EXCURSION TO ALIBAG

On 17 December, the children from Yashodhara went to Alibag, a beach near Mumbai. For some, it was the first time they had seen the ocean. At first we had contemplated going to Matheran, a mountain pass and natural reserve, but the children wanted to go to “samudra” (beach, in Hindi) and spent all day talking about how much they liked to play in the sea. In the end, their wish came true.

They were thrilled to be going and got their clothes ready (in India, people bathe with clothes on) and a towel. During the bus journey, they listened to music, sang songs and attentively watched all the new scenery.


They bathed and played in the water for three hours, until lunchtime. They then had a picnic in a very nice garden near the beach, with hammocks and showers. After lunch, some of them rested in the hammocks. Hansa, Co-founder of Asha-Kiran, accompanied us and enjoyed the excursion as much as the children did.

On the trip back Home, they were all still and quiet, filled with the lingering scent of the sea and its treasures.

Eshana – live-in Volunteer at Yashodhara Shelter

JOY OF GIVING WEEK

Joy of Giving Week (JGW) is India’s “giving festival”, held every year the week of October 2-8. It is a platform that brings together people from all walks of life and encourages them to celebrate by giving – time, money, skills or love; a concerted effort across NGOs, companies, celebrities, media, schools, colleges and the “public”. Started in 2009, this was the 3rd edition of JGW, which is already by far the largest philanthropic event in India.

JGW is a public festival, much like Diwali, Holi, Christmas, etc. Participation is free, open to all, and you can give anything from a piece of clothing to lacs of rupees, a few hours of your skills to a day or two of your time. Event owners are free to manage their events to achieve their objectives. All of the proceedings from the event go to causes that organizers choose with lots of media support.

Asha-Kiran Shelters Foundation also participated in the ‘Joy of Giving Week’ of 2011. Since we could organize our own events, we created the following two:

- The Power of One
- Recycle for Reuse

These were held across different companies with the aim of creating awareness and raising funds for our Organization.

The Power of One

This was our flagship fundraiser and many found it a unique concept. It may not be possible for many people to donate large amounts or even to sponsor a child, but this modality of donating allows people to contribute with just one rupee a day, or 365 rupees a year, so this One rupee, multiplied by thousands, can make a cause close to their hearts come true. Many people participated as they found the amount affordable and also promised to do it every year.

Recycle for Reuse

Over thirty eight percent of our total waste comes from paper and paperboard, so we thought of bringing back this great tradition of recycling newspapers while raising funds for our Organization and helping the environment. People were asked to donate their old newspaper, which was then sold by weight. Almost everybody who heard about the campaign participated and donated their newspaper.

Both these events were conducted at four different companies in Pune and approximately Rs. 1.48,144 were collected in total. The companies that participated and helped us raise funds were:

- Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd.
- Nihilent Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
- Cybage

WE THANK all the companies and people who contributed to bring a "ray of hope" to the ones who need it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

This year, we are celebrating Christmas at Yashodhara in the company of new friends. Students of Celia Viñas High School in Almería, Spain, sent our children cards which they themselves had made by hand, with a short text in English. We thank Mª Angeles Arráez, Sponsor of one of our children and co-worker at
Asha-Kiran, for dreaming up and organizing this initiative. Upon reading their cards, the children had a drawing workshop so that their pen pals from Almería would receive a speedy reply.

In December we also celebrated Pravin’s birthday, who, like all of his housemates, enjoyed a table-football game given to him by his Sponsor. The interaction between children and their Sponsors is a source of gratitude, generosity and mutual affection, because the children feel accompanied in their growing process. Not a day goes by without their asking about their Sponsor and expressing their desire to see him or her at Yashodhara.

We heartily thank all of you who, by supporting our Projects, grow together with the children you sponsor.

CAUGHT IN RED TAPE

Ten-year-old Salina Khatun was denied admission by the neighborhood school as her illiterate parents failed to produce a birth certificate. Her parents work in a brick kiln and, like thousands who are constantly on the move in search of livelihood, paperwork is as distant to them as their rights.

Close to two years since the much feted Right to Education Act came into being, the status of school education continues to be plagued by lack of awareness, assertion and access, especially among the communities which need it the most for the transforming potential it has on poverty and social empowerment.

A public hearing in Kolkata’s Town Hall threw up some answers as to why, despite the greatest constitutional recognition and substantial resources, the status of school education continues to be in a poor state.

The hearing was organized by the National Commission for Protection for Child Rights (NCPCR), on the issue of denial of the right to education. It was supported by a host of organizations, including Action Aid India, who painstakingly collected stories from the field to build a case for a jury to issue directions on making it work.

For millions who live on less than an euro a day, and for a nation where over 40 per cent of the children are malnourished, free education and mid-day-meal provisions are key conditions for school education to work.

Incidentally, the officials from the state education department who were called in for responding to the cases of violations did not deny any of the allegations. This led the NCPCR to suggest a penalty of Rs. 25,000 as a fine for violations to the law. The hearing expanded to a discussion on trafficking and it became apparent that a functional schooling system is the best defense against this practice.

"It seems that the issue is not of resources but that of will", NCPCR Chairperson Shanta Sinha said.

A NEW CELEBRATION

Sai Baba was an Indian guru, considered a saint by his devotees. It is a well known figure in many parts of the world, but especially in India, where he is widely worshipped. To celebrate his anniversary on December 9, the campus which houses Yashodhara Shelter conducted a program of activities for the approximately 160 children from various NGOs that work with socially disadvantaged children or with mental and physical disabilities.

Everyone took part in activities such as preparing the dance, music and theater festival. There were also games, competitions and magic shows. With or without disabilities, no one was left out. For three days, the campus residents ate breakfast, lunch and dinner together in the Sai Baba temple located on the campus.

Yashodhara children prepared a tribal dance from Assam, in northeast India, called Naga. They tailored the ornaments of their costumes themselves, and prepared a full and energetic choreography. The younger ones performed a religious dance called Namana - a greeting to god Ganesha.

It was an enriching experience for the children. It allowed them to develop their skills and strengthen their self-esteem. The cooperation among the different institutions has strengthened the ties of friendship and fraternity among them since there have been no biases towards any one group nor has anyone underestimated the children’s potential.

LOVE LETTERS

Yashodhara has started an activity designed especially for the older children: writing to and receiving letters from youngsters who live at a Therapeutic Center located in the province of Girona, Spain. The activity was proposed and will be monitored by Silvia Torralvo, Coordinator of Fundación Lethe, and Eshana Alcover, live-in Volunteer at Yashodhara Shelter in Pune. Fundación Lethe is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of personality disorders and crises in teens, and promoting their inclusion in society and the job market.

Yashodhara children were shown pictures of the teenagers, their town and the Therapeutic Center facilities, and were told about the weekly activities and the work being carried out there. Then they got busy writing their letters, asking about their future pen pals’ tastes, friends, school, and inviting them to come to Pune. The children made an effort to write in English, though in a simple way, as their mother tongue is Marathi.

This initiative is an attempt to bring teens from Lethe Foundation close to other youngsters who perhaps come from homes with family conditions similar to theirs. We hope that they can all share experiences, hopes and dreams, and that this exchange will bring joy to everyone’s life.

UNIVERSAL CHILDREN'S DAY

Universally, Children’s Day is celebrated on 20th November (November 14th in India). It was instituted with the sole aim of promoting communal exchange and understanding among children, and bringing about beneficiary action to promote the welfare of children all over the globe.

The day is marked with a lot of activities, but the fact remains that only a section of India’s children have the opportunity to celebrate their existence. Schools organize events and activities that students thoroughly enjoy, but there are millions of that are left out on this special day – the downtrodden street and slum children.

Instead of just celebrating the day with pomposity in schools and clubs and hotels, why not also make a difference in the lives of materially underprivileged children? How about taking well-to-do children to homes that shelter street children and have them befriend those kids, play with them and share the items that middle and upper class children take for granted, like clothes, toys, stationery, books, etc.?

Another way of celebrating this day would be to have children organize a party for some socially disadvantaged children with the help of a teacher or parent. In fact, if this were done in every neighborhood, imagine how many smiles there would be across the nation. Moreover, these occasional gestures could result in long term initiatives from adults and even children, since once they have come into close contact with populations so different from what they are accustomed to, an awareness and a new outlook may arise as well as the will to help transform inequality from its roots.

Source: Indian Child

CHILD LABOR DOESN'T WORK

Inside the Delhi High Court complex children as young as ten or twelve are commonly seen working in tea stalls. This is the very same High Court that passed a landmark judgment over two years ago sanctioning the police to slap a spot fine of Rs.20,000 on anyone found to be employing child labor.

Five years have passed since the Child Labor Prohibition and Regulation Act of 1986 (CLPRA) was amended to include as child labour children working in homes, tea stalls, etc., but little, if anything, has changed for laborers below the age of 14.

For years, the excuse of poverty has been trotted out as a reason why child labour cannot be eliminated in India - even policymakers use this argument. Does poverty justify children being subjected to physical, sexual and psychological abuse? Does poverty justify children being sold into prostitution? Does poverty justify children being robbed of their childhood?

While poverty is certainly a reason for child labor, it is a fallacious argument that it is the only reason. You do not have to wait to eradicate poverty before eliminating child labor. In India, despite the Right to Education Act coming into force two years ago, millions of children are still engaged in child labor. The paradox of two contradictory laws: one regulating child labor and another mandating children to be in school, speaks volumes of the inability or even the unwillingness of the State to change the status quo.

And what about the great Indian middle class that has contributed to and benefited from the runaway growth story? It knowingly employs children in homes using the same argument of poverty. More than the inadequacy of existing legislation or the moral bankruptcy of policy makers, it is the middle class who sanction and legitimize this modern-day slavery called child labour.

Source: Save the Children

MY CHILDHOOD, MY RIGHT

In a village in West Bengal, Anita, 15, holds back tears as her father plans to marry her off to her cousin. Anita’s mother shouts, trying to convince the father to change his mind. After a while, the police come and set the father straight.

In a grassy open area, 300 hundred people, mostly men and boys, are closely following this street play, which spreads messages against child marriage and promotes girls education.

Anita joined a theatre group after her parents planned for a marriage, which she refused. “They arranged my marriage with my cousin but never asked my opinion,” she recalled. “I was very upset. Finally I told my mother that I wanted to study.” Being in the theatre group has given Anita the power to voice her opinion.

Headed under the campaign slogan ‘My childhood, my right!’, a joint initiative between the District Administration and UNICEF promotes the value of girls with a focus on reducing child marriage. The initiative began in 2009 with the aims of raising awareness about child marriage, strengthening adolescent groups and mobilizing communities through folk media and theatre plays. Starting in 30 selected villages, it has gradually spread to the rest of the district.

Girls’ education and their economic independence are seen as key solutions. “It is useless to talk about prevention of child marriage if the girls have no alternative options for livelihood and will continue to be seen as parents’ liability and burden,” explained a member of the Child Welfare Committee. “Vocational training is offered to adolescents in the district but new challenges emerge when they try to market their products. They need new skills.”

Looking back, Anita’s mother said she and her husband felt they were doing a good thing. “We knew the boy and his family. They are rich, and we are not,” she explained. “We were aware that child marriage is illegal, but that is the practice here. But now we know better. All families should take our example.

Source: childinfo.org

CHILDREN PROMOTING CHANGE

Summer is at its peak, touching 45 degrees in the afternoons in this part of the world. The fields all along the way are barren and the trees sparse as the sun blazes mercilessly above our heads.

Most villages on the way seem to have gone into a hiding behind mud walls, but Liya seems to have found life even in this scorching afternoon. Everybody is headed to the village primary school. The largest classroom of the village is filled to capacity with children, women and a few elders. Men are crowded outside the door and windows stretching to get a glimpse inside.

Amidst this anticipation and curiosity, young Neeta stands up to address the crowd. As she elaborates the findings of her children’s group on the condition of the school, involvement of the teachers, violence, places which scare her and her friends, most elders look at them patronizingly. However, this is where Neeta surprises them. She looks up at them and asks “what will you do about these problems? How will you help us?”

Silence envelopes the room; for a while no one has answers. And then a few parents wonder aloud what they can do about what is happening in the school. It is then that a young lady finally raises her voice and says “We will have to go to the school and talk to the teachers, and we will have to do this regularly; they should know that society is watching the school.” All this while, Neeta waits patiently for the elders to give their opinions and draw out a common action plan.

Even as the meeting begins to disperse after a couple of hours, a grandmother says that never in her life time has she seen such an event where children have led a meeting like this. The ball has been set rolling. One after the other, children stand up and raise issues of child labour, water, sanitation, environment, nutrition and health and give the elders a chance to voice their own opinions and action plans. The children insist on commitments from village leaders and villagers alike.

By the time the meeting was over at this school, the sun had turned into mellow gold, but the winds of change had started blowing.

Source: Child Rights for Change

A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE

As an example of another initiative to improve the skills of slum dwellers,
Asha-Kiran has reached an agreement with the Department of Urban Community Development of Pune, by which they provide, free of cost, a tailoring and design course to the women from the Koregaon Park community.

Deepmala, in charge of cleaning our office in Pune, has signed up for the classes. She says:

“Up to now, I have been working as a part-time maid and as a helper in several places. This is good, but learning how to sew and design clothes is better because my chances of getting a good job increase. Also, I like being a seamstress. I could work for a tailor with experience in the business or maybe I could get something started with the other women in the course.”

Classes are from Monday through Friday, last three hours each, and the course is three months long. We wholeheartedly wish success to these women who have the drive to become more autonomous and better providers for their families.

ADULT LITERACY CLASSES

The traditional definitions of adult education include the ability to read and write, the use of literacy skills in managing one's life, and continuously upgrading skills so as to enter the mainstream of adult development processes. Adult illiterates, being mostly also the very poor, view upgrading skills and income-generating opportunities as immediate needs.

Asha-Kiran has launched adult literacy classes in Birazdar community in order to

• enable adults to become competent in reading and writing letters, words and sentences
• teach them basic arithmetic skills
• show them and expand the possibilities of bettering their lives through education

To date, 17 men and women have signed up for Adult Education Classes. Since all the participants work during the day, we have scheduled the lessons around their work hours. A local Volunteer, a student from the Social Work College, will participate in the Program. We hope that more adults will join this initiative so that its benefits will reach as many people as possible.

THE CITY HALL OF TORREJÓN DE ARDOZ AND THE UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE BACK YASHODHARA ONCE AGAIN

For the second year in a row, the City Hall of Torrejón de Ardoz and the University of Seville have chosen Yashodhara as the recipient of their respective awards for international Aid to Development Projects.

The 2011-2012 period is especially important for our Project because we have added a new component to it that will make it possible for us to reach out to more vulnerable families. The aim is to ensure that all children who come to Yashodhara with a need for protection receive the specific attention they require. There are many cases of extremely impoverished mothers who approach our Project to give their children a better quality of life. As Yashodhara has a limited housing capacity, this new element of external support will allow us to work with mothers and their children in their own communities, counselling them and giving them the necessary tools take proper care of their families.

The City of Torrejon de Ardoz has backed Yashodhara with a grant of 5500 Euros, while the University of Seville has awarded us 6000 Euros, doubling the contribution they made last year.

The link between the City Hall and Asha-Kiran will also allow us to support awareness-raising activities done by the Department of Immigration in events such as Children's Day and Youth Week.

Our sincere gratitude to both entities for their ongoing support on our way to achieve a more just world for children.

YOUNG TEACHERS

Education is a key element for change and ongoing self-improvement. After starting to work in the slums of Pune and assessing the needs of adults and their response, we opted to take adult education to Yashodhara Shelter as well, where the beneficiaries are the caretakers, the cook and the driver.

The way to implement this Program involves

• teaching reading and writing in Marathi, the local language
• teaching basic maths
• adjusting study time to the staff’s work hours
• promoting relaxation in learning so that education may flow unimpeded.

A particularly interesting point is that the teachers are the children of the Shelter who are in higher grades.

Thus, this teaching-learning process is a continuous cycle that enriches all of those involved – on the one hand, the children are nourished by the friendly presence of the adults around them, their care and the food prepared for them. On the other hand, the staff acquire practical and useful skills that will contribute to their self-esteem and autonomy, while the children consolidate their knowledge and have a chance to pay back the attention and affection they get.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE

The International Day on Non-violence is celebrated worldwide coinciding with Ghandi’s birthday. But even though many events are organized of this date, we tend to lose sight of the objective throughout the year and violence goes on unabated.

Douglas Roche struck the nail on the head when he noted that “the world is experiencing a fundamental crisis... We are at the point where we are capable of destroying life on earth, while the culture of peace offers the vision of global ethics toward life in full vibrancy”.

Gandhi is admired worldwide for his principles of nonviolent protest to achieve political and social progress, but admiration is not the solution – the application of his ideals is. This work cannot be left to governments or international organizations alone. Peace may be achieved around the negotiating table, but it is sustained around community tables. Peace starts with people – it flows from the hearts of committed women and men. Communities, families, and individuals all have a critical role to play in defeating violence and creating a culture of peace.

Unless every individual takes the message of peace to heart and applies it to himself in his daily activities, violence will continue to destroy our people, and our planet will be in danger. Let us work together to use the great force of non-violence to build peaceful and just societies for ourselves and for our children.

Sources:
http://www.un.org/en/events/nonviolenceday/sgmessages.shtml
http://www.mauritiustoday.com/news/articles/16046/1/The-International-Day-of-Non-violence/Page1.html

WHOLESOME DISCIPLINE

Asha-Kiran is taking the campaign "Fear-free Learning" to five schools in Pune, together with the Organization for children’s rights A-bhaya Abhiyaan.

A-bhaya Abhiyaan was founded in 2006 to end the widespread practice of disciplining schoolchildren through physical/psychological punishment, and to promote their healthy development within a violence-free society. This organization advocates "positive discipline techniques" that include

- not causing feelings of bitterness, hatred, self-blame or revenge in the child
- allowing him to responsibly choose his behavior once he knows its consequences
- clearly conveying the importance of rules and discipline and then trusting the child's common sense
-motivating the child to find a solution to correct any mistakes
-not accepting inappropriate behavior, but always accepting the child
-emphasizing good communication
-never opting for physical or mental harassment.

The campaign will run for two months during which there will be informative talks, plays, stories, debates and games for the teaching staff.

In the two schools that have already participated in the campaign, the idea of disciplining students without violence has met with varying degrees of resistance. The task of transforming a belief rooted in the local culture will not be easy or brief, but we need to get started if we are to move towards building a society focused on the overall welfare of children.

GANESH CHATURTHI

India is a country where colorful festivals and celebrations take place throughout the year. Not a single month in the Hindu calendar is devoid of a ‘sacred’ day. One of these celebrations is the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganesh is revered in India as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune, and is invoked when starting any business or journey. It is believed that this god grants his presence to his devotees for the duration of the festival. In the State of Maharashtra, the event is celebrated not only by Hindus but also Muslims, Jains and Christians.

We recently celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi at Yashodhara Shelter – children, teachers, staff and neighbors. The children made an altar with great enthusiasm and a day later, held a welcoming ceremony for Ganesh led by the Shelter’s support class teacher. For five days, every morning and every evening, the children made a pooja (offering) to Ganesh. On the sixth day, the idol was immersed in water, thus completing the celebration.

Each person or group of people celebrates the festival in their own way in accordance with their caste, culture, religious beliefs and traditions. Amid this diversity, the various celebrations unite people by strengthening their ties and relationships, as well as turning life into a joyful carnival. The feelings of unity and brotherhood are intertwined and manifested through a festive and devotional ceremony.

A needed change in CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY LAWS

The first time Suhasini fainted while she worked in the cotton fields, the farmer shouted at her for slacking. "The smell of pesticide made me feel like vomiting," says the nine-year-old. "First it gave me a bad headache. Then I felt sick and dizzy." The next time Suhasini fainted was more serious. The farmer had to take the delirious girl to the nearest hospital. Later Suhasini discovered he’d docked the cost of her medical treatment from her 15 rupee (22 cents) daily wage.

Suhasini, one of Andhra Pradesh’s 82,000 child labourers, continued to work in the fields from 6am until 6pm, day in day out, while the cotton plants were being sprayed with poisonous pesticide. She fainted several more times before her mother was taken ill with a fatal stomach ailment. When Suhasini had to go to live with her uncle, she stopped working and got the opportunity to attend school instead.

Many child labourers continue to work in the cotton fields. Despite the laws that prohibit children younger than 14 working, India is home to the largest number of the world’s working children, with estimates of around 114 million children employed. More campaigns are needed to pressurise companies into taking responsibility for their operations throughout the supply chain instead of making huge profits from cheap and readily available child labor.

Picture 1: Global Concerns Classroom

Picture 2: Child Rights for Change

Text source: www.actionaid.org.uk

FRESH HUGS

We had another visitor at Yashodhara Shelter: Fernando Munarriz of San Sebastian, Basque Country. Fernando is the Sponsor of Kishor, a seven year old child. Fernando's sister, Maria Jose, is also the Sponsor of another child at the Shelter. Fernando was making a tour around China and India and made a stop for several days in Pune as he wished to meet Kishor and establish a closer bond with him.

Fernando brought gifts for Kishor and the other children, who received them same way they welcome visitors: with enthusiasm and openness. There was no favouritism; no jealousies arose among the children since they are used to sharing their toys and even clothes with their peers. As Kishor's birthday was near, his Sponsor dove into the adventure of buying clothes at a bazaar in the city of Pune together with Eshana, our co-worker who lives at the Shelter and who knows the children’s sizes and tastes.

As regards Fernando, he got to taste and enjoy the atmosphere his godson is living in, and gave him plenty of affection and hugs. At Yashodhara, receiving and giving are in balance and lead to the wonder of sharing.

COVERING MORE GROUND

This year, Asha-Kiran is contributing to the formation of self-help groups, and to counseling and training adults of two slum communities in the Koregaon Park and Hadapsar areas.

The training consists in teaching adults how to read and write, and the counseling, in providing them information on professional courses and how to form and manage self-help groups. These initiatives aim to empower the adults of these communities in the financial realm, provide tools for them to deal with emergencies, and learn how to give each other financial support.

To perform this task effectively, our social workers contacted the Department of Urban Community Development of Pune, which develops and gives programs and courses, and awards grants to economically disadvantaged groups. We are pleased to have this organization as a partner for the improvement of the economic and working conditions of our target communities.

A group of 11 people is taking shape in the community of Koregaon Park and two groups of 11 people each in the Hadapsar community. The people in these groups have welcomed the program as they realize it will enable them to be independent in their financial activities and improve their decision-making ability for the sustainable development of their families and communities.

INDIA IS LOSING ITS GIRLS

The first population census of 2011 shows a total of one million two hundred thousand people in India and also presents a worrying fact: for every one thousand boys under 6, there are only 914 girls.

Families prefer to have sons than daughters, especially among economically disadvantaged groups.

Girls in India are still seen as a burden, ‘a bad investment’, because they have to be taken care of only to ultimately join their husband’s household. Therefore, some mothers practice selective abortions or abandon their daughters after birth. If they are born, girls generally receive less attention and healthcare than boys, have a higher level of malnutrition, and are less likely to get an education. Mortality rates are higher among girls. From a very young age, they perform household chores which may take up to eight hours daily – a time they could spend going to school.

At present, India has one of the largest imbalances between boys and girls worldwide. The lack of females could cause serious problems in Indian society according to the Population Fund of the United Nations, one of them being that a significant proportion of young men would not be able to find a partner, especially among the poor. This, in turn, could lead to an increase in violence and trafficking of girls. On the other hand, young women would be pressured to marry and have children at an early age and, therefore, would often give up their education or jobs.

Empowerment of women and the community, access to education, implementation of rights in all sectors of the population, and a system of community solidarity will be key elements in addressing this problem.

YASHODHARA: A WELCOME VISIT

Mª Angeles, a friend and Volunteer at Asha-Kiran, came to Pune to meet her sponsored child, Ravi, an 11-year-old boy from Yashodhara Shelter, and share some time and presents with him and the other children. Such meetings are as necessary and enriching for the sponsored child as they are for the Sponsor. Cinta, Asha-Kiran's friend and collaborator, also came to visit.

Before being admitted in the Shelter, Yashodhara children used to live in conditions of extreme vulnerability. They came from homes where they may have suffered physical or sexual abuse or may have been forced to work. All this seems very far away when one sees their joy, vitality and their ever-present smiles, but there have been times when their hearts have also had folds of sadness and discouragement.

With a visit from Volunteers and Sponsors, the veils of these folds seem to fall off. A visit is a gift that goes beyond mere human contact. The way that children receive love from visitors, so unexpectedly, opens the door to other ways of experiencing the world. The children seem to be healed by people who come to Yashodhara and have an influence in their many desires and activities. Any gesture, however small it may seem, encompasses many dimensions.

THANKS to Maria Angeles, Cinta, and to all those who share their hearts with children.

Eshana Alcover – live-in Volunteer at Yashodhara Shelter

SNAKES and CHILDREN

The geographical location of the campus where Yashodhara Shelter is located is an ideal habitat for snakes. Having seen snakes around the Shelter on several occasions in recent months, we decided to inform about them to the nearly two hundred children who live on the campus.

Our Project Coordinator, Aniruddha, and our Social Worker, Deepti, organized the briefing jointly with Mr. Aniruddha Joshi, who is associated with the Information Center and Security Network Department of Pune University.

We made the children aware of the danger posed by snakes through audiovisual support and a detailed explanation of the types of snakes and their characteristics, bites, how to tell by the bite if the snake is poisonous or harmless, and precautions to take to prevent snakes from nesting around the buildings on campus. They were also told about the time limit for treatment and that the campus hospital is well equipped to deal with snake bites.

PRAGATI and PALLAVI

In the past two months, the Yashodhara family has grown visibly larger. The last two newcomers are Pragati and Pallavi, 12 and 10 respectively. Two days after their arrival, they were already attending the local school.

Pragati and Pallavi used to live with their mother, blind in one eye, who worked in a telephone shop that was shut down by the police. Widowed since the girls were very young, her income suddenly stopped and the possibility of providing for her family was drastically reduced due to her impairment. The family lived on their neighbors’ charity, but the mother did not want her daughters to stop going to school. She contacted Asha-Kiran through an acquaintance; our social workers quickly came to visit them and started the necessary admission procedures.

Both mother and daughters are very grateful for the opportunity given to them. We will make our best effort to exceed their expectations.

NEW SPANISH VOLUNTEERS IN PUNE

Six Spanish Volunteers came to Pune at the beginning of July wishing to share their creative activities with 'our' children. The workshops are being carried out in all of our Projects: Yashodhara Shelter, Day Care Centers and the Primary Schools that Asha-Kiran works with.

Ana, Elena, Montse, Álvaro and Ane (accompanied by her son and daughter) have brought with them interesting and different ideas such as handicraft making, painting, juggling and puppet making, body language, etc. One of the Volunteers, Maddi, is making videos and a photographic record of the workshops. The activities selected were chosen from nearly a hundred Volunteers who finally made up a group eager to experience, learn and share their knowledge and solidarity with the children.

When the workshops began at Yashodhara, there was an explosion of creativity on both sides. The children had been waiting for the Volunteers, since they knew that people from Spain would come and bring 'a special extra' to their daily activities. The Volunteers, on the other hand, were expectant of how they would be greeted and the impact that their proposals would have, but as usual, the children opened their arms and welcomed them with big smiles and full involvement.

They found work in the Day Care Centers shocking because of the living conditions in the slums where the Centers are located. Feelings of solidarity were aroused and they shed a tear here and there, but the workshops went on amidst joy and enthusiasm.

In the schools, the Volunteers found children who were quite shy and withdrawn at first, but, seeing that they could express themselves naturally, gave free rein to their spontaneity.

Life in India contrasts dramatically with life in Spain ... it invites one to let go and relax again and again. Hence, the Volunteers have also had to make significant adjustments in things like being flexible in view of constant plan changes, simplifying their activities, adapting to the food and non-stop rain, learning to listen to local people in order to get the real gist of what is said, and so on.

Therefore, enrichment and development is not individual or unidirectional, but is born out of a balanced and caring symbiosis between adults, children, activities and environment, which benefits everyone.