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.