© 2009 EarthSmiles.net . All rights reserved. Made from 100% recycled pixels. The Catholic Church Launches Matr Chhav Abhiyan or Shade For Mother Earth Movement in Madhya Pradesh, India.
Shade for Mother Earth
From Anand Muttungal
 Scheme being inaugurated at St. Mary's school, Bhopal... greening young minds! | .More Stories | The Energy Vampire: Evil @ Home
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THE GREEN IDEA!
This model is one that can be reproduced in schools anywhere!
Even if the school does not have sufficient space for greenery, terrace gardens can be created, and sapling can be planted around the neighbourhood, cared for by the students.
Want to join the original movement?
Contact Fr. Anand Muttungal, Director, Matr Chhav Abhiyan, M.P 09425636129 mpcire@yahoo.com
See how you can spread the shade over our Earth! | | .Feedback! |
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| Matr Chhav Abhiyan in Madhya Pradesh is a movement launched by the local Catholic Church, dedicated to the protection of Mother Earth. The movement is active in all fifty districts of Madhya Pradesh. Fr. Anand Muttungal, the Director, says, “This movement is aligned to the education system; it is introduced as part of the environmental study… A child who plants a plant which can grow up to a tree and takes care of it will be rewarded. He or she will be awarded up to 7 marks in the examination as per the care taken by the child. The teacher in-charge of the programme can inspect the plant any time. It is introduced for children belonging to Class V-IX. Children are given the freedom to join or not. Trees planted by the children have tags on with the scheme name (Matr Chhav Abhiyan) , name of the school, name of the student with class.”
The Director introduces the scheme, telling children that, “Earth is our mother; she gives everything for us, so we want to provide her shade and save her from heat and pollution.”
The movement aims to plant and take care of over twenty thousand plants in the state. Schools are motivating their students to join the programme, as it will help them to plant and develop love for nature.
The organizers say that if we want to bring major change in the society then behavioural change is a must. “When a child join this scheme, we give training to care of the nature, environmental protection etc. It will give children an emotional belongingness to earth, our mother. It can change behaviour of children towards nature.”
Already the movement is having a positive impact. Ramsha Sajid and Adya Dubey of Carmel Convent Higher Secondary School in Bhopal won a nationwide essay competition to join the country's forty-three member delegation to the COP15 summit, led by the Indian environment minister, last year. Sajid, a Muslim, said Matr Chaav Abhiyan had inspired her to get involved with environmental issues. |
