Dubai school students distribute 10 tons of cereal in labour camps

Students of a leading Indian school in Dubai joined hands to raise about 10 tons of rice, for the underprivileged sections of society and distributed it among the labourers of Sonapur.

At the end of the one week campaign launched by Our Own High School, Al Warqaa, students from all grades collected a whopping 9.5 tons of cereal, mainly rice.

Bindu Manoj Kumar, a coordinator of the campaign told Emirates 24|7 that about 4,000 students enthusiastically participated in the food raising campaign, by bringing in various quantitates of rice and other food items, which was later distributed among the blue collar workers of Sonapur.

 “Let us make a Ton from a Kilo” campaign was launched to extend a helping hand to the labourers. Junior school students brought 1kg rice and different kinds of lentils, but the senior students raised much more than their share of food packets.

Allan, one of the junior volunteers carried along with his heavy school bag 3-4 kgs of rice and lentils every day, and the young student raised about 100 kgs of rice, which was later distributed among the workers. “My son used to collect rice and lentils from not only my close friends and relatives, but from our neighbours. Their enthusiasm showed that they are well aware of the economic and living conditions of labouers. Students not only collected the food items, they also went to Sonapur and distributed it among the workers,” said a team member.

Compared to 6.5 tons of lentils raised by the school students in 2011, they raised about 3 tons more lentils this year. The campaign has been part of the Student ‘Social Responsibility Motivational Programme’ Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme (DEAS), OOHS, Al Warqa’a.

After the volunteers of the DEAS programme explained the mission in detail, within five days, 9.5 tons of rice and other food items reached the school premises. The small packets donated by the family of each student or other well wishers were repacked into 5kgs of rice, and other food items.

About 2,000 labourers received these food packets from the little ones, reminding some of them of their own families back home.

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