-Reshma Ravishanker

Students of Greenwood High, Bengaluru have launched an initiative to draw attention to the efforts of Koble Home, a NGO under the Prison Ministry of India working for the welfare and well-rounded development of prisoners’ children.  The Bengaluru-based organization established in 2015 is making efforts to build a nurturing, caring home for children of prisoners.

The school’s 17-year-old IB student Aryan Jain and his schoolmates are raising awareness about Kolbe Homes, through a creative video project ‘Animation Explanation’.

As part of this project, write-ups on various topics like space, science, sports etc are invited from IB students and converted into fun doodle animation explainer videos. Within the videos, a 10-15 second clip on Koble Home is included, informing viewers about the NGO’s initiatives.

The videos are then circulated on social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and their website for building awareness. 

Conceptualized by Aryan Jain, Animation Explanation also enabled the learn-at-home program “Quarantine Learning”.

While Jain donned the hat of a video animator, other Greenwood High students Nachiket Yadav took on the role of the website manager, Prisha Jhala as the graphic designer and Amanda Goveas as the copy editor. In due course, Animation Explanation turned into a team of seven, with Mugilan Ganesan on the editing team, Vineet Kulkarni on the animating team and Harsh Kadodwala as the social media manager. The program has released over 30 videos explaining topics ranging from the history of Indian elections to the implications of genetic modifications. 

“The work done by the students managing Animation Explanation is commendable. Our children are appreciative of all the support they can receive and it is admirable to see these students take the initiative. Hopefully, they can continue their success raising awareness and donations for Kolbe Home,” said Rev Dr Francis Kodiyan, MCBS, National Coordinator and Secretary to CBCI for Prison Ministry India.

“We aim to go beyond education. The students, recognizing their privileged backgrounds, wished to do their part for society and that’s how Animation Explanation got associated with Kolbe Homes. The faculty at the NGO do their best to care for the children of prisoners. Our team has also started a Milaap fundraiser for the children in which we have raised Rs 12,000 to date. We hope to support many more organizations like Kolbe Homes, to keep doing our bit for the society,” said Jain.

Niru Agarwal, Trustee, Greenwood High International School, said “Animation Explanation is being both innovative and socially sensitive. The project has drawn many students to its fold and is imparting rich experience to them. While it is a great idea, it is also practical and there is a lot to learn from such projects.” Additionally, the experience is counted as a CAS activity – Creativity, Activity and Service, a mandatory component of the IB program. 

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