Shishu Mela 2012 Report

                                                           SHISHU MELA KALYANI 2012

On the morning of 25th November, a bus left with 35 volunteers, mostly sleepy to our journey from Kolkata to Kalyani. A one & half hour ride, with delicious breakfast & pleasant weather, seemed to be a good start for the day. We were escorted by a 'Flower Shower' & smiling faces of the children when we reached the place, a maidan in between the town of Kalyani, where more than 150 children from different Chatravaas were gathered to witness a celebration of themselves. Quickly, we refreshed ourselves & followed it up with a little briefing of all the volunteers. A Kalyan Ashram event mostly starts with a music & dance welcome. And so it did. The Karyakartas made all the necessary arrangements & it looked so beautiful & exciting that even we joined them for a jig. Some photos suggest that too. Then we paid homage to the deities & our unsung heroes, after hoisting the flag. Finally, the children out there, seemed more encouraged because they knew races gonna start now, what they were waiting for. First was the race, from the age group of 5 to 14 years, everyone participated, not once but twice. More so because, with every win there is a prize, just like us. Second, was Bin The Ball game, where you have to bin the ball in a basket from a distance, where even the volunteers gleefully took part. Final event was the relay race, which looked difficult for these children but then they did a pretty good job to complete the races. Even we had prizes for that too. After doing all this, we all took a break to just relax & take note of what all we did, how we did & many more. Lastly, a sumptuous lunch was like the icing on the cake. Again, we had a small session of play with the children before leaving for our city. The most saddest part was the goodbye, always has been. You just can't get enough of them, they're      

filled with so much of love & compassion, you'll be motivated to put more effort in it, to spend some more time with them. We went back from where we came, with lots of amazing memories with the children, the people out there, the positive vibe & the food.

Shishu Mela 2012

                             SHISHU MELA - 2012

                        Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram

                                       Youth Wing

Everyone heading towards the maidan.

Remember, That we celebrated Children’s Day in School? Of course, who doesn’t. We used to have loads of fun, with ice creams, sweets, games & dance. But, for some children this is just a DREAM..  Its time to make a difference in their lives..  Be a part of the SHISHU MELA being organized by the Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram, Youth Wing on 25th Nov. ’12 & witness the never before experience of your lives..

A kid enjoying his stint with drum with his smiling father.

Kalyan Ashram is working for the overall welfare & upliftment of the Vanvasis (people living in rural areas) since 1952. Through its various projects in different areas, we attempt to combat the exploitation & feeling of deprivation faced by the Vanvasis created after decades of neglect. Today, We have a strong workforce of more than 1044 full time dedicated karyakartas spread over more than 49,935 villages in India who are getting the benefits from about 14,500 service projects by Kalyan Ashram.

The Kalyan Ashram, Youth Wing is organizing the Shishu Mela this year, as it has been doing successfully for the past three years. As we all know, Children’s Day is celebrated on 14th of November, but due to social milieu this year, it has been scheduled on Sunday, i.e. 25^th of November. It’s being organized amidst a Vanvasi habitation in Kalyani town, which is about 50 kms from Kolkata. An inaugural traditional swagat by the Vanvasis people kickstarts the program. The Program includes races, games & interaction with children. A participation of 120 – 150 pre-primary Vanvasi children below 6 years of age from the nearby villages. A gathering of more than 300 Vanvasi people is expected.

This endeavor will give you an opportunity to get acquainted with the tribal culture & tradition. The CHILDREN are the future of the nation & so this an effort on our part to encourage & bring them forward..

If you’re willing to participate or contribute any gifts for these children then contact the volunteers (given below). The timings & details are subject to change with prior notice. The participation expenses share – Rs. 300/- per head.

Traditional dance to see us off, last year.

                                          ..CHALO JALAYE DEEP WAHAAN..

Contact us at:

Sidharth Shyamsukha  Mob. No. +919903047170

or via email on - sidharth.shyamsukha@gmail.com

Urvashi Chaudhri  Mob. No. +918820890780

or via email on - urvashichaudhri@gmail.com

Chamba Medical Camp

A Medical Camp organised by Himgiri  Kalyan Ashram, as it is known as in Himachal Pradesh, at Pangi district near Chamba on 1st, 2nd & 3rd September '12. This was the 1st Camp at this venue. It was started by the girls from Saraswati School by lighting a deepak as well chanting there ritualistic slogans. It was followed up by a cultural event displayed by the girls which was so beautiful that all of them were in awe of them. Even they were dressed up in there cultural attire form Milad Valley. The food they served was a very delectable treat. Moreover interactions with the girls was an enriching experience for all of us.Some facts about the venue - This is a little unapproachable area because for 6 to 7 months its totally covered under snow. Its situated near the Chandra Bhaga river. And its more beautiful than the Rohtang Pass. Kalyan Ashram is planning to initiate a prospect of befitting this place with better inroad facility. A group of more than 5 doctors with there respected specialisations came. More than 877 patients were treated starting from the age group of 9 to 90.

Balarampur Educational Camp

This was our 1st Educational Camp, situated at South of the Ayodhya Hill Range. Balarampur is a centre of sheelac industry and business. An overnight train journey from Howrah to Barabhum took us almost 8 hours to reach our destination. Our Chhatrawas was some 15mins away from the station. We (four of us) were escorted by a beautiful bouquet to each of us, followed by flower shower & smiling faces. After taking an hour long break, we had our breakfast, which tasted real good, followed with a brief interaction with the Chhatrawas Pramukh. Then we started our 1st interaction with the kids and it was a long & an interesting interaction for everyone. Slowly, each & every child was getting into their comfort zone & then we started teaching them. Our 1st & foremost intention is to understand in

which subjects they face difficulty & it always turns out to be Mathematics & English. After teaching them for two & half hours, we had our lunch. The Dal, had the homely feel to it & we all enjoyed our food. Then we took some rest. Evening time started off with there prayers, then some field play & Balarampur is a beautiful place. We were chalking out apt locations to click pictures. After that we again had a session with them which solely emphasized on clearing their doubts on particular chapters & motivating them to study, which is the only tool for them to succeed in life. Moreover, our Chhatrawas, was devoid of electricity, but still they arranged fans, tubelights &

generator so that we don't feel uncomfortable adapting to there environment. Such deep thought makes us more proud of what we do. Dinner was served in the night which was light. Then the prayer session, followed with a good night sleep. And it was a full moon night. Next morning, we quickly completed our breakfast & another long session of teaching, interaction, games followed. It was evening when we  have to leave for station, and the kids were feeling little bit off because we were leaving. Even our heads were down. And an overnight journey way back home followed. It was a wonderful experience for us.

Forthcoming Events in August'12

Planned events in West Bengal:

18-19th Aug'12 - Education Camp in Mallarpur (Birbhum) Hostel of Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram

18-19th Aug'12 - Eye Check up Camp at Belpahari Hostel of Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram for vanavsis from 20 villages.

25-26th Aug'12 - Medical Camp at Puncha (Purulia) for vanavsis from roughly 20 nearby villages.

All well wishers are welcome to join. Contact - 9748223120

Belpahari Educationa​l Camp

On Saturday morning, 4th of August, a clan of 4 volunteers headed towards Belpahari, some few kms ahead of Jhargram, a place from where Himalayas start. A pleasant weather helped us effortlessly on our journey.

The chatravaas, was without electricity, but it covered a huge mass of land. We started off with some sight seeing as the kids were yet to arrive. Raingods were kind to us too. So was the neighbors who allowed strangers to charge there mobile phones.

 A simple & nice lunch then we started with teaching the kids. Two subjects - English & Mathematics were taken up. The kids are more interested in sports than in studies, like us. But they are sincere, shy & calm set of people, without much of responsibilities & the exposure. We even played Soccer with them & they were up for it. The prayer before eating, the evening prayer, the prayer before we go off to sleep & the hospitality, respect & admiration - two words i have for them. Teaching under a lantern was a very enriching experience for all of us. And the mosquitos surely had a blast for two days.
Belpahari is one of the critical Maoist areas too, though we didnt had any interactions with them but PKA made us feel safe & secure. When we have to bid goodbye to them, that time was an emotional one. We were escorted with a tilak, a small concoction of flowers & handmade items & flower shower. The journey was worthwhile. :)

Samarpan A Lifestyle Exhibition

Retail therapy = a lot of fun. That’s what the fourth edition of Samarpan, a lifestyle exhibition partnered by t2, has in store this weekend. The fair that was unveiled at Ice Skating Rink on Friday morning will be on till Sunday, from 10am to 8pm.

Clothes to silver artefacts, quirky stationery to chunky jewellery — Samarpan has it all and under one roof. Rakhi, however, is the main draw and you’ll be simply spoilt for choice. Instead of going for the traditional ones, try funky — Angry Birds or Spider-Man! Gifts, handicrafts and savouries — think pickles, papad and digestives — are also on offer. “Rakhis and gift items are selling like hot cakes and the footfalls have already crossed 3,000,” said Samarpan organiser Rewa Kajaria on Friday afternoon.  

As on Telegraph on 30 june 2012

Education Camp

An Education Camp was held at Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram's Hostel at Jhalda, West Bengal.

Saksharta Essentials - A Leap Forward

Vanvasi  Kalyan Ashraman ashram that works for vanvasi people had organized a ten days education camp in Kolkata called as Nagar Darsan .24 students from different chatrawas had come down to kolkata. All the vanvasi  students will be appearing for their boards examination.

The education camp started from 1st June 2012. A particular day was segregated into different sessions .This whole session was based on interactions as well as on some PPT presentations and video teaching . All the members of the Youth Wing of Vanvasi Kalyan Asram were the incharge of this event alongwith Mrs. Uma Goel and Mr. Piyush Agarwal .
Each morning started with yoga classes conducted by our volunteers so that everone starts with a rejuvenated and fresh mind.

The students coming down from the tribal places were very weak , particularly in English and Mathematics. They were so eager  to study that they never used to get tired out of studying. Their day use to start with a 2 hrs class of English which would move on with a physics session. The first half was looked after byUpasana a very hard working member of Kalyan Ashram. Their was a Maths session which was conducted almost everyday. The students used to sit within groups and they were taught maths by members of the Youth Wing.

The most lightning and one to one interactive session was held by one of our aspiring member Ankit Singhi. This interactive session was held to freshen and to charge them  up after the long day books.

This whole event of 10 days brought us close to the vanvasi students.They were highly benefited by these classes . They enjoyed a video class ofgeography by Piush Agarwal ,Ayush and Parth Rastogi. Though staying in a tribal places they know everything about their subject. They were so charmed by seeing a computer which made them more attentive towards the subject taught via PPT. The interactive session disclosed all their likes and dislikes in life.

Kalyan Ashramis doing its duty to bring these people at equal power. Now it is your turn tocontribute into this…

Saksharta Essentials - A leap forward

To make the tribal children aware of the importance and necessity of education and to elevate the standard of education, is one of the prime objective of the Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram Youth Wing. We have been hitherto organizing trips for the youth of Kolkata to visit hostels in tribal areas where vanvasi children stay and study in adjacent govt. schools. We are taking yet another ambitious step towards our objective. We are inviting 25 vanvasi boys, from our hostels in south Bengal, studying in class X for a ten days coaching session (from 1 – 10 June 2012) in various subjects including Science, English, Mathematics, Geography, etc. We would also be counseling them so that they do not leave studies after passing Class X Madhyamik examination. The Vanvasi children will benefit tremendously through this program. 1. This will strengthen their fundamentals & increase their knowledge. 2. The feeling of “TU MAIN EK RAKT” would get even stronger. 3. Counseling would help in motivating them to continue their studies even after Madhyamik. To make this program successful, we need active involvement of Kalyan Ashram Pariwar, youth in their families and their friends. We need volunteers who can take out some time of their busy and packed schedules and help in coaching the Vanvasi children and have one to one interaction with them. We look forward to your active involvement along with your friends and families in this endeavor. Date: From 1 - 10 June Place: Kalyan Bhawan, Manicktala, Kolkata For furthur details Contact - Piyush Agarwal, 9903727371

Education Camp

An Education camp will be held at the Mallarpur Chatravas of Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram on 27th and 28th April 2012.

We have already installed computers over there in previous education camp. Volunteers of the Youth Team would visit the Chatravas and help the students there in various subjects including English, Mathematics and Computers. Ofcourse, it would also include a lot of interactions, games and fun for volunteers and students.

Do join this weekend camp and get a lifetime experience.

5th Education Camp in Purulia district

Highlights of 5th Education Camp in Purulia district on 11th & 12th Feb, 2012.

2 brand new computers installed at 2 hostels each -
On 11th Feb at Roataura Hostel.
On 12th Feb at Jhilimili Hostel .
Trip included a visit to water reservoir build by Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram which was situated few kms from roataura hostels .
Activities incl - computer installation & demo, intellectual games like - word maker & jumbled words, etc.
Total 7 volunteers participated in our camp.
Pics are uploaded above.

Thanks for making Jagriti 2012 a success

Jagriti2012 was successfully held on 29January at the Mahajati Sadan (Annexe Hall). A debate was conducted on 2 topics, viz; “For today’s youth personal ambition supersedes National welfare” and “FDI in retail sector is profitable for the Indian society at large”. All the participants conveyed their arguments and points convincingly, making it an interesting and thought provoking event

We were graced by our Judges from various spheres of society. The competition was judged by Smt.Bhawana Baid Bacchawat who is a CA ,Shri Rajiv Agarwal from IIT kharagpur and Founder of EDUDIGM and Dr. Pradeep Nemani who is a general surgeon in Calcutta hospital.

Thanks all for making Jagriti 2012 successful. Looking forward for your participation in Jagriti 2013

Judges seated as audience starts pouring in.

Participants in action

Winners being awarded

JAGRITI 2012

The much awaited JAGRITI 2012 - the annual event of youth wing of Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram is here again.

JAGRITI 2012 celebrates the duality of each thing in universe.It is an endeavor to understand the perspective of young India on current affairs and provide them a platform to debate on topics of social and national issues and interests. This intellectually stimulating competition invites facts, analysis & views both for and against

VENUE - Mahajati Sadan (Annexe Hall), 166, CR Avenue, Kolkata (Near MG Road Metro Station)

DATE - 29th January 2012, Sunday, 9 am

THE MOTION

1) For today's youth personal ambition supersedes national welfare.

2) FDI in retail sector is profitable for the Indian society at large.

PRIZES: Attractive prizes to be won. All the participants will be given Certificate of Participation.

REGISTRATION: To register your Team, send an SMS writing “JAGRITI < For/Against > ” to any one of the contact persons. Eg.: SMS “JAGRITI Sneha against 2” to 99037 27371. After the SMS is sent, the PKA – Youth Wing will contact the sender over phone.

RULES:

1. Youth aged 18 to 35 yrs are eligible to participate.
2. Each topic would have 6 speakers - 3 FOR the motion and 3 AGAINST the motion
3. The program is divided into two sessions, one for each topic .
4. Each speaker would be allowed to present their case in within 4 mins .After all the speakers in a session have presented their case, there would be a round of counter questions / interjections followed by questions from the audience.
5. There would be short sessions for the participants one week prior to the event .The place and the time for the same will be intimated later.

CONTACT PERSONS:

Harsha :9903673727

Navneet :9831908900

Piyush :9903727371

Eklavya Khel Kud - 6th National Vanvasi Sports Festival

Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram organized the 6th edition of the Eklavya Khel Kud in Pune from 29th Dec 2011 to 1st Jan 2012. These games are organized every 4 years to bestow upon the vanvasis a chance to discover their sports skills and display it at the national level. Since the past few months selections were conducted at the block level, district level & state level and ultimatley a total of 2180 vanvasis made it to the national level finals held in Pune from 29th Dec 2011 to 1st jan 2012. This mega event saw vanvasis coming from all parts of the country, from more than 30 states incl Andamans.  

The opening ceremony was held at SP Grounds in Pune on 29th Dec 2011 at 2 pm where all the 2180 vanvasi participants marched in according to their states. Some stunts were also displayed by a few vanvasis. After this events like Kadabbi, Kho - Kho, Long Jump, Shot Put, Archery Football, Athletics, Marathon ( 7, 14, 21 & 42 Kms) etc were held during the 4 days. A Pune based Medical college's students provided on spot medical assistance to the participants at all the 4 grounds where the games were held. The marathon was held on the last day, 1st Jan 2012 and was followed by the closing ceremony. An aeromodelling show was held to mark the closure of the games in which aeromodelling enthusiasts entertained the vanvasis and the audience by flying self made remote controlled aero planes !

This was unique event was a grand success and an enriching experience for the vanvasi, some of them who never even got a chance to venture out from their villages.    

                                          Opening ceremony

Shishu Mela - 2011

On 6th Nov 2011, Sunday 63 volunteers from Kolkata visited Keshiari near Kharagpur and organised a memorable fun filled event for vanvasi children from nearby areas. Upon reaching the campsite, the volunteers received a very warm and traditional welcome from the vanvasis which comprised of vanvasi dance, drum beats, flower rain and slogans like 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. The event started with Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram's flag hoisting by senior Poorna Kaleen Karyakartas. This was followed by flat races, biscuit races and games like bucket the ball etc. A total of 180 vanvsi children aged 3 - 6 yrs studying at Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram's Shishu Shikshka Kendras in nearby villages, accompanied by their guardians participated in this unique day long event. The entire gathering totaled to more than 400. After races, 3 doctors from Kolkata also conducted a basic medical health checkup of these children for signs of any underlying illness or diseases. Races for acharyas ( teacher in charge of the Shishu Shiksha Kendras ) were also organised and similar races were organised for the volunteers from Kolkata aswell. This was followed by a lunch for all those present. The programme ended with a prize distribution ceremony for the winners in the races and gifts of slates, sweets and articles of daily use were distributed by the volunteers to all the 180 strong children as a token of love and  affection. The local vanvasis ended the day with a traditional dance in which the volunteers also participated. Ultimately the entire 63 member team from Kolkata  comprising of volunteers from all age categories left the spot by evening amid slogans of  'Bharat Mata ki Jai' & 'Vande Mataram' . This was a truly memorable  day for both the vanvasis and nagarvasis. It was a day when the nagarvasis (volunteers) got a chance to meet the vanvasis, spend some time with them and make an effort to make a difference in their lives.