Attitude – Page 79 – Take off with Natarajan

சாய்பாபா 90வது அவதார நாள் சிறப்பு…..23 Nov 2015

November 21, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

சாய்பாபா அவதரித்தது 1926 கார்த்திகை மாதம் சோமவாரத்தில் ஆகும். தற்போது, 90வது அவதார நாளும் அதே போல கார்த்திகை சோமவாரத்தில் வருவது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. இவ்வகையில், இது மிக சிறப்பான அவதார நாளாக அமைகிறது.

தர்மத்தை நிலைநாட்ட :

யுகந்தோறும் அவதரிக்கிறேன் என்பது கிருஷ்ணரின் வாக்கு. அப்படிப்பட்ட அவதார புருஷராக பகவான் சத்ய சாய்பாபா விளங்குகிறார். 1926, நவ. 23ல் பிறந்த அவருக்கு, நாளை 90வது அவதாரநாள் கொண்டாடப்படுகிறது.

புட்டபர்த்தி என்றால், “சாய்பாபா’ என்ற திருநாமம் தான் நினைவில் வரும். இவ்வூர் அந்தக் காலத்தில் கொல்லப்பள்ளி என்று அழைக்கப்பட்டது. பசுக்கூட்டம் நிறைந்த ஊர் என்பது இதன் பொருள். அங்கு ராஜு வம்சத்தைச் சேர்ந்த ஒரு குடும்பம் இருந்து வந்தது. அந்த வம்சத்தில் மகான் ரத்னாகரம் வெங்க அவதூதர் என்பவர் இருந்தார். அவரது வழியில் வந்தவர் கொண்டமராஜு. மக்களுக்கு ராமபிரானின் பெருமைகளை எடுத்துச் சொல்வதில் அலாதி பிரியம் கொண்டவர். அவருக்கு இரு மகன்கள் இருந்தனர். இருவருக்கும் தன் முன்னோரான வெங்கஅவதூதர் நினைவாக அவருடைய பெயரையே இட்டார். மூத்தவர் பெத்த வெங்கம ராஜு. இளையவர் சின்ன வெங்கம ராஜு. இருவரும் தந்தையைப் போலவே பக்தியில் ஈடுபாடு கொண்டவர்கள்.

இவர்களுக்கு கர்நூல் மாவட்டம் “கோலி மிகண்ட்லா’ கிராமத்தில் சுப்பராஜு என்ற உறவினர் இருந்தார். சிவபக்தி மிக்கவர். அவருக்கு ஒரு பெண் குழந்தை இருந்தது. அந்த சமயத்தில் கிராமத்தில் கொள்ளையர்களின் அட்டகாசம் இருந்தது.

சுப்பராஜுவின் நிலையறிந்த உறவினர் கொண்டமராஜு,””நீங்கள் ஏன் கோலிமிகண்ட்லாவில் இருந்து கொண்டு சிரமப்பட வேண்டும்? சித்ராவதி ஆற்றோரம் இருக்கும் கர்நாடக நாகப்பள்ளியில் புதுவீடு கட்டி குடியேறிவிடுங்கள். வேண்டிய உதவிகளைச் செய்கிறேன். மேலும் உங்கள் மகளான ஈஸ்வரம்மா தான் என் வீட்டு மருமகள்!” என்று வாக்களித்தார். இதன்படி பெத்த வெங்கமராஜுவுக்கு ஈஸ்வரம்மாவை திருமணம் செய்து வைத்தார்.இவர்களுக்கு சேஷமராஜு, வெங்கம்மா, பர்வதம்மா என்னும் குழந்தைகள் பிறந்தனர். பின் தொடர்ந்து நான்கு குறை மாதப் பிரசவங்கள் நிகழ்ந்தன. தன் மருமகள் தீர்க்காயுள் உள்ள நல்ல குழந்தையைப் பெற்றெடுக்க வேண்டும் என்று குடும்பத்தினர் பிரார்த்தித்தனர்.

விரைவிலேயே அவர்களுடைய எண்ணம் நிறைவேறியது. ஒருமுறை, ஈஸ்வரம்மா கிணற்றில் நீர் எடுத்துக் கொண்டிருந்த போது, நீலநிற ஒளி பந்து போல திரண்டு வந்து அவரது உடலில் புகுந்தது. தெய்வீக நிகழ்ச்சி இது என்பதை உணர்ந்த ஈஸ்வரம்மா, தன் மாமியாரிடம் மட்டும் இதனை சொன்னார். இதையடுத்து ஈஸ்வரம்மா கர்ப்பவதியானார். கிருஷ்ணர் தேவகிக்கு எட்டாவது குழந்தையாக அவதரித்தது போலவே, சத்யசாய்பாபாவும் ஈஸ்வரம்மாவின் எட்டாவது குழந்தையாக அவதரித்தார். 1926 நவம்பர் 23ல், அட்சயவருஷம் கார்த்திகை மாதம் திருவாதிரை நாளில் சோமவாரமான திங்கட்கிழமை அவரது அவதார நாளாகும்.அவர் செய்த அற்புதங்களும், சமூகத்தொண்டும் கொஞ்ச நஞ்சமல்ல. அவரை இந்த இனிய நாளில் வணங்கி மகிழ்வோம்.

பயணத்தை நிறுத்திய பாபா:

பாபா பக்தரான சோமயாஜுலு ஐதராபாத்திலிருந்து சென்னை செல்ல ஆயத்தமானார். காரில் விமானநிலையம் சென்று கொண்டிருந்த அவருக்கு, “அன்று மகாசிவராத்திரி’ என்று நினைவுக்கு வந்தது. விமான டிக்கெட் ஏற்கனவே பதிவு செய்திருந்தாலும், போவதற்குச் சிறிதும் இஷ்டமில்லை. பயணத்தை ரத்து செய்துவிட்டு, சிவபூஜை செய்ய வேண்டும் என்ற ஆவலில் வீட்டிற்குத் திரும்பினார். பயபக்தியுடன் பூஜை அறைக்குள் நுழைந்தார். பிரதானமாக பூஜிக்கும் சிவலிங்கத்திற்கு வில்வார்ச்சனை செய்யத் தொடங்கினார். “ஓம் நமச்சிவாய!’ என்ற ஐந்தெழுத்து மந்திரத்தை அவர் இடைவிடாமல் ஜெபித்தபடியே வில்வத்தால் இறைவனை அர்ச்சித்தார். அன்று இரவு செய்தி கேட்ட சோமயாஜுலுவிற்கு தூக்கி வாரிப்போட்டது. ஐதராபாத்தில் இருந்து கிளம்பிய விமானம் சென்னை போய் சேரவில்லை. வானிலை சரியில்லாததால் விமானம் விபத்தில் சிக்கி விட்டது. பயணிகள் அனைவரும் மருத்துவமனையில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டனர். ஆனால்,பாபா பக்தரான சோமயாஜுலு, தான் மட்டும் காப்பாற்றப்பட்டதை எண்ணி அதிசயித்தார். நம்பியவரைக் காப்பாற்றி கரைசேர்க்கும் சாய்பாபாவின் அருளை வீட்டாருடன் நன்றியுணர்வோடு பகிர்ந்து கொண்டார்.

சத்யசாய் சூப்பர் ஸ்பெஷாலிட்டி மருத்துவமனை:

எத்தனையோ மருத்துவமனைகள் இருந்தாலும், சாய்பாபாவால் புட்டபர்த்தி மற்றும் பெங்களூரு ஒயிட்பீல்டில் நிறுவப்பட்ட சூப்பர் ஸ்பெஷாலிட்டி மருத்துவமனைகள் மிகவும் வித்தியாசமானவை. அதி நவீன வசதி படைத்த இந்த மருத்துவமனைகளில் சிகிச்சை பெற எந்தவித கட்டணமும் வசூலிக்கப்படவில்லை. மருந்து, உணவு உள்ளிட்ட எல்லாமே இலவசம். “தரமான சிகிச்சை, இலவச சிகிச்சை’ என்பதுவே இந்த மருத்துவமனைகளின் தாரக மந்திரம். இதய அறுவை சிகிச்சைக்கு இந்த மருத்துவமனைகள் ஒரு எடுத்துக்காட்டாக விளங்குகின்றன. 1964ம் ஆண்டு சிறிய பொது மருத்துவமனையாக ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டு, பின்னர் அனைவருக்கும் சேவை புரியும் வகையில் சூப்பர் ஸ்பெஷாலிட்டி மருத்துவமனைகளாக தரம் உயர்ந்தன. 1991 மற்றும் 2001ம் ஆண்டுகளில் பாபா இந்த மருத்துவமனைகளைத் திறந்து வைத்தார். இரண்டு மருத்துவமனைகளும் ஓரு ஆண்டு காலத்திற்குள்ளாகவே கட்டப்பட்டது என்பது மிகப் பெரிய அதிசயம் என்று பக்தர்கள் கூறுகின்றனர். அர்ப்பணிப்பு உணர்வு கொண்ட டாக்டர்கள், நர்சுகள் மற்றும் பணியாளர்கள் இங்கு உள்ளனர். ஆண், பெண் தொண்டர்களும் எந்த நேரமும் சேவை புரிகின்றனர். எல்லா கவுன்டர்களும் இங்கு இருக்கின்றன. ஆனால், “கேஷ் கவுன்டர்’ மட்டும் இங்கு கிடையாது. நோயாளிகளுக்கு முன்பதிவு செய்த பின், வரிசைக்கிரமப்படி அறுவை சிகிச்சை செய்யப்படுகிறது. இங்கிருக்கும் பிரார்த்தனைக் கூடங்கள் “இது மருத்துவமனையா அல்லது கோவிலா?’ என்று பிரமிக்க வைக்கும் அளவுக்கு பிரம்மாண்டமாய் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஜாதி, மத பேதமின்றி அனைவருக்கும் இங்கு சிகிச்சை அளிக்கப்படுகிறது.நோயாளிகளுக்கு வேண்டிய ஆலோசனைகள் எடுத்துச் சொல்லப்படுகிறது. இந்த மருத்துவமனைகள் சமுதாயத்திற்கு ஒரு வரப்பிரசாதம் என்று சாய் பக்தர்கள் கூறுகின்றனர்.

Source…….www.dinamalar.com

Natarajan

Message For the Day….Swami’s Advice to Students and Younger Generation…

November 21, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

My dear students, the culture of Bharat is sublime, splendorous, sacred, and divine. It can fulfill all your high desires and quench your deepest thirst. First translate this awareness into actual practice and enshrine the experience in your hearts. Then share the joy of that experience with others. Never allow your minds to get agitated with limitless desires. You must render your homes bright by pleasing your parents. If you cause grief to them your entire life will be soaked in grief and your children, in turn, are sure to sink you in sorrow. Never be arrogant towards your parents just because you earned a degree. “Consider the Mother as God; consider the Father as God; consider the Teacher as God; consider the Guest as God.” Follow this fourfold exhortation with full faith in its validity, derive bliss (Ananda) therefrom and inspire others by your example, so that the Motherland may progress and prosper. Fulfil this desire of Mine, with My blessings.

Quotable Quotes on Peace ….

November 21, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Throughout the centuries, peace has always been something fought for, and it still is something worth fighting for. We celebrate peace both in simple everyday things, and also in matters that concern the whole world. Just as history has seen people and nations that went against peace, there were also famous legends who have shown us what it is. Here are touching truthful quotes by some of these unforgettable figures.

Source….www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

Good Morning…. Here are 10 important News Around the World Right Now…

November 21, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

1. France has submitted a draft resolution to the UN security council calling on all able member states to join its fight against ISIS in Syria. The country said Europe must “wake up” to the threat posed by the terrorist group.

2. Chinese police have shot dead 28 members of a “terrorist group” in a 56-day manhunt. The group is reportedly responsible for an attack on a colliery in Aksu in September that left 16 people dead.

3. At least four of the Paris attackers were already on US counter-terrorism databases while several were also on no-fly watchlists, according to US officials.

4. Mobile payment firm Square’s stocks jumped 45% on its first day of trading. Stocks leapt from an initial public offering of stock at $US9 to $US13.07 by close of trading.

5. Security in Malaysia has been tightened ahead of Barack Obama’s visit, amid unconfirmed reports of an “imminent terrorist threat.”

6. North Korea has proposed talks with the South in a bid to ease tensions and improve ties.

7. The Republican frontrunner in the US election, Donald Trump, has said he would “absolutely” implement a database to track Muslims in the country, following the attacks in Paris last Friday.

8. One of China’s top navy officials says the country has shown “enormous restraint” in the face of constant provocation from the US in the South China Sea. He also warned they stand ready to respond to breaches of sovereignty.

9. China was making progress in rescuing hostage Fan Jinghui, who was executed by ISIS, before US and French airstrikes interrupted negotiations, according to Chinese media.

10. Adele has announced that her new album, 25, which is projected to be the fastest selling in chart history, will not be available on streaming services Spotify or Apple Music.

And finally …

New Zealanders have begun voting in a referendum for a new national flag. Voters could choose one of five options to replace the current design.

Source…..Charles Clark……www.businessinsider.com.au

Natarajan

மனதைத் தொட்ட கவிதை …”நான் கடலுக்கே போகிறேன் …”

November 21, 2015December 1, 2015Natarajan4 Comments

நெஞ்சுருகி குமுறியதால் தானே வந்தேன்
பஞ்சம் என்று கதறியதால் தானே வந்தேன்
கெஞ்சி வேண்டியதாலே இரங்கினேன்,
உனக்காக கீழ் இறங்கினேன்.
கொஞ்சமும் நினைவு இல்லையா?
வஞ்சனை செய்கிறாயே
என்னை அழைத்து விட்டு ..

வறண்ட என் நிலக் காதலி
நான் முத்தமிட ஈர்த்திருப்பாள்
சுரண்டி அவள் மேனியெல்லாம்
சிமெண்டாலே போர்த்தி வைத்தாய்
நனைத்து அணைப்பதாலே
உடல் குளிர சுகம் கொள்வாள்
அனைத்தும் நிராகரித்து
கடல் சேரவே வழி செய்தாய்

குளம் குட்டை ஏரியென
அங்கங்கே தங்கியிருந்தேன்
வளம் கொளித்த அத்தனைக்கும்
பங்கம் செய்யவே வாழ்ந்திருந்தாய்

உனக்கு வழி வேண்டி
சாலைகள் நீட்டினாய்,

தொழிற்சாலைகள் கட்டினாய்,
காண்கிரீட் கட்டடமாய்
நிலமெல்லாம் நிரப்பினாய்.
நான் செல்லும் வழியடைத்து
திட்டமிட்டு துரத்தினாய்.
பூமித்தாய் மூச்சி விட திணறுகிறாள்!
மண் பார்க்க முடியாமல்
அவள் முகமெல்லாம்
மறைத்து விட்டாய்.

எனக்கென்று இருந்த சின்னஞ் சிறு
உறவுகள் தானே குளமும் குட்டையும்.
கண்மூடித்தனமாக
மண் போட்டு மூடி விட்டாய்.
என்னையே நம்பியிருந்த
கடைசி உறவுகளையும்
கொள்ளளவு ஏற்றியே உடைப்பெடுத்து
கொல்ல வைத்தாய்.

பள்ளம், குழி, சிறு தாழ்வு இருந்தாலே
வெள்ளமாய் தங்கி வாழ்வு தருவேனே?
உள்ளம் என்று இருந்திருந்தால்
கள்வன் போல் வசப்படுத்தி
கல் மண் கொட்டி குப்பை நிரப்பி
நீ மட்டும் தங்கும் தப்பை நினைப்பாயா?

என்னை வந்த வேகத்திலே
விரட்டி விட்டு
மண்ணை துளையிட்டு
நானூறு அடியில் என்ன தேடுகிறாய்?
நாற்பது அடியில்
கிணற்றின் மடியில்
நாளும் சுரந்தேனே !
ஊற்று, கால் என்றெல்லாம் நீ
முகர்ந்து குடிக்க மகிழ்ந்தேனே!
நினைவில்லையா?

எனக்கான இடத்தை நீ
உனக்காக வளைத்த மடத்தை
செய்யாமல் இருந்திருந்தால்
உன் கால் சுற்றி
கட்டிய வீட்டை சுற்றி
தேங்கி கிடக்கும் மடமையை
நானா செய்திருப்பேன்?

அவமானம் வேறு
வெகுமானமாக தருகிறாய்.
நீர் வடியும் இடமெல்லாம்
நீயாக அடைத்து விட்டு
பேரிடர் என்கிறாய்,
வெள்ளப்பெருக்கு என்கிறாய்,
மக்கள் அவதி என்கிறாய்,
இயல்பு வாழ்க்கை பாதிப்பென்கிறாய்.

அலுவலகம் செல்வதற்கு,
தொழில் நிற்காமல் நடப்பதற்கு,
மழை நிற்க வேண்டுகிறாய்.
பிழையாக குழி
நீ உனக்கே தோண்டுகிறாய்

உன் வாழ்வாதாரம் வேண்டியே
உன்னைத் தேடி நான் வந்தேன்.
உனக்கே வேண்டாம் என்ற போது
நான் கடலுக்கே போகிறேன்.
இனியாவது நீ திருந்துவாயா
உனக்காக நான் வந்தால் ?

Source….Jayaraj Mani….

natarajan

Hate Your Job …? Watch this Video Clip ..

November 21, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

In this fast moving world, it is very hard to stay focused. We constantly need new things to keep us engaged.

This video has nothing ‘exciting’, but we are sure it will change your perception towards life –

The video was originally published by Batul Kapsi, a freelance film-maker here.

Source….Shreya Pareek ….www.the betterindia.com

natarajan

” White Print”… India’s First Lifestyle Magazine in Braille for Visually impaired …

November 21, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

“My oldest reader is 80. And she told me once: ‘Don’t stop yourself from printing anything in the magazine. If we cannot see it in our lives, it will be at least something we see though the magazine.’” Readers like this have inspired Upasana Makati to keep publishing India’s first and only lifestyle magazine in Braille English.

Upasana Makati, a graduate in Mass Media, had just returned from Canada after studying Communications and was, while working at a PR firm in Mumbai, mulling over what to do next.

“I have this habit…just before sleeping, I review the day to think about what went right, what went wrong, and what I can do in life to make it more meaningful. And one such night, I just happened to wonder about what visually impaired people read. If we want to read, we have so many options. We can easily read so many magazines. But when this thought came to me, I couldn’t think of even one newspaper or magazine that is there for the visually impaired in Braille.”

Upasana decided to do some research. She went to visit the National Association for the Blind to find out what kind of reading material was available to visually impaired people. “Even there they told me that nobody has come up with a magazine dedicated to the visually impaired. The Association itself compiled a couple of newsletters every three months for the subscribers on its list. That was it.”

And so, out of this one vague and random thought in 2013, was born White Print, India’s first lifestyle magazine for visually impaired people in Braille English. This magazine is being read far and wide today, and is promoting Braille literacy with well-researched articles and stories.

It took Upasana some time to plan the magazine and figure out how it should be structured. She spoke to many visually impaired people to find out what they wanted. “I realized that they were so tired of being sympathized with. So I decided that I would not make this magazine another charity venture and get it registered as an NGO. I would run it like any other full-fledged lifestyle magazine.”

This, however, meant getting ads for the magazine, which was definitely a challenge because people had never advertised in Braille before. But Upasana had to give it a try. She wanted to make sure that the magazine was how her audience wanted it to be. “I sent almost 200 emails for advertisements, and out of that I got one reply which was from the marketing head of Raymond. That was how I got my first ad. We got a five page advertorial from them in the first issue of White Print,” she remembers.

Upasana also learned the software used to convert text to Braille and familiarized herself with the other logistics necessary to run a magazine.

This is how White Print first started with sample copies, and a month after, she had 20 subscribers.

Our readers started loving the magazine. I remember getting this call from a girl. When the first edition reached her house, she was so excited about getting a magazine in Braille with such amazing content. She called me at the end of the day and said – ‘I just received the magazine in the morning, and I have already completed all the 64 pages. Can you send me the next one? It was really exciting for me. I could read it myself. I did not have to depend on anyone else to read it out to me.’”

Inspiring calls and messages like this from her readers motivated Upasana to keep going. “It made me think, that just a magazine means so much to some people. I had never imagined that something like this could happen. It also made me realize how much we take things for granted. We get the newspaper every morning, start our day, read it, keep it aside — we don’t value it at all. But here was a bunch of people who were so eagerly waiting for their magazines to come in. And it was really encouraging.”

On the corporate side of things, however, people were still hesitant to advertise with White Print. They felt this was not something mainstream and the returns were doubtful. But Upasana did not stop trying. She wrote to people like Ratan Tata (this got the magazine an advertisement from TATA) because she felt that visionaries like him would see some scope in her project and begin to contribute. Coca-Cola also designed an advertisement especially for White Print. “They made a sound clip and we installed it in every magazine. And it worked like a musical card. So, as soon as people would turn to the centre page, the song Umeedo Wali Dhoop would start playing. That received such an amazing response — it became a very popular edition among the readers.”

While Upasana herself writes three columns every month, she has a group of freelancers from different parts of the country who contribute voluntarily.

She also wrote to Barkha Dutt, who liked the concept and contributes a political column. The magazine also got the rights to twelve of Sudha Murthy’s short stories, which they have started publishing every month.

As of now, the magazine does not have a rigid structure (like different sections) but keeps changing based on feedback. For example, one reader told Upasana that everyone was talking about 100 years of cinema, so she did a column on cinema in the next edition.

“My oldest reader is 80. And she told me once, ‘don’t stop yourself from printing anything in the magazine. If we cannot see it in our lives, it will be at least something we see though the magazine.’ That has stayed with me, always. So it is a little of everything in White Print.”

Upasana is currently printing 300 copies every month. In the future, she wants to increase circulation to every corner of the country and also start a daily publication. If she gets a chance, Upasana says, she would love to publish in other languages as well.

To know more about White Print, you can visit the website here.

Source……Tanaya Singh …www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

From Rags to Riches……

November 21, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Manjula Vaghela’s life is literally a story of rags to riches. This 60-year-old, who was a ragpicker until 1981, is now the proud head of a cleaners’ cooperative with an annual turnover of Rs 1 crore.

Earlier, Manjula used to work on the streets of Ahmedabad, barely earning Rs. 5 in a day. Little did she know that she would become the guiding light for many.

The cleaners’ cooperative headed by her has 400 members, most of them being former ragpickers. It provides cleaning and housekeeping services to 45 institutions and societies in Ahmedabad.

Picture for representation only. Source: Tawheed Manzoor/Flickr

As a ragpicker, Manjula’s work would begin at the crack of dawn. She would pick up her large gunny collection bag to scrounge and unearth recyclable materials from other people’s waste. At the end of the day, she used to sell the entire collection to a scrap dealer. The only advantage in this job was that ragpickers always formed collectives of their own.

Her cleaners’ cooperative called – Shri Saundarya Safai Utkarsh Mahila Sewa Sahkari Mandali Ltd (SSSUMSSML), initially consisted of 40 women. It was founded after Manjula and the women in her collective met Elaben Bhatt, the founder Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA).

By the time SSSUMSSML was formed, Manjula had already been married and had a son. But tragedy struck suddenly, leaving her as the only breadwinner in the family.

“National Institute of Design was the first institution to give business to us. Next, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) hired our 15 women,” said Manjula, who was then the chief supervisor.

Over the years, Saundarya Mandali has grown through several levels of training. They provide cleaning services in institutions of national repute, residential societies, and have also worked during Vibrant Gujarat summits in the past. The women now use modern equipment like road cleaners, vacuum cleaners, high-jet pressure, micro-fibre mops, floor cleaners, carpet shampooing machines, scrubbers and extractors.

The next target for them is to make illiterate women tech-savvy, to ensure that they can understand the e-tendering process.

“Today companies and institutes issue e-tender for contracts and job work which we find difficult to fill as we are technologically challenged. But we shall overcome this too,” Hemaben Parmar, who has been associated with Saundarya Mandali for the last 20 years, told The Times of India.

Manjula also managed to earn enough to put her son through school and medical college. He is a doctor today. The college where he studied recently honoured Manjula and her son.

Source…..Nisha Chawla ….www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

60 Children from Pune Slums Never Want to Miss School. Thanks to One Man….

November 21, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

He stumbled across some slum kids while walking to the temple one morning — feeding them has become his religion since then! Read the heartwarming story of a man who is using his imagination and effort to ensure food keeps the children motivated to attend school.

Eight-year-old Rani Kamle was not allowed to go to school regularly. Her parents used to send her to beg on the streets of Pune so that she could bring home some money. One day, about three months ago, all her classmates received bags full of books and stationary, but she could not get one because of her poor attendance. It was then that Rani decided to speak up. She went back home, fought with her parents for two days, and made sure they would never stop her from going to school again. Today, she is a regular student, and a very happy one.

Rani, along with about 40 other children like her, also attends extra classes after school everyday. None of these children want to miss the two-hour long extra class. Many even fight with their parents if they are stopped from going.

But what keeps them so motivated to study? Other than the fully stuffed bags that were recently given to them, it is the food they get every day after class — idli, dosa, vada, and more!

food1

Thanks to Nitin Jirafe, an engineer with a multinational firm, these children are guaranteed a tasty meal after they finish their studies every day.

This forty-year-old man has made it his mission to ensure that none of the children drops out of school and goes back to a life of begging and working on the streets.

Nitin Jirafe

It all started on what was just another Saturday morning for Nitin. He was on his way to the temple when he came across a group of 12-15 children playing on a footpath in Phule Nagar. Curious as to what they were doing, Nitin went ahead and enquired.

These kids were associated with a Pune-based NGO called Awakening Jagriti, and were attending an open air extra class organized for them. Under a tree near the footpath, the kids stood surrounding a volunteer from the organization.

Nitin came to know that they were residents of a nearby slum. The NGO had found them doing menial jobs like rag picking and household work, or begging on the streets. The team at Awakening Jagriti convinced their parents to enrol them in a free Municipal Corporation School nearby.

However, the volunteers soon realised that once the school got over at around 1 pm, the parents would send the children back to work. They came up with an innovative solution — conducting extra classes after school to teach science and maths in a fun way. This helped the kids understand concepts that they may not learn at school and also prevented them from going back to work.

These classes take place from 2-4 pm on weekdays and 9-11 am on Saturdays. Initially, as an incentive for the kids to attend, the NGO provided them with food after the classes. While this solution worked successfully for some time, it later started failing because the NGO could no longer arrange the required funds for food. The biggest challenge now was the declining attendance because food had been a great motivation for the kids to come to the extra classes.

Nitin was inspired by what the NGO was doing and did not want them to fail in their endeavour. So he promised to bring in food on Saturdays to help ensure high attendance on one day of the week at least.

food3

Volunteer of Awakening Jagriti distributing fruits among children

He began taking fruit and snacks for about 20 children to the Saturday morning classes. This was in April 2015. In 4 weeks’ time, Nitin was informed that the strength of the class on Saturdays had gone up from 12-15 kids per day before his help, to about 40 every day since he started bringing in food.

“This is when I decided that I should be doing this all 365 days,” he says.

To start with, Nitin drafted a small story about these children and how he was trying to help them. He shared it with everyone at the multinational organization where he works, asking if people would be willing to contribute.

He was able to collect a sum of Rs. 45,000, to which he added another Rs 10,000 from his own pocket.

Next, he tied up with an idli seller near the slum. According to the deal, the seller now packs around 60 idlis every day, and a volunteer from the NGO delivers them to the children. The seller charges Rs. 200 per day and thus the amount that Nitin has accumulated is enough for about a year’s worth of food.

“The good thing is that the retention rate has now increased to about 90 percent and has become stable. About 30-40 children come for the extra class every day,” he says.

But Nitin had no plans of stopping here. As the parents of these children could not afford books and stationary, he bought fully stuffed school bags for them with the funds he had collected. These bags include all the basic text books for their age, along with notebooks, writing pads, drawing books, and pencil pouches.

He distributed about 40 school bags.

Food2

Children with a volunteer from Awakening Jagriti

His condition was that only those children who attend school regularly would get these bags. Those who did not get one tried their best to convince their parents to let them go to school more regularly.

One August 10, 2015, Nitin replicated the same model in the Sangvi slum of Pune as well, where the NGO conducts similar classes. For this, he took the help of a professional photography group that he is a part of. The group has about 20 people, and with their contribution, Nitin was able to collect enough funds for seven months’ worth of commitment in Sangvi.

With about 30 regular kids from both the slums, there are a total of 60 who are attending these classes.

food5

The challenge for him now is to continue the process after a year. For this, he has decided to organize an exhibition with the photographs of these children, along with some artwork and greeting cards made by the kids.

“It is only the start and I hope that we will be able to collect enough to continue helping these children. They are really interested in studies, it’s just that because of poverty, their parents send them to do other jobs,” he points out.

As for the food, if the kids get bored of idlis, Nitin has told the volunteers to pick up anything else from the seller who also makes dosas and vadas.

“My only concern is that the children should remain connected to their studies. If they keep going to school, they may be motivated to continue with their education later in life too,” he concludes.

Source….Tanaya Singh …www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

” Be Grateful to God…”

November 20, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Grateful to God – Please go through this story and then pray that you will see the reason to be grateful.!

A man reached 70 years of age and was affected by a disease which made him unable to urinate. The doctors told him that he needs an operation to cure the disease. He agreed to do the operation, as the problem was giving him severe pain for days.

When the operation was completed the doctor gave him a bill which covered all the costs. After looking at the bill, the man started crying. Upon seeing this, the doctor said “If the cost is too high, then we could make some other arrangements for you.” The old man replied, “I am not crying because of the money, but I am crying because God let me urinate for 70 years and He never sent me a bill!”

Have you thanked God for His countless blessings today? Have you thought about the cost of oxygen in the hospital? Yet, God has given us free oxygen (air) since we were born. Is all that God does for us not worth thanking God for? Can we not see that God is so gracious, merciful and full of compassion? If you are truly grateful to God for your life, share this message with others, not because you expect a blessing but because you are grateful. I am grateful!

Source….Input from a friend of mine

Natarajan