Fair Start with Unicef Celebrity Ambassador, Priyanka Chopra

When the most deprived children are not given a fair chance, they fall further behind and the gap grows. As they age, these initial inequities result in poor health and learning outcomes, low nutritional status and low employment rates as adults. It is the children in the poorest households who get caught in the vicious circle of poverty. Thus, every child deserves a Fair Start.

With this in mind, UNICEF India organised a Fair Start event on 5th July, 2016 with UNICEF Celebrity Ambassador, Priyanka Chopra. Ms. Chopra has been associated with UNICEF for almost a decade and in 2010 was appointed UNICEF National Ambassador, tasked specifically to promote child rights. She has partnered with UNICEF to feature in videos aimed at building awareness so as to create healthy environments for children.

The event was attended by 8 top schools of Delhi NCR, viz., Springdales, Pusa Road, Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar etc. 6 students of our School, Shubham Airi, Prerna Hans, Saumyaa Saxena, Jivesh Malwalia, Karandeep Singh Kapoor and Avantika Choddha, accompanied by senior School counsellor, Ms. Sukhmeen Cheema attended the event.

A Fair Start film was unveiled at the event, which portrayed the huge contrast that exists among children in India. While some children blissfully chant nursery rhymes, there are others who are bound by the shackles of poverty, abuse and discrimination. This and other unequal realities came to light through the film. Children from rural areas were involved in the production of the film and brought their own daily reality to the set, giving a real insight into the lives of millions. It was a film about children, by children.

The screening of the film was followed by an address by Mr. Louis Georges Arsenault, UNICEF representative to India. Ms. Priyanka Chopra took various questions from students in the audience as well as from students in Haryana connected via Video Chat. Shubham Airi of The Indian School, asked about the role that cinema plays in raising awareness about these issues and the impact it can create. To this Ms. Chopra responded that films can only bring awareness, actual impact is in our own hands.

The event highlighted the desperate need for education amongst children from the lower economic strata of society. The need of the hour is to get the message across that education is the tool to success. Both genders must be given equal opportunities for education. For, as our School motto rightlfully says, Knowledge is Power.

Soumyaa Saxena (XI- A).