Dilakshan’s back to school and a whole new world

At the first sounds of the ringing of the school interval bell Dilakshan, 11, races his brothers and friends to the climbing frames at the playground to see who could climb to the top first. This is their favourite time of the day, when they get to test each other’s skills at the climbers and there is a lively merriment in the air as the friends laugh and cheers the efforts of the teams.

A few years ago this was but a dream for Dilakshan who had dropped out of school since his mother went overseas for work and they were left in their father’s care. Nallaratnam their father was a fisherman who didn’t understand the value of education and showed little interest in sending the children to school and they stayed back playing all day at the beach.

During this time a World Vision mobiliser (community volunteer) visited their home in ThalawaiVillage – a remote area in Eravur Pattu, and encouraged them to join the Gandhi Children’s Club. Although Dilakshan and his two brothers dropped out of school they took this invitation and started attending the Children’s club regularly. They enjoyed taking part in sports activities and events organised by the club. The facilitators were also very interested in the well-being of the children and often inquired about their education and taught the children the importance of going to school.

“At the children’s club, whenever they ask who was not going to school everyone would point at us. I felt very sad and disappointed. The mobilisers spoke to us and our father. Later the police officer together with some other people (the government child monitoring committee members) visited our home and advised our father to send us back to school,” Dilakshan continues.

Realising his mistake Nallarathnam made every effort to enrol the children back in school. World Vision supported the family by sponsoring all three children and providing them with school stationery and other educational aid to help them start going to school again.

“It was like a whole new world. Everything changed including our daily routine. We used to sleep late, eat and play all day but today we wake up early excited to go to school. During free time we do our school work instead of going out to play,” the young boy says with a twinkle in his eye.

“Most of the children in this school attend the Gandhi children’s club and it reflects in their school extracurricular activities. These children perform very well at school event and we ask them where they gained such confidence or learnt that item, they simply say that they were trained at the children’s club,” adds the principal of the school.

The opportunities provided through the children’s club have enabled them to enhance their skills and talents as well. Putting his sporting skills to the test at the recently held school sports meet, Dilakshan was placed first in the 200 metre race as well as second in the high jump and long jump events.