Community service is one of the most valued parts of the mechanism at BHIS Bhopal. It is quintessential to teach kids that the human beings gain true knowledge by giving back to the world.
Community Service is an initiative that ignites within children the need to give back to society. At its core, lies the message every child needs to understand and adopt: No matter where you come from, be grateful for what you possess and leave no stone unturned to serve others with that which you possess, for compassion and humanity are values that sustain this world.
The students of Billabong High have time and again visited many orphanages, one of them being 'Ummeed'. Weekly activities were planned by student leaders and duly implemented in the right spirit. Trips to 'Aasra', the old age home, provided students with the platform to bring two generations together, getting a peek inside their lives and sharing a part of their own.
Throughout the years, entire batches of students have dedicated themselves and made innumerable efforts to help restore forests and plant trees. Spreading awareness against deforestation and ozone depletion, and many other eco-friendly measures have been taken at every step.
Under the Mission Literacy campaign launched on 14th November, 2018 - Children’s Day, the school adopted the Government Middle School, Neelbad with the intent of contributing selflessly towards the cause of education. Since then, student volunteers have been regularly visiting the Government school to educate the less-privileged kids about basic health and hygiene, evils of child labour, while bestirring within them a love and keenness for learning through elementary education.
It has been an extremely satisfying endeavour, where students have spent time in meaningful activities twice a week with the children of this school. Ranged across Grades 1 to 8, both teachers and the taught have been working on a set curriculum, involving subjects like English, Math, and Science in an interesting and unconventional way. This opportunity gives students a chance to bond with the youngsters and learn valuable life-lessons from them.
A week-long celebration in the month of October is dedicated to 'Joy of Giving’. Children of Pre-school, Primary, Middle, and High School enthusiastically contribute towards the following four categories - Food Grains, Stationery/Storybooks, Clothes & Footwear, and Toys. Such drives not only sensitize children towards the needs of the less fortunate but also bring a bright smile to the receiver, extending the school’s philosophy of creating a united world by touching lives.
As a step towards preserving the genetic diversity of our world and to arrest the loss of the forest cover, the school has created a Seed Bank. Children, as responsible members of the Billabong family, contribute washed and sun-dried seeds of fruits, vegetables, and flowers to this bank which are then sown by the organic farming club members, thus, contributing towards maintaining the green cover.
With overwhelming contributions received from students across Preschool to High School, over 1 lakh fruit and vegetable seeds were collected during the summer of 2019 which would otherwise have been thrown away or found their way into the nearest bin.
It was then the need of the hour to preserve all these seeds till they could be planted. Turning seeds into seed balls is an excellent way of preserving seeds and assisting in the process of germination. Workshops on creating seed balls using clay, compost and dried leaves were undertaken for teachers and students which helped keep the seeds in good condition until they were planted.
Soonafter, the green warriors of BHIS, Bhopal visited the Ecological Park, Laharpur (M.P. Govt.) for a massive plantation drive. Spread over 1600 hectares, the park was sown with these seeds and the hope for a greener tomorrow.
