Flames Of Justice:-
Flames of Justice, GD Goenka Public School Lucknow’s Social Justice, and Gender Equality Club, was founded on December 6, 2019, by five students of the Senior Section. Established under Girl Up, a UN Foundation Initiative, the club provides a level playing field for all genders by spreading awareness, providing facilities to the oppressed genders, and preparing inclusive and accepting leaders for tomorrow. During the early months of their functioning,
the members organized a Bake Sale to raise funds for the distribution of sanitary napkins to underprivileged girls in Lucknow, followed by an extensive Economic Emancipation Campaign in 2020, in collaboration with Sarthak Foundation, where earthen diyas and scented candles were produced and sold to raise funds to emancipate the poor who had been hard hit by unemployment. They have also collaborated with Canfem, an NGO that works for the rehabilitation of breast cancer survivors, to organise an Awareness Webinar regarding Breast Cancer.
Mental Health Campaign:-
“I recall sitting in my house, completely still, and experiencing an unprecedented emptiness. I felt like life was passing me by. I did not want to move, and I did not know what to think.” During these trying times, locked up in their abodes, with a deadly virus preying on their friends and family, every single person would resonate with what I have described. Perhaps the most adverse and long-lasting impact of the pandemic has been on the mental health of the people!
Amidst the disquiet brought on by the second wave of the pandemic in 2021, the Core Committee of Flames of Justice sensed that there was a requirement to help people find mental peace. Keen to augment various efforts initiated by the school, GDG Group, and the CBSE, the Core Committee decided to make their contribution.
What was tricky about dealing with Mental Health is that as students, nobody is trained to undertake proper counselling. Realizing this, the Club launched their Safeguard Mental Health Campaign on Social Media in two phases, in the month of May.
The Initial Phase focused on spreading positivity, to help individuals come out of the negativity that has incapacitated them. Members of the club shared their personal stories, their struggle for calm and positivity, and the ways in which they made themselves feel happier and optimistic. The Club shared seven additional activities that people could perform, to feel better.
For the Second Phase, Flames of Justice collaborated with Beyond Stigma, a Not-For-Profit organization that connects mental health specialists to those seeking mental care. Under this collaboration, the Club shared the Four Steps to Seeking Help, the symptoms of anxiety and stress, a video tutorial of booking a free appointment on Beyond Stigma’s website, which ended with an Instagram Livestream with Ms. Nitika Ahuja, a Behavioural Facilitator, and Psychological Counsellor, who answered questions related to Mental Health.
The campaign garnered a very good response from the audience. The Club was successful in getting across the message that it is okay, to not be okay, and seeking help is not only nothing to be ashamed of, but also very important. The end of the second phase was the beginning of the realization for many that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
In the coming weeks, Flames of Justice has planned a detailed Body Positivity Campaign, to be initiated on Social
Media, that seeks to spread the message of self-love, self-care, and acceptance. The idea is that bullying and body
shaming is a result of a lack of self-esteem and if one starts to feel positive about oneself, they would gain
confidence and appreciate others around them. Through these campaigns, the Club aims to help create a more
tolerant, happy, and equitable society.
