JOY

VOL.10, NO.1, JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016

Learning new things makes everybody happy – it brings new hope, opportunities and a sense of achievement to the ones at the receiving end of knowledge. This time too, our plethora of workshops, initiatives and more provided a platform for self-growth and all-round development to the bright, young minds at Udayan Care, as well as for everybody responsible for the well-being of the children.

UDAYAN GHAR WORKSHOPS

As always, it was important for us to conduct sessions among Udayan Care’s stakeholders on the emotional and behavioural development of children. Caregivers were trained on the art of serving food to impact a child positively. Mentors and coordinators of the Ghar team discussed existing policies and how they can be improved, while the children learnt Life Skills. Topics at the Life Skills workshop included Etiquette and Body Language, Coping with Emotions, Good Touch Bad Touch, Communication and more.

EXPOSED TO AMAZING ART

Children from Sant Nagar Girls Home and Gurgaon Boys Home got an opportunity to visit India Art Fair 2016. We are really thankful to the DAG Modern for providing this opportunity to our children. It was a wonderful time for our children to learn the different forms of Art and Painting. They learnt about portrait, landscape, modern art, 3D paintings and much more, while studying the paintings of famous artists like Picasso and MF Hussain in wonder.

MEET THE CARPENTERS

No no, we’re not talking about the rock band. We’re talking about the children who recently learned carpenting as a skill at a workshop organised by a young volunteer Vishrut Khaitan in the NOIDA Boys Home. While the sounds of laughter competed against the buss of the saws, the children learnt to make an ironing table, trays and various pen stands.

BIG FRIEND LITTLE FRIEND TUTIONS

It’s always a joy to see individuals dedicate time to the social and psychological improvement of our children. With exams for our Little Friends around the corner, the joy multiplied many-fold as Big Friends spent time coaching and tutoring their Little Friends. English, Math and Science are generally the three subjects where most Little Friends face difficulties. Each Big Friend took one subject and divided all the Little Friends as per their class and the subject they have problem with. We noticed a tremendous change in the nature of our Little Friends after the sessions was over – they were more relaxed and confident about facing their exams.

ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME AGAINST VIOLENCE

Genpact’s Employee Engagement Programme benefited the Shalinis at Udayan Care when a group of volunteers visited with the agenda of spreading awareness on violence against women. The views of the world on women and what they can do is changing, and with that, new issues of safety and security have come up. Shalinis held a dialogue on the cultural mindset against women in Indian society, power relationships and patriarchy. The consequence of the workshop was an enriched and empowered group of Shalinis, ready to take on the world.

“Since childhood, it has been taught to us that we are at fault. I believe that it is not about how men have oppressed women; it is about how we women have oppressed ourselves from doing what is rightfully right for us.”
- Neha Jha

“There is a dire need to disseminate awareness on how to deal with violence happening within the confined zones of our house.”
- Meenu

PROGRAMMING FOR GRATITUDE

As more and more people experience the lack of basic rights – such as those to nourishment and a life of dignity – giving back to society is a critical aspect of the modern day world. BHEL joined hands with Udayan Care to conduct a workshop on ‘Programming for Gratitude’ where the focus was on practicing gratitude in every aspect of life. Shalinis also understood the repercussions of negative self-talk – the more we give into a negative thought, the stronger the thoughts become and the more one loses their energy to do good. The workshop was followed by cheque distributions to the batch fellows by top executives at BHEL.

CHASING DREAMS IN WINTER

The weather may have been cold, but the Shalinis were surrounded by warmth and encouragement during the eye-opener session on the importance of Affirmations and Goals. Mrs. Vaishali Ghosh, a well-known psychologist and accomplished trainer from the UK, conducted the session on the peaceful green lawns of a suburban resort on the outskirts of Kolkata. The session explored the aspirations and dreams of 50 Shalinis who participated in the programme.

The Shalinis explored various powerful techniques to believe in themselves and their dreams. They learnt to take personal responsibility for their lives and become their best friend rather than their worst critic. The workshop ended on a jolly note with all of us singing and dancing to popular Bollywood songs, which were a forbidden activity for some of the Shalinis.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAUTICIANS

The Jagshanti Hostel for Women had a most fascinating experience recently – they turned into skilled beauticians during three workshops organised by Megan Claren, our international volunteer from the U.S.

Megan assessed the beauty parlour and provided suggestions on improving its running, while training the girls to handle the everyday workings of the parlour and the customers who walk in.

IN-HOUSE INGENUITY

It has been all hands on deck for our 2nd Biennial International Conference (18-19 March) - including the talented ladies at our Skill Development Centre! Our Sewing Production women are currently creating 300 jute bags designed by Australian volunteer Emma Holmes, which will be given to all conference delegates. Four more ladies (all from low socio-economic backgrounds) have been added to the work force, and it is hoped that, on completion of this order, we will be able to continue to offer them work on other products that are in the pipeline. Moreover, the teachers of the Enamel Workshop have created beautiful agarbatti stands which will be presented to the speakers at the various sessions of the conference.

SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN INITIATIVE

Inspired by the Prime Minister’s words on a clean, green India, the students of United Decoratives-Udayan Care Information Technology Centre, Sahibabad (U.P) and our Vinod Nagar IT Centre undertook a drive to clean the neighbourhood. Our trainers encouraged hygiene and sanitation-related activities as they asked students to ensure that the vicinity around their residence, school and institute was kept spic and span. The students went well beyond their defined task, as always – they took to brooms and ensured that the centre’s neighbourhood was also maintained.