by anouradha bakshi | Jan 2, 2025 | Anou's Blog
2024 was the year I finally took my first step into the sunset.
There has been an elephant in the room for a long time now. True we attempted to address it several times, but they were always half-hearted attempts as there was always more pressing short-term issues that needed to be taken care of, so the elephant was pushed into a corner where it sat quietly. At the beginning of 2024 it was once again the issue of funds for our Khader and Yamuna centres. Mercifully the Trivedi Foundation agreed to support us once again but with the rider that this would be the last year of support, hence the funding issue remained alive. We had just been handed a breather. We were on life support. We needed to find sustainable funding for these two centres too. Just as we had for Okhla where the Adish and Asha Jain Foundation has committed long term support.
Before I go any further. I need to tell you what the elephant in the room was. Simply: what would happen to Project after me!
We had attempted to answer this many times and the result was the always the same: the team would carry on the work on the ground without problem but getting funds was an issue. But as we had secured funding for this year, the elephant was again pushed into a corner. We simply got busy with the work at hand. 2024 was once again a vibrant and fulfilling year. So let me walk you through the year and share the salient happenings
On the academic side it was again a year filled with learning and fun. As always our teachers were innovative and thought out of the box to bring new and fun ways to teaching. However the objective remained to see each and every child perform well and regular assessments kept track of every child’s progress and remedial measures were taken when needed.
All students passed their examinations including Board exams. Many are now pursuing university education.
Debates and quizzes were organised every month to help the children deepen their knowledge. Outings to local parks helped the children learn about nature and were excellent prompts for creative activities.
It was not all studies! Children went out on outings to different parts of the city and enjoyed their day out. Summer camps were organised in every centre ensuring that children enjoy their holidays.
On Children’s day Azure Hospitality invited 60 students for lunch at their Dhaba restaurant. It was a unique experience that the children will remember forever. Azure Hospitality continues to provide a fresh hot lunch to over 100 students at the Yamuna centre. Our heartfelt gratitude to Kabir Suri.
All festivals and commemorative days were celebrated in each centre with children putting up performances and participating in drawing and essay writing competition.
2024 also saw a host of new happenings.
To address the issues of qualitative education at the senior secondary level and the cost of specialised teachers, Project Why decided to go online! With the help of the Asha and Adish Foundation we were able to set up a state of the art recording studio. This will allow us to record lessons for classes 9 to 12 in maths, science and social studies. These will be available on our you tube learning channel not only to project why children but also any child who wishes to access them.
2024 saw us redevelop our website and increase our social media activity on all social media handles. We also launched a you tube channel where over 30 impact stories have been uploaded. Four such stories will be uploaded every month. We hope that all these new activities will help us increase our reach and help engage new donors.
A French filmmaker documented the story of our teacher Madhuri. Madhuri is our alumni who joined when she was in class 3 and who is now doing her PHD. The film will be shown at an upcoming film festival in France.
The Japanese volunteer group visited our centres and engaged in a host of activities with the children. We were honoured to have the visit of Mrs Abe, wife of Late Mr Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan.
This year also saw the upgradation of our skill development programmes. Our beauty and stitching programmes at Giri Nagar are now sponsored by the Peter Wulff family and the stitching unit at Khader is supported by the Rotary Club Premier. We received huge quantity of fabric from Mohan Lal and sons and Rotary Club Premier. These were upcycled into carry bags, crayon rolls, cushion covers, floor mats etc. A big Thank You to them
Generous funders enabled us to revive our Khader computer centre with 6 brand new computers.
Three girls completed their dental auxiliary course and are now gainfully employed at dental clinics. Two girls are pursuing wellness therapist courses at the Ananda Foundation in Rishikesh.
This year we welcomed many volunteers from France. They spent several weeks engaging with children thereby adding tremendous value to our educational programme. We also hosted Kiko the clown who spent six weeks bringing smiles and joy to one and all.
As you see, it was an exciting year!
This year we had many visitors. Xavier Ray President Enfances Indiennes and Hans Emde President Pwhy Germany visited the Project and spent quality time with the children. Mr Trivedi and family visited the Yamuna centre on Republic Day. Adish and Asha Jain of the Adish and Asha Jain Foundation visited the Okhla Centre engaged with the children and shared lunch with the teachers. Mrs Prerna Mayank celebrated her birthday with the Yamuna children and distributed woolen clothes to children and staff.
But none of this would have been possible without the continuous support of our donors and well wishers. Asha for Education Seattle continue their support. We held a virtual tour of the centres for them in spite of the time difference and they interacted with students and teachers. Enfances Indiennes, Project Why Germany and Project Why UK continued their unstinted support. The Trivedi Foundation renewed their commitment to Khader and Yamuna for one more year. The Adish and Asha Jain Foundation decided to extend their support beyond Okhla. They set up our digital studio and sponsored our you tube channel videos. Max India Foundation supported our Giri Nagar centre. The Rotary Club Premier and the Rotary Club Delhi One also support various activities. We are grateful to Kiran Frey for her support of our skill development activities. To each and everyone our heartfelt gratitude. You are the soul of Project Why!
A big thank you to my Board members who have always stood by me in thick and thin. Could not have done it without you. We welcomed Mr Mayank Mohan as our newest Board member and look forward to his support.
I began this post with mentioning the elephant in the room. 2024 is the year that we finally addressed it. This was possible as Mr Adish Jain decided to be more than a donor. He compelled me to address the issue of Project Why after me and has promised to hand hold us through the transition. It will be slow and difficult but needs to be done. New roles have been assigned to the team and they are slowly moving into them. My role is to accept to take my first step into the sunset. It is indeed bittersweet.
My gratitude to the children, the team, the donors, my Board. It is all because of you.
May 2025 be filled with miracles.
Anou
by anouradha bakshi | Nov 14, 2024 | Anou's Blog
It is children’s day today but actually every day is children’s day at Project Why! In all centres children are busy celebrating with games and competitions. 10 children from every centre have been invited to lunch by Azure hospitality at their famous Dhaba restaurant and you can imagine how excited the chosen few are.
As always, the onset of winter has got the pollution levels rise to unimaginable levels and Delhi is a real gas chamber. You can barely breathe. The privileged can shut themselves in their homes with air purifiers running 24/7. But the poor have no such luxury. They just continue surviving as they always do with a smile. My heart goes out to them.
With all my health issues, I have not option but to remain indoors.
This forced incarceration has a silver lining I guess as I decided to write a blog after many moons. My once prolific creative juices ran dry for years and in spite of many attempts I have not been able to resume my ‘one blog a day’ routine of yore years, But somehow I have the feeling that time has come to at least try and bring back the lost practice.
So much as happened since the terrible day in 2020 when I got diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a death sentence of sort as this cancer it is said is not curable. But here I am 4 years later ready to take on what life still has in store for me.
One of the let us say ‘elephant in the room’ is undoubtedly what happens to Project Why after me. A succession plan has to be put in place and that is what we have been busy with lately. Project Why 3.0, the one without Anou, is being conceived, albeit gently.
The true successors of Project Why can only be those who have been associated with it since its inception. New roles are being defined and a transition plan set in place. It is felt by one and all that I should still be the one to see the transition through. I am honoured and humbled by this decision and will find the strength to abide by it in spite of my advanced age.
The levels of anxiety and even fear are high but they are accompanied by dollops of excitement and enthusiasm. The next weeks and even months are not going to be easy as getting out of comfort zones is a challenge. The new leaders will have to work hard to be accepted by the team but they are willing to accept the challenge. I am confident that they will be able to succeed though there will be hiccups along the way.
So challenging and exhilarating days await us at Project Why but this all behind the scenes. On stage Project Why will continue its mission of creating spaces for children to be children!
Happy Children’s Day!
by anouradha bakshi | Feb 3, 2024 | Anou's Blog
Many years ago I added a tag line to my email signature. It was : “I am busy being grateful”. This was because of the miracles big and small that came my way as Project Why and I embarked on am incredible journey that is still enfolding. The tag line sat quietly on my screen as we travelled on.
Last week I was reminded of these words written so long ago and realised that subconsciously they had remained as new and pertinent as when I first wrote them. Project Why could not be without the deep gratitude I felt at every instant.
So who am I grateful to? First and foremost to all those who have reached out and helped me, from the big donors who reach out and adopt a centre to the tiniest donation of a child’s pocket money to help the surgery of another child.
This year I feel blessed as we welcome all our major donors.
Last week Mr Trivedi and his daughter Shelly and son-in-law Andres celebrated Republic Day with us at the Yamuna centre. The Trivedi Family Foundation sponsors our Yamuna and Khader centres. Thanks to their generous support we are able to help over 400 children dream big! My heartfelt gratitude to this wonderful and compassionate family.
In February we welcome Adish and Asha Jain of the Asha and Adish Jain Foundation. They sponsor the Okhla centre; another 350 children. And that is not all. Adish Jain has committed to support Okhla as long as it exists. How can I not be eternally grateful.
And there is more. In February we welcome Kiran Frey and Pradeep Sethi and their daughter Nina from Chess without Borders. Thanks to them Meher who had suffered terrible burn injuries when only a few months old underwent restorative plastic surgery to enable her to get back the use of her hands and then went to boarding school to complete her education. Today she is preparing for entrance to medical school. More gratitude.
In March we await the visit of Hans Emde and his family from Project Why Germany. They have supported our work for more than a decade now. We are deeply grateful again. Few months ago we had the visit of Xavier Ray from Enfances Indiennes who have been with us for more than two decades and stood by us unwaveringly. Chapeau Bas!
We feel blessed that all our main funders visited or are visiting us this year.
My gratitude also goes to a very special being that I call the God of Small Beings. She/he has walked with me every step of this journey and never left my side. It is she who has ensured that we do not falter or miss a step and always guided us in the right direction. It is also this very special God who has woven one miracle after the other. I would like to share one.
In February 2003 a toddler fell into a boiling pan and sustained third degree burns. He would then go and to lose his dysfunctional family and be left all alone. It is this very special God who crafter a future for him. Little Utpal was healed, went on to complete his school and then college and is now in Mumbai living his dream: making serials.
This is only one of the many Project Why miracles.
So you now understand why I AM BUSY BEING GRATEFUL!
I feel blessed.
by anouradha bakshi | Dec 31, 2023 | Anou's Blog
2023 was a rewarding year as we finally emerged from the aftermath of the pandemic and could proudly say that we were back to pre covid times. The children had made up for the losses incurred during the pandemic and were back on track! Classes were once again full and he chatter and laughter of the children filled every corner of the centres as well as the recesses of our heart. It was pure unadulterated pleasure. So this year I decided that my message will be a bird’s eye view of the year gone by so that each one of you can get a taste of Project Why.
Let us begin with academics. The year saw classed filled to the brim and little and not so little heads studiously bent over open books or listening with bated breath to what the teachers were saying. This year teachers went outside the box and came up with new teaching methods. There was a lot of practical teaching and children learnt how to identify chemicals and other scientific experiments. Visual learning was another tool teachers used with the help of movies and the Internet. Debates and quizzes were organised every month to help the children deepen their knowledge. Outings to local parks helped the children learn about nature and were excellent prompts for drawing and painting. June 10th was a special day as it saw the reopening of our early education programme that we had to close because of the pandemic. We were all thrilled to see our tiny tots back and once gain hear their laughter and giggles.
Of course regular reading and writing practice were a daily routine and assessments were held every quarter. Remedial measures were taken when needed. Children performed well in their respective schools and did us proud as they always do. All board examinations were cleared with success with many children doing exceedingly well. Everyone got promoted to the next class. PTMs were conducted across all centres to ensure that parents become part of their children’s learning journey.
But is was not all studies. This year we could finally resume our educational outings and the children visited India Gate, Doll Museum, Bharat Darshan Park, Bal Bhawan, Railway Museum, Waste of Wonder and Children’s Park. They all had a great time. In-house creative pursuits were the order of the day. The children learnt how to make decorative items with waste material. They also tried their hands at wall paintings,cloth painting and spray painting and unleashed their creativity.
A summer camp was organised in all centres and the children had great fun. They engaged in indoor and outdoor games, learnt fireless cooking and partook in a host of creative activities. They of course completed their holiday homework.
At Project Why we celebrate all festivals and commemorative days: New Year, Diwali, Xmas, Republic Day, Women’s Day. Word Health Day, World Environment Day to name a few. Children make drawings, write slogans and essays and engage in spirited debates, These celebrations help children increase their knowledge in a fun way. The special needs children made Rakhis and Diyas and sold them at Azure Hospitality and CSKM school.
Several workshops were organised. Dr Gulabani led a 16 days workshop to help teachers deal with children who have problems and difficulties in learning. This was a very successful initiative held over 16 Saturdays. Modicare Foundation held its yearly workshop on teen and adolescent issues and ETPA Foundation held story telling activities. These workshops are very useful and a good way to network.
It was also a year of repair and maintenance. We repaired the roofs of Khader and Yamuna as they had been severely damaged by rain, built a much needed toilet in Okhla and built a classroom in Giri Nagar. This was thanks to the generosity of our supporters.
But it was not all fun. 2023 had its sombre moments too. We lost a student from Okhla in a road accident and severe floods damaged our Yamuna centre and the homes of all our kids. Many reached out to help. The Rotary Club gave tents and sleeping bags and Azure Hospitality provided hot lunches to over 150 persons during 10 days, Avantika led a blanket drive that yielded or 650 blankets that were distributed before the cold set in. Clothes too were collected and distributed. We are grateful to each and everyone who reached to to help the flood victims.
Teachers had their fun time too. A day visit to Agra was organised with the support of Enfances Indiennes and was enjoyed by one and all. The staff of all centres visited the Yamuna centre had lunch with the children and engaged in a lot of fun activities with them. Teachers visited CSKM school and shared their ideas and teaching methods. It was rewarding experience. And finally they enjoyed a picnic lunch with Xavier Ray at the Nehru Park.
This year saw many visitors. Mr Ashok Trivedi, Mrs Anju Trivedi and Ms Shelly Trivedi were chief guests at our Republic Day function at Khader. Mr Trivedi hoisted the national flag and addressed the children. Mr Trivedi also visited the Yamuna centre and shared lunch with the children. Mr Adish Jain and Mrs Asha Jain visited the Okhla centre interacted with teachers and a few students and had lunch with the staff. Mr Jain has adopted the Okhla centre ‘forever’!
A group from Enfances Indiennes led by its President Xavier Ray and Hans Emde President of Project Why Germany also visited us this year. They spent quality time with the children and shared lunch with them.
We were really blessed to have many of our main funders visit us this year and very proud of showcasing our work to them.
This was a short glimpse of 2023, a year when things fell back in place after the dreaded pandemic.
I would like to thank all our supporters as well as my incredible team and terrific board without whom none of this would be possible.
We look forward to 2024 and all the miracles that will unfold.
Happy 2024
Love
Anou
by anouradha bakshi | Dec 8, 2023 | Anou's Blog
I am just back suitcase shopping. Not for me though! I do not travel.
Come Monday Utpal will board a train and leave for Mumbai to fulfil his dream of working in the movies. The stage is set for him as Mrinal and Abhigyan wait for the shooting of their next serial. My mind goes back to 2006 when I had gone suitcase shopping for him as he was going to boarding school. He was 4. We bought a little red bag and filled it not just with the things on the list given to us by the school, but also with a plethora of dreams yet to be revealed and fulfilled. Today one of these comes true.
Over the past years as he moved from class to class we packed many suitcases for him never forgetting to tuck in the yet unfulfilled dreams.
If his going to school the first time was a rite of passage for the two of us, today as he moves into the adult world is yet another one we both have to go through.
I remember when he left for school the first time, I wept like a baby, a mix of feelings gushing through my mind, and my heart being ripped wide open. Was I doing the right thing in sending such a tiny tot to a big boarding school. The mind jumped in to quell the heart: it was for his good; education was what would make the dreams come true.
The primary years ended and we moved to secondary school, then the final examination and results. School days were over. Then came college in another city a few hundred kilometres from here. His BA in hand, Utpal came to Delhi for his internship and then secured a job in a digital media start up. But that was not in the dream box.
I was happy having him at home, seeing him every day. It was comforting but as I said not part of the dream. I was quite happy the way things were but not the God of small things to whom all dreams were entrusted. He had to make them come true. So the universe conspired to make things happen and they did at lightning speed: a phone call or two and before we knew it Utpal had a job offer and even a place to stay for the initial days. It was time to go.
The last few days have been busy shopping, packing, cooking special treats. No one is saying anything. Each quietly counting the days till the suitcases are ready to move and our little Utpal with them.
The coming days will be hard. Keeping a brave face is hard. The half packed suitcase in the room stares at me and I feel my throat constrict and my eyes well up.And I am not the only one. Though no one says anything. There are so many things I want to say but can’t. I find myself patting his cheek or giving him a furtive hug and walking away.
I know I have to let him go as that is the only way he will be able to find his wings and fly and let him go I will as there is no other option. I know that when it is time to leave the house, I will send him off with a smile and the right words but I also know that when the car is gone and one has stopped waving goodbye, I will break down and weep.
But suitcases with dreams have a destiny to fulfil.
I will simply pray everyday to the God of small things to take care of my darling child and walk with him always.
by anouradha bakshi | Nov 26, 2023 | Anou's Blog
Since July 2020 when I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma I have been compelled to stay away from my beloved Project as I was immuno compromised and that mixed with the Covid pandemic was a heady toxic cocktail. Over the past three years I have been to the project a handful of times. However I keep in close touch with the Project thanks to the innumerable pictures posted every day in the famous Project Why WhatsApp group.
Pictures of children studying diligently, of children playing, singing, dancing, painting with fervour, of visitors dropping by, Pictures of the meals at the Yamuna centre; pictures of celebrations. Sometimes children are prompted to share their thoughts and dreams as was the case recently when a group of children were asked what they want to be when they grow up. The answers were heartwarming: engineer, teacher, IAS officer, police officer, bank manager and even artist. The list is endless, the dreams are big for only if you dream big can you aspire to see your dreams come true.
We at Project Why strive to give wings to all these little big dreams and hope to make as many as we can come true. And we have seen many come true over the last two decades.
When I see the pictures of these children holding their dreams for all to see my heart fills with joy, my eyes go moist and my throat constricts. I feel blessed but also overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task but nowhere ready to give up.
Over the past two decades I have felt the presence of a very special God, the God of lesser beings as I chose to call him or her! This very special God has helped me at every stage and brought so many miracles in our lives. It is to this God that I pray everyday to give me the strength to soldier on no matter what.
Soldier on I will.
So help me God.
