Special Project Adventurous Journey Camp for JCB Supported Govt. Schools in Faridabad

National Award Authority organised a three days Adventurous Journey camp for JCB Sponsored Government Senior Secondary School of the rural areas of Haryana from 19th to 21st December 2014 at Rocksport's Balliwash Camp site. Total 179 participants (83 Silver level and 96 Bronze level) participated in the camp and performed Adventurous Journey related activities under the supervision of instructors from Institute of Climbers and Nature Lovers (ICNL) Kolkata and Bivujit Mukhoty (Programme Manager).

The camp activities includes Rock Climbing, Rappelling, Fixing Rope, Building Burma Bridge & Single Rope Bridge, fixing Tyrolean Traverse (for river crossing), tent pitching along learning Rope Knots. The participants also learned Team Building Games with Spider Net. All the participants successfully completed their practice and qualifying Adventurous Journey. The NAA team thanks ICNL, Kolkata and Rocksport, New Delhi for their spontaneous support to the Award Programme. We also wish to thank Neelam Singh (Award Leader, Govt. Sr. Sec. Schools) for her valuable support and help.    Click for pictures

Mountain Call

Award participants of Govt Senior Secondary School, Kot Fatta in district Bhatinda went for a trekking camp held at Tara Devi in Shimla under the expert guidance of Mrs. Harpinder Kaur Brar, our Award Leader. This was our first camp outside Punjab, and we were very excited.

Our tour started on 19th May 2014 with a train journey from Bhatinda to Kalka, and then on to Shimla on the famous "toy train" -- our first experience on such a train.

The scenic beauty visible from the train was something we had never witnessed before. There were mountains all around us and it felt as if the train was moving like a serpent in a wild forest of tall, green trees with monkeys swinging from branch to branch. After six hours of travelling we reached Tara Devi station. Then we went to our scout centre where we were offered lunch. After having tea and snacks in the evening we were feeling quite fresh and ready to begin our adventure. Our camp in-charge told us about the rules and regulations of the camp and gave all guidelines and schedule of the camp.

Early morning of 21st May we started our day with exercise at 8 am after which we took our breakfast. There was halwa puri for breakfast and it was quite yummy. This was followed by playing outside games like cricket and football.

Next day after breakfast we all were ready for our  hiking and trekking programme. Everybody was charged up to climb the mountains. While climbing, students used sticks for self protection and to clearing their route. The track was quite steep and tough. There was thick jungle all around and it seemed as if we were passing through clouds. While trekking we also saw a helipad. Our instructor told us that water would be our best friend during the trek. We thoroughly enjoyed our trek and also the welcoming nature -- it was a lifetime experience. In the afternoon we reached the Tara Devi temple. After doing our prayers we took our meals and started our return journey back to our scout centre.

On the third day, we had lots of fun participating in various activities like hide and seek, group activities, learning safety knots, tent pitching and a flag ceremony. All the activities were new to us. At night our teacher organised a camp fire and everybody participated in singing and dancing around the fire. It was as if we were in a different world. Next day we went back to Shimla, where we visited Lakkar bazaar. That is where we purchased gifts for our friends and family. We went horse riding on the Ridge and visited the Tibetan market and Sankat Mochan temple. While returning to our camp, everybody was very tired, we had our dinner and soon went off to sleep.

It was on 25th May that we started our journey back to Bhatinda.This adventurous trip was the most unique journey we had ever been on, we learnt about parts of our life that we never knew existed. We reached our school with lots of new experiences and good memories from the trip. The trip was full of thrill and excitement. We will always cherish our trip.

International Gold Event Diary - Part 1

International Gold Event 2014 finally kicked off with a brilliant opening ceremony as witnessed by our IGE reps Anwesha Ghosh, Ankit Durga and Adrija Chatterjee. First session of the event was taken by John May, Secretary General. The participants have been divided into several groups and have an assignment that will be completed with due course of the 10-day forum. The final presentation will be on October 29, 2014 in presence of HRH Earl of Wessex. 

Activities with the motive of team building, leadership and efficient working have been major part of the first three days in Seoul. Activities included presentation, games and discussions which covered most aspects of team work. According to the IGE rep Anwesha, “all the sessions have been very fruitful and indepth.” While for Ankit and Adrija the exposure that they are experiencing is incredible, meeting new people and learning their stories has been the essence of the grand event.  

The girl who dreamed big

Shankhini Saha a class XI student from Singapore International School, Mumbai, who is doing her Gold Award stayed at Navjyoti India Foundation to complete her Residential Project, that is where she met the ever smiling bold Bharti and here is Bharti’s story as told by Shankhini Saha:   

In the interiors of a resettlement colony of Bawana in North West Delhi, a young spark was born. Bharti was the first of her three sisters and like many girls in India faced the plight of gender discrimination. Her grandparents immediately dismissed her capabilities and awaited the birth of a boy child. Her parents on the other hand were ever supportive of her endeavors and urged her that her gender was no barrier to facilitate her path towards success. Her mother would proudly declare, “I want all three of my girls to see the stars and to bask in their shimmering light.” With a fighting spirit and desire to work hard, Bharti was presented with an opportunity to join the remedial education program of Navjyoti India Foundation.

Dr. Kiran Bedi founded Navjyoti India Foundation in 1988 with an ambition to make the thought of preventative and welfare policing, a reality.  Hence, working towards restoring congenial ambience for shaping a new tomorrow and a fresh start. In pursuit of this reality, the foundation has been catalyzing women empowerment programs for women across Delhi with an ambition of having meaningful and comprehensive projects.

With great courage and determination, Bharti joined the Navjyoti remedial classes in the Class VI and instantly began to display glimpse of her desired success as she topped her class in Mental Math. At the foundation, she had the chance to fight her fears and explore new personal dimensions, if not for the Foundation would have remained hidden within her for rest of her life. At the Foundation she also decided to give her passion of running a try when she participated in a marathon of 20,000 people and was able to finish 10th overall. That was the day she felt true pride when she held on to her first certificate with the medal weighing down from her neck.

After realizing her potential she decided to take on the post of “Head of the Skills Department” as part of the Bal Gurukul initiative. She now runs a teaching force of 20 teachers who reach out to 200 students. Now in the 8th standard, when she looks back at the past two years, she says, “I now know for a fact that with self-confidence, not even the stars are out of reach.” Bharti continues to make her parents proud and works with all her grit and guts to embody her vision of being a distinguished IPS Officer and that girls deserve no less when it comes to opportunities and the right to dream.

Into the lap of serenity

Pangot is a picturesque hill station located about 13 km from Nainital in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in the lake district of India. The pleasant climate, scenic landscape and laidback charm of Pangot make it an ideal place for tourists. The drive to Pangot passes through the forest area of Cheena Peak Range via Snow View Point and Kilbury, which provide perfect platform for bird watching.

Our journey started from our college- Ansal University, Gurgaon, we all were asked to be present there at 7:30 pm so that our coordinators could help us by briefing about the trip. We were then introduced to the teachers Mrs. Pratibha ma’am and Mr Gulia sir who were going to accompany us on the trip. 

We were first given the basic introduction to first aid and following that the teachers and our coordinators briefed us about Pangot and its surroundings. After that all our seniors who have already been on an IAYP trip shared their experiences with us. As we did not know everybody going on the trip we were asked to briefly introduce ourselves to others.

We all were very excited as it was our first trip from the college and the cooperative seniors made us feel comfortable as they treated all of us as their equal. Throughout the journey we played games such as dumb-charades which was great fun, the journey also helped me update my latest music knowledge as we couldn’t stop singing. 

Twelve at night there was buzz in the bus as it was one of our senior’s birthday, before the trip that senior was just an acquaintance but now we are best of buddies. The game and chatting unknowingly made us tired and sleep became the easiest thing to get. We all woke up to the freezing cold weather of Kalkodaam from where were to hop onto taxis that would take us to Pangot. Even in the shivering weather the sight of snow patches pm the road side was so pleasing to the eyes.

The name of our camp was Shiva Den Camp where we were briefed by Maddy sid and Naresh sir who were our instructors at the camp. To my surprise I was actually enjoying the food at the camp or may be tit was just the excitement overpowering my tastebuds. Frankly the beauty around our camp site was mesmerizing.

As the day went on the instructors mixed matched all of us to divide us into two teams. Most of the members in my team were just faces studying in my college but with good team spirit and involvement in the activities that was coming our way transformed us into great bunch of friends.

Soon we were into our rappelling gears which were tested and approved by our instructors, while the other team was involved with Jumaring. Thanks to the cheers and motivation coming from my team mated I managed to finish my activity. Then it was our turn to do jumaring. It was a technique oriented task although it looked very difficult but it became simple after we mastered the technique. 

Soon we were back to our camps for our lunch and bit of rest to overcome the fatigue of morning activities. After our evening tea at the bonfire, Maddy sir informed us of a voluntary activity of night walk. Even though it was a voluntary activity everyone was happy to do this activity. Every tiring step of the walk soon turned fruitful when we reached a spot which was heaven for star watching. Never in my life could I have seen so many stars in Delhi sky. While returning to the camp all I could think of was the sight I had just witnessed.

   

On day two sticking to the same team we had to go for trekking. But there was a twist in the activity, the twist being one team was to leave the camp 15-20 minutes later than the first team. The second team had to follow the diections that would be left by the first team, while the first team would reach the end point early and start with cooking and the second team would be helping them once they arrived. To balance out the tasks, we being the second team we also had to prepare various directions signs to be used by first team.

Once we reached our trekking destination the tea was already prepared for us by the Team 1. After that we had to put the food to be cooked on fire, while the cooking was on Maddy sir taught us how are tents put up and different types of rope knots. It was just an amazing feeling living within the endless boundary of nature.

After returning to the camp ite we had our dinner while enjoying some music and heat from the bonfire. Soon our seniors were on an open-jeep for a session of night safari while were converted the dining hall into a dancing floor. When seniors were back, we went for the safari. After coming back we all were tired but didn’t want to sleep because we knew it was our last night in the camp. On that day we slept around 03:30 am and till then we were sitting near bonfire area and chatted the whole night.

Next day we got up by 8a.m. and had our breakfasts and changed and packed our bags as we had to leave our camps and we were going for some shopping in Nanital.

Next morning we left our camps & boarded taxis and left for Nainital. There we visited the zoo first which had animals like tiger, leopard, birds, deer etc and later we went for boating to reach mall road. We also did some shopping in the streets of Nainital. Before we knew we were on our bus back to the bustling city of New Delhi while saying good bye to all the calmness I had been living in past three days. 

I couldn’t but I wanted to thank and hug each and everybody for making this trip so memorable for me. I made new friends and the bond between the friends that I already had just grew stronger.

Now I have so many memories from Pangot and those memories put a smile on my face. I wish we have many more IAYP Adventurous Journey.   

Why I employed an Award holder

We do say the Award makes you better prepared for the world outside especially when it comes to employment opportunities, on this not we get an employer’s perspective from Mohamed Rahiman, CEO of Quantum Training Centre, Kulaijaya, Malaysia.

Mohamed Rahiman says the Award “is the right platform from which to recruit future leaders.”

“As an employer and an ex-government employee in the areas of talent retention and skill enhancement, I see many areas which tertiary institutions, vocational schools and school leavers can and need to address to improve young people’s employability.

Closing the gap between school and work

“Our task is to prepare these young and eager people so that they are more employable and take a life-long approach to learning). They should never stop pursuing new knowledge or testing the uncharted boundaries of the world for their personal advancement and for the betterment of the human race.

“We need to close all the gaps between school and working life. We must make them attractive enough so that people recruit them more for their attitude and see them less as a liability to be trained – too costly and a time consuming responsibility for the employer.

Embedding employable skills

“One of the main ways in which we can help them is to systematise the direct involvement of these young people in activities and interaction outside the comfort of their routine life.

“The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award ensures that the key elements of employability are embedded into them at an early stage of their life. As they complete their Award activities they develop employable skills in areas such as: communication, cultural sensitivity, leadership and creative qualities and many more positive attributes.

Confidence in uncharted territory

“They also learn about giving back to society, living a life outside their comfort zone, and they have inculcated in them the intrinsic value of life-long learning. One of the most important skills I have encountered when dealing with Award holders is that they are more confident in venturing into any uncharted territory where new environments, challenges or people are abundant and the norm. At least they are willing to endeavour with an excellent attitude of positive vibes.

“One of the best descriptions I can give to other employers about the Award is to share with them its content: it entails participants venturing outside their comfort zone with a positive attitude while they complete various tasks in a constantly new and challenging environment. If anyone wants an energetic young recruit armed with a vibrant attitude to any working environment, this is the right platform from which to recruit future leaders.”

Since employing a Gold Award holder, Ravichandran Balasubramaniam, Mohamed has been appointed to the Award in Malaysia’s advisory board. He also heads up their National Training Panel.

Diary of hope: Distant Flickers in the dark

As I sit here typing out this article on my laptop, I plug in my charger and switch on the light. I mindlessly use what is luxury to many in most parts of India- Electricity. This other side of India is almost unheard of, forgotten both intentionally and accidentally. This other side is what forms the backbone of the Indian economy. And yet any plans of development are discarded into the shredder. As a result, today many Indian villages are deprived of the most basic amenities. 

In pursuit of making a change through the International Award for Young People programme, the students of Singapore International School (Grade 11) decide to do reach out and teach ourselves the way to look at the world differently. Last year, the students from SIS had built a water pipeline for the Konda village. This time around, after much discussion and deliberation, the students decided to light up the lives of the villagers of Irshalwadi. Hence, Grade-11 students trekked to the village of Irshalwadi located near Prabalgad and Matheran to collaborate with the villagers install solar panels. Located about 3700 feet above sea level, the village of Irshalwadi faces daily challenges in terms of electricity, water and transport. In a quest to minimise these difficulties, students of SIS assisted the villagers in illuminating every home, hence bringing light to over forty families.

During the course of this visit, our interactions and conversations with these villagers gave us an insight into their lives and instilled in us respect for them thanks to their amazing resilience. As each day drew to a close, both the villagers and the students had more lights to switch off before retiring for the day. And by the end of our stay, torches were of no use, every home in the village blazed of bright white light. 

In this five-day expedition, the students were divided in three groups: cooking, solar panel installation and reservoir construction. While the solar panel installation group went around inserting solar panels atop each roof, the reservoir construction group built an embankment and lined it with bricks and stones to form a drinking water accumulation site near the fresh water spring.After a week of immense hard work, effortless collaboration and living with the most basic facilities, every home boasted of a light source and the village finally had a clean water reservoir. As the project came to a finish, both the students and villagers were filled with joy and pride at what they had finally accomplished. 

We took part in the adventure of knowing and understanding the rubric of combined efforts and hard work. Today, the village of Irshalwadi shines at the darkest of times. Now, every child can study in the dark, men can work into the night and dinner can be cooked easily.

This expedition compelled us to retrospect and analyze the sheer magnitude and importance of what we had just accomplished. The implementation of community service has the capacity to transform an entire nation. Why not my nation? Every blazing fire needs a tiny spark to begin with or to initiate. And we had done just that by lighting up portions of the village of Irshalwadi. 

All reforms begin with what seems like to be a trivial change.And we’ve got several people to thank for the opportunity to trigger this seemingly insignificant but a significant drop in the ocean. Hence, I would like to thank the Head of School Mrs. Sharonee Mullick, Project Coordinator Mr. Uday Verma and Round Square Coordinator Mrs. Shibani Das for encouraging us to tap our inner reserves and understand the joy of collaborating. Taking part as an agent of change, for that one light, in this one life and taking one abode at a time.

-Megha Thakker

Gold Award Participant

Singapore International School

Grade 11

Sometimes words do all the magic

India has always been a country bestowed with many literary geniuses, either using their words to give face to their imagination or even fighting for what is right. Our culture and history gives a platform for our writers that is scarcely available anywhere else in the world. On that note meet Gold Award participant Lokdeep Teekas, a Masters student in Biological Science with a passion for languages and hobby that helps him do magic on a white sheet of paper. Hindi language runs through the veins of our country but it is soon becoming a language only spoken in homes or a poor man's language, Lokdeep is doing his share to show the beauty of the language by writing poems and posts in Hindi as skills for his International Award for Young People. Below is one of the poem from his collection, rest of them can be read on his blog at http://lokteekas.blogspot.in/.

   

9th National Award Leader Training Workshop in New Delhi

The National Award Authority (NAA) organized an Award Leader Training Workshop (YES Workshop) at Award Training Centre, New Delhi on 27-28 August, 2014. Eleven participants from six different institutions including our new Skills Partner Learning Unlimited participated in the workshop. Ice breaking session was the curtain raiser to the workshop; it was led by National Director Kapil Bhalla who also gave an introduction to the Award. The next session was led by Bivujit Mukhoty (Programme Manager) who shared details related to the Award philosophy and Award framework. Then Mr. Bhalla delivered a session on one of the four pillars of the programme i.e. Service, he started the session with an activity which helped participants feel the importance of this section. The post lunch session was devoted to Skills and Adventurous Journey sections, which were led by Bivujit Mukhoty. Kapil Bhalla also led a session on volunteering which is considered an integral part of the programme. The day ended with the screening of the IAYP India movie, "Why Not You?". 

The second day started with the last pillar of the Award i.e. Physical Recreation. The session began with some on-the-spot physical activities and then moved onto the requirements and importance of Physical Recreation. This was followed by the Residential Project which is part of the Gold Award programme. Some details regarding the technical aspect of the Award such as risk management were also discussed. The penultimate session was on the Web Resources and Online Record Book (ORB) which was led by Priyank Gupta, Head IT & ORB.  This session was about details regarding International Award for Young People website and the presence of the Indian Award at different social media platform. Priyank Gupta also talked about one of our new innovations related to the programme, the Online Record Book (ORB). He shared details on ORB process and the rollout plan for ORB.  The final session of the workshop was taken by our Programme Manager who discussed the importance of branding and risk management in the smooth running of the Award. The workshop concluded with an appreciation note from Kapil Bhalla followed by certificate presentation to our new Award leaders.

A visit to Government schools in Haryana

International Award for Young People team visited four schools in Haryana running as Special Projects in collaboration with JCB India. The four schools included Govt. Senior Secondary School, Jharsaintly, Govt. High School, Khandawali, Govt. High School, Deoli & Govt. High School, Bhagola. The motive behind these regular visits to the Special Project schools is to motive the Award participants as well as prospective participants. 

The visit included introducing the programme to the students of the schools and talking about the benefits of the programme. Bivujit Mukhoty, Programme Manager introduced Gold Award winner and International Gold Event 2014, Seoul participant Ankit Durga, who shared the benefits of the Award. Ankit also shared his experience of his Award journey and the life after Gold. 

The IAYP team also constituted of Priyank Gupta, Head IT & ORB for IAYP and also Vimal Kumar, Principal, Govt. High School, Khandawali when the team visited his school. Ms. Neelam Singh, IAYP Coordinator from Lady Bamford Charity Trust, JCB was instrumental in organizing the visit to all four schools. End of the day team managed to have a talk with more than 175 students from the four schools and introduce them to the IAYP Programme.     

Experience the 'Land of Tigers'

Have you ever heard silence, the chirping of the birds, felt each drop of water, listened to the sound of wind? All of the above is at least not possible in the busy city life.

Peace, nature, adventure and fun cannot be put into words they have to be experienced. Camp Hornbill at Jim Corbett National Park situated in the lap of nature, gives a new definition of life, which is beyond the entire muddle.  The four days adventure trip organised by our school, Uttam School For Girl, provided us with the best opportunity a student can get while being a member of the International Award for Young People. This programme has taught us that service and fun can go hand in hand, for which our adventure trip can be the best example. It was an exuberant affair backed with ultimate fun, adventure, and orderliness. The morning started with ‘Bird watching’ in the jungle. We could identify at least 27 different species of birds with the help of binoculars. Mountain biking was another fantastic experience. Rappelling and river crossing in a wild forest was a difficult task, but was made simple by the adept and experienced instructors. The day out brought with it a sense of independence, as preparing your own food in the forest gave extreme satisfaction. Interaction with the neighbouring people helped develop knowledge about their cultures. The sweet folk songs sung by the children forced us to shake our legs.

Body surfing in Ram Ganga canal was an unique experience. We learnt to support each other and work as a team. We ensured that every activity was not only successfully but was also completed by each and every one of us. We also worked with an NGO,”The Waste Warriors” in the village. They showed us how animal waste, dry leaves and waste food from the resorts could turn into organic manure. We are planning to start the same within our school premises. In the evening there were many team building and leadership games which kept us in high spirits

Campfires at night were enthralling sessions of laughter, discussions and jungle stories. Unconditional love and care given by the teachers and instructors made us feel homely. I thank IAYP from the bottom of my heart as they were the reason for this trip to actually happen. By and large this trip will be admired by each and every student, tears rolled down while leaving the place.

This is an experience shared by Brinda Gupta a Silver Award participant from Uttam School For Girls, Ghaziabad. 

Award Presentation Ceremony AT OP Jindal School, Rajgarh

We would like to congratulate 33 Bronze level participants who were awarded their certificates and badges organized by their school OP Jindal School, Rajgarh. According to the school the Award ceremony serves as a perfect platform to appreciate the participants’ hard work and their strong will & determination to come out of their comfort zone in order to achieve all-round development. Principal RK Trivedi congratulated the students and further motivated them to continue with their journey by participating in activities that encourage collaborative learning and helps in bringing change in the community.

Online Record Book (ORB)

The International Online Record Book is the new online system to help participants, leaders and assessors doing, delivering and assessing the Award.

Integrating online, email, mobile and, in the future, social networking communities, the International Online Record Book gives the entire global Award community greater connection with each other while making it easier to do and deliver the Award.

Benefits:

• Accessible via the internet anywhere, any time
• Easy to use and offers cross-user interaction for a variety of users
• Participant progress is tracked with a percentage so they can feel a sense of achievement throughout the entire process
• All records are stored in a secure, convenient place
• Provides reporting and search functionality
• Reduces paperwork
• A multi-lingual system
• As it is web based, it does not require users to install any software
• Based on the International Award Leader Handbook and participant's Record Book

The unique service the International Online Record Book offers is the opportunity for Award participants to: 

• Accurately track their achievements whilst doing their Award, uploading video and images to record key events
• Develop their interpersonal skills
• Connect with adult mentors who can help develop their skills and improve their life chances

Important requirements for ORB:

• Schools interested in ORB should give us a written consent, for sample consent form please contact priyank@dofe.in .
• Schools should use its official IDs to register as YES Centre instead of award leaders id, this is a mandatory requirement.

Magic of FIFA World Cup in India

‘Prepare for joyous, nerve-shedding, ludicrous drama as Brazil’s carnival begins’ was the heading given to an article in Telegraph UK by reputed football journalist Paul Hayward. The above mentioned feelings for FIFA World Cup 2014 are no different in India, for next one month late night television viewing is a must, football jerseys will become part of the social dress code and those kids who don’t want to become Sachin, Ganguly or Dravid would one day want to become Ronaldo or Messi when they grow up. Football is the highest growing sport in India right now, which is actually a huge thing when you realize it’s difficult for any sport to grow in our cricket worshipping country. 

While the legacy of the Award is to engage young people in meaningful activity, it is the legacy of the World Cup that brings youth of a country together and to connect. With Physical Recreation being one of the three pillars of the Award Programme and one of the most important domains for non-classroom education, it is through sports our youth can learn about leadership, team-spirit, hard-work etc. while achieving physical well being. 

India & World Cup

India is ranked 154th in the world. India almost participated in the World Cup in 1950, coincidentally also hosted by Brazil, but had to withdraw because Indian footballers were not allowed to play barefoot. The 1950s and early 60s are perhaps the golden age of Indian football: India won gold at the inaugural Asian Games in 1951, won it again in 1962, and finished fourth in 1956 Melbourne Olympics. It is in 2017 that India will be organizing FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Connecting young people

National Director Kapil Bhalla believes, “sports is one of the most important tool for transforming our youth and there by transforming out society. As the football fever grips the nation, I am sure we will see a rise in number of participants choosing football as their Physical recreation activity.”  

According to Programme Manager (International Award for Young People India) Bivujit Mukhoty, “the World Cup is a platform to make the youth understand the importance of a recreational activity in their life. There are players from very humble background who attract million eyeballs every time they step on to the football all because they chose sports to empower themselves.” 

Ravi's employment story

The Award has taught me what life is all about, transforming me from an

ordinary to an extraordinary person. I am also in no doubt that it helped me to get my first job with the Malaysian Government – the Award has had a major impact in my life.

I first got involved with the Award when I started my Bronze at secondary school, then progressed through Silver and Gold as I went through each level of formal education.

The Award has helped my career in several different ways. It has certainly helped me to develop new skills and personal qualities. For example, taking part in activities such as handball for my Physical Recreation (which I’d never played before), and doing my Adventurous Journey with the Royal Malaysian Police Force in the jungle, has developed my inner motivational and mental strength. Many people observe me and see the changes in me.

Consistent, disciplined, connected

The Award has taught me a lot about being consistent and disciplined at all times – it can help you to achieve excellence. After taking a badminton umpiring course for my Skills section, I won an award for being the youngest badminton umpire to serve in Malaysia. One of the greatest moments of my life was umpiring at a match where Lee Chong Wei, the world number one, was playing.

My Award experience has also helped me to connect with different communities of people. My Residential Project at Kampung Bukit Gemuruh, Terengganu State, took me six hours by bus from home. I stayed and mingled with Malay people which gave me a really worthwhile experience.

My employer was curious

Currently I’m working as assistant Chief Marshall at Quantum Training Centre in Johor, Malaysia. I provide leadership training and teambuilding activities for a wide range of people.

The fact that I had done my Award definitely affected my prospects when I

was interviewed for my current job. My employer was curious to know what the Award was all about. When I explained all the details to him, he was impressed with my involvement – especially the Service section, my contribution to society. I had been volunteering in some community projects in rural areas, and am chair of a young volunteer organisation.

“Award holders are more confident in venturing into any uncharted territory where new environment, challenges or people are abundant and the norm. At least they are willing to endeavor with an excellent attitude of positive vibes... If anyone wants an energetic young recruit armed with a vibrant attitude to any working environment, this is the right platform from which to recruit future leaders.” Mohamed Rahiman, CEO of Quantum Training Centre, Kulaijaya, Malaysia, and Ravi’s employer.

The Award's international currency

One of the biggest reasons my employer value my Award qualification was in the branding of the Award itself, which shows that it is international. I was the first Indian from Malaysia to receive the Gold Award. My employer felt proud of me and took me on because he wants me to develop this potential in other staff as well.

He has become so committed and interested in the Award himself that he has got actively involved. The Ministry of Youth and Sports in Malaysia, which runs the Award, has appointed him to the Award’s advisory board. He also heads up the National Training Panel.

Realizing my inner potential

The Award has enabled me to realize my inner potential and start my career. I want to be a successful businessman, and also be a great politician in years to come. My motivation to do the Award was not about employment but to be a better person for my family, society and country. But it's a big bonus when it helps me to get a great job.

Originally published on International Award official website at http://www.intaward.org/award-story/ravis-employment-story