Children's Day Celebrations 2010

Children’s Day marks the celebration of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s (fondly called Chacha Nehru) birthday. It commemorates the love he had for kids & is a day for celebration for children all over India.

Aashayein Foundation, Mysore celebrated Children’s Day at the Government School, Bastipura in Srirangapatana District with the school children from standard 4^th, 5^th, 6^th & 7^th. This is the same school where AF-Mysore conducts its weekly ‘Shikshana Abhiyana’ activity. Around 40 Kids had assembled on the occasion.

What is Children’s Day?

The activities of the day started off with Mr. Rameshbabu, talking to all the kids on the importance of the day; why the day & what it means.

Questions were asked on topics ranging from children’s day to politics to sports.

Consolation prizes were awarded to the ones who answered.

Let the games Begin!

First event of the day was the Rangoli competition

This event had 14 teams registered. Most of the kids were in groups of 3, but some preferred doing it alone.

It was a tribute to the creativity of the kids that they could come up with such beautiful & colourful designs in such a short duration.

Not only were their rangolis beautiful, they had the colours of their innocence filled in them.

The volunteers too had their share of the fun, in helping out a few of the kids with their rangolis.

This was then followed by the Individual competitions & sports activities.

Do you Cycle?!

The event was a ‘Slow cycling Race’. The one to reach last without touching feet on ground was the winner.

This event was a lot of fun with the volunteers also trying out their skills. It was also appreciative in the way the girls too came forward to participate.

The event had its own share of joy, excitement, falls & successes.

Drinks Break!

With the sun deciding to give competition to the bright lights at the school grounds (the children), it was time for a drinks break.

Students & volunteers alike lined up for the lemon juice being served.

Lemon spoon!!

The next event on the sports list was the lemon juice ...BURP!!..OOPS!!...the lemon & spoon competition. This activity saw a lot of excitement among the kids with them calling out the names of their friends as they raced on field.

A few lemons spilled here & there, only added to the excitement. These were cheered by the enthusiastic crowd as much as the winners were!!

Phew!..Lunch Break...Finally!!

The children, the volunteers & all assembled were extremely tired with the exertions on field. It was time for some food. Bisi Bele Bath & Curd Rice were served for the kids. A special mention of Ms Rupa Rao who provided sponsorship for the lunch served on the occasion.

A lot of activities were going on in the classes as the food was being served. The picture shown gives a glimpse of the same.

Just look at all the hungry people out there!!

Can u race!?

The final sports activity of the day was a ball race wherein tennis balls were placed at regular intervals on the race track. The participants are supposed to get the balls back to the starting line & then finish the race.

The sport had a lot of excitement with the crowd at its vociferous best with all the energy generated from the wonderful lunch.

Show me your talents!!

The talent show is a chance for the kids to exhibit their skills in a host of cultural activities.

A lot of them came prepared & performed activities like singing, dancing & drama.

This platform served as a chance for the students to not only exhibit their talents, but also to get rid of their stage fear, if any.

And the best part-Prizes!!!

With all the events wound up, it was time for the prize distribution. The function began with providing each child with a story book each & sweets as a token for their participation on the day. This was further followed by the prize winners for the group & individual events.

Special prizes were given to the best performer in the English classes conducted as part of ‘Shikshana Abhiyana’ at the school.

Token of appreciation was given to the teachers who had made it to the celebration despite it being their only day off in the week. A few books were donated to the school library so that it could be of further use for the kids studying at the school.

A special mention of Mr. Rameshbabu S who provided for the sponsorship of the prizes.

Thus concluded, a wonderful day, spent fruitfully for all the AF volunteers in spreading happiness among children on ‘their’ day. AF-Mysore offers a note of thanks to all the sponsors without whom the event would never have been a success.

To quote the ‘Spiderman’ movie dialogue differently,

” With Education (Power) comes responsibility, a responsibility to empower others & make a difference to society”

Childrens Day Celebrations @ Bastipura Government School

Aashayein Foundation-Mysore Plans to celebrate 'Children's Day'at Bastipura school. Please find the details mentioned below.

Venue :- Government higher primary school,
Bastipura Village,
Near to BEML,
KIADB Industrial Area,
Mysore.

Date and Timings :- Sunday, 14th Nov, 2010 10.00 am to 2.00 pm

Events :- a) Rangoli Competition  (Group Competition)
b) Mud Castle building (Group Competition)
c) Slow Cycling
d) Lime & Spoon Race
e) Talent Show
These events would be followed by Prize Distribution & Lunch provided by AF for kids.

You are invited to be a part of this program & share the joy with kids.

SBS Details for June-July

It's been more than 6 months since AF Mysore started its "Sunday Breakfast Serving" campaign and it's one activity that AF plans to continue for a long long time on a regular basis. But since most of the orphanages in Mysore are covered once, the volunteers have decided to start visiting them again. Given below are the details of all the places visited during June-July '10.

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15th SBS at Balamandira

The volunteers of AF-Mysore visited Balamandira, a Govt. home for boys at J.P.Nagar, as part of their Sunday Breakfast Serving. There were around 40 children from all age groups and they soon assembled at the vast hall where they were served breakfast.

After a sumptuous breakfast, the boys soon gathered again for some fun-filled activities. The

volunteers made them play a lot of games using balloons, and they thoroughly enjoyed every moment. In the meantime, the caretaker of the orphanage informed that one of those boys was selected for an all-India level trekking expedition.

So the volunteers got very interested and soon found the boy and asked him to narrate his experience to all. He was more than happy to recollect and tell us every bit of his trip. He was one of the few children from all over the country who were chosen for this expedition which went on for more than 20 days. He got an opportunity to travel many places in North India and also gain a lot of trekking experience. He even got a memento for participating in this big event which he proudly displayed to the members of AF Mysore.

The volunteers were really happy to know about his achievement and encouraged the other children to participate in such events. Finally they bid farewell to the children with a promise to

visit them soon. Many more orphanages to be visited, more love to be shared, the Aashayein caravan shall go on.

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14th SBS at St. Mary's Girls' Orphanage

The 14th "Sunday Breakfast Serving" of AF-Mysore happened to be at St. Mary's Orphanage for girls near NIE College, Mysore. The volunteers gathered at the place at around 8.30 am as usual, but were surprised to find that none of the kids were present at that time. Since it was a Sunday, they had all gone for their Mass prayers and the volunteers utilized the free time to discuss about the further plans and course of action for AF-Mysore activities. The girls finally arrived at around 9.30 am and were immediately served breakfast which comprised of Idly-Vada-Badam Milk.

Soon after breakfast, they started feeling more comfortable with the volunteers and showed keen interest in exhibiting their dancing skills. They formed many groups and each of those groups danced to the tunes of many English, Hindi and Kannada songs. It was really nice to watch all those kids dance with so much enthusiasm, and it didn't take them much time to pull the volunteers into the dance as well.

One of the girls then came up to thank AF and all its volunteers for spending their time with them and making their Sunday a special one. The Sisters expressed their deep gratitude to the organisation for taking up such tasks and visiting their orphanage and making the girls feel special. They also requested the volunteers to pay many more visits to their orphanage and help the kids with their academics also. After the customary group photograph, the volunteers bid farewell to the little girls and promised to come back as soon as possible.

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HALLI SUMMER CAMP- A Report

It's more than a month now since the Summer Camp came to an end but it is still fresh in the minds of all AF volunteers. To further enhance their memories and for the benefit of non AF volunteers, one of our members, Akhilesh writes a detailed report of the camp, starting from Day 1 till the Closing Ceremony.

Click here to read the first part of the story and then keep clicking on "Newer posts" to find the subsequent parts.

PS: Don't miss the link for the pics of Closing Ceremony.

13th SBS at 'Saptarshi Gurukula'

The thirteenth 'Sunday Breakfast Serving (SBS)' of AF-Mysore was conducted at 'Saptarshi Gurukula Sevashrama', located off KRS road on 22nd May 2010. This was the first time that an SBS activity was being organized at a Gurukula. The SBS is weekly activity in which the members of AF-Mysore visit an ashrama/orphanage and spend time there. Breakfast would be served to the residents. It is an activity wherein the members understand and learn the values and the best practices and offer any possible help towards educating the kids. Empowering the children with quality education is one of the objectives that AF-Mysore is committed to.

The volunteered gathered at around 8.15AM and proceeded towards the Gurukula. On reaching the venue they were startled with what they saw. The Gurukula was unlike any other place wherein SBS was conduced. The place was in the middle of open space and much of the activities were happening outdoors. The volunteers were greeted with 'HARI OM' and offered to sit on the hay carpets under the blue sky.

The seer of the Gurukula, Sri Abhinava Ramanujacharya, then addressed the group of volunteers and his disciples. He explained the values on which his Gurukula was founded. He informed the volunteers that the Gurukula adopted kids from all sections of the society and every disciple of him was entitled to the same standards of education and spiritual teachings. It was learnt that the children attended a nearby government school. Swamiji emphasized the importance of a holistic education that involved an understanding of one's surroundings, sensitivity towards the ecology & the knowledge of the medicinal values of the available herbs/shrubs to supplement the formal education. Knowledge from the Vedas were also taught to the children.

The Gurukula provided boarding and lodging for the children. It was learnt that the Gurukula would support them till their matriculation (10th Std), after which the children would be allowed to pursue their interest.
Most of them, so far, had went on to become Archakas (high priests at temples) or take up appropriate roles within industries etc. The Seer was particularly proud of one of his disciples who has become an Archaka at a temple in Germany and is teaching the Vedas to the localities there. 

After the discourse by the seer, the volunteers served breakfast to the children. Some of them also sat with the children and joined in for the breakfast. The children were served with Idli, Vada and Sambhar. They were also provided with Badam Milk.
It was a different experience altogether to sit together in the open under the blue sky for the breakfast.

Mr. Anil Raj, an active member of AF-Mysore and the sponsor for this event celebrated his birthday by distributing chocolates to the children. He also seeked the blessings of the seer on the occasion. The seer blessed him and other members of AF-Mysore and wished them well in their endeavor to make the society a little better place.



The volunteers bid farewell to the residents of the Gurukula after a group photograph.

More smile to be spread and more hopes to be nurtured. The caravan of Aashayein Foundation - Mysore will continue next week.

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Halli Summer Camp - Closing Ceremony

A colorful closing ceremony is organized for the Summer Camp on 15th May 2010, starting 10 AM. The agenda of the program is given below.

The AF-Mysore team cordially invites you on this occasion.

Halli Summer Camp - Detailed Programme Schedule

The major part of the halli summer camp concluded on 9th of May 2010. Over 60 children attended the six day long summer camp spread over 3 weekends. The kids were drawn from 4th to 10th Standard of BNSS High school of Hadinaaru Village, Nanjangud Taluk. 

The program schedule was as given below. 

 

However, all is not over yet. A colorful closing ceremony will be held on 15th May 2010. The event will feature Dance numbers, Group Songs and Skits by the children among other activities. To know more write to info.mys@aashayeinfoundation.org

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Pics of 2nd Weekend 

HALLI-SUMMER-CAMP (Weekend 1)

AF-Mysore launched the much awaited HALLI SUMMER CAMP on 24th April 2010 at the BNSS High School, Hadinaaru Village, Nanjangud taluk, Mysore. The Principal and the staff of the school were highly supportive and helped the volunteers. It was learnt during one of the pre-camp interactions that the children had never attended a summer camp before. This set the expectations high. The children were informed of the activities that would be conducted as a part of the camp and the tentative schedule. 

The camp kick started with an introductory speech from Mr. B. Mahadevappa, principal of the school. He welcomes the volunteers and appreciated their intentions and efforts in sharing knowledge and spreading joy amongst the children of their school. 

The programme schedule for the first weekend was as given below,

A total of 54 children attended the camp on the first two days. Going by the response and the enthusiasm, one was sure that more would be joining in the coming weeks. 

The AF-Mysore team is in need of monetary funds to keep the Summer Camp going for the subsequent weeks. Please write to info.mys@aashayeinfoundation.org to know how you can contribute.

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12th SBS @ Aashadayaka Seva Trust

The volunteers of AF-Mysore visited 'Ashadayaka Trust' as a part of their '12th Sunday Breakfast Serving' activity on 18th April 2010. It was the second visit to the place from the team (Earlier Visit).

The volunteers reached the venue at 8.30AM and the children were taking up poems and singing lessons from a teacher who visits the facility every Sunday mornings. After the singing classes, it was time for the breakast. the kids were served with Idli-vada and sambhar. They were also given badam milk to drink.

After the breakfast session the group resorted to the 'paint the balloon' game. The challenge was to dip a needle-tip in water paint and paint a face on the a balloon. The children took turns to paint the balloon. Every bursted balloon was cheered by the group.

Those who managed to paint the balloon withou bursting it were declared winners and given chocolates as prizes. While the game was in progress, some of the voluteers made some time to discuss and finalize the plans for the upcoming ambitious "Halli Summer Camp" from AF-Mysore at Hadinaaru Village, Nanjangud Taluk, Mysore.

The Team AF-Mysore with the kids

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Run-up to the SUMMER CAMP

The members and the followers of the community would know that the AF-Mysore is conducting a summer camp for the kids at HADINAARU - a village 25 kms away from Mysore. One of the members - Akhilesh pens down the events leading up to the endeavor. (Read the Story)

ps: Coming Soon - The detailed schedule of the summer camp.

11th SBS @ Anugraha Trust

The volunteers visited the ‘Home for special Children’ of Anugraha Trust as a part of their 11^th SBS on 11^th April 2010. The trust is run by a committee of 7 trustees and has office in Chennai and Bangalore apart from the one in Mysore. A child with disability is considered a liability and more often as a shame. The situation aggravates if the child belongs to a poor family. Under such conditions people around fail to understand that this child too has a heart to feel, a brain to think and a desire to lead a normal life. The trust believes that such children require constant attention, love, reassurance and affirmations of hope so that they can rise above their impairment.

The volunteers caught up with Smt. Vanajakshi, Founder Trustee to know more about their endeavors. She is staying in the premises where the children are taken care of and has dedicated her full time to the good cause. She is involved personally in the Trust activities and attends to the children on a day to day basis. She informed that they have children with about 20% mental retardation (MR) to those with 80% MR. “These children need special care and constant monitoring. It takes years of care, mentoring and medical assistance to see improvement in such cases. There are been instances where in we’ve been able to keep the MR under check”, said Smt. Vanajakshi. She further added that two teachers trained in special training visit the facility every day. There were also two physiotherapists who frequented the ‘Home for special Children’.

The facility is maintained with 5 caretakers apart from the supervision of the trustees. Mr. Dinakar Surve, Trustee was also present during the occasion. He mentioned that the government has appointed a doctor who will visit the facility once a fortnight for the routine checkups. Apart from the routine checkups, he is also available in cases of emergencies. It was learnt that these children usually do not have any physically disability from birth. It is because of their inability to exercise control over their hands and legs (due to MR) that the limbs go weak, hence making physiotherapy essential along with the regular treatment. Mr. Dinakar informed the volunteers that it would cost up to Rs. 1,500 per person every month towards the medical expenses alone. Some of the general medicine is given free by the government but many others have to be brought.

The children arrived at around 9AM for their breakfast. They prayed to the almighty before the volunteers served them with Idli-Vada and badam milk. 

The inmates comprised of children of varying age and levels of MR. The most touching moment of the day was witnessing the more capable of the children helping others in their daily chores. Those children with more control over their MR helped others in eating their breakfast and also in washing their hands. The volunteers were told that some of them even regularly wash their clothes and were reaching a stage when they could be almost considered normal. 

 

The volunteers then handed a balloon each to the inmates and bid farewell. More smiles to be spread, more hopes to be nurtured… The Aashayein Caravan shall go on… 

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10th SBS @ Odanadi Seva Samsthe

Volunteers of the AF-Mysore visited the Odanadi Seva Samsthe on the 4^th of April 2010 for the weekly SBS activity. The SBS is an endeavor to reach out to the underprivileged sections of the society and especially the children. The members of AF-Mysore visit one facility every Sunday to understand and appreciate the effort towards child rehabilitation.

Odanadi is one of the most well known institutions of Mysore that is working for the rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked women and children. One learnt that 200 women/girls enter prostitution every day in India alone and 80% of them end up as victims of trafficking. Registered in 1991, the Samsthe has rescued over 1800 girls in and around the state of Karnataka. The organization based in Mysore, has spread its wings as far as the United Kingdom. One can follow their activities in the UK from the website - http://www.odanadi-uk.org/. Coincidently, the two directors of Odanadi Samsthe were recently accorded a reception at the House of Lords at Westminister in London in recognition of their work (read more).

During the visit, the volunteers got to interact with the man himself – Mr. Parashuram, director of the foundation. He said that “Rescue operations is just one half of the mission; their rehabilitation forming the more significant half”. He further added that, “After being rescued, the girls will be provided with counseling and non-formal teaching. The counseling part aims to instill self confidence among the girls and motivate them to take up studies. The non-formal training includes awareness towards the society and imparting essential life skills. This process can take up to 4-5 years depending on the case. After this phase, the girls will be put on the track of formal education. It was learnt that the Odanadi Samsthe had helped as many as 480 girls in getting a graduate degree since its inception. The Samsthe also has the credit of conducting marriages in it’s own premises. There have been over 50 such instances so far.

Speaking of the future plans, Mr. Parashuram informed that the Samsthe had adopted about 100 villages that were isolated and inaccessible to the civic amenities. He said that an attempt is being made to impart general health related awareness and sex education among these villages. He encouraged the volunteers to come and visit one of their camps at these locations.

The volunteers reached the venue at 8.30 AM. The facility was clean and extremely hygienic. The girls were taking classes in Karate on the Sunday morning. It was later learnt that the Samsthe organizes experts to train the girls on various fields of relevance and interest. Some other popular activities were learnt to be Art and Yoga. Children soon assembled for the breakfast. They offered prayers to the almighty. The volunteers then served them with idli-vada and badam milk. 

After the breakfast, the volunteers and the girls assembled at the activity room of the Samsthe. The walls of the hall were decorated with paintings and postures of Yoga-Asanas. The day also happened to be the birthday of Kuldeep, one of the active volunteer of AF-Mysore. He celebrated the occasion by cutting the cake with the children. 

The volunteers then wished the caretakers of facility the very best in their endeavors. They bid farewell to the girls with the promise to visit them again soon. More smiles to be spread, more hopes to be nurtured… The Aashayein Caravan shall go on… 

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