Celebrating Life

Laying the foundation

Summer vacations are quite a long break for children and this is when they relax, unwind and meet up with their relatives before they start another academic year. World Vision India makes the maximum use of this time by engaging children in the Life School for Transformational Development  (LSTD) programme.

1LSTD is a five-day programme for children in the communities of World Vision’s Area Development Programmes in India during the summer vacation. The children are taught basic moral values, importance of education, health and hygiene, proper nutrition and child rights through songs, dances, skits and other activities. The volunteers from the community are trained by the World Vision staff to teach the children during the LSTD programme. Now the LSTD has become an international model for empowering and promoting children’s initiatives to inculcate values in children.

LSTD came into existence in the year 1997. It was initiated with 100 children in Kerala’s Alleppey district and now has more than 238,506 participating every year, across India.

The influence LSTD has made on children is remarkable. 2Children are able to break free from misconceptions of discrimination in the community by accepting one another, irrespective of color, race, gender and religion – thus developing harmonious and tolerant communities.

Through illustrations, stories and songs children are motivated to help the most vulnerable, know and advocate their rights. They become eco-friendly by keeping their surrounding clean and planting trees.

Children learn to respect culture and live life based on values. With active participation and lively events, LSTD has become a community festival.

All lessons are age-appropriate, so that children of all age groups, including teens and pre-teens are able to perceive and understand well.

Following are some of the illustrations which help little children effectively learn and grasp quickly.

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We’d like to share a short story on how LSTD changed the life of Sadhna.

Sadhna, a sponsored child, is 17 years old and participated in her first LSTD in 2011 as a student and that was a major turning point in her life. “Before LSTD I would do as I pleased. I spent my days roaming alleys and playing. I would eat as and when I pleased and studying had no meaning,” Sadhna recalls. “LSTD changed all that for me. It taught me the importance of hygiene and nutrition, and how I’m responsible for my own health. It also taught me the importance of learning and how essential education is to help me achieve my dreams. In turn, we take LSTD home and share what we learn with our families and friends.”

“LSTD was where I found confidence. My teacher motivated me to speak. It was through this platform, created by World Vision, that I was given an opportunity to express my thoughts through poems.”

Sadhna’s poems have even been published in a book entitled ‘Uddan’ which contains the compilation of poems written by her over the years.

Following is a verse from a poem she had composed

“nahi kum hu mai, nahi kumzor hu mai.  (Neither am I insignificant, nor am I weak)

Ladki hu mai aur mujhe naaz hai khudpar” (I am a girl and I am proud of it.)

sadhna

Today Sadhna participates in LSTDs as a teacher. She believes hard work and perseverance will help you achieve anything.

 

13 thoughts on “Laying the foundation

  1. Pranay Mohan

    You are doing awesome work day & night making lives of thousands of underprivileged,I am giving my little contribution but it requires more hands for all round development,one proverb is ” Coming together is A Beginning,keeping together is A Progress & working together is A Success.” My all best wishes are with your efforts,LSTD is a good program for all round development of our coming generations for which we are indebted.

  2. SAILI SHEVDE

    I am from Pune, Maharashtra, India. I have sponcered a child from World Vision.
    I want to know if I can be of any help for World Vision for teaching the children.

  3. Pauline Ralph

    I am a new sponsor and I live in England. I became a sponsor because I truly appreciate how fortunate I am in my life, and how location and circumstances can make life much more difficult for so many people. LSTD is a wonderful initiative for educating and empowering children, the next generation who will shape our future. We are all one, and when we help another we help ourselves.

  4. BHARAT BHUSHAN GHAI

    Extremely good work for future of country as the children of today will be worthy citizens of tomorrow to shoulder responsibilities appropriately

    1. World Vision India Post author

      Dear Afsheen, thanks for writing to us. You can definitely be part of the LSTD programme. Kindly write to us at indiasponsors@wvi.org, expressing your willingness to be associated with LSTD and our team will be happy to assist you.

  5. SANJOY KUMAR DAS

    Its a very timely step for all round development of the children, especially in the era when HRD has become so important. Do you conduct this programme somewhere in West Bengal also?

    1. World Vision India Post author

      Dear Sanjoy, thanks for your positive comments about LSTD programme. We have conducted such programmes in Murshidabad District, Bardhaman, South Parganas District and in Kalimpong area. We will continue to conduct such programmes in the communities we serve for the betterment of children in our society.

      If you need further information in this regard, please write to us at indiasponsors@wvi.org. We will be happy to assist you.

  6. Ms.T Raman

    Your LSTD programme is very interesting .It is wonderful to read how it has helped

    Sadhana not only to take interest in her self improvement and studies but to take up

    teaching .Well done child .Of course appreciation to World Vision too. Would you be

    conducting such programmes in Maharashtra or Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) in near

    future?

    1. World Vision India Post author

      Dear Raman, thanks for writing to us. LSTD is an annual event that takes place for a period of 5 days in different parts of the country, mostly in June – September. Kindly write to indiasponsors@wvi.org for more details.

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