Saturday, July 31, 2010

YASHODHARA IN KAMSHET


The move has been made. After two years of getting settled into a new life at the Shelter in Dhanorie, having made friends at school and with grades on the rise, relaxing on the comforting predictability of the day’s schedule and personal interaction patterns well on the way of settling into routines, everything gets turned around and inside out.

Not only is the children’s Kamshet home bigger, and in completely different surroundings, but some of the familiar faces of the old house and all the faces at school are now different. And not everything is running smoothly – there is adapting to do.

With a lifetime of adapting behind their backs, Yashodhara children are quite adept at it. No unnecessary fuss, just the minimum to feel listened to and cared for in the midst of changing circumstances. But here lies the all-important difference: that there is indeed someone there to listen and to care.

Yes, schooling is necessary, and so is getting medicines and a eating healthy and staying clean… but that extra bit – the being cared for and listened to bit – is Yashodhara’s children’s edge. This is what will round off their upbringing by enhancing their chances of being emotionally intelligent in their present and future relationships.

We, founders, volunteers, staff and sponsors, are instrumental in the children’s blossoming, and bear witness to it with great pleasure. We can only work in the hopes that the Yashodhara children’s circle will keep on growing and that more and more flowers will sprout from it.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

ASHA-KIRAN TRAVELS TO CEUTA

On the occasion of the commemoration of the over 100 years that the Indian community has existed in Ceuta, Asha-Kiran presented here the social work that it carries out in the city of Pune with vulnerable children.

The celebration spanned three days, July 8, 9 and 10, with Indian cuisine, lectures, discussion forums, a sari fashion show, talks about Hinduism, and Bollywood music and dances.

We thank the Indian community of Ceuta, especially Sony and Prakash, and Coexistence Prize Foundation for their hospitality and generosity.

See you soon.