Newsbites for Kidz April 4 05

Indonesian children play in a flooded street of their village after Monday's massive earthquake caused waves to flood their homes Thursday, March. 31, 2005 in Singkil, a coastal town about 350 kilometers (about 218 miles) west of Medan, Indonesia. Residents of Singkil have taken shelter in mosques and schools after the 8.7-magnitude quake, and many have not returned to their homes because of quake damage or for fear of another violent aftershock. (AP Photo/Ed Wray)

Can�t stop studying!- Sudan and Honduras

Sudanese displaced children attend a class at an outdoors makeshift school in Drage camp, on

the outskirts of the southern Darfur town of Nyala, January 2005. The Sudanese government

reacted angrily to UN Security Council sanctions over atrocities in Darfur, but the rebels argued the

move against Khartoum is too timid to yield a breakthrough in the conflict.(AFP/File/Jose Cendon)

Sudanese displaced children attend a class at an outdoors makeshift school in Drage camp, on the outskirts of the southern Darfur town of Nyala, January 2005. The Sudanese government reacted angrily to UN Security Council sanctions over atrocities in Darfur, but the rebels argued the move against Khartoum is too timid to yield a breakthrough in the conflict.(AFP/File/Jose Cendon)

Honduran children attend a class at an outdoors makeshift school at a shantytown on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, March 30, 2005. The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced Monday multi million dollar debt relief for Honduras under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

Things kids face-Indonesia

A mother and her two children get some rest at a temporary shelter after their house is

damaged by earthquake in Nias island, Indonesia, Tuesday. (AP/Buyung Tjendra)

A mother and her two children get some rest at a temporary shelter after their house is damaged by earthquake in Nias island, Indonesia, Tuesday. (AP/Buyung Tjendra)

Kids in temple-China

Children dressed in traditional make-up and clothes perform at a temple in Beijing. (AFP/File/Peter Parks)

***HEADLINES

Summer Camps- MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

Pick strawberries, roll out chapatis for summer�s here, so are camps-

UMA KARVE CHAKRANARAYAN

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=122877

Pune, March 28: TAKE your pick. A trip to the mountains, campfire at nights or exciting riding lessons, stay in a strawberry farm or sing songs on nature conservation. With summer vacation here, camps are bound to follow. It�s that time of the year when parents pack off their children for a mini -holiday that proves entertaining and enlightening as well.

With its well-laid out cycle pathways, birdwatching sessions and mornings where children roll out chapatis on their own on wood stoves make Leela Broome�s Nature Trails a hot favourite. Besides providing children the opportunity to learn and enjoy nature, Broome says the camp takes responsibility to groom the kids as well. ��Once the kids come here, we have to make sure that the shy ones don�t remain shy, the bully gets straightened out and everybody learns to be independent,�� says Broome. This year�s attraction at Nature Trails include a new pool, Vedic mathematics sessions and shlokas on nature.

At Japalouppe Equestrian Centre, along with regular riding activities, this year, owner Rohan More has introduced a cross-country camp plan. ��In this old English hunt-style of camp, we will take the kids riding outside the campus, through water, manoeuvering ditches and galloping over obstacles.��

Varying between three days to a week, these residential camps charge Rs 1,900 upwards. For working parents like Abha Mulay summer vacations with their many camps work as a creative outlet for her daughter. ��Children are under pressure to perform well in academics. We must give them their own space and that happens only in vacations,�� says Mulay.

Safety is a major concern as Broome points out and the responsibility with the camp is huge. As M Mehta, director Champion�s trust says, ��We become their parents for those few days.�� So Champions Trust�s trip to Mahabaleshwar with rapelling on Pratapgad, living in tents comes with a doctor on call.

The excitement of living on a strawberry farm near Panchgani is Pugmarks� offering for children this year. ��A treasure hunt, the chance to pluck strawberries and to cook their own food are all part of our four-day camp,�� says co-ordinator Akhil Gandhi.

WWF�s Mahabaleshwar excursion�s purpose is to sensitise kids to nature conservation. Here, Danita Daniel, director, WWF Pune says, ��We have music, games quizzes that talk about the importance of conservation and which thus go on to tap their creative energy and inculcate the right values.��

Summer camps can also mean getting your hands dirty while having fun. Mahrukh Bharucha, speech and drama teacher explains, ��I grew up catching caterpillars and earthworms. Today�s kids don�t know how to deal with such creepy crawlies. They don�t even get to play in mud. Call it a pitfall or downfall of metro living. So camps where they can tune in to nature are a must.�� But that�s not the only reason. Camp co-ordinators aver that a large section of their clientele consists of kids whose parents are working. �� Sometimes, there�s the guilt feeling of not being able to go on vacation. Summer camps offer children the experience outdoors,�� says Broome.

Manoj and Meghana Pawales don�t want their daughters to sit at home. As immigration consultant Manoj says, ��Camps mean a change in lifestyle, where the kids can share beautiful moments, become adventurous, understand the need of co-operation and to enjoy.��

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EDITORIAL/ COMMENT

INDIA�S EDUCATION

China Daily� Updated: 2005-03-26 05:45

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005- 03/26/content_428351.htm

It is certainly an awkward paradox that India has produced, and continues to produce, outstanding scientists, engineers, and doctors, yet science teaching in schools in India is in poor shape.

The school system encourages rote learning and science classes seem at best to inculcate the ability rapidly to solve problems in competitive examinations.

More often than not, children opt for the science stream in school not because they are enthused by the science they are learning but because it is the preferred career path for bright young girls and boys, the one that leads to entrance exams for engineering and medical courses.

With the growing importance of science and technology in the modern world and for India's own future development, the system for teaching and learning science in schools must be overhauled as a matter of urgency.

Science is not about memorizing "facts," laws, and formulae, and figuring out how to apply them. Rather, science is about wondering why the world is so and then setting about systematically to unravel the mysteries it holds.

Children are naturally observant and curious, but the way science is currently taught in schools, instead of encouraging and harnessing these desirable traits, usually suppresses them. Science is progressing ever more rapidly, and the school system should not aim to cram yet more information into pupils as preparation for the world that awaits them.

If the curriculum is restructured imaginatively, science courses will be easier to comprehend and less intimidating to students.

Better science education in schools can not only produce more creative scientists. It is also vital for developing a citizenry equipped to make informed choices and decisions in a world where scientific debates, from stem cells to nanotechnology, have a direct bearing on everyday life.

Excerpts from the Hindu, Madras, India

LEARNING TO DE-STRESS

10-yr-olds Eliminate Darkness of Stress- CHANDIGARH, INDIA

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Prerna Uppal

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http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php? newsid=122326

Chandigarh, March 22: Dr Vineet Khera realises that the academic system cannot be changed, but wants to ensure that she gives children means to toughen themselves mentally for the challenges ahead. To help relieve the stress on young minds, Khera and her group have decided to organise �light a candle� meditation and a reiki workshop for children between ages nine-18 years.

��We cannot fight darkness, but we can eliminate it by lighting a candle,�� says Dr Khera.

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And the endeavour seems to be bearing fruit. For Class X student Aditi, who has just completed her ISCE Board examinations, this workshop could not have come at a better time. ��I was so tired after the exams but am feeling so much at peace after attending the session,�� says Aditi, whose serene looks affirm her claim.

Another participant, Divya, also a Class X student whose last exam is fast approaching, has been encouraged to join the workshop.

��Unlike adults, young children have no pre-conceived notions and they absorb the teaching better,��says Khera.

This is the reason why the group has decided to organise another workshop for younger children of age group between eight-10 years. ��We will most likely start the workshop from March 28 and hope to benefit more children,� she said.

RESEARCH

Kids aren�t as drunk, crooked as parents were - USA

March 30, 2005

BY KEVIN FREKING

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-child30.html

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WASHINGTON -- In many ways, children today are doing better than their parents did. They commit fewer crimes, have fewer babies and get drunk less.

The Child-Well Being Index, which tracks 28 separate measures, shows that since 1993 children have been engaging in less risky behavior.

And while all is not rosy, the Foundation for Child Development's report -- released today -- says the well-being of children is improving.

THE NEW GENERATION

Some findings from developers of a child well-being index:

THE GOOD

The adolescent and teen birth rate has dropped from 20 births per 1,000 girls in 1992 to an estimated 11 births per 1,000 girls in 2004.

Binge drinking among high school seniors has fallen from 37 percent in 1975 to about 29 percent in 2004. Binge drinking is the consumption of five or more alcoholic drinks in one setting.

The number of violent young criminals has dropped over three decades from a level of 31 offenders per 1,000 youths to an estimated 8 offenders per 1,000 youths in 2003.

The number of high school seniors who reported smoking within the past month has dropped from 36 percent in 1975 to an estimated 16 percent in 2004.

THE BAD

Rates of childhood obesity have soared since 1975, from 5 percent to an estimated 16 percent for 2003.

In 1975, about 17 percent of children lived in single-parent households. By 2003, that number had increased to 28 percent, with most of the increase occurring in the 1980s.

Jeffrey Butts, director of the youth justice program at the Urban Institute, said the report speaks well of today's teens.

''Maybe we have the next 'greatest generation' coming along here,'' Butts said.

Kenneth Land, a professor at Duke University and author of the report, said a number of factors contributed to the improvement.

For example, the declining crime rate could be attributed to a better economy, the waning of the crack cocaine epidemic and an expansion of community policing, including more officers in schools.

Parents, too, have played a role in the gains. Parents who grew up in the 1970s and early '80s saw or experienced the effect of drug use and have been more assertive about controlling their own children's behavior, he said.

'Fundamental cultural shift'

''I think it's not so much a sign of policy-making as it is a fundamental cultural shift,'' Butts said.

In some categories, particularly health, children aren't doing so well. The obesity rate among children has tripled since 1975. Also, the number of children in single-parent households has increased over the past three decades.

''We can do better and we are doing better, but not better enough,'' said Fasaha Traylor, senior program officer at the foundation.

There are barriers, and he is breaking them down," said Ruth Ann Hopps, a church member and retired librarian at Madras High School, where reservation students make up about a third of the student body. "He found a niche that's unique."

Buller had plenty of skeptics on the reservation. To them, he was simply the latest white guy riding into town to thump the Bible at them.

He proved them wrong.

"I've never seen a white person take to our people with open arms before without judging us," said Reona Trimble, a mother of two and foster mother of five, including Jordan.

Buller learned that the surest way to earn respect on the reservation is to keep promises.

There was the day he was to meet several kids at a small rodeo on the farthest corner of the reservation. It was cold and rainy, and friends told him he should stay home.

He went anyway, and sure enough, five of the kids had ridden there in the downpour - two without jackets.

"I didn't want to be the white guy who let them down," Buller said.

His ability to take a joke is another plus. And he's got the kids' self-deprecating humor down cold.

When they realized they were washing the horses with Suave Aloe Vera shampoo, the kids gave Buller a ribbing.

"It works as well as the other kind," Buller said. "And one thing about Chris is he's cheap."

Jordan fired back, "One thing about us Indians is we're broke."

Trimble, a single mom who raises seven children in a three-bedroom manufactured home on the reservation, said she has seen positive changes in Jordan and Sascha, 16, who both rode in the parade.

Buller worked all the kids hard, she said, insisting they maintain a C grade-point average, attend study hall and help at fund-raisers in addition to spending time with the horses.

"I was kind of leery at first," said Trimble, a health coordinator for the reservation's Head Start program. "But I know I can trust him with my kids."

Sometimes when he talks to the kids on the reservation, Buller hears a voice from seventh grade.

It was the year he worked at a farm in North Dakota and befriended an American Indian man who trained horses. The man, in his 70s, told him a story about two wolves that live inside everyone. One is everything that is beautiful and good. The other is pride, fear and anger.

"He told me that the wolf you feed is the one that will rule your life," Buller said. "My goal is to build hope because I believe hope is what dispels evil in people's lives."

True to his maverick nature, Buller is hoping to buck the usual church regulations if he is ordained as a minister. He has told church leaders that he doesn't want to move to another community.

Instead, he wants to build a cowboy church on the reservation - a place that can serve as a center of the social life.

"We started out with riding lessons and feeding the kids," Buller said. "It's just going to grow and grow."

� 2005, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

ENTERTAINMENT

Sprocket Kids Film Festival - CANADA

2005 promises biggest lineup ever with 87 films

Canadian Press

On the Net: www.bell.ca/sprockets

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

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TORONTO (CP) - A badly behaved turtle, a kids' remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark and pint-sized ballroom dancers are some of the themes of films to be screened at the eighth annual - and by all accounts largest - Sprockets festival.

Sprockets is the children's spinoff of the Toronto International Film Festival and this year it offers 87 films from 26 countries in 16 languages during its run from April 29 to May 8.

The opening night title is Max & Josef - Double Trouble, a Swedish film about a devious turtle who helps a young boy deal with the arrival of a new baby sister.

"By using humour and tenderness to tackle a complex issue faced by many children, Max & Josef makes for a highly gratifying evening for parents and children alike," said Jane Schoettle, Sprockets' director.

The curtain closer will be Mad Hot Ballroom, a documentary about a group of 11-year-old New Yorkers as they learn everything from the foxtrot to the rumba to the tango in competing for a city-wide ballroom dance contest.

Other films entries include Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (three U.S. youngsters seek to remake the Steven Spielberg adventure classic over seven summers), Spirit Bear: The Simon Jackson Story (Vancouver teen Simon's campaign to save the rare, white kermode bear) and Jambo Kenya! (the challenges 11 Canadian students face trying to build a school in Africa).

Schoettle also announced a dramatic increase in Jump Cuts, the festival showcase that offers young Ontario filmmakers (Grades 3 to 12) a chance to screen their own home-made short films.

"We're thrilled to engage many of these filmmakers with their first real festival experience and hope it will stay with them for years to come," she said. "The sophistication and artistry of their work proves that increasingly, youth are becoming more literate in the medium of film."

Sprockets also plans to spotlight youth-oriented film coming out of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden with its program, Nordic Panorama.

Cartoons of the Week March 27-April 2

Copley News Service

Kids Learn to Look and Play on the Sunny Side of Life -FLORIDA, USA

By Reina Newton Tefs�

03/30/2005

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm? newsid=14242995&BRD=2605&PAG=461&dept_id=523946&rfi=6

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Naples, Florida- Roland Acosta registers Alexus Ellis, a kindergarten student at Golden Gate Terrace Elementary School, as her grandfather James smiles across the table at her. This is the first time she will play T-Ball.��

Alexus Ellis, a kindergarten student at Golden Gate Terrace Elementary School, smiled at her grandfather James when she registered to play T-Ball. She had never played the game before.

Jos� Cruz, age 6, arrived at the center with his dad Jesus to sign up for Kids Pitch offered by the Sunset Optimist Club (SOC). According to his age, he is too young to play with the 8- to 11-year-olds, but according to his dad, Jos� has the talent.

"Jos� qualified at the tryouts to play in the Golden Gate minor leagues because of his ability to play," Cruz said, "but because of his age they wouldn't let him."

Cruz, originally from Puerto Rico, said that his son plays well, can bat and has sports skills beyond his age. He wanted his son to be challenged.

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"I just love to play baseball," Jos� said.

SOC which is the local chapter of Sunset Optimist International started in this area 32 years ago. Their mission is to bring out the best in kids and foster an optimistic way of life.

SOC President Stephen Gayle heads the Kids Pitch program which offers boys and girls an opportunity to play all positions. The instructional league follows the regular baseball rules. Gayle started the program four years ago when his grandson signed up for a local program but was never given a chance to participate.

"Their program was competitive," Gayle said. "In Kids Pitch, pitchers throw the ball so children can hit it. There is no pressure, no winner, no loser. Our main goal is for the children to have fun."

Gayle, who has 14 grandchildren, he created this positive program to give kids a chance to interact with people who care. At these games, children are important and are encouraged to have fun.

Kids Pitch sponsors include A-Locksmith, Screen Printing Unlimited, Bigley Motor Sports, Naples Awards Co., The Gayle family and Tara's Cleaning Service.

Safety is important so only the batter and catcher are on deck. Parents usually volunteer to coach, but Corey Bigley, age 13 who attends Golden Gate Middle School volunteered to coach this year. He arrived with his mom Kim to sign up his younger brother Dylan, age 10, for Kids Pitch. Corey said that when he played, his favorite position was outfield.

"I started with T-Ball when I was 6," Corey said. "Then I played Kids Pitch."

His parents Kim and Billy own Bigley Motor Sports in Golden Gate who sponsor a Kids Pitch team.

Jack Kelley, age 8, showed his younger brother Connor, age 5, the photograph taken of the T-Ball team he played for last year. Their mom Judith brought her sons to register for T-Ball. Judith was surprised when both boys chose the same team by picking out the Kelly-green shirts.

"On our way here I told him that you don't strike out in T-Ball," Jack explained to Connor. "You hit the ball and run to the base."

Jack said that he likes the game because it's fun. He still wears last year's shirt to school. Jack added that since he has two gloves, he will give one to his brother.

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Sports add colour to Imphal Holi � MANIPUR, INDIA

OUR CORRESPONDENT

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050329/asp/northeast/story_4544818.asp

Imphal, March 28: Maintaining their tradition of amalgamating colour, fun and mirth with sports during Holi or Yaoshang, different localities of the Manipur capital hosted various sporting events to mark the festival.

Young boys and girls, instead of smearing colours on their faces, spent time at neighbourhood playgrounds. While the elderly people went to Shri Shri Govindajee temple, the youngsters turned up at sport venues in hordes.

�There are two reasons behind the sporting activities during Yaoshang. Firstly, we provide a platform to the talented youngsters to showcase their skills and groom them to become excellent sportspersons. Secondly, the events help the children utilise their time properly and instil the sense of discipline and fair play into them,� Dhanabir Singh, secretary of a youth club in Imphal West district, said.

�I don�t want to go about seeking Yaoshang donations and pour water, throw dirt and smear colour. Instead, I am taking part in the 100-metre race,� said 10-year-old Lilabati Devi. She finished runner-up in the dash.

Considered the sports powerhouse of the country, Manipur had replaced colours with sporting activities nearly 40 years ago, although the craze during Holi has been a new phenomenon. Citing an instance, several old-timers said Citizens Club in Imphal East has been organising sports festivals for the past four decades.

�The tradition is continuing,� Priyokumar Singh a resident of the area, said.

Most parents approve the idea. Since Yaoshang is a five-day affair in the state, parents do not want their kids to go out on the streets stopping passersby for donations and hurling dirt.

However, when it comes of thabal chongba (dancing in the night), everybody goes full throttle despite the clampdown by the district administrations on Holi celebrations after 10.30 pm in view of the deteriorating law and order situation and matriculation examination, beginning Wednesday. A rebel group, too, had pronounced a few restrictions on the celebrations.

The restrictions remained only on paper. The dancing continued till the wee hours on the penultimate day of the festival.

Tomorrow, the winners of various competitions will be decorated. They will compete again next year and some may retain their trophies. Till then, the colour code is the green of the playgrounds.

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SCHOOLING

Hands-on activities such as painting, drawing and gardening

help elementary school students learn academic lessons- Florida, USA

By Carrie Ann Perez

Special Correspondent

Posted March 30 2005

Art isn't just about drawing.

Music isn't just about the notes.

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And gardening isn't just about pretty flowers.

Students in elementary schools throughout Broward County are learning academics, such as math, language arts, history and science, through hands-on activities.

Art as academics

Don't tell Karen Mohammed she teaches an elective.

Mohammed, who has been teaching art for more than 20 years, including the last seven at Sunshine Elementary School in Miramar, will give it to you straight: Art is an academic class, and that's how she teaches it.

She incorporates science, math, history and language arts into her arts projects.

She teaches her students basics such as the colors of the rainbow (purple is not purple, it's violet); how to properly use a ruler; shapes (a star is called a pentagram); and the difference between horizontal and vertical.

"I'm always incorporating academics. In the business of learning, through activities, you are always learning," she said. "I can't imagine what would happen if they cut out the arts."

Kindergartners learn different lines, such as straight, jagged, scalloped and zig-zag. Older students learn what the horizon is, point of view and dimensions.

Unlike other classes, in art -- Mohammed reminds the students -- nothing is final. They can revise and update their work, and there are different avenues to come to the same result.

"The children get it, too. One child came up to me the other day and said, `Ms. Mohammed, you taught me science today.' They get it," she said.

She also teaches her students about history.

"You can't teach art without history. We talk about the masters: Michelangelo, for example. That the first written language was art. It had no letters, just pictures," she said.

Real-life science

Students at Virginia S. Young Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale are learning all about science while digging in the dirt in one of the school's gardens.

"The children do it all, really: rake, weed, mulch, plant, water," said science teacher Rosemarie Kalin.

The school has two courtyard gardens: a butterfly garden and another where students grow vegetables and herbs.

Kalin takes the students out to the gardens, where they learn a variety of skills.

"They learn observational skills. I have them locate a plant and then we come back into the classroom to diagram it," Kalin said.

They'll also dig in the soil and look at it under a magnifying glass.

The students really get into the projects. In the fall, when they return from summer break, they weed the gardens, then they decide what plants they'd like to see in them. They get to enjoy the fruits of their labor as the plants grow when they picnic in the gardens.

All the students in the building go through Kalin's five-week rotation twice a school year. Some of the students are also involved in her gardening club after the school day.

"It's a wonderful interaction of living things. The students in the club really get to talk to me while they're in the garden, more than in class," Kalin said.

Kalin said the students have shared with her their plans to garden at home.

"They have more of an appreciation of nature. They learn to take care of the environment," Kalin said.

History through music

Mark Henschel, a music teacher at Pompano Beach Elementary School, realized that his students didn't understand the history of the folk music songs they performed in class, much less know where some of the places they sang about were located.

"Folk songs are written by people about people, and most kids in today's generation have never heard the songs or know what they're about," he said.

He decided to incorporate geography and history lessons into his music class, to broaden the students' understanding of the lyrics and appreciation of the musical history.

His students sang a lot of songs about states and capitals, so he asked them to do a project in which they picked a state and reported on it. They could pick any state but Florida.

Through the project, they learned about the states they sang about in class.

"We sang a song about the Erie Canal, and most kids didn't know where Lake Erie was or what states surrounded it," Henschel said.

New York and California were among the popular picks.

"Some of the kids picked states because they were born there or because they visited and wanted to learn more about it," he said.

One student wrote about Alaska. He drew a freehand picture of the state and provided a sample of bear fur.

"The kids really did a great job. I didn't expect anything to the scope they had accomplished," he said.

The project was optional for his third-grade students and mandatory for the fourth- and fifth-graders. The children followed up written reports with a two-minute synopsis.

"My focus as a teacher is to teach them how to think for themselves and not be spoon-fed," he said.

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KIDS HELPING KIDS

Students show off talents for giving -CALIFORNIA, USA

Half Moon Bay show to raise money for orphans in Kenya

By Amelia Hansen, STAFF WRITER

Inside Bay Area�

http://www.insidebayarea.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp? article=2631779

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HALF MOON BAY � It was a story they may not have been able to relate to, but one they also could not forget.

Two years ago, Half Moon Bay resident Natasha Martin told a group of kids and their parents about her experiences with children in Kenya.

While working with community leaders in the Butula District of Kenya, Martin came across a group of children standing under a big, shady tree. Even though it was the middle of the day, the kids seemed to be standing around doing nothing.

When asked why the children weren't in school, Martin was told the kids were orphans of AIDS victims and couldn't afford to go to school. After hearing the story, many in the group were moved to help these children half a world away.So began the Coastside's involvement in the Naisula Education Project, "Keeping Hope Alive."

On Friday, a group of Coastside children and their families will hold a talent show to help raise funds to send the Kenyan children to school.

Since 2003, the group of young people has held bake sales and a pet-biscuit sale to help raise money for "Natasha's orphans." So far, they have raised more than

$1,000 � the equivalent of supporting 78 children in primary school or two high school students for one year.

Friday's talent show will include performances from a Coastside choir group as well as classical and contemporary pieces from individual children. Spectators also can look forward to dances, acrobatics and a vaulting exhibition.

Martin is the chief executive officer of the non-governmental organization GRACE Africa (Grassroots Alliance for Community Education), which administers the Keeping Hope Alive project. According to the organization's Web site, Martin pioneered some of the earliest laboratory methods that were used for the discovery of HIV/AIDS in infants and children. A native of Barbados, Martin was trained in immunology in England and the United States.

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Posted on Thu, Mar. 31, 2005

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With relief cheques in their hands, kids from Pakistan arrive in India:-

Wagah | March 27, 2005 9:20:55 PM IST

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http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp? id=74833&n_date=20050327&cat=India

A group of 16 schoolgirls and teachers from a school in Lahore crossed Wagah Border on Sunday. The group of children, who crossed the border, have come to India with a novel cause; they have brought a cheque to be presented to the Prime Minister's Tsunami Relief Fund.

Suvdev, one of the students said they were eager to express their solidarity with the victims of tsunami.

" When we saw the destruction Tsunami waves have caused in the coastal areas we were felt like doing something for the affected people. But since we are just students, it is difficult for us to make a big contribution. Still we decided that whatever small collection we can make, we will be contributing to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund," said Suvdev.

The students are scheduled to present the cheque to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday (March 28). After which they are supposed to visit important sites of Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer and Agra.

They will be meeting political dignitaries like Bharatiya Janta Party President LK Advani, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Rahasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Sindhia etc.

" There's lots of enthusiasm among the students regarding the visit. They will be able to visit the places in their neighbouring country; they were reading about in history the books. They will be able to feel the country in the grass root level," said Bhukhari, leader of the delegation.

Ayusha, another student in the delegation said it was a chance for them to know the country that shared a common history with their country, only half a century ago.

" We have studied a lot about India and know a lot. We have a lot of net friends too. Though the older people have seen lots of fighting and war, it is time we move forward for peace. So we want to meet our Indian friends, for better perception. We will be able to know the ground realities and remove the misconceptions," said Ayusha.

There is overwhelming response from people in both countries to the intensified diplomatic, commercial and sporting interactions, in the past few months. People on both sides of the border are trying to exploit the bonhomie created among the two countries, against the backdrop of the on going cricket series. (ANI)

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The healing power of art- OHIO, USA

Consultants from Akron Children's Hospital buy colorful, upbeat pieces to comfort patients

By Sandra M. Klepach

Beacon Journal staff writer

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/local/11274303.htm

Pausing to view a middle-schooler's self-portrait, two art buyers peruse an art show at North Canton Public Library's Little Art Gallery.

``That one's nice,'' says Judee Wickersham, who steps back to admire the acrylic painting. ``Although his teeth look sort of scary.''

It's true that ``scariness'' doesn't necessarily reduce the value of artwork. But Wickersham has to view art a little differently. As art consultant for Akron Children's Hospital, she seeks only colorful, upbeat pieces that will please the eye of a child.

Akron Children's Hospital began buying art from local artists and students in 1993 in hopes of engaging the community and lessening the institutional feel of its facilities. The art is family-oriented and child-friendly, said Ron Beahn, who will take Wickersham's place as art consultant when she retires in April.

Art ``is not here to entertain the grown-ups. It's here for the kids,'' Beahn said. ``Even the way we hang the artwork is so they can view it.''

The program also inspires young artists, Wickersham said. A chalk drawing of a city at dawn by Fatima Arif of Canton, a fifth-grader at Lake Cable Elementary, hangs in the hospital's neurosurgery unit.

``I thought it was pretty neat that my art was chosen from all of the other kids' pictures. I felt happy and pretty lucky, too,'' Arif said. ``I had an explanation posted (next to it on the wall) that even in the darkest times, when you're very in trouble, there's always a door open, or there's always light. You just have to be calm and take your time to find it.''

Pieces by local students

Artwork that already decorates the hospital and its branches, serving 25 counties, has come from a variety of local sources.

Most of the 1,200 pieces in the hospital's collection are student works selected from area art shows. Students receive $50 or $75 savings bonds purchased by the hospital departments that will display the work, Beahn said.

The hospital frames each piece of student artwork and places it on permanent display. Each piece is accompanied by a plaque that tells a little about the artist and his or her motivation.

One large, wooden piece at the foot of a stairwell portrays a variety of colorful wildlife in great detail and is an example of students working under the guidance of a local artist. Additional artwork has been obtained through workshops with staff members and their families, local donations and the hospital's own patients.

Young cancer survivors made a collection of paper clothing articles last year, which now hangs on small clotheslines in the hematology/oncology unit. A darker piece in the neurosurgery unit, swirls and jagged strokes of black marker on white paper, is called ``Before Surgery'' and was given to a doctor.

Former patient Jamie Davis of Uniontown even donated her University of Akron senior art project, which included three surgical gloves delicately embroidered with red string and beads.

``She said she took something and made it useless by making it beautiful,'' Wickersham said. ``(But) these hang in (a conference room) because we thought they'd be too scary for kids.''

Local artists are also commissioned to contribute, often using the one-time experience as a springboard to launch their careers, Wickersham said. Only two have been from outside the area.

Fun source of therapy

In helping the community entertain its children, the hospital's art also serves a holistic purpose. At least one piece hangs in every exam room, Wickersham said.

Of course, all art must also be sanitary. Interactive displays, such as a knob that rotates about 15 brightly decorated pinwheels behind plastic glass in a corridor, must be properly sterilized so even children with burns can handle it.

But mostly the art is just for fun, Wickersham said. And it doesn't matter if some hospital staff don't like it.

``There's one mural we put in our new building... and either people hate it or love it,'' she said. ``But kids adore it. They run down the hall, and there's mirrors so they can look in, and there's a bear's nose that sticks out at one point. People tell me all the time, `It's so nice to see kids being healthy and doing what kids do.' ''

``There are some people who aren't going to like it,'' Beahn said. ``But there are (also) some people who aren't going to like Picasso.''

�

CARING GROWN-UP AWARD

Naked Chef stripsKaway school slop in England

By Todd Richissin

The Baltimore Sun

LONDON � Certain items should not appear in a morning newspaper. Like, for example, the ingredients in a children's food here called Turkey Twizzlers.

There are also certain items that a growing number of people here do not want to appear on a children's lunch plate. Like Turkey Twizzlers.

And now, at least in England's schools, they won't.

The government, under pressure from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who goes by the name "The Naked Chef," has decided that if children are to be prevented from becoming obese, a good place to start is with the pressed turkey unmentionables that have become a symbol of all that is wrong with school lunches in England.

School kitchens, the government says, aside from being unappetizing, are making children fat, constipated, cranky and at risk of becoming the first generation ever in Britain to die at a younger age than their parents.

Yesterday, Oliver showed up at Blair's Downing Street office carrying a cardboard box with his "Feed Me Better" petition signed by 271,000 people.

Blair beat him to the punch, sending Education Secretary Ruth Kelly out in the early morning to announce about $410 million in new money for lunches. Blair and Kelly then treated Oliver to a televised breakfast of fresh bread, fruit, juice and coffee.

The twizzlers, because they became such a symbol of the lunch problems, have been banned, as they were in Scotland years ago.

Street kids finding love at shelter

2005-03-19 05:30

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005- 03/19/content_426301.htm

[Edited for brevity]

When 9-year-old Chengcheng bid farewell to the Baoji Street Children Relief and Protection Centre in February 2005, his guardians were sure of the parentless boy's readiness to face a new life.

Nobody knew for certain where Chengcheng was from or who his parents were.

He was found on a street corner in Baoji in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province in early 2001, and was sent to the newly established centre, co-sponsored by the Baoji Civil Affairs Bureau and the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). MSF is an international non-governmental organization committed to humanitarian emergency relief efforts.

"I was reluctant to let him go, but we have to find a proper arrangement for the boy," says Lu Xiaohua, a special educator at the centre. "He was homeless. And, our centre can only serve as a temporary harbour for children."

In fact, says Lu, the Baoji centre is designed to prepare street kids for challenges in life rather than finding them a home. That's why the staff had no doubt that Chengcheng, after four years at the centre, would be able to adapt to a new setting.

Therapeutic community

Chengcheng is one of 350-plus children who have been sheltered at the Baoji centre since its launch in 2001. MSF chose Baoji, a three-hour drive to the west of Xi'an, Shaanxi's capital, to base its first facility for street children because the railway hub in Northwest China seemed to be a "resort" for waifs in the region.

Different from most of the 140 facilities for street kids across China, the centre "does not intend to set concrete goals for them, such as going back to their families, or finding a trade or school for them," says Dr Anita Wang, MSF field co-ordinator. "We are committed to managing short-term crisis intervention for children in danger to allow them to become resilient and build optimism and face the challenges of life."

In many cases, sending the children back home doesn't necessarily resolve their problems. Most come from families in poverty, which refuse to have anything to do with the children, simply driving them away from home again, says Wang. That's what 14-year-old Mingming has experienced.

Mingming was sold to the Wangs in Fufeng County of Baoji in 1992. In February 2002, the Wangs refused to foster Mingming any longer and sent him back to [his father Li]. But the boy ran away two days later after a family quarrel. He lived on doing chores at the railway station until he was admitted into the centre.

Living with humiliation and indignity since his early childhood, Mingming, a boy of few words, has suffered from neuroses.

"Rejected by two families, where is the boy to go?" asks Wang. "Even if Mingming's own father agrees to bring him up and arrange hukou (household residence registration) for him, is he able to stay long in that strange family, when he feels no sense of identification at all?"

In this regard, Wang advocates the concept of "therapeutic community," in which the community should play a role in taking care of children like Mingming. Meanwhile, the centre tries to teach the children how to protect themselves.

"They should know where to go for help after leaving the centre," says Wang.

For this purpose, MSF has recruited professionals of different backgrounds: two psychologists, eight special educators, two teachers, a nurse, six logistics personnel, plus three social workers from the Baoji Civil Affairs Bureau. Together, they constitute an interdependent team, with the psychologists at its core.

The children end up on the street mainly due to broken families, illnesses, harsh social changes and natural disasters, says Wang.

Every waif has a miserable story to tell, and most of them suffer psychological trauma after having long been isolated from their true families.

Psychological trauma

"I've wandered around straying in society for two years. I feel insecure and I thirst for family life," sighs Feifei, a 15-year-old boy from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He has travelled half of the country since he lost contact with his father in Urumqi.

Francoise Oppenot, an MSF psychoanalyst, oversees a comprehensive programme that covers a physical, social and mental programme deemed vital to the children's recovery, to help such children adjust.

"In the first stage, we build up a sense of trust for the children through face-to-face talks, through group therapy or family visits," she says.

"For the reticent children, I don't impose too many questions. They are asked to present their stories freely or simply draw a painting, which reflects their innermost feelings."

Apart from the psychological support to the children, Oppenot also organizes workshops for the staff, normally twice a month, which help teach approaches to reach children and get things moving.

For 12-year-old Juanjuan, whose family broke up after her father indulged in gambling and disappeared, the centre is more than a temporary home. "Here I have learned to rely on myself," she says with a smile. Painting a five-colored flower on a white sheet, she says she feels her future will be "promising." Quite a few civil affairs officials and legal experts in Beijing share the MSF concept of community support to pool wisdom and efforts to try to eliminate and curb the root causes of children wandering.

Wang Shuying, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, says community support is an effective method in Western countries.

[New legal action] makes Anita Wang of the MSF feel things are more hopeful. "We've seen the light at the end of the tunnel," she says. "My wish is that all the Chinese parents would treat their children as 'somebody' who is a source of happiness, rather than 'something' that generates practical value."

LEARNING OTHER TECHNIQUES

Kids strut catwalk at fashion academy

28/3/2005 7:26

Shanghai Daily news

http://english.eastday.com/eastday/englishedition/metro/userobject1ai967800.html< o:p>

The city's first training program for youthful fashion models is turning out to be a hit among tots and parents alike three weeks after it opened at Donghua University.

More than 20 children between the ages of 3 and 10 had signed up for the program by Saturday, forcing the school to double its enrollment plans to 50 kids, most of whom are girls.

To make sure each student is getting enough attention, the classes will also be doubled from one to two.

"We never expected to see the class expand so quickly so soon after it began - driven by such strong demand from parents," said Wang Yiqun, a Donghua teacher and the program's director.

Only 10 youngsters signed up before the classes began. In the interim, most of the newcomers have been attracted by recommendations from those who are attending and by media coverage of the course.

Sponsored by Donghua's textile college, the fashion training course teaches children how to walk and pose with poise, and it also serves as an incubator for young professional models - as long they're under 1.3 meters tall.

Students learn how to strike a graceful pose while sitting, standing or walking the catwalk in designer togs, the organizers said.

The youngsters also learn manners and discover how to choose the right clothes for the right occasion.

Tuition costs 2,000 yuan (US$241) for some 25 weekend training sessions.

Organizers said outstanding students are likely to be chosen by children's garment makers to work as models in their advertisements and shows.

"But just like dance, music or other extracurricular courses, most parents just want their children to become more cultivated rather than deliberately raising them to be a fashion star,' Wang said.

Jiang xu, mother of a 5-year-old girl, said she hopes the course will simply teach her timid child to be more outgoing.

SHORTBITES

American kids speaking Chinese like natives

(China Daily)

Updated: 2005-03-30 09:43

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005- 03/30/content_429468.htm

After receiving precisely the same education as Chinese children, a dozen US students from an international school in the United States have shocked people in Chongqing Municipality with their fluent spoken Chinese.

The US students are here for first time in the country, but speak Mandarin fluently.

Liu Yafei, their teacher, said the school in the United States uses textbooks that Chinese students use here, aimed at fostering knowledge of both cultures.

The children will stay with Chinese families for five days in an exchange programme, the Chongqing Times reports.

UH-OH!

Child-smacking common in NZ society

www.chinaview.cn 2005-03-29 12:09:00

�� WELLINGTON, March 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Half of New Zealand parents with young children admit physically disciplining their kids, according to a government survey released Tuesday.

�� A Social Development Ministry survey of 612 parents and 539 care givers with children under five years old found half of parents admitted they had used physical discipline or had used it in the past three months.

�� About 42 percent of those who smack their children said they were trying to end misbehavior "immediately", and 14 percent said they used it to teach children about safety and danger. About 8 percent smacked because they had been smacked as children, and 6 percent said they smacked because it was effective.

�� Those who did not smack mostly believed there were more effective ways to discipline, some said smacking was not correct.

�� Other findings included: boys were more likely to be smacked than girls; older parents and people in rural areas were more likely to smack; and smacking was not related to the gender or ethnicity of parents.

�� According to New Zealand laws, smacking is permitted if it is reasonable and used honestly for correction. But advocacy groups have been pushing for a change.

�� "When we were children it was just a matter of course in almost all families. But nowadays more and more young parents are deciding not to smack their children," said McClay. Enditem

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