Inspiring Young Minds Of Rainbow Girls Home

December 5th is International Volunteers' Day (IVD) and December 18th iVolunteer's Birthday:) So from 5th to 18th, we at iVolunteer will target the volunteers of tomorrow – ‘students’, from 1st to 12th grade. We aim to inspire young minds and so we will reach out to schools – private, public and community driven – and work with students to instill in them both a sense of civic responsibility and how they can volunteer to act on it. We will complete this celebration by engaging students in volunteering acts that they will design for themselves.

Yesterday 05^th December was the launch of our engagement...can volunteer to act on it. We will complete this celebration by engaging students in volunteering acts that they will design for themselves.

Due to my migraine 2 days before IVD, I had to back off from school which was confirmed for the day. As it was very very far off and I didn’t want to take risk of falling ill again for 24 hours. At the same time I was determined that I had to do a session and bring awareness to at least few kids... I called Rainbow Homes Coordinator Santosh and checked if I could do a session at one of their centres. He was happy about the Civic awareness session and within half an hour confirmed to me with address and ya he and the team did help me with materials I needed to do this session at such a short notice....  I got confirmation saying there were 64 kids but next question was how will I manage so many kids all alone with group activities. I did post a message on Face book too assuming at least 2-3 volunteers might join, but unfortunately had no one join me. This in fact made me realise importance of “Our Volunteers”. Rainbow Home staff and kids were very warm and welcoming. This was first time I visited this home....  What I did was took 7 chits with below Civic awareness topics:

1.       No Spitting/Urinating in public places
2.       Plant saplings
3.       Walk on footpath
4.       Help – Needy, differently able, Elderly
5.       Clean Public park
6.       Obeying Traffic Rules
7.       Save Environment
 
While writing this blog I am just recollecting how my 3 and half hours flied with little onesJ When I reached High school kids 8^th to 10^th were yet to reach home from school. So I started with primary. I had 1^st to 7^th sitting together.

4.00 – 4.30 With organisation staff

4.30 to 4.45 Welcome song by kids (surprise to meJ), Intro of kids (Name and class)

4.45 – 5.00 Energisers

5.00 – 5.30 Discussion on topic --- Help – Relating this to what is volunteering and what are civic issues and how they can be  

Adding bit in detail assuming it might help people reading this to spread a message... I started with asking kids what help (Sahaya in Kannada) means to them and what was 1 help they have done to someone starting this morning? Their answers were I put plat to that little girl, I helped my friend today by giving pencil, I helped my friend today by giving eraser and so on.. These reminded me of my good deed book, where to ensure that we write one good deed we gave pencil/scale/book eraser to someone on the day J lol... by 5.15 I had high school kids joining in, who shared similar good deeds... I then drew a home a school and asked them apart from these which are other places around them, this then connected to park, hospitals, play grounds, Vidhan Soudha, Environment, zoo, Bus station, etc etc Then I asked so apart from school and home has any kid helped someone in these other places. Gave 2-3 simple examples of I helping a granny get down from bus. Got 2 answers of 1 girl Nowreen helping a disabled reach right office and blessing her good luck for her exam and other girl Geeta helping granny cross road who was scared to cross road and needed a help. I then gave them examples of how we can help blind, Hearing Impaired, kids, elders etc. Not to forget when I showed them alphabets in sign language, they were so excited that they requested me to teach them same. I said I would charge them fees which will be informed at end of today’s sessionJ A kid thought I would charge Rs 300J lol. Then started main activity the main topic i.e. civic issues.

5.30-7.00 Collage making

Made 7 groups, had group leaders from 7^th to 10^th standard. Gave them seven topics I had taken in chits, took me good 15-20 mins to explain what is collage and what they need to do. This was first time they were doing a collage. 1 group leader was so scared about activity was she started cryingJ Went to each group, every group which started saying I have nothing about my topic in news papers to me making them understand how they could use pics and drawing available to making them understand their topic to final and very important the output... Yes each and every group creatively making their collageJ Check this out at Final Output

7.00-7.30 Wrap up

I was very happy seeing output. Prateek who came to pick me was chief guest to make them feel good about their efforts. All explained their collage and topic to group at large and their Prateek Bhaiyya... This was centre that had missed receiving books committed. Luckily there were few pencils collected kept in car which I distributed at end and have promised to go again next week to give them books...

The event ended with kids promising to take a step forward from “I helped someone with pencil/eraser/book” to “strictly following civic issues topics discussed and also volunteering atleast once in coming few months” and ya this also being my fees for teaching them A to Z in sign language in coming classJ BTW many kids grasped most of alphabets while I had showed it to them once...

Happy to see final impact, all this being managed with help from 2 staff members Sunita and Savitha who had kept all materials needed (News papers, scissors, fevicol bottle that replaced glue;), charts and sketch pens) ready before I reachedJ Thanks to 2 Mothers Anuradha and Merlin for lovely tea/coffee and snacksJ

In Short I super loved my International Volunteer’s Day 2012 and looking forward to see volunteers doing few sessions in next few days at few schools and reach to many more kidsJ Hats off to our iVolunteer team working tirelessly on this project and am super super happy to share that across India we reached to 2,002 kids on the Day and am super happyyy to see so many Young Minds Getting InspiredJ Come join the Movement Of Inspiring Young minds to become responsible citizen and volunteerJ

People take a resolution for new year but on this super happy memorable day I would like to take few resolutions:

1.)    To be a good citizen and volunteer regularly
2.)    Not to waste tea or food (Food I hardly do but at times I waste tea:(, ( curtesy to less food wastage Mr. Ravi Kumar:)) remembered my C.A. Sir Ravi Sir seeing me waste food at times while they (Ravi and Satish Sirs) gave treat, finally giving up on me and saying You must be sent to Ethopia:))
3.)    Work on my  communication writing skillsJ (Curtesy Deepam, Our Marketing Head, for her honest feedback:))

Adeos Amegos for now!!! Excited to inspire more young minds our future generation:)

Smiles,
Prarthana:)

02-01-2013

Journey that started with these little angels by talking to them about Volunteering and Civic Awareness during my first visit to today have a special bond with these little angels who connect with me so well and ya they have learnt many words and alphabets in Sign Language :) To these little kids collage on their thoughts about Social Responsibility being displayed at Bengaluru Future – Horror or Hope event by Citizen Matters:) Just Memorable time:)