FSL India Blog

Besides social development, the other objective of the Happy Move Camp is to facilitate Inter-cultural Learning between Korean youth and the local community. On the first day volunteers are given a traditional Indian welcome with bindi, jasmine flower garlands and they get to eat dinner on a banana leaf. The Korean volunteers have an opportunity to visit the houses and spend time with the local community and learn about their culture. To facilitate interaction between the volunteers and the villagers, certain renovation activities were planned with the involvement of the local community. Fruit bearing trees were planted in individual households with the help of volunteers and villagers. Individual toilets were built for those families which belong to backward communities. The toilets were built with the involvement of the families in the physical work.

Other inter cultural activities include a visit to temples in Kancheepuram; screening of a Bollywood movie; a visit to Chennai city; Indian traditional music and dance performance; Team building and intercultural activities between local university students and volunteers.

The Medical and Health and Hygiene Team for the 1^st Batch has about 50 Koran volunteers and 10 Korean doctors and medical specialists who will be responsible for conducting Medical camps in some of the selected schools, villages, Primary Healthcare Centers and Sub Centers of Sriperumbudur and Kanchipuram. A 50 member health and hygiene awareness team is responsible for promoting healthy community living habits and awareness on communicable diseases to the school children of the surrounding areas of the hospitals. Approximately 2500 to 3500 villagers benefit through the Medical Camps conducted.

Some of the topics covered in the Hygiene awareness sessions that are conducted in the schools through creative learning methods include: First Aid; Tuberculosis / Typhoid and Cholera awareness; the importance of brushing teeth / washing hands and drinking boiled water; smoking hazards; menstrual hygiene; Physical exercise; water borne diseases; environmental education.