief that children are the most powerful messengers of change.

CMCA has been spearheading efforts to inculcate civic and environmental consciousness through Civic Clubs in schools. CMCA has thus far instituted more than 40 Civic Clubs in about 20 schools in Mumbai, including schools with under-privileged children and has reached out to more than 10,000 students - their homes, their friends and their neighbourhood through various campaigns.

CMCA Volunteers take sessions once a week in a given school, on civic & environmental issues and children are encouraged to spread the message to their friends, family members, etc. We thus hope for a ‘ripple effect’ in bringing about a better civic sense within the city.

Children from CMCA have spread awareness on various issues, including that of celebrating Ganpati in an eco-friendly manner, segregating garbage, saying no to plastic bags, etc.


The Campaign:

Every year, CMCA Teacher volunteers speak to the children and get them to spread awareness about having a pollution free Diwali.

Children are told about the pollution caused by the fire crackers, in terms of noise, the air quality as well as the garbage the next morning. Children are also sensitised about child labour that is involved in the making of fire crackers.

Children are then asked to spread the message to others as well, in the city.

Last year we had very successfully done 4 rallies in the city – at Andheri, Powai, Chembur and Marine Drive, with over 1000 children participating in them.
Children stood silently on the footpaths for about an hour in the morning on the designated day, with posters and stickers (on their uniforms) – all carrying the message of a pollution free Diwali (Say no to fire crackers / I want a safe Diwali / I want a pollution free Diwali, etc)

Passers-by and commuters who saw the children with these messages were extremely supportive and even applauded some of them.

This year, we are planning to repeat the exercise. The dates are as follows:



LOCATION SCHOOLS DATE TIME

Peddar Road Villa Theresa 13/10 9.00 – 10.00 am



Andheri Jankidevi Public School 17/10 8.30 – 9.30 am
(Contact person: Sangeeta Harekal: 9820272889


Matunga Amulakh Amichand 18/10 9.00 – 10.00 am
Matunga Premier
(Contact person: Suchita Gosar: 9920734002


Chembur OLPS 18/10 10.00 -11.00 am
(Contact person: Effie Acharya: 9223429597)


Powai Hiranandani Foundation 20/10 9.00 – 10.00 am
Gopal Sharma
(Contact person: Sushma Shetty: 9920022049)


Marine Drive Navy Children School 20/10 9.30 – 10.30 am
(Contact person: Vinodini Lulla: 9820638439)



For more information call CMCA Mumbai Coordinator,
Vinodini Lulla: 9820638439
cmcamumbai@gmail.com
www.cmcaindia.org