pratibimb an aid delhi publication, jan 2010

8/14/2019 Pratibimb An AID Delhi Publication, Jan 2010

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Pratibimb Reflection of being human"Learning humility, purity and simple-living from those who don't take too much from the earth...

Targeting the problems of hunger, disease and oppression that sadden their lives...

Inspiring in each other trust, confidence and support for one another..."

An AID Delhi Pub lication, January 2010

With a new year setting in, the AID team is here with another edition of its newsletter, Pratibimb, areflection of being human. Set in the background of love, warmth, support, kindness and responsibilitytowards fellow humans, it is an attempt to give back to the society what we have taken from it at eachand every step.

We have realized that we are indebted to this society as it has given us an opportunity to experiencethe wonderful colours of life. And there are many people who arent as privileged as we are!

By being a part of AID Delhi, we have taken our first step towards bringing the colours of life closer tothose who are under sourced, under privileged and require spectacles of love and support to see thesecolours. Join us!

To know more about us, you may reac h us at:

AID India

AID Delhi < http://delhi.aidindia.org>AID Noida < http://aidnoida.blogspot.com/>AID Pehal AID Gurgaon AID Jaagriti AID Delhi on Facebook < http://www.facebook.com/delhi.aidindia>AID Delhi on Twitter < http://twitter.com/aiddelhi>AID Delhi on Wikipedia < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AID_Delhi>Parichay blog < http://parichaycommunity.blogspot.com/>Parichay website < http://parichayonline.org

If you want to join us in taking your first step towards helping human ity, there are morethan one ways in wh ich you may do so

Become a volunteer! If time is a constraint, donate for the cause. You may donate byelectronic transfer, cheque, or cash. To know more about how to donate, visit :

< http://delhi.aidindia.org/bethechange/content/view/50/77/>

Our mailing address is: AID Delhi, c/o R. Selva Ganapathy, Department of ChemicalEngineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 110016. Phone: 9891358457


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12th Annual Conferenc e of the Assoc ia tion for Ind ia 's Deve lopme ntNew Delhi, India

25 27 Dec ember, 2009

AID Delhi

AID Delhi had the privilege to host the 12th AID India Annual Conference, where volunteers fromacross the country (globe actually), sathies/jeevansathies (people who eat, drink and breath social

change) and distinguished external speakers came together for a couple of enlightening andinspiring days. It fully embodied the AID philosophy: The problems are interconnected, so must bethe solutions.

The learning curve shot up right from day 1, when we learned how Patent Laws & Globalization are affecting the common persons survival by reducing her/his access to life savingdrugs and medicines; how Swaraaj/Self Governance can bring real democracy in India throughlocal, decentralized decision making mechanisms; howAppropriate Technology can bring abouta positive change in rural India, with affordable pricing and locally available means; and how theherculean task ofWaste Management can be carried out locally, in an exceedingly greener, and

economically viable manner, using an internationally renowned, scalable model.

The second day of the conference was an eye opener too when one of the AID activistshighlighted the misery of Indian Farmers and Agriculture industry thereby suggestingthat Organi c and Sustainabl e Agricult ure was the need of the hour. Two more AIDSathies/Activists enlightened us on the inspirational workAID-Odisha andAID-Bihar are doing.We also learned how AID Chennai created a success story with its innovative approach toeducation through Eureka methods. An informative session on IndividualSocial/ Environmental Responsibility emphasized on plentiful simple ways following which onecan lead a climate-conscious life, preceded by a session on Susta inab le C ity Transport, inwhich Hamsini from "Behtar Dilli" stressed that it was high time we started converting to masstransport and reduced our dependence on private vehicles.

The Final day was again quite educational wherein a prominent human rights lawyer and activistbriefed us on Gender issues and showed how the elite and urban India was more culpable forfemale infanticide! AID veteran Balaji Sampath presented the organizational structure of AID Indiawhile AID Delhi volunteers presented the AID Delhi volunteer model.

If one were to describe the conference in a single word, it would be strength:

- To follow the footsteps, one day, of dedicated social change agents who gave up lucrative

mainstream careers- To diversify, beyond informal slum education, into health, environment, education and otherspheres, proactively exploring govt affiliations (to attain a sizable scale)- To clean up the mess within before looking outward, by making environmentally and sociallyresponsible choices in our day-to-day living

All in all, our commitment has been reinforced to be the change we wish to see in the world,which was exemplified by the fact that the resource-guzzling disposable (paper) tea cups used onday 1 of the conference were replaced overnight by (far greener) reusable glasses!


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Folks! We celebrated Christmas on a bright and sunnyafternoon at Jaagriti where we had a variety of fun-filled and

happy activities. With the help of our cheerful and ever smilingvolunteers, we gathered the sparsely dressed little childrenwho came braving the chilly weather of Delhi. We decoratedthe premises with Christmas trees, festoons and colourfulballoons. Cold cream and snacks were also distributed amongstkids. The children, who were the most active participants inthe occasion, cheered and jived on various bollywoodnumbers.

And it would be incomplete and unfair if I dont mention aboutthe show stealer i.e. our very lovable and adorable Santa Clauswho came, played, sang and doled out chocolates to thelargely restive but enthusiastic crowd. At the end of the day wecherished several innocent smiles and came back with heartsfilled with satisfaction. We are determined to keep these smilesalive and to fulfill the promises that we have made to theseangels. I am sure that posterity will be proud of us!

"I slep t and I d ream ed tha t life isa ll jo y, I w oke and I sawthat life is all service. I served and I saw that service is joy."

How JAAGRITI c eleb ra ted Christma s..!

tures ava ilab le at:

p://picasaweb.google.co.in/anchitgoel/ChristmasAndNewYearCelebrationsJaagriti#


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Origami c lasses a t JAAGRITI

Ankitolunteer - Jaagriti, AID Delhi

A chilly Sunday morninglots of used A4 sheets in onehandcolour-boxes in the otherwhere the hell are you

going ??thats what an acquaintance in my society askedme when we met at the society gate. I just smiled back. Themission was to revive the arts and craft classes at Jaagriti.

So we reached there at Open Skies site and found the classgoing on as expected. The attendance was good and theexcitement quite evident when the kids spotted us. A hearty

Good Morning welcomed us and erased all my doubts aboutwhether the kids will be excited about this class or not. Wequickly made the kids sit in circles and assigned one

volunteer to each group to help them. One of the kids tookthe paper and got his pencils ready as he thought we aregoing to paint something. He was puzzled when he was toldthat we are going to make something using only paper.

Origami, the art of paper-folding, has been on our mind forsome time for the project. What can be more interestingthan witness a useless-looking paper turn into a bird or afrog or just about anything under the sun? So for our firstclass we chose a simple yet interesting shape a jaw-snapping dinosaur. As the dinosaur took shape fold-by-fold,the kids excitement was a treat to watch. Even thecolouring part was fun, with someone drawing as many astwo pairs of eyes on his dinosaur!!

As we continue to dig the internet for more interestingorigami, a word of caution to others who plan to conductsuch sessions with kids: The number of pages missing fromkids notebooks is directly proportional to the quality ofOrigami classes!!

We plan to hold Origami Classes every week in the comingmonth. Volunteers are welcome.


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Gyan Ganga Projec t on Mental Retarda tion

After successful completion of the orientation-cum-training program for the community workers andsurveyors, project survey work in two of the areas (Village Tukmirpur and Village Biharipur) has startedand is going smoothly. Two of the community women have been trained to assist the surveyors with thesurveys. These women shall assist with follow-up, home visits, counseling, and guidance sessions. Theyhave been trained well and have become sufficiently confident to conduct guidance sessions on mentalretardation. A change worth mentioning here is that the outlook of the women who help conduct suchsurveys and sessions has changed drastically.

Total budget for this project is 2.63 lakh, out of which 1.52 lakh has been contributed by AIDPittsburgh. We have been able to arrange another 20,000 from Parichay supporters. We need to

arrange Rs. 91,000 more for the successful functioning of this project.

Handic raft and Spices Unit

Sale of spices at ST Microelectronics amounted to Rs.10,400. Christmas stalls at three corporate houses yieldedRs. 24,000 in funds. Cutting and tailoring classes have beengoing on smoothly; trainees have learned designing fewhandicraft items besides drafting and cutting basic dresseslike skirt, camisole etc.

Bal Vika s Kendra

Bal Panchayat was organized to discuss and resolve child-related issues and problems. The NFE kids took their firstassessment tests in December. Progress reports will soon beshared with the kids and their parents. Results of half yearlyexamination for school going community kids have beendeclared. All kids have performed well and secured goodranks. New syllabus for the first half of the year (January to

April 2010) was framed and the classes commenced6th January onwards.

Bal Sabha happened on 30th Dec09. At the Bal Sabha, kidsshared their resolutions and dreams for the new year. Agrand community lunch was held on 5th January, 2010 towelcome the New Year and to mark the beginning of a newsession at Parichay, after a short break of 4 days from31st December to 3rd January.

PARICHAY updates, Dec ember 2009

ID Delhi


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AID Gurgaon is running a fund collection and awareness drive through the distribution of its calendars

themed SAPNEY - Dreams for a brighter tomorrow. Through SAPNEY, we have tried to capture thezillion dreams that the underprivileged and disadvantaged children in India carry in their hearts.

Aaakhon mein hain sapne hazaar,Anek rango se hai meri duniya sarobar,Aasha ke pahiyon pe main hoon savaar,

Kya honge mere sapney sakaar...

More than raising funds, this is an opportunity to showcase the dreams of our children, to spread aword of goodness around, and to see their dreams come true in front of our very own eyes.

The funds we collect through this initiative will go towards educational and developmental activities atdifferent AID Gurgaon projects viz. Unnati, Disha, Prerna and Shiksharth, which impart non-formalprimary education to the underprivileged children.

Lets spread a 1000 hopes, lets spawn a 1000 dreams, lets awake a 1000 individuals to the wonderfulworld that we can have and that our children deserve...

Check out the calendars online at:

http://gurgaon.aidindia.org/sapney(Book you calendar by filling the online form at the end of this webpage)

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/photo.php?pid=3435533&id=655617099(Leave your comments; post album to your profile)

SAPNEY Drea ms for a b ette r tomorrow !

ntac t p oints for orde rs or for any queries:shul Sac hdev : anshul.sac h@gm ail.com / 9873469546

unish Duved i: m unishdvd @gm ail.com / 9999623000

How can you contribute to thecause

Buy a calendar for yourself and gift

some to your loved ones too!

Spread the word; share the calendarwith your teammates and tell themabout it.

Become our ambassador: Convincethe HR department/CSR cell in yourorganization to make a bulk order.

Alternatively seek permission to putup a stall in your company.


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Picnic 2009An annual picnic was organized and the kids were taken to the Birla Planetarium and Doll Museum. Atthe planetarium, children were enlightened with information on celestial bodies, and they noted downimportant facts. This was then followed by a group lunch in Childrens Park. At the Doll Museum, thekids were informed about the various dolls and what they represented.

Visit to the Waste management p lantA meeting was planned and scheduled with the Waste Management Plant members. A group of retiredpersonalities have started this plant on a piece of land given by the Noida Authority. They showed ushow they have designed the plant, and also explained to us the process of waste managementobserved in the plant. In addition, they explained how they collect waste material from the city and

cow dung from the milkmen; this waste material is processed into fertilizers in the pits which havebeen prepared within the plant in a very well organized manner.

Prayas witnessed two months of successful events with the children and volunteers involvingthemselves in various intense activities. These involved a Picnic, a Balsabha, and a Visit to the wastemanagement plant. Details of these events are given below.

BalsabhaBalsabha is another successful event held periodically. This time the event was organized on a largerscale. Children recited Kabir ke Dohe, sang and danced to good numbers, did a play on Radha-Krishna, and a moral based story about carelessness in terms of health and hygiene. The kids had puttremendous effort in preparing the stage performances and performed them with remarkableconfidence. They also gave speeches, in both Hindi and English, on prominent personalities of Indialike Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.

PRAYAS upd a tes, Novem ber and Dec ember 2009

ID Noida

Other important activities that happened at Prayas include:

Appointment of a regular teacher: A full timer teacher has been appointed at Prayas to teach and takecare of the batch. The teacher has been discharging her duties quite effectively and it has beenobserved that within a short span of time, the enthusiasm of the children towards studies and otheractivities has increased.Interaction with the Government School: Regular visits are paid to the Govt. School. This is helping us

build a good relationship between the school and Prayas. Feedback on kids academic performance istaken from the teachers. A proposal has been made to conduct an activity session at the school onSaturdays by any of the Prayas volunteers. This would help us increase the interest of students instudies.Id-cards: Another new initiative is the introduction of handmade low cost identity cards, which havebeen designed to ensure greater security for Prayas students. The cards have been designed by thekids themselves.Stall experience: A stall was setup at CSC, Noida on the eve of Christmas and New Year. Beautiful handmade products like cardboard photo frames, greeting cards and bookmarks were displayed at the stall.The products were designed by prayas volunteers and girl students. Though the entire setup was notat a very large scale, it was a great experience and made us aware of the demand and areas of further

improvement in our products. We look forward to conducting more such fundraising activities in thefuture.


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CommuniServe @ Eva lueserve

ajesh Chaud hary,valueserve

When I was a child I always complained about going to school and attending those long sleep inducing lectures. I had acomfortable life style, yet I cribbed about how things were? But in life, we all realize how much we have and howcomfortably we are living only after we meet people who are struggling just to earn their days bread, people who strive to

get minimum education and people who have to fight each day to just l ive.

Four years ago we, who had realized this, started a not-for-profit organization called AID Gurgaon, the Gurgaon chapter ofAssociation for Indias Development, for catering to the development of people, the greatest resource our country has.These four years have been a great learning experience for us. We had an opportunity to interact and learn from hundredsof volunteers, and most importantly we got a sense of REAL India.

Initially, as is the case with most of the non-profits, we were struggling to keep up the momentum. Volunteer attrition washigh and funds were limiting our ambitions. Despite persistent blogging, Orkuting, etc. and exploitation of personalcontacts, things were not improving. We wanted to find a permanent solution to both volunteer attrition and intermittentflow of funds problems. And hence, we started to pursue Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative in association with AIDGurgaon, at Evalueserve, a company I am employed with.

Initial days of association of AID with Evalueserve were full of uncertainties. We were pushing hard to make an impressionwithin the organization. There were a lot many things that we were doing to get the visibility. We started with volunteerwork within the organization. Under this initiative we imparted basic education to the house keeping staff in Evalueserve.Besides education, the objective of the project was to facilitate awareness of health, hygiene among house-keepingpersonnel. We also started publicizing our volunteering efforts with AID Delhi. Not only this, but we also initiatedenvironment awareness and resource saving campaigns. We organized blood donation camps, exhibitions etc. All in all westarted marketing our cause in the organization.

And it helped; we started to get traction from employees as well as management. Not only more people joined the initiativebut also funds started to pour in. To start with, we were getting funds generated through internal activities. But as wegrew in size, bigger ideas started to shape up. In February08, we ran company-wide fund raiser campaign. The result wecollected Rs. 200,000 spread over 12 months and added more than 100 volunteers to the initiative. The response was not

up to our expectation but we were not ready to give up.

We rethought our strategies for reaching out to people to seek support for projects we were running with AID and otherNGOs. We formed a core team of 10 dedicated volunteers to drive the initiative in a more focused way. The step helped agreat deal not only in spreading greater awareness but also in identifying a lot of passionate individuals. Also, whileinteracting with individuals across the company, core team found out that people have myriad of notions of whatCommuniServe (the CSR team at Evalueserve) does. And a lot of what people had perceived was not the right picture ofwhat we were doing and where we wanted to reach.

To convey the message right and clear, we decided to reach out to all 20 groups and 2,000 employees in the company.And CommuniServe Road-show began. Over a period of one month, we sensitized everyone in the company about theimpact we have had and our focus for the future. This activity provided enormous push to CommuniServe, for we identified3-4 champions in each group and generated handsome funds to support our initiatives monthly contribution increased

from a mere Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 60,000.

Today, I can confidently say that CommuniServe has established itself firmly. What started with a few people has nowbecome a company-wide initiative. A number of employees at Evalueserve volunteer with AID. In July, we signed an MOUwith AID Delhi under which we channelize Rs. 50000 per month for the various initiatives/projects of AID Delhi.

AID volunteers come from companies in various industries. And every company wants to do something for the society. Infact, if you read the policy guidelines, I guarantee you mention of the word society and community several times. What Iam trying to bring forth is that if your company does not have a formal CSR team yet, you can drive the cause. All youneed is belief in the cause and rest would follow.

I would like to end this note with a famous quote from Napoleon Hill What ever the mind of man can conceive andbelieve, it can achieve.


9/21

Stra ight from the HORSEs mouth..!

It is seemingly difficult to pen down my experience with Jaagriti, because as rightly said, beautiful experiencescan only be felt. If I try to frame it as a beautiful picture, Jaagriti is all about childrentheir smiles - contagious,their enthusiasm - inspiring, their stories put me in awe, their efforts teach me not to give up on anything in life,

their personalities make me play my different roles efficiently, their eye on the road waiting for their didi/auntymakes me feel responsible for their lives. I am glad I am a part of this wonderful project for it helps me staygrounded.

Jasraman SayalVolunteer, Jaagriti, AID Delhi

It was a dream come true for me when I went to Prayas for the first time on 21st Mar 09. I interacted withthe community kids and the volunteers. The kids were just lovable. After my first visit, I could not stop myselffrom continuing to meet kids. Teaching while having fun is a great feeling. Now I am a part of the activityclasses, computer classes, and a number of other community initiatives/activities at Prayas. I visit kids homesevery weekend to keep in touch with their parents. This gives them the satisfaction that their kids are beinggiven personal attention as well. Sometimes I feel that becoming a software engineer was not that difficult atask but becoming a teacher cum friend for kids really was! Getting an opportunity to interact with the kids,teach them, play with them and understand their needs is a great learning experience for me. I feel honouredto be a part of AID Prayas.

Linkan Subhudi

Volunteer, AID Noida

The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.

This is something that AID Gurgaon has been contributing towards education which is not just for the sakeof it but something which shall continue to help children for the rest of their lives. My first day at Unnati andDisha was full of excitement and curiosity. Initially, I had no idea on what to expect. But once I reached there, Ihad an amazing fun time with the children. Their enthusiasm, when it comes to studies or for that matter anyactivity, continues to surprise me. After taking few music lessons for the kids, I realized their potential and thetalent they possess. Their grasping power is so strong that they learned an entire hindi song within three daysand that too when none of them has hindi as his/her mother tongue. Last but not the least, kudos to the

volunteers who have worked so hard for the admission of some of the bright students from these non-formaleducation centers into regular mainstream schools in Gurgaon such as Vivek High School, Literacy India

Vidyapeeth and DPS. It definitely is a great boost to their confidence and a motivation for other students. Myexperience with these kids has taught me to value what I have and to do my bit for the ones who are not asprivileged. Childrens smiles and joyous faces have made my every interaction with them extremely memorableand yes it keeps adding..!!

Swati SinhaVolunteer, AID Gurgaon


10/21

CALENDERSby AID DELHI

AID Delhi

Like every year, AID Delhi has got its calendars printed as part of AID merchandise. The theme of thecalendars is Makaan (in line with the series of Roti, Kapda and Makaan with Kapda and Roti releasing

during 2008 and 2009 respectively). The USP of these desktop calendars is that they are printed in100 % recycled photo quality papers and eco-friendly non toxic inks which are removable for therecycling of paper.

Makaan Abou t th is theme

Every woman, man, youth and child has the human right to a secure place to live, to physical andmental health, and to overall quality of life. It involves more than shelter and extends to all peoplethe right to live in security, peace and dignity.

Right to housing is essential to citizenship itself. AID and partner organizations work to empower

people to make use of the Right to Information Act to fight corruption and obtain food rations, healthservices, job cards, and pensions. AID partners also help the landless obtain land for which they arelegally eligible. In areas facing natural or human-made disaster, such as flood affected Bihar, cyclone-affected West Bengal, or civilwar affected Chhattisgarh, AID provides relief and supports long termrehabilitation so that people can rebuild homes, communities and livelihoods. Defending peoplesright to shelter, right to live in their own homes and lands, and pursue their livelihoods is central tothe work of AID.

Roti, Kapda, Makaan (Food,Clothing, Shelter)... of these

basic human needs, perhapsthe one that is most elusive forthe poor is Makaan.

O h I w a nt a cu st om i ze d

one!

You are the person whom weare looking for! If you wantto order more than 100copies of our calendars withyour company logo in it, [email protected] knowabout it.

Our partners: MyWebERAVisit www.mywebera.com toknow more about oursponsors.

The funds raised through the sale of calendars will be spent

on AID NCRs initiatives and its associated projects.


11/21

Peha l - A Drea m Come True!

ID Delhi

Whenever I would see a child or a handicapped person on the streets asking for money, I felt a pangof pain. Sometimes I donated to a cause, sometimes gave money to beggars and sometimes just felt

helpless. Gradually, I realised that they don't need my money or my pity, what they really needed wassupport and opportunities so that they could lead their lives in a more dignified manner.

This realization led me to join AID, where I met so many like minded people who have constantlyguided me and helped me achieve this dream called Pehal. Pehal was started on Children's day i.e.14th November, and caters to children of construction workers, who are mainly Bengali migrants.These children usually spent their day playing with mud, running around and at times getting intosocially unacceptable activities.

Our main aim is to introduce them to education along with making them realise their potential.

Getting this project in place was not an easy task and initially we met with a lot of reluctance from theworkers. They feared they would have to spend money for enrolling their children with us andsuspected our intentions. But, thankfully, a Pehal volunteer, who happens to know Bengali, struck theright chord with them and convinced them that it was for the benefit of their own children, and thatnone of their expenses was required. A well qualified teacher has been employed to provide them withprimary education whereas our volunteers conduct the skill building classes.

It is just the beginning, and as the name suggests, it is our first step. However, I am confident andhopeful that with the dedicated efforts of the erstwhile Aashayein team and guidance of AID NCR,

Pehal will cross many milestones in future.

- Prachi Aggarwal,Coordinator Pehal, AID Delhi

AID Delhi pa rtne rs with LearningInq

AID Delhi has collaborated with LearningInq, a group that has been working towards effective scale-upof quality education for the bottom 10% of children. LearningInq has education centres in variousenvironments targeting different kinds of high-need children, including urban poor, street and workingchildren, rural poor, and children with special needs. In addition, they are working in direct interventionwith the government on some of their educational initiatives. As part of the collaboration, AID Delhishall help sustain some of LearningInqs initiatives by making a monthly contribution of Rs. 15000towards the cause. Together, we look forward to working to effect measurable improvements in thequality of education for the less privileged.


12/21

When the kids of PEHALand JAAGRITIpa id a visit to o uter spac e!!

PEHAL AND AASHAYEINAID Delhi

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm andadventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have

if only we seek them with our eyes open. This famous quoteby our beloved Jawahar Lal Nehru, was brought to realizationat AID, when the ever enthusiastic kids of Aashayein andJaagriti, were taken to the Nehru Planetarium, on the 8th ofNovember, 2009.

Inside the planetarium, the dome shaped roof projected abeautiful display of the solar system, wooing our kids andscaring some. A Well informative session of our solar systemfollowed, projecting different planets and their surroundingenvironment with excellent visualizations.

The session was followed by a visit to the museum, wheredifferent systems which exist outside the Earths surface wereexplained in detail, along with model replicas and pictures. Thekids were then given refreshments, followed by a small gamingsession. Kudos to the team of

Aashayein and Jaagriti, for making this day a memorableaddition to the list of initiatives working towards the cause.


13/21

When bells jingled at Peha lChristmas is associated with a feeling of warmth and love whichreaches out to the ones we care for. It is all about sharing andfeeling the joy of giving. Such are the feelings that marked theChristmas Day Celebrations at Pehal on 19th December. The daystarted with the volunteers assembling at the venue along with theteacher and the children. After that started all the preparations,from decorating the christmas tree to entertaining the childrenwith a whole lot of stories! Santa did a marvellous job at makingthe children laugh and literally spread the joy! We even played agame called pin the santa's nose, which the children and thevolunteers enjoyed tremendously. All in all, it was a wonderful

day!

More a t PEHAL

PEHALAID Delhi

Colors @Peha lColours signify the beauty of life, for they depict the richness of

each and every thing around us. 5th December, 2009 was a daydevoted to celebrate the joy of colours and art with the kids atPehal. Our aim was to let the imagination of these tiny tots runriot, and to give them a chance to explore and bring to life thethings that they have always thought about but never got achance to really bring to life. The end result was lovely. Fromfruits to flowers to cycles to children playing in the field tobeautiful designs, we saw it all! The zest with which the childrenresponded to this activity was heart warming to say the least. Sohere we took one more step towards building the confidence ofthese children and this is just the beginning!!

Hea lth Camp @Peha lPehal moved on its journey to reach another milestone inDecember when a health check camp was organized by the pehalteam. It involved a thorough check up of all the 40 kids studyingat Pehal by an eminent doctor. As an initial step, a health recordof each child has been set up. Volunteers were alarmed when theylearned that almost all the kids at Pehal suffered from one or theother problem such as protein energy Malnutrition, anaemia,

intestinal worms, double squint, mal hearing, vitamin deficiency,rickets, etc. Thereafter, it was decided that regular health checkup would be conducted for the kids. Besides, a nutrition programhas been formulated and implemented.

Also, these kids lack proper clothing. Dear readers, please askyour friends and relatives to donate used warm clothes for thekids.


14/21

Slumdog Millionaire was the biggest hit the world saw lastyear and the reason was the brilliant direction, fantastic

music and more so the story line which showed a youngpoor boy beating all odds to win a million on a televisionshow. While the world chanted Jai Ho, the movie becamean inspiration for a billion Indians. But the moviesprotagonist was a one off case. There are millions of othersaround us who are not so lucky. After over 60 years ofindependence, its a pity that even today we are strugglingto ensure basic rights to the children who are living in slums.Their right to education and to a certain minimum basicstandard of living stands threatened because of over

consumption and wastage by a few privileged people of thesociety.

Its an old adage that things do not change until we changethem. And it was with this conviction in mind that AIDGurgaon started Project Prerna. Prerna is an education-cum-training initiative that aims to bring education right at thedoorstep for underprivileged children of the society.

Prerna was started on 14th November, 2009 (ChildrensDay), to educate the kids from slums. These kids are not

able to attend regular government schools because of lackof awareness and poor financial condition of their parents. Apermanent teacher has been employed under the project toteach these children on weekends. Right now there are twobatches of 20 students each. The response to the initiativehas been tremendous and the numbers are steadily growing.

The project faced problems right from the start but thevolunteers running the project were always up to thechallenge. The contribution of Brigadier A.S. Yadav (Retd.)has been an inspiration for all of them. Brigadier Sahab, ashe is popularly known, offered his vacant piece of land forstarting the school. Since then, the sailing has beencomparatively smooth for the project.

The school is currently being run near Presidency building inSector 14, Gurgaon. Prerna represents a small initiative bypeople willing to give back to the society. However thedesired changes will come only when more of us startworking for our society more proactively to bring about thischange.

Prerna - A unique sc hoo l for the und erprivileg ed

ID Gurga on


15/21

The potentia l of the c yc le ric kshaw

eepak Nanwani

ID Delhi

A cycle rickshaw is an integral part of Delhi's (in fact, thewhole NCRs) transport system. Yet, it is one of the most

ignored and underestimated means of transport in Delhi.Cycle rickshaws have come a long way from the twowheeled pre-independence day carts to the three wheeledmuch lighter and easily maneuverable tricycles, whichhave reduced the effort of the rickshaw puller. Whathowever has remained constant is the environment-friendliness of these rickshaws.

Cycle rickshaw pulling is among the few truly 'green jobs'.Some feel uneasy about one human being carrying

another, but the truth is that the work life of a rickshawpuller is healthier and better than heaps of industriallabourers. The troublesome aspect in these jobs is usuallynot the physically intensive nature of the work, but morethe hazardous and unhealthy confines of the work place.So, instead of guilt, board the rickshaw with pride,because you are promoting eco-friendly employment, adire need of the hour. It may at times appear a tadexpensive, but its well worth the gains of clean air andlivelihood support to the poor.

The idea is to promote these cycle rickshaws inconjunction with other modes of sustainable transportsuch as buses, cycles, car/auto pooling and the Metro.Most people who use swanky cars to commute shortdistances are hardly ever in a critical rush, and need tourgently wake up to the reality that the so-called statussymbols (read luxurious cars) emit tonnes of greenhousegases and end up occupying disgustingly huge parkingspaces. There need to be dedicated cycle rickshaw standson the lines of auto stands, and active campaigns to

promote their use.

Some good research is also being carried out across thecountry to improve the design of the cycle rickshaws so asto make them lighter and sturdier. The government needsto promote it because in the long term such improvisationswill certainly help in reducing the emissions in urbanareas, and improving livelihoods of a lot of people andtheir families by providing them with a respectable andsteady source of income.


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Shiksharth A community schoolsta rted by Zariya and AID Gurgaon

pic tures rela ting to Shiksha rth, please visit:

p:/ / pic asa web .go og le.com / gurgao n.a idindia/ Shiksharth

Association for Indias Development (AID), Gurgaon recentlystarted Shiksharth a community school based out of Kanhai

village in Gurgaon. Shiksharth aims to educate the children of theslums in Kanhai village and at the same time inculcate self esteemand confidence among them.

The project is being run with help from Zariya a group of Indianyouth who have come together to provide solutions to variousssues that concern the society today. The group intends to bridgethe gap between the large social organizations and the lowersection of the society. Shiksharth is their first major endeavor inthe field of community service.

Together AID Gurgaon and Zariya volunteers walked the lengthand breadth of Kanhai village to spread awareness about themportance of education. Shiksharth started in the vacant premisesadjoining the village temple. The school was inaugurated by thevillage sarpanch Sh. Satish Yadav, who has been instrumental inhelping the volunteers in their efforts. Not only did he help themget the land but also the support and faith of the villagers. At thenauguration function, the students were imparted a few lessonson moral values through cartoon movies. The average age of thestudents enrolled at the school is eight years. A retired principalhas been associated with the school since the very beginning andhelps the volunteers track the performance of the students andsegregate them on the basis of their academic ability.

The school started with 40 students and the number has beensteadily increasing. The good news is that the children are comingto the school on their own without any pressure from theirparents. Parents too understand the importance of education andare more than ready to send their children to school. This bodeswell for the future of Shiksharth. The volunteers involved with theproject aim to increase the student strength to around 125-150

with four teachers to take care of the teaching part. The schooloperates from 9am to 1:30pm on weekdays and 9am to 12noonon Saturday.

The basic infrastructure for the school the blackboard, thestationary and the furniture is in place. The volunteers now aim tompart gardening training to the students with help from thegardener of the adjacent park. This would help in spreadingenvironmental awareness among the students, increasing thegreenery in the village and would also be of use to the kids as avocational skill in the future. The need of the hour is more such

nitiatives with more support from all sections of the society.


17/21

VolunteerXpress

ID Delhi

Pen is mightier than a sword.In this case it's the keyboard!!!

Bringing a change ain't easyI can see a tortuous road

But oh what the hellI am a volunteer on board

I am going to raise my voiceWrite against what I despiseBring up and don't suppress

Come and join the VolunteerXpress...

VolunteerXpress is a platform not only for AID Volunteers but for everyone to come together, andshare their feelings and thoughts, discuss and brainstorm on various topics and issues of mutualinterest, be it society, social service, politics, health, environment, any personal experience or anything

which they would like to share with everyone. This blog is a concentrated effort to bring all thevolunteers associated with AID and other social organizations to use it as a portal in voicing theiropinions and mainly spreading awareness.

Come, be a part of it now!!http://volunteerxpress.blogspot.com/

People interested in writing, may send their requestto [email protected]/[email protected] to receive author invitations.

We would love to see you participate!

Voc ationa l Tra ining - Sewing c lasses forwomen @ Unna ti, AID Gurgaon

This project was started with the initial assistance of Literacy India to help adolescent girls and womenin the Jharsa community learn sewing skills. Classes were started with 08 girls and later the strength

increased to 14 girls .We shall soon scale the project to train 30 women, as more and more communitywomen want to learn sewing. We requested our volunteers to donate for purchasing sewing machinesand got a very good response. Today we have committed funds for some 12 machines. In the meantime we shall look for some experienced professional who can train these women in more advancedsewing skills, so that the women can start their own small vocations collectively or individually andgenerate income for themselves and their family.

We endeavour to make this project self sustainable in the long run. If you wish to donate for thisinitiative, you may contact AID Gurgaons project coordinator Munish Duvedi at 9999623000.


18/21

While you wa lk ahead....look wha t you left behind

ulaikha Rahm an

olunteer, AID De lhi

A normal day in India usually starts with noisy train platforms, jammed roads and over filled busescoupled with annoying background music of eerie sounds, as everyone struggles to reach work on

time. The kind of picture we see as we move out of our homes depicts everyone's urge to make it totheir future. However, a few days ago, whilst India was busy planning its future, a one and a half yearold baby girl was being raped by a heartless, pleasure seeking individual, aware that everyone is toobusy pushing each other around and trying their best to step ahead of every one who comes in theirway!

A ruthless individual got the courage to take a child and fool around with her and the child, just an 18month old baby, went through the most monstrous activity ANY one could ever face. I understand,how a lot of other things happen in this world that could be termed 'horrendous'. What I dontunderstand is why, knowing that a horrendous event took place in our vicinity, there wasnt a pause.

Why didnt the noisy train platforms go silent, why didnt the cars on the jammed roads drivethemselves behind the rapist, why werent the over filled buses en route to justice? WE, yes me andyou, have created a very sad world. I wont even go into the much serious issues that havesuccessfully been able to create unbearable misery.

But I wonder, am I just supposed to hear about this and feel sorry.. I heard this incident on 20thNovember 2009 and found out that 19th November is popularly recognized as World Day forPrevention of Child Abuse.

I heard this for a reason.

An individual can make a difference but the rate at which the evil in human mind plots and plays ismuch much higher than the existing 'difference creating' momentum.

I am not sure how I would describe myself to stand against it. But I believe, there must have beensome way in which that innocence in the baby girl could have been preserved. There must be a limitto all evil.

While you sit with all the gadgets and branded clothes around you, a moment of thought on socialissues existing around us, would be the first drop in the ocean of a difference, YOU could make.

This incident is so overwhelming, I am really not able to express what I feel in words. However, it didmake me pause, it truly did. The root lies in strengthening every existing system. I am going to playmy role, I want you to play yours. There are ways - Lets figure them out.


19/21

Saturday@Peha l

shish, Vo lunteer Pehal, AID Delhi

I crib about almost everything that I dislike. Perhaps 3-4 years into corporate life, you just live to crib aboutevery goddamn thing that doesnt go as per your expectations. My idea of a perfect weekend is to catch up with

friends, go outdoors, have fun and party hard. But at the end of it all, I had still been cribbing about thepathetic state of our income distribution system and social infrastructure. Yes, that's one of the things I havealways cribbed about while sitting in my a/c car and listening to the best of Rolling Stones or Kailash Kher. Iwould just pass a comment on kids, begging at the roadside, for money or food, but wouldn't dare to doanything concrete for them. No matter how much of money I give to any noble cause or how much of my time Igive to an orphanage, but I couldn't dare to be a change myself i.e. to get my hands into dirt to clean it up.

Heard about Pehal from somewhere and felt as if it would be another of those NGOs which are money makingmachines, rather than a facilitator of social infrastructure and change to the society. Reached the so-called "DTCity Centre" in Shalimar Bagh (I had always thought that DT City Centre was in Gurgaon) at 10.10 AM anddidn't know what to do. Started calling up all those people who always complain that I never talk and am alwaysbusy for them, and then Prachi called up and talked about the construction building opposite to the Mall.

Woahhhh .... that was a not-so goodlooking sight!! Traffic Police guys (just outside the building) asked mewhere I was going, and my reply was "Sirji, yeh construction building mein jaana hai!". The guy said, "yahanparking nahi hai; kahin aur karo". My reaction to him was "FO, I'm taking it into that construction plethora;None of your business". Anyway, I was in there - the site for my first experience with Project Pehal. There shewas ... Prachi ... ummm ... Why would a girl like her be standing in the mid of debris, waiting for people to pourin for the session? And the moment she started talking, I could easily judge the passion for the cause and theproject in her voice. Oooops, the girl had just so much to say and that too so quickly - probably a zillion thingsgoing in her mind in a fraction of a second. And the first thought was - Is she a fakester who is just running amoney-making business??

We will come to that later... ;-)

So Prachi and I reached a room where around 30+ kids had assembled with an expectation that they can be apart of our formal education system. She started telling me about the initiative and how we plan to help thesekids with proper education and a sense to live a dignified life. Fair enough, let's wait for the others to joinin... Then came a couple of more volunteers - Swasthik, Nikita ... ummm these are all the names I canremember for now! :-( We started making arrangements for the health camp - getting our ammunition ready!!

You know the funniest part about the morning - Mariam would pronounce her name as Mairam, and Ashradulwould say it in such a way that you would hear it anything but Ashradul ... "Ashu, dost ... inke liye kuch tokarna banta hai"... ;-) Bas yahich tha woh moment when I could associate myself with the cause!The health camp went quite well with basic profiles of the kids created by us and observations made by a nicelooking Dr. couple!

The health camp made us aware of where we stand and what all we need to do for the kids, so that they canlive a life with clothes on their body and dignity in their mind. We need to work for the infrastructure, theirpersonal hygiene, nutritional requirements and everything that a respectable life commands from the society.Trust me ... they need a life better than this! As humans, they deserve a life better than this.Oooops, I missed an important part of the morning ... Story telling session, "Cinderella" and guess what -Nobody knows the actual story of Cinderella ... ;-) Well, I think the morning made me think about the value thatI can add to the team and the initiative. Miles to go before I sleep ... Trust me, that's true for all of us if weneed to convert this into success!


20/21

AID Delhi TREASURY

ID Delhi

Fund details In INR Remarks

Total Funds available with AID Delhi 610204.2 N/A

Funds spent on Admin [Since April 09] 43125 N/A

Funds spent on Projects [Since Apr 09] 321089 All Educational Initiatives

Funds spent on Development [Since Apr 09] 291000 Munsiari Solar Light

Funds spent on Environment 33800 Including Green Gurgaon Campaign

Funds spent on Campaigns 224050 Including 2.12 Lac for "I am No Lab Rat"

Corporate Donors: RBS, Gurgaon; Evalueserve, Gurgaon; MywebEra, Chennai


21/21

SWEATSHIRTS for a c ause

pratibimb an aid delhi publication, jan 2010

Documents