LIVINGSTONE FOUNDATION HR. SEC. SCHOOL PARTICIPATES IN CAMPING AND ADVENTURE PROCESS TRAINING (CAPT) 2015 AT SHIVPURI VILLAGE, UTTARAKHAND FROM 30 MAY TO 9 JUNE 2015; INTERACTS WITH HONOURABLE VICE PRESIDENT OF INDIA

Two Class-XII students, Mr. Yanglikokba Anar and Mr. Joshua Metha, representing Nagaland from Livingstone Foundation Hr. Sec. School, Dimapur got a rare opportunity to be a part of a special national level Camping and Adventure Process Training (CAPT) held at New Delhi and Shivpuri Village, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand from 30 May to 9 June 2015. The CAPT was organized by Planet Harmony, a Delhi based social organization along with Snow Leopard Adventure Group for students of various schools and colleges from different states of India including some states from the North East. The main idea behind the Camp was to bring together students from various parts of India and to expose them to the diverse culture of different states and especially to bring the North Eastern region closer to the main stream. Around 36 students and teachers from all over India attended this unique Camp which offered not only educational exposure for the students but also gave them an opportunity to take part in various adventurous sports and social projects.

The students were made to stay overnight with local families from Delhi for 2 days i.e. 30 and 31 May 2015 to familiarize themselves with the living habits and culture of the localites of Delhi. During the 11 nights and10 days camping at Camp Panther in Shivpuri Village, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, the students learnt and exposed themselves to adventure sports like rafting, trekking and cable zipping. They also actively participated in social and educational sessions like group discussions, mental games sessions, debates, etc. They also got an opportunity to share their own culture and lifestyle with the rest of the country.

But the most important aspect of the camp was that the students of various states including Nagaland were asked to undertake a Social Project on a topic of national importance. The students were instructed to undertake and execute the projects within a period of six months. The students from Livingstone Foundation Hr. Sec. School chose a project on ‘Educating the Underprivileged’ with active collaboration and support of SERVE which is a Delhi based social organization formed by Ms. Khoobi, a student of Pathways School, Delhi. The SERVE organization has been participating in social service activities like free education and coaching for government school students in and around Delhi. Some of the other notable projects undertaken by the students of other states included a project on ‘Women Empowerment Through Participation In Games’ by Meghalaya and a project ‘to help the Government set up Libraries for poor and under privileged children’ by the students of Chattisgarh, Manipur and Jammu & Kashmir.

On the morning of 8June the students from different states gathered at the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi at 9:45 AM to meet the Hon’ble Vice-President of India, Mr. Hamid Ansari. The Vice President had a brief interaction with the students where he answered their numerous queries. As a parting token the Vice President gifted the students with special edition pens bearing the Parliament Logo, T-shirts and caps.

Sharing their experiences with the school authorities after their flight back home, the two enlightened students, Yanglikokba and Josha said that it was an eye-opening tour for them which they would cherish for the rest of their lives. According to them it gave them an opportunity to know about the varied diverse cultures of other states which brought them closer together. They were also enthusiastic about the hospitality that they received at the hands of main land Indians and expressed a deep sense of gratitude to the people of Delhi and Uttarakhand as well as from other states for making them feel at home and for accepting the students from North East as their own brothers and sisters which was quite contrary to the stereotype belief that people from main land India discriminated the people of North East. Yanglikokba and Joshua believe that the diverse cultures of India can be truly appreciated and united if such exposure tours are conducted on a regular basis for other students of the state and the North Eastern region as well.