The Award in Action: ‘Say No to Drugs’ Street Play by BLPS Award Participants

 If the Youth arise and act; they have the Strength & Dynamism to generate a huge Transformation in the Society!

The students of BLPS pursuing the Silver Award of The International Award for Young People performed a Street Play titled ‘Say No to Drugs’ to spread Anti-drug awareness in the society. Street Play is the new weapon in a bid to control growing drug abuse among youth.

The students performed for an audience of Kapurthala at Jallow Khana, Railway Station & Bus Stand to sensitize the general public about the ill-effects of drug abuse and its effect on the health of humans and society. The students left the audience spellbound with their awestruck performance and succeeded to make an emotional appeal.

They inspired the folks to refrain from the use of drugs. The young students intrigued the folks well. They motivated them to play their role as responsible citizens in society and make checks on such evil acts. The students, through their impressive dramatization of the characters and highlighting their sufferings, are determined to bring a change in the world with their small bit. These young learners made a call to the audience to join the movement and take a pledge to help addicts recover. These short plays portrayed the traumatic life of a drug addict and the emotionally shattering experience the family of an addict has to go through. The idea is to dissuade impressionable youth from the fake glamour of drug culture. These plays provided an insight into the anguish of the drug addicts and their family members. The battle against drugs clearly needed to be taken to the street as drug addiction is eating our society as termites.

The International Award for Young People, India has played an important role in making our students understand their responsibility towards society.

Thank you IAYP!

- A report by Dr. Ekta Dhawan, Principal, Bawa-Lalvani Public School, Kapurthala.

Award in Action: Sanjna Vivek: CS Academy of Coimbatore

Sanjna Vivek completed the Bronze level of the Award in her final year at CS Academy of Coimbatore. She is currently a second-year undergraduate at Ashoka University in India.

The Award was introduced in my school when I was studying for my Cambridge International A Levels. Although this was a time when I was under academic pressure, I decided to take part. I was keen not to lose sight of the benefits of extra-curricular activities as I knew these would enhance my personal development. At the same time, the Award would give me an opportunity to try new and exciting things.

I took part in a number of unforgettable activities for the Award. For example, for my voluntary service, I initiated a clean-up campaign among primary school children in a local school in Rajapalayam, India. It was a heartwarming experience to interact with young children, both in the local language (Tamil) and in English. The children drew posters about the correct way to recycle, save electricity and so on, and we put them up around the town. At the end of one of our sessions, the class collectively surprised me by tidying the entire classroom to show that they had learned the importance of cleaning up. It was very touching!

Participating in the Award really helped me experience an ideal education, holistic and well-rounded. I also think that my academic performance was boosted thanks to the skills I gained from the Award, such as the need for consistency and repeated practice. In addition, when I applied to university, the Bronze Award looked great on my CV as it summarised my experience of many different fields, and showcased my ability as a multi-skilled and versatile student.

I would definitely recommend participation in the Award. You have the freedom to choose from a range of activities, and experience. I would definitely recommend participation in the Award.

It can also be really good fun and, if you make the most of it, you will develop skills that last a lifetime and find out where your passions lie.