Regional Director Asia Pacific Visiting India

IAYP India welcomed Sue Walker, Regional Director, Asia Pacific Region to India. During her visit, Sue met with Himmat Kalsia (Trustee Chairman, APF) and Dr Sanat Kaul (Managing Trustee, APF) in Delhi. Kapil Bhalla and Sue Walker also met with Ruchira Ghosh, Regional Director, South Asia, from global partner Cambridge Assessment International Education at Mumbai. Sue and Kapil also visited Global Pathways Matriculation Higher Secondary School (Coimbatore) with Duke of Edinburgh International Award Foundation World Fellows, Mike Steele & Stacey Coote from the Steele Family Foundation and discussed further possibilities to collaborate with IAYP India. On 8th, Sue Walker attended an Award Presentation Ceremony at the Lawrence School, Lovedale, Ooty and presented Awards to successful achievers.

Thank you, Sue, for your visit and guidance.  Click here for more pictures

Sankalp: The Aspiration to Live a Life of Dignity

This report has been submitted by the students of Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, in which they share their experience of installing a sanitary napkin production unit as a measure to deal with women hygiene issues.

In her pursuit of inculcating experiential learning, Mrs Nishi Misra, our Principal, came up with the idea of community service for women as part of the Service section of the Award Programme. Having shared the idea with us, she guided us to survey the areas around Gwalior to find a cause to espouse. During our analysis, we found that women hygiene is a highly stigmatised issue. It was then that we discovered the essence of our community service activity. Mrs Misra worked hard to acquire a low cost indigenous sanitary napkin unit from Coimbatore, with the vision of producing sanitary napkins for women who can’t afford them.

After the successful running of this unit at the school campus, Mrs Misra launched women empowerment projects in two villages, Jarga and Virpur, where low-cost and eco-friendly sanitary napkin machines were installed and the production is managed by village women. Having been approached by numerous hospitals, NGOs and scheme developers that expressed their desire to purchase this product, Mrs Misra has been working out a small scale industry model to make this product self-sustaining.

Though Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya is an all girls’ school, Mrs Misra invites students of both sexes from schools in both India and abroad to engage in ‘shram-daan’ (labour service) and earn ‘volunteer hours’. She has developed it into an activity during the Youth Festivals that she holds at the school. We, together with students of other schools, work on manufacturing the napkins and assist in their distribution at the village.

At times of natural disasters like the floods in Kashmir, the Nepal earthquake or even the recent Kerala floods, we try and work relentlessly on these manufacturing machines to send a good batch of sanitary napkins, along with other relief materials to the needy. We deem it our duty to donate as well as work hard on these machines to prepare sanitary napkins for women who need them.

The initiative of setting up this unit is called SKV-Sankalp, a collective resolution taken by Mrs Nishi Misra and us to help women live with dignity. We staunchly believe that this will go a long way in gender sensitization of the youth.

This Journey Fostered Persistence and the Importance of Challenging Ourselves

Fifteen Bronze Award Participants, including eight girls and seven boys of The Ardee School, Gurugram and NFC, Delhi completed their Adventurous Journey on 14th - 15th September 2018 under the supervision of Seema Chugh (Award Leader) and Atul Kumar Dhuria (Sports teacher). Parveen Bhatia (Award Leader) is sharing this report, a collective response by the Award Participants and the mentors about the Adventurous Journey that the participants undertook to Camp Wild, Dhauj. Both the Participants and their Leaders had much to share on how this journey became a landmark in the Award journey of the participants.

This Adventurous Journey has truly been the highlight of our Award journey. The first day saw us engaging in myriad activities like flying fox, rock climbing, rappelling, dealing with army obstacles, cooking and trekking at night. The day commenced with some fun team building activities, which were then followed by other more thrilling activities. Initially, fear and anxiety had gripped us and we were paid back in wounds and bruises for our physical labour. But eventually, we did overcome the challenges and accomplish the tasks. The second day of the journey unfolded with a 5-kilometre trek to Aravalli Hills. Being able to complete this too, our hearts were filled with the exhilaration of victory. The day and the journey both concluded with a tree plantation activity.

The joy of persistent attempts leading to accomplishments has been overwhelming for us in this journey. While we were doing our tasks, the grips of many of us loosened. A lot of us tripped and fell too. But what kept us going was the will to finish what we had begun. In activities like rock climbing and trekking, we could feel surges of adrenaline in our bodies that filled us with a sense of adventure. These tasks not only aided us in overcoming our fears but also in discovering parts of ourselves that we never knew had existed before. Detaching ourselves from books and gadgets, which had always been a strenuous task, seemed accomplishable in the journey. 

However, one of the most enlightening aspects of the journey has been the tree plantation activity that we undertook as a mechanism to create awareness among the locals about the environment.

When we look back at the time that we spent at the camp, we feel elated. This journey has been one of the most enthralling experiences of our lives, offering us countless opportunities of self-realization. We’ve started looking at obstacles and hurdles as stepping stones. We have not only learned but grown too, both individually and collectively. The moments that we spent with ourselves and with each other in the journey and the life skills that we imbibed with every passing moment will forever remain etched in our memories. Click here for more pictures

This report was prepared on the basis of the reflections received from Inika Sharma, Pushkar, Vaanya Ranade, Yahub, Krisha Agarwal, Priyanshu and Ananya Sharma (Award Participants).

The Award changed the way I perceived nature and helped me connect with it better

Saumya Rai, Bronze Award participant from Uttam School for Girls, Ghaziabad, participated in her first ever Adventurous Journey for the Bronze Level. Saumya is sharing her experience here.

Childhood, more than being about education, is a wholesome period, laden with opportunities to enhance the good in oneself. The aim of the Award Programme is to inspire young people; charging them with energy and the motivation to grow and bring about advancements in society. As part of the Award Programme, young people perform Voluntary Service, develop Skills, commit themselves to a particular Physical Recreation activity and undertake an Adventurous Journey. All these, collectively, rouse their concealed potential.

This year I participated in the Bronze Level of the Programme. As part of the Adventurous Journey, I travelled to Camp Hornbill, Jim Corbett Park. Away from the murky environment of the cities, I got the chance to explore the fairy-like land of Camp Hornbill. Right from the crack of dawn, I was pumped up with energy and positivity. What was overwhelming, though, was the thought of learning something new with every passing day. Losing my inhibitions and vanquishing my fears, I took part in many adventurous activities like ladder climbing, zip lining, body surfing, bird watching, painting and trekking. However, the cherry on the cake was the fascinating stories about the relations between nature and humans that I got to hear on many nights.

This was a learning experience for me. It changed the way I perceived nature and helped me connect with it better than I ever could. Interacting with the people of Kyari village and spending time on the banks of Khichadi River was utter bliss. However, this experience would remain incomplete if I don’t acknowledge the contribution of my school, teachers and IAYP, who guided me in not only exploring the world but myself too.

Award Orientation Workshop

"If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary." – Jim Rohn

On the 6th of August, 2018, GD Goenka World School, Sohna organized an orientation workshop to create awareness of the award Programme (IAYP). The workshop was conducted by the Programme Manager, Bivujit Mukhoty, for grades 9th and 11th students.

The school’s Director-Principal, Dr Neeta Bali, briefed the students about the Programme, highlighted its benefits and encouraged the students to register for it. She introduced Mr Bivujit Mukhoty, who explained the Award Programme to them in detail. He elaborated on the inception of the Programme and delivered key insights on it. He also narrated his journey of running the Award Programme in the country and shared experiences of young people who have already completed all levels of the Award Programme.

Bivujit emphasized the Award Programme as a prominent platform for young people to gain a variety of experiences, while also showcasing their hidden talents through various aspects of the Programme. He described the Programme as following a holistic approach to learning, while covering domains of skill development, physical recreation, social service and adventure.

The session concluded with Bivujit Mukhoty awarding Anish Gurung a Bronze Award on his successful completion of the Bronze level of the Award Programme.

Programme Manager's Visit to Dehra Dun

Programme Manager Bivujit Mukhoty and Priyank Kumar Gupta, Head IT & ORB, visited schools of Dehra Dun on 28th July and 30 July 2018. A brief report of this visit follows.

The visit to the Dehra Dun schools started on 28th July 2018 with a meeting with the Award supporting team at Selaqui International School, where Bivujit Mukhoty discussed the progress of the Award Programme in this centre with the Award Leader - Devvrat Badoni. The team visited Sajeev Dixit - Award Leader, The Asian School, Dehra Dun. Later, the NAA team visited Selaqui International School again to deliver an orientation to the students. The session was attended by 120 students.

On 30th July the team met with Hari Om Tripathi - Award Leader, Welham Boys School, Dehra Dun. Next, the NAA team visited the Purkal Youth Development Society, Dehra Dun. The team was welcomed by the Award Leader - Shalini Gupta. NAA team had a detailed discussed and meeting with the core team of PYDS including G.K Swamy – Founder & CEO; Harwant Singh - Principal, Anand Krishna Swami - Dean of STEM, Manish Chandel - Office Manager, Sarika Nandrjog - Dean of Operations and Shalini Gupta. The team did an analysis of the success of the Award Programme and discussed the measures to deliver the programme to all eligible students. Bivujit Mukhoty delivered an orientation to 100 students of PYDS. After the orientation, GK Swamy - Chairman and CEO, handed over 6 Bronze and 3 Silver certificates and badges to the participants who had completed their Award Journey.

Introduction to the Award - Who We Are

The Award is known in many different ways, by many different people around the world. And it's important that we all talk about the Award in ways which resonate within our own countries.

We are The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, a global non-formal education framework which challenges young people to discover their potential and find their purpose, passion and place in the world.

We operate in more than 130 countries and territories, helping to inspire young people to dream big, celebrate their achievements and make a difference in their world. In India, the Award is run in the name of the International Award for Young People under the supervision of the Award Programme Foundation, a non-profitable, charitable trust. 

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award offers an international currency and credibility across the world; an Award stands for something and showcases success. 

We're not limited by boundaries. There are 1.3 million young people currently completing their own unique programme, via hundreds of thousands of youth-focused partners and operators, including schools, youth organisations, examination boards and youth offender institutions. 

We've got more than 60 years of experience and we're just getting started. Our ambition is to make the Award accessible to every 14-24 year old around the world, regardless of ability, experience or culture.

We Believe ...

• That today's young people are the most important resource - and championing their growth and development should be a top priority
• That not all learning happens in the classroom - some of life's biggest lessons can happen in the least likely locations
• That every young person has the potential to do something extraordinary
• That exciting things happen when you step outside your comfort zone
• That the development of character and skills such as confidence, communication, problem-solving and resilience is crucial if young people are to be ready for the world = a world which is changing at a phenomenal rate
• That the Award helps young people to find their purpose, passion and place in the world
• That the Award can positively impact, inspire and empower all those involved - including volunteers and supporters

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award challenges young people to develop the character, skills and confidence they need to improve themselves and their communities, by encouraging them to step outside their comfort zone and build positive habits, that they will take with them for the rest of their lives.

With the support of adult mentors, the Award helps young people to unleash their passions and believe in the power of their own potential. 

Through the Award, young people can be empowered - and not just to confidence, but the desire to create meaningful changes; to find their purpose, passion and place in the world.

Please subscribe to our e-weekly The Award Weekly to know more about the Award Programme in India

The Story of Geeta and Amrita

Twenty-year-old Geeta and Amrita were born and brought up in Tughlakabad village in Delhi and have been best friends since their school days. Both the girls are full of life and have a thirst for learning more and more. Currently, they are in their second year of graduation in the BA programme from the School of Open Learning, DU.

Amrita has 5 members in her family -- her father, mother and two elder brothers. Her father works in a fiber company and earns Rs.8000-10,000 per month. Her mother is a homemaker and supports Amrita's dream of flying high. One of her bothers works in Vodafone and can make up to 15,000 per month, the other has recently started working and earns up to 8000 per month. Including Amrita's internship stipend, the family income comes up to approximately Rs. 35,000 per month.

Geeta, on the other hand, has 5 siblings: The two eldest sisters are married, one sister works as a teacher, one brother is in school and the other one is working and earns up to Rs. 10,000 per month. Her mother works in an export house and makes Rs.5000/-. Her father passed away due to a heart attack. The total family income, including her internship stipend, is approximately 20,000 per month.

They joined The Naz Foundation (India) Trust in 2015 as participants of the YPI programme. YPI uses sport and life skills education to transform the lives of adolescent girls. They showcased their leadership skills as participants and started interning in Naz India as Community Sports coaches from August 2016.

Naz India gave them a lot of opportunities to make them better and more confident leaders. After 8-10 months of their internship, they were introduced to the programme called the International Award for Young People, which is a Youth Empowerment programme and helps in their holistic development. They both enrolled themselves at the Bronze Level and are keen to do the Silver Level as well.

Under the Skills Section, Geeta and Amrita took up the Beauty and Make-up course for a year from the NGO Sarva Saman in Tughlakabad. They received a Diploma certificate after successfully completing the course.

They got an opportunity to run a beautician centre in the NGO Deepshikha, which is supported by the Church they go to. The church in-charge gave them the space for the centre and also the products initially. The students are charged Rs.150 per month, which is utilised for buying the material required. The course is of six months and teaches basic skills like waxing, threading, etc. They get the certificate which is recognized by other salons. The centre is solely run and managed by Geeta and Amrita, for which they get Rs.1000 each per month. Till now they have trained 25 women, out of which 3 have started working in some salons, 8 have successfully completed the course and the rest are in the process of completing it.

Geeta and Amrita say “Agar hum Naz main nahi hote to kabhi bhi hame Award Programme karne ka mauka nahi milta. Hum bohot khush hain ki hame Award Programme karne ka mauka mila, jisse humne aisi skill seekhi jo hamare paise kamane ka jariya bhi ban sakta hai.” (We are very happy that we are part of Naz India as it gave us an opportunity to be a part of the Award Programme. Through IAYP, we learnt a skill that can be a medium of our earnings too.)

They both said that they have become financially independent as they get Rs. 3500/- as a stipend for interning with Naz India and Rs.1000 from the Beautician Centre. As learnt in Naz India, they know how to manage their money well, they make a budget first and spend and save accordingly.

Both Geeta and Amrita aspire to open a Dance Academy together. They both are very passionate about it and are working hard towards it. They also have a Plan B as they are running a beautician centre of their own. In the near future, they want to expand that too.

Their families are proud of them as they both can take care of their own expenses. Not only this, they also contribute to the daily household expenses if needed. Click here to see some more pictures

Award Ceremony at Birla Vidya Mandir, Nainital

An Award ceremony was held at Birla Vidya Mandir, Nainital on 26 May, 2018 with enthusiasm. Parivesh Pandey, Award Leader shares a brief report here.

The aim of this Programme is truly reflected among our young volunteers, which is that young people don't just enjoy an excellent academic education, but are able to develop for themselves the skills, behaviour and attitude that are needed to be a great global citizen.

It was a very prestigious moment for our school to announce that 15 students registered themselves in 2017 for the Award Programme and all of them brought laurels for our school by achieving 7 Silver Awards and 8 Bronze Awards.

Being an Award Leader, I salute the undaunted spirit of our Award participants and hope that they will continue their commendable efforts for serving society.

Thanks to the National Award Authority, especially Bivuji Mukhoty (Programme Manager). I would also like to thank R. S. Pant, Asha M'am and above all, Principal A K Sharma for providing this opportunity to our participants to prove themselves and for showing his belief in us.

Award teaches patience, tolerance and compassion

Bronze Award participants of Pathways School, Noida, adopted different activities to improve their skills, to serve society and to keep fit. Rohini Rode, Award Leader, is presenting a brief about their work.

Creating awareness on Entrepreneurship. Spreading awareness on suicide and depression. Learning classical vocal music. Improving debating skills to take part in World Scholar’s Cup and Model United Nations. These are some of the areas Award participants of Pathways School Noida decided to choose for the Bronze Award Journey.

The participants set goals for themselves and decided to persevere in order to achieve them. Nehal took up painting to develop her skills. She worked on her creativity and practical skills. She presented her work at three different exhibitions and won the praise of many. Prachi worked on her debating skills. First, she had to brush up her research. She went to Yale to take part in debates. This opened her mind and she understood from a practical point of view what is required for her to win. Harveen practised the piano regularly and also worked on theory.

Unnati participates actively by doing community service in JP labour camp by compassionate teaching and helping other children. She improved her own leadership skills as well. Reading about ways of preventing suicide, researching about different disorders, staying awake at nights to understand insomnia: These are all events that Snigdha experienced before writing a book to create awareness about suicide and depression. Chitrali taught young children the English alphabet. Manushree expressed her love and care towards dogs in an animal shelter. The participants, thus, understood that the service section fills them with a sense of worth from having given service and help to others and their community.

The participants were able to learn patience, tolerance and compassion. They increased their self-confidence by setting a goal and achieving it. They worked on their physical fitness. IAYP Silver is their next target and they are determined to achieve it.

‘OOTOPIA’ at the Ooty Lake

Students of Ooty get together to cherish Ooty Lake on World Water Day

On the 22nd of March, 2018 the Award participants of Good Shepherd International School, in liaison with the Citizen Voluntary Group Make Ooty Beautiful, celebrated the World Water Day at the Ooty Lake as ‘Ootopia’: a dream for an eco-friendly and culturally sensitive Ooty.

Attracting almost 3 Lakh tourists in 2017 alone, Ooty Lake has proved to be invaluable in securing Ooty’s current economic state. Yet, with the vast influx of sewage water, waste, and muck into the lake, its name has become almost synonymous, among the local citizens, with that of a cesspool. Thus, the Award participants of Good Shepherd International School found it thoroughly imperative for some form of ownership to be inculcated within the primary stakeholders for the condition of the lake: the citizens themselves.

To further strengthen their initiative, they collaborated with 18 other schools of the town, each school putting up a performance for ten minutes, with regard to water sanitation. To also broaden the expanse of the students’ creativity, the schools produced on canvas their interpretations of ‘Ootopia’, how the town could be the true epitome of ecological stability while also basking in the splendour of its cultural significance.  Click here for more pictures

ORB Next Generation

We welcome Vivek High School, Mohali and The Sagar School, Alwar to New Online Record Book Next Generation.

Online Record Book (ORB) Next Generation is simpler, faster and more accessible and has some great new improvements. Once registered, this new version can be accessed anytime, anywhere through the Mobile Apps designed for Participants and Award Leaders.

If you are interested, please get in touch with the Programme Team for more details.

Gold Award Ceremony 2018 - July 10th

The time has come to celebrate YOUR achievement: The Gold Award. Achieving a Gold Award is one of the biggest milestones of your Award Journey. It shows that you have the ability, focus and determination to achieve your set goals and pursue them with passion and perseverance. It shows that you have done your share to achieve all-round development and at the same time are open to learning from what the future has to offer. Therefore, it is imperative that you celebrate this achievement with others and The Gold Award Ceremony is designed to celebrate this achievement of yours.

We are happy to announce that the Annual Gold Award Ceremony 2018 will be organised on July 10, 2018, at India International Centre, New Delhi.

We cordially invite you to join this celebration and you will soon receive an invite to GAC 2018. It goes without saying that your presence will make this event memorable and successful.

The last date for submitting Record Books is 10th June 2018.

Award Leader Training (YES) Workshop

Jodhamal Public School, Jammu

An Award Leader Training Workshop was organised on 20th - 21st April, 2018 at Jodhamal Public School, Jammu. The workshop was attended by 20 participants from Apeejay School, Jallandhar; K.C. International School, Jammu; Jodhamal Public School, Jammu; Govt. High School, Deeli, Jammu; Govt. Middle School, Khokhyal, Kathua; Jammu Sanskriti School, Jammu and Banyan International School, Jammu.

The workshop started with a session on introduction and expectations. There were sessions on Framework and Philosophy of the Award, followed by the four pillars of the Award, Residential Project, Risk Management, Benefits of Award, Brand Pack and ORB. The workshop was led by Kapil Bhalla (National Director), Bivujit Mukhoty (Programme Manager), Priyank Kumar Gupta (Head IT and ORB) and Pallavi Gill (Member, National Training Panel and India Youth Rep). 

NAA would like to thank Nandan Kuthiala, (Trustee, Rai Bahadur Jodha Mal Kuthiala Trust) and Trilok Singh Bist (Principal, Jodhamal Public School, Jammu) for their support.

The Honorable Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG

The Honourable Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG is a British diplomat and former Ambassador to Iraq, Egypt, and Libya. He is currently the British High Commissioner to India, since March 2016. Sir Dominic will be accompanying HRH throughout the Royal Visit.

We welcome His Excellency to the Gold Award Ceremony.

A Journey with Difference

Bronze and Silver Award participants from Sanjay Ghodawat International School, Kolhapur, completed their Adventurous Journey at “92 Acres barren land” opposite Ghodawat Rice Mill near Kolhapur Reserve Forest from 25 - 27 November 2017. Sasikrishnan (Award Leader) is sharing a report on this Journey.

Adventure sports are being enjoyed by people from all walks of life in a big way. The reason for this is that there are new sports being conceived every now and then, which are a thrilling and exciting experience. While people these days are so caught up in their social world, tirelessly busy to maintain their digital profiles, there seems to be no time for them to enjoy the marvels of nature and to have fun outdoors. It is these adventure sports that provide an addictive adrenaline rush, which is refreshing and rejuvenates people from the monotony of daily life -- to give young people a feeling of excitement and thrill and with the aim of experiencing learning outside the classroom.

There were eighty-two Bronze and five Silver Award participants from Sanjay Ghodawat International School who undertook an Adventurous Journey to 92 Acres barren land in front of Ghodawat Rice Mill near Kolhapur Reserve Forest from 25th to 27th November 2017. They were escorted by 8 teachers and 5 sports teachers and 6 attendees.

Though they had been briefed about the Adventurous Journey during a preliminary training session, had understood the importance of safety and use of different equipment, the process of pitching tents, use of different types of rope knots, first aid and navigation techniques, the actual Journey proved to be a personality changing experience for each one of them.

When they reached base camp, they were divided into SEVEN groups named Gora, Sambhaji, Shahaji Raje Warriors, Halloweens Shivaji Maharaj, Badal, and The Shield, and the instructors appealed to their competitive and leadership instinct right from the very beginning.

On the first day of our journey, we learnt about tent-pitching, essential knots and different kinds of camping gear. On the same day, we also went for a three-hour trek to Sunset Point and returned at 6:30 PM. The day was full of experiential learning for all of us. Everyone noted the important points in their diaries and record keeping journals.

"Each time, on time" was a clearly communicated motto. Each member of each team had to report right on time. There was always an ongoing competition between all teams regarding punctuality, keeping the tents clean, serving and eating meals in a disciplined and cordial manner, putting shoes and utensils in place... in short, in an effort to score over other teams, participants tried to imbibe the right values till it became a habit with them.

The day’s activities were exercises, treks, adventurous games, and leadership games. Treasure Hunting, etc., was organized in such a way that besides being challenging and entertaining, each team was back in time for hot, sumptuous meals and full of enthusiastic anticipation for the next fun-filled activity. Participants and teachers both marvelled at the level of excellence in planning and execution of camp activities.

The participants had no access to smartphones, television and other gadgets that have become an inseparable part of their lives, and they did not miss them. It was back to basics. With a clear star-lit sky, a bonfire in the centre and fellow participants around it, each narrating her experiences of the day, scaring others with ghost stories and imaginary incidents of the night trek, playing antakshari, celebrating birthdays and friendships, they enjoyed the human interaction which has been lost in the digital world.

It was amazing to see that even asthmatic participants undertook long treks, rappelling and zip-lining sessions, without difficulty. The air was truly invigorating! Leadership games and cooking a meal after an uphill 12-km trek, saw the best of volunteering, taking responsibility and delegating it to fellow team-mates, recognition of individual talent and excellent coordination among participants even in such a short span of time.

The perfect weather and the scenic surroundings of Kolhapur Reserve Forest became secondary to the admirable transformation in these youngsters, who came to realize their own potential after going on the IAYP Adventurous Journey. It is always going to be a memorable experience for all. Click here for the pictures ...

Walk It Like You Talk It!

Sudhiksha Kaushik, Gold Award Participant from Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya, Jaipur found garbage handling is one of the challenging areas in India. She decided to work for the same and succeeded in setting up the examples. Sudhiksha is sharing a report here.

"I love nature. I love to be in it. It is beautiful, permanent and beyond us." These words from Marshall Vian Summers are the true expression of my feelings. A trip to the beautiful hill station of Shimla in the lap of Himalayas in class 6th with my family was my love at first sight with nature. The beauty of this place left such a great impact on my tender mind that I decided to take up environment conservation at school. Conserving environment became my passion and I started encouraging others too by my 'walk it like you talk it' attitude.

My father’s career in Merchant Navy got me to travel since a very young age, because of which I was exposed to the efficient garbage management and was intrigued about the details kept in mind in respect to the aspects of cleanliness displayed on board my father’s ships and in various countries I travelled to. Gradually I started to draw comparisons between the waste management in my country and the countries I had visited. In Ohiri Park at Hakata in Japan I saw how people cleaned their dog’s faeces when they took their dogs for a walk, in the U.S.A, I saw how people followed the laws made by the government and also actively participated in all programs related to the upkeep of the environment, in Singapore, I saw how people never littered around. This difference led me to work towards sensitizing people in my city about environment conservation and cleanliness. My endeavour is to break the taboo surrounding garbage handling in my country.

I knew that the task I have taken is difficult for a young kid but the determination to see my city as clean as the cities of the developed countries led me to do things that many children of my age are not even bothered about. In the beginning, people were not very accepting of my vision. They were least concerned about littering and polluting the environment as they assumed that it was not harming them directly. They believe that it is the duty of the government to take care of environment conservation. I started to persuade people to be concerned about the environment by organizing various activities like e-waste collection drives, cleanliness drives, and old books, clothes and shoe collection drives, etc. For organizing all these activities I, along with my younger sister started an organization called ‘R4 – Our fore vision’ which is a registered NGO today. Eventually, people started joining my drives. My teachers started talking about my initiatives in school and my peers began helping me spread awareness about environment conservation. I was declared the Environmentalist of The Year in the 9th and 11th standard. Our NGO ‘R4- Our Fore Vision’ has partnered with the biggest marathon in our city called Jaipur Marathon and the biggest theatre festival in the city called Jairangam as their cleanliness partners where people were motivated for garbage segregation and cleanliness by our volunteers. We arranged for the disposal of the collected garbage to the recycling centre.

The Clean India Mission launched under the leadership of our honourable Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi increased my determination to take this cause even to grass root level. This has resulted in people accepting the responsibility for the cleanliness of their surroundings. Today many households in my residential society compost their kitchen waste using the low-cost composter called 'Golden Pot' developed by me and my sister. I am proud to say that through my initiatives I have brought about a change in the mindset of the students of my school and the people I have interacted with. I know that I have succeeded in my endeavour when I see the students in my school not only support my cleanliness mission but also help promote it. Click for more pictures ...

Programme Manager's Visit

Programme Manager, Bivujit Mukhoty visited The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, Hyderabad on 24th October 2017. Bivuit Mukhoty met Skand Bali, Principal, The Hyderabad Public School, and handed over the National Operator Licence.

Bivujit Mukhoty also delivered an Orientation session to students and teachers of The Hyderabad Public School. The orientation was attended by over 250 students.

Ripples of change for a Cause

Award participants of Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana took an initiative to support the specially-abled children. A brief report.

"I slept and dreamt that life was joy… 

I awoke and saw that life was service… 

I acted and behold, service was joy."

Rabindranath Tagore

It is rightly said, “Only a life lived in the service of others is worth living”. Abiding by this maxim and to support Aashrivad Schools Amba Project, the Satyans affiliated with the IAYP Programme have taken a step ahead to help pave the way from “Dependence to Independence” for specially-abled children. The Satyans have taken an altruistic initiative of promoting Indian handicraft and entrepreneurship. The Satyans put up stalls for the sale of beautiful garden planters and exquisitely designed biodegradable and eco-friendly diyas. The money collected from this initiative will be entirely spent for buying technology to further the endeavour in making the specially-abled children technologically adept for self-sufficiency. This initiative has provided the Satyans with an opportunity to rise by lifting others, and the power to bring about a change for good.

This initiative was undertaken by Satyans on September 27, 2017 and was duly acknowledged and appreciated by the parent fraternity. They encouraged the Satyans by contributing to the beneficent sale for a noble cause. Ms Bhupinder Gogia, Principal, Sat Paul Mittal School, also appreciated the efforts made by the Satyans of the IAYP Club and stated that Satyans should work consistently with the conviction for a humanitarian outreach and create ripples of change for a better society.

Story of Papiya Koley

“Slow, persistent and silent work does everything.” Swami Vivekananda

Papiya Koley is a living example of these words. Her father is a van puller by profession. Needless to say, it is an arduous task for him to procure sustenance for a family of six. But they have seen better days ever since Papiya was brought by her elder sister Ashalata Koley to Rasik Bhita to get involved with the Award Programme.

The remote village of Heradaha could not provide her opportunities for higher education, yet Papiya was not defeated. The orthodox villagers could not accept the progressive outlook of the two sisters and began to cast aspersions on them. But people who script success stories are seldom held back by such constraints. Battling against numerous odds, Papiya managed to put up a praiseworthy academic performance. By dint of sheer hard work and dedication, the sisters have achieved an notable feat.

Ashalata Koley is a Silver Awardee who works for Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. India, and Papiya is now a student of Sanskrit Honours in Srerampore Girls’ College and her results have been consistently good. She has scored 60% marks in Compulsory English. She is a proud winner of the IAYP Gold Award this year.