The students at Siksha Sadan School in Kolkata were having difficulty enjoying their mid-day meals due to many mosquitoes breeding around the eating area. The DFC project group decided to help address this problem and the risk of malaria and dengue. They surveyed the school grounds to identify mosquito breeding sites, cleaned up rubbish and stagnant water, and conducted an awareness campaign for students about preventing disease transmission. The campaign included making posters and putting on a talk and play about controlling malaria and dengue. The students helped clean up and seemed interested in learning how to prevent the diseases.

1. MOSQUITO MENACE
A DFC 2012 PROJECT
By ANANDO

2. This year we once again
returned to Siksha Sadan ,
a government aided
primary school in our
RANJIT locality. This was where
we had started our first
DEEPAK
DFC project in 2010. We
wanted to continue
helping the school, so
here we were again!
SONU GAURAV
SONU JR
DHIRAJ
NITESH

3. The children at the
Siksha Sadan School
had been complaining
that it was very difficult
to enjoy their mid-day
meal because the shed,
where they ate, had so
many mosquitoes!

4. At the same time
there were reports in
the media every day
of an out break of
malaria and dengue
in Kolkata.
We knew that it was
dangerous for the
children to be
exposed to an area
full of mosquitoes.
They could get
inflicted with these
diseases at any time.
So we decided to do
something about it.

5. First we researched
malaria and dengue
on the internet to
understand the
diseases.
Then we made a
plan of action.

6. We would:
1. Survey the
school compound
to identify areas
where mosquitoes
can breed and then
clean them up.
2. Conduct an
awareness
campaign within
the school to make
the students aware
of how the diseases
can be prevented.

7. A reservoir for
The area storing water
Open
where old
drains
furniture is
with
dumped
stagnatin
g water
A rubbish dump
between the boundary
and shed walls
The toilets
We surveyed the school premises and found
many areas where mosquitoes could breed!

8. We then set about
cleaning up all these
places…

9. Spraying insect repellant and
scattering bleaching powder
completed the task

10. The students
helped us cart the
bags of rubbish out
to the big municipal
rubbish dump near
by.

11. BEFORE AFTER
The area between the boundary and shed walls

12. The children can
eat in peace now!

13. Next, it was time for the
campaign!
We went to the
Municipal Corporation
to find out more. Dr.
Bannerjee was most
helpful!

14. The visit also gave us
a chance to see how
blood is collected
and malaria testing is
done .

15. We came back with
lots of information
and pamphlets for
distribution.

16. Using the
information, we
made posters .

17. Using the posters
we delivered a talk
on controlling
malaria and
dengue. We spoke
to the students of
Classes 3 and 4 .
They had lots of
questions…

18. We also enacted a
play to show how
dengue spreads.
The leaflets from the
corporation were also
distributed so the
children could spread
the message to their
families.

19. Next we helped the
students to make
posters , using their
new-found knowledge.

20. A bunch of
colourful posters
are now ready to be
put up around the
shed, where the
children have their
mid-day meal. They
will be put up as
soon as the school
re-opens after the
Puja holidays

21. We enjoyed campaigning
….the talk, the role play was
fun! Next time we will use the
acting tips that Head Sir gave
us…and practice more!
It was good overall. But
with better planning and
The visit to the greater teamwork we
corporation was could achieve more
very interesting.
We learnt a lot .
It was disgusting cleaning We heard some of the
the rubbish in the school children discussing
school…the cockroaches what we had told them
that came running out afterwards…it was
were horrible! But once exciting that they were
we started, we were interested in what we had
determined to taught them!
finish….and it felt good at
the end