Click to play videoKoraput (Orissa): Class clowns or future correspondent?
It may sound odd, but the children in Koraput, are halfway through to becoming responsible journalists.
Without going to journalism school, they have proven what a huge difference honest journalism can make.
After school is over, they go reporting on the problems in their village. And they have a beat each including health, education and sanitation.
The children identify an issue, meet locals and concerned officials, jot down their findings and mail the report to a local association formed by the UNICEF.
However, their task is not as easy as it may sound.
"Some anti social elements sometimes try and frighten us but we never get discouraged or frightened,” says child reporter, Upendra Banka.
The initiative is a part of a UNICEF programme that was started about a year ago where there were barely a hundred students. Now there are close to 1500.
The children after being selected for the purpose are given reporters ID cards and briefed on how to report.
Their articles are then published by the UNICEF in a monthly tabloid and also forwarded to concerned officials who can take necessary action.
"We take their reports very seriously and take action. They are also very helpful as they give us information on various problems in the area, which sometimes even we don't know about,” Block Development Officer, Patangi, Koraput, Upendra Banka.
The programme will soon be extended to other parts of the state as well.
The UNICEF feels it'll go a long way as not only does it lead to local development, but also helps towards making the children grow into confident and conscious citizens, who will raise bigger issues in the future.
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