Abhinav Jogani
As they say, time spent in childhood is the best time of one's life. So very true!!!
One can never forget those days.
But on the flip side those are the days when one is most susceptible and vulnerable to some bad habits.
One of them, and among the most deadly ones, is tobacco addiction in various forms.
Sadly, not only in India but worldwide over, it is the leading cause of preventable deaths.
Annually more than 1 million lives are consumed by this vicious tobacco in our very own India!!
I was so shocked when I heard that fact that I thought, till when can we allow that to happen ?
Something has to be done and that too quickly.
It was then we decided to float up the Nagpur Anti Tobacco Organisation (NATO).
After all the initial prerequisites were fulfilled and arrangements were done, we could finally start on Saturday, 6th of Feb, 2010.
And very honestly my life just hasn’t been the same since then.
I am working in the Manavta High School.
It was 7.30am in the morning.
I entered classroom 7th A.
There were bout 70 very enthusiastic, smart but pretty apprehensive children in a not so big classroom.
No one knew actually what is gonna happen. Everyone was very excited.
We got the classroom arranged into groups with the peer leaders in-charge of them.
Our activity 1 was about statistics related to tobacco use and deaths due to it.
I myself was just a little bit tense. After all it’s very easy to be on the other side in the classroom as I had been throughout my life until that particular moment of time. Although I was well-prepared, still wat if I falter at the last moment? Wat if I am an awfully bad teacher? Why is it that all these thoughts come up at the worst possible time??
My chain of thoughts was broken by one student asking me “sir, (that was the first time in my life I was addressed 'sir' by a 12 year old boy in school uniform and needless to say I felt really good!!!) wat do we have to do today”??
That question got me rolling. I gave the introduction. The students were really surprised on knowing the actual figures. Well who wud not be?? But I cud see dat things had started fallin into place. I had struck the rite cord. All my initial worries had vanished into thin air. Then we had to play a quiz related to the figures. That was the best part of the day. They had to answer 9 statistical questions. Once I started to disclose the answers, there was superb xcitement in them. Competitive spirit took over the whole class by storm. Everyone wanted to get max answers rite. They were jumping up and down and shouting at the loudest possible pitch permitted by their small yet strong vocal chords. But unfortunately there has to be only one winner. And we had an awesome one too!!!
Yash and his group got all 9 ans rite!! Kudos!
The first activity was a hit!!
NATO was well and truly on track. The seeds for the fight against tobacco were successfully sown. After the ativity was finished I got a compliment dat I wont forget. One little girl walked upto me n said “sir aap agli baar kab aaoge?? Plz jaldi aana.”
I just didn’t want to leave da place. But all good things have to come to an end. But dis one was not for too long. We were gonna be there da next week same day same place same time. I had already started counting da dayz left…
