Three children from Malappuram have been selected for the Ujjwala Ballyam 2020 awards instituted by the Woman and Child Development Department. In the differently abled category, Alveena, a nine-year-old visually challenged student from Manjeri, won the award. A Class IV student of Kerala School for the Blind, Vallikkapatta, Alveena is excellent at playing the keyboard. She speaks seven languages — English, Spanish, Japanese, French, Chinese, Arabic and Hindi. Her talent in mimicry and general knowledge also helped her achieve the award. She has received several other certificates and awards at school-level quizzes. Alveena is the younger daughter of Sidique, an accountant with a private firm, and Labitha. 

In the category of children between 6 and 12 years, Sreya Bhajith, 10, from Vallikkunnu North, won the award. She is a Class V student of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Malappuram. She has shown her talents in Kalaripayattu by winning various competitions. She won first place in the state championship titled 'Chuvadukal', organised by the Kerala Kalaripayattu Association in 2020. She is the daughter of Bhajith and Sona, who run a business. 

Mohammed Fadhil, a 13-year-old from Veliyankode won the Ujjwala Ballyam Award for his skills in electronics, robotics and chess. He is the son of Basheer and Rukhsana, and he studies in Class VIII at Ideal English Medium School, Kadakassery. 

"We had received 24 applications for the awards in the district. From those, we selected three talents. The State Government had announced the winners recently and the awards will soon be distributed at a state-level function," said Malappuram District Child Protection Officer Geethanjali.