Mount Carmel High School, Kottayam wins district-level top spot in Nallapadam initiative

Mount Carmel High School, Kottayam, has emerged as the district-level winner of the Malayala Manorama Nallapadam initiative for its strong community-driven interventions.

The all-girls team has been recognised for initiatives such as setting up a small eatery for a financially struggling individual, distributing food kits through neighbourhood visits, and organising regular packed meal distribution for the needy. The school will receive ₹25,000 and a plaque, while teacher coordinators A L Suma and Nisha N C Mathew will receive ₹5,000 each and certificates of appreciation.

During the period, the students here extended support to an interstate resident in Thandanikkal near Meenadom by helping set up a roadside eatery at a cost of ₹13,000 and later returned during Christmas with clothes and cakes. They also distributed Onam food kits to 160 families, served over 30,000 packed meals, supported a classmate’s family with year-long assistance in groceries, clothing and medical care and donated Rs.30,000 worth of essentials to shelter homes.They also provided play materials to anganwadis and transformed a roadside dumping site in Kanjikuzhy into a garden. 

Active in anti-drug campaigns, the students encouraged families to take pledges against substance abuse. Their agricultural initiatives covered organic cultivation across 460 students’ homes and school land, with produce sold through a monthly Friday market to fund charitable activities. The school has also introduced nutrition-based dietary planning and conducted classes on menstrual hygiene and adolescent health.

SFS Public School,  Ettumanoor clinches second position
SFS Public School, Ettumanoor has secured second place at the district level in the Nallapadam initiative for its impactful community service activities. The school will receive ₹15,000 and a plaque, while teacher coordinators Merin Mathews and Shymaol Ashith will receive ₹4,000 each and certificates of appreciation.

 One of the major projects implemented by the Nallapadam volunteers at the school was the egg incubator initiative, under which a unit was provided to a financially struggling resident of Ettumanoor to support livelihood generation.The school also distributed 100 hatched chicks to 20 economically weaker families, along with food kits, dialysis kits and learning materials.

The school hosted the “Bonsai” arts festival for differently-abled students for the ninth consecutive year, with 600 participants from 25 special schools this year.

Its efforts towards environmental conservation included collecting plastic bottles through a `bottle booth' and handing them over to Haritha Karma Sena, along with recycling 18,000 used pens through collection boxes.Other initiatives include `Verukal Thedi', a handwritten magazine on the local history of Ettumanoor, a study on electricity conservation and anti-drug campaigns through pledges, flash mobs and awareness drives.

To support student well-being, the `Sakhi-Koottu' club was formed as a safe space for sharing, along with a reading corner titled `Aksharapacha' to encourage reading habits.

In agriculture, the `Krishikkoottu' project engaged students in complete cultivation activities, from land preparation to harvesting.

SHLPS School, Ramapuram wins third place
SHLPS School, Ramapuram has secured third place at the district level in the Nallapadam initiative for its efforts to enhance the physical and mental well-being of children. The school will receive ₹10,000 and a plaque, while teacher coordinators Joby Joseph and Jeena Joy will receive ₹3,000 each and certificates of appreciation.

With the belief that toxin-free food is essential for good health, the school has developed an organic vegetable garden on campus using Open Precision Farming. It currently cultivates 67 varieties of crops, including 21 types of vegetables along with spices, supported by around 300 grow bags. The school has also experimented with maize, rice and sugarcane, and expanded into beekeeping and fish farming in artificial ponds. A herbal garden with 27 plant varieties has also been established.

To raise awareness on drug abuse, a music album titled `Karuthal' was released, with the message further reinforced through stickers on small vehicles, including auto-rickshaws.

During the period, students also participated in awareness classes on hygiene, nutrition, physical exercise, cyber safety and screen-time control. Zumba dance sessions were conducted to improve fitness, while experts from the Ramapuram Primary Health Centre carried out health check-ups and assisted in dietary planning.

The school runs a YouTube channel titled `SHLPS News', showcasing school activities and local issues. A waterlogging issue highlighted through the channel was resolved by authorities, marking its impact. The school also engaged in cleaning roadside areas and restoring traffic signboards.

Vegetables grown on campus were handed over to Karunya Trust for patients at Pala Government Hospital, while the school also provided study materials, desks and chairs to economically disadvantaged students.