The schools have finally opened in Kerala after the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The children have returned to the schools and so does the Lavender army. The powerful, committed and trained students volunteers engaged in cancer care and prevention.

Ashakiranam Cancer Care Campaign is one of the best volunteer-led programmes of Caritas India and Lavender Army is one such school-based initiative where children unanimously join to fight against cancer and be instrumental in the creation of a healthy future.

Caritas believes, if children are conscientized in their tender age, they will definitely aid to generate a better tomorrow. This is the whole idea behind Lavender Army. Under this initiative, children were channelized from a minor catalyst in a single-family into a greater catalyst in the society to bring forth greater changes. Members of the lavender army include school students from upper primary to high schools in schools. Under the supervision of the specially assigned teachers, the students lead the battle against cancer.

The major objective of the lavender army is to build healthy and socially responsible students and youth to promote a healthy lifestyle, support the people who need care, mobilize resources for immediate needs. Students’ volunteers conducted a wide range of cancer awareness programmes like street play, poster making, quiz competition, drawing in various schools apart from patient support and resource mobilization programmes.

Lavender Army programmes have been in place since 2017 in Kerala especially in Thrissur district with the support of Santhwanam, the official social work department of Thrissur Archdiocese. But Covid pandemic caused a slight pause in the Lavender Army programmes in the schools. World cancer day 2022 gave the right opportunity for the Lavender Army volunteers to rejuvenate their inner spirit and do retreat to their older days’ commitment and activities in Asshakiranam and around 177 programmes were organized in the schools to spread the awareness on world Cancer Day by school volunteers.

Santhanam, Thrissur has organized Lavender Army rewarming programmes in the schools to foster the volunteering spirit among the students as well as to officially launch Lavender Army programmes in another 10 schools. In the rewarming programme, a host of activities were conducted including cancer awareness session, cancer awareness pledge, activities plan to release, special plans for during summer vacation time and distribution of hygiene kits to the 10th class outgoing students as a token of their volunteering service to school level cancer resilience-building activities.

“Ashakiranm has made a lot of changes in my life. I could learn much about Cancer and to a greater extent help my parents to avoid certain daily practices which may slowly lead to cancer in future. The days with Ashakiranam would help me in future to lead a healthy life,” said Ms. Archana Dhaneesh, a senior Lavender Army volunteer of LFCGHS, Mammiyoor after receiving the hygiene kits.

“There are visible changes in the family as well as in community level, the changes brought by Lavender Army school volunteers are highly motivating and we are planning to extend Lavender Army programmes to entire schools in the diocese in the coming years,” said Rev. Fr. Joy Mookken while addressing the student volunteers during Lavender Army official launch in St. Sebastian’s School, Nellikunnu.

By realizing the positive changes by school volunteers most of the DSSS partners initiated Ashakiranam student volunteers’ programmes at different schools in their operational areas. As part of Cancer awareness month (February) 2022 a total of 42 schools joined with the Ashakiranam campaign of Caritas India and started functioning cancer care activities by student volunteers.

Rev. Sr. Starlet SIC, H.M, Bethany Convent Girls High School, Kunnamkualm said that “We are happy to associate with the Ashakiranam campaign because it enhances the social commitment among the school students. This is a great opportunity for the students to know more about cancer and to lead & promote cancer-free life” during the school level Ashakiranam programme inauguration programme.

The magical interventions of Lavender Army student volunteers will continue in more village communities in Kerala after covid lockdowns with the support of 72 Schools to educate people, to support deserving cancer patients, to promote preventive and curative measures and thence to build a healthy Kerala.