by Anuradha Bakshi | Apr 4, 2006 | okhla
When project why began as a small spoken english centre, I had begun dreaming.. dreaming of the day when it would become an independant entity and fly on its own on the wings of the people that made it happen: the kids, the community, the staff, the well wishers.. and even the detractors..
March 19th 2006 saw the fulfillment of that dream.. and yet it went unnoticed by many of us.. An email that dropped by my box yesterday made me realised the importance of that day. Amit, one of our friends and supporters, is a young exceutive with a multinational, he came by pwhy one day and then became a regular visitor.. somehow his heart took him to okhla.. and I came to learn much later that he was a regular vistor there, building his connections with the kids, the community and our teachers..
One day he mentioned a puppet show on 19/3 to spread AIDS awareness.. Unfortunately I could no be there, but here is an account of the day in his words:
Famous puppeteer Dadi Pudamjee of Isshara Group lead the performance. Six young youths spread this health awareness.
We reached Okhla Site at 11 AM with Dadi and his team. We faced some problem in getting an electric supply at our school, but finally the local junta supported and we were able to get a electric connection for Mics and Music System.
One of our Employees announced about the puppet show and some more people joined as audience for the show. Ishara team started their performance- Chunati-The Challenge. Kids were really enjoying the show and more people gathered for the Awareness.
Ishara Team started with the meaning of AIDS
A-Awareness
I-Is
D-Definitely
S-Safe
They explained the meaning in Hindi and then tried to explain the causes and how prevention could be the only cure of AIDS
It was a 15 minutes show followed by a Question & Answer session. Ishara Team distributed some questions to young kids and asked them the answer them. Such as, “Can Aids be transmitted through Mosquitoes?”.
Students were very enthusiastic in Question-Answer session and even briefed up their learnings from the show.
Performance was followed by some refreshments and a cup of Tea for Ishara team.
In the end, Dadi Pudamjee also appreciated kids enthusiasm and sharpness!!!!!!
About the funds for the show. Amit, Pallavi and three teachers Sophia, Pushpa & Ismail contributed…
As I read these words and the meaning slowly sank in, I realised that somehow my impossible deram had come true: this little show was a real solo flight.. it had been put up by the combined effort of the many streams that make planet why, and every aspect had been taken care of, no one had come asking help of anykind.. I has a wtinge of regret at not having been there, but then that also passed as actually independance means cutting of all umbilical links..
It was one the best gifts I have ever received, as for the first time I felt that pwhy had a life of its own and would have the wings it needs to fly on..
You can see pictures of this day at this link
by Anuradha Bakshi | Apr 4, 2006 | Uncategorized
“He who has a strong enough why“, said Nietzsche ” can bear almost any how“. I must be blessed, having project why!
Life would stop if we stopped asking questions and seeking answers.. I guess that is why people often grow bitter in their twilight years.. there are no more why’s in our lives as everyone is seeking their own and you desperately find cracks to fill, and get msiesrable when you find there are none, so you create them and hence the infernal spiral..
You need to find a big enough why to borrow Nietzsche words, one that will fill your life and make it worth living.. with each why comes a challenge that needs a solution that you must seek. On the way you make mistakes but then you learn and set out again..
The last six years have been a wondrous journey on planet why, a journey of discovery but also a journey of inner growth.. a journey of learning where the teacher is the smile of a child people have given up on, or the will of a mother who refuses to give up!
by Anuradha Bakshi | Apr 3, 2006 | Uncategorized
Ramu brought his report card this morning with a beaming smile.. i remember him saying that he would stand first and he did!
Ramu lives in a cramped shack and has no place to study.. he often has to look after his siblings – babli and arzoo – as his mom comes home late.. and yet he did us all proud.
I think this reportt card needs to be shared.. as it shows how far we can reach with very little.. and vindicates the pwhy way
well done ramu
by Anuradha Bakshi | Apr 1, 2006 | utpal
Shhh.. nanhe sleeps in the comfort of his home.. I know it looks more like a damp dungeon, but it is his haven as it is filled with the love of his little family..
Last week was a bad one as he had many fits and spent some night in the hospital ward, but he is back home as instinctively his mom felt he was safer here.. I went looking for the smile I so missed, but did not get it as he slept through our visit..
I asked to see the medecines he had ben given ans was a litle taken aback when I saw a panoply of vitamins, calcium etc and nothing to take care of his fits.. I asked to see his discharge slip, where ususally treatments are written, and OPD dates given.. my heart missed a beat when I just saw thes ewords: referred to rehab...
The puzle fell in place, I undesrtood what his brave mom menat when she said that she had brought him back because there was a high risk of infection in the ward, I understod the incomprehensible medication.. the docs had given up on nanhe.. he was not worth fighting for.. just as they had on utpal with the words : chance of survival – nil!
Strange that that very kid runs around today a true bundle of joy and mischief..
So nanhe is ours to tend to and care for, his smile has been referred to us for safe custody, and we will keep it safe for as long as friend God wants us to.. we have selfish reasons for that; nanhe’s smile is our ray of sunshine, his halting words are blessings from beyond and every breath he takes keeps us alive..
And then were we to forget it, his mom is there to calls us to order: she is now busy finding out whether an operaion by the Jaipur Foot team can help him walk… she has not given up, so how can we.
by Anuradha Bakshi | Mar 29, 2006 | Uncategorized
remember ramu, babli’s sullen brother who was handled with great efficiency by our knights in shining armur… well he did us proud as he stood first in his school in Class V… and that is not all, all our primary kids have passed.. even those we did not think would make it..
as the kids proudly brought their results cards, it was the teachers who came into the office with beaming faces.. somehow they seemed to be more excited than the kids..
remember these teachers are all slum people who never dreamt that they could ‘teach’.. many had to leave studies due to early marriages.. for many it is also an imperceptible social climb, as some worked in factories, others were unemployed and some even cleaned homes.. and they know that they have to prove themselves at every step.. and they have.
these spirited ladies and the Kundan the token man, know that many a times I have to defend them and that sometimes we have even been refused funds as the teachers were not trained.. but they also know that I have always defended them and stood by them quiteky stating that 100%results for six runing years was sufficient prood of their competence..
and one must not forget the kids, who have believed in us and come before or after school, sometimes travelling for over an hour sustained by the meagre meal given by the MCD schools. The kids have always been there cold, rain or heat; they have never complained about the lasck of emenities, the roadside classroom or the porcine neigbours..
so a motley team it is, but one that wins…
