Mid-term review of Gender Diversity Development Project

A report by Adrija Chatterjee

Kapil Bhalla (National Director) and Bivujit Mukhoty (Programme Manager) along with filmmaker Kartikeya visited the Gender Diversity Empowerment Project in Singur, Hoogly, West Bengal, on 21st and 22nd of September, 2015. The team visited Sri Sarada Math Rasik Bhita on the 21st and met with 76 Awardees at different Award levels. Reviewing the progress of the project, the team interacted with and interviewed the Award Leaders and Gold Awardees. The Awardees who received their Gold Award in 2015 and those who had received it the previous year, came and shared their experiences and challenges while doing the Award. The team also interacted with Adrija Chatterjee (Award Leader and in-charge of the Gender Diversity Women Empowerment project) who shared her experiences of the last 10 years with the Award. The interaction with the Leaders and Participants were on the different aspects of the Project.

Later the team met with 11 Gold Award holders (received their Award from Randhir Singh on July 16 at the Gold award Ceremony in New Delhi) from All Bengal Women Union. Gold Award holder Pallavi Mondal shared her happiness that involvement with the Award and her achievements was a big positive in getting admission to the NDA for her Air Force course.

On 22nd September the team visited Baladbandh village in the Hooghly District. There were 40 Awardees from Baladbandh and Kumrogori village near Singur. The Awardees performed yoga with music, displaying their Skills, which is also a means for earning money. The National Director handed over the first remuneration to them. The Project incharge informed the team about two remote villages under Panisheola Post Office of Baladbandh, where children do their studies with great difficulties and their parents are illiterate. The Awardees of Baladbandh have taken the initiative to help those children and their parents to pursue their studies. They are doing this as part of the Service section for the Award. The team along with the Award Leader and centre incharge of Sri Sarada Math Rasik Bhita Pr. Nityamuktaprana, visited these two villages and met with the children and their families. One boy recited a poem and his parents said they felt blessed when these girls came and taught them. They were very happy to learn how to sign their name, which is important for opening a bank account. A Silver Awardee, Munmun Patra, asked her parents to hold her marriage till she completed the Gold and her family agreed. With such examples we are sure that through the Award we can change our community. Click to see the pictures

IAYP at Livingstone Foundation School

International Award for Young People (IAYP) India Team constituting of National Director Kapil Bhalla, National Aaward Authority Program Manager Bivujit Mukhoty and National Training Panel member Chai Eng Dutta & Simon Henry visited Livingstone Foundation School in Dimapur, Nagaland to organize Award Orientation and Award Leader Training workshop. This time in place of going with a traditional format of a report one of our participant at the workshop decided to give the report a new look. So read on participant’ perspective of the workshop:

Bang we got up on a Sunday morn,

To hear how was IAYP conceived and born.

Like sleepy snails we crawled into the Chapel Hall,

Where the chairman ushered Mr. Kapil, his team and all

Mr. Kapil unleashed the history and dynamics,

Mr. Bivujit dug deeper into all the tricks,

Henry & Miss Chai flavoured with chart paper, pen and glue sticks,

Now aghast, the participants listened like mystics.

Eight million youngs registered with their mentor,

Bronze, Silver and Gold, all ready for capture,

A Bronze in six months, indeed a marathon,

But a leisure time activity, a physical recreation.

The famous ‘Shield’ of expectation,

Each of us drew without preparation,

Some looked good, some looked grand,

Some looked what, it needed a magic wand.

All explained to us through chart work and game,

This is only to make us teachers of fame,

By leading all awardees into Bronze, Silver or Gold,

A sense of achievements, sure, we are told.

In the chart work of ‘Clean up’ and ‘Martial Arts’,

Mohan and Bipul were the notable wards,

With Khetomu the ideal coach, this could muster,

The Bronze in six months nodded Dr. Baruah the Mentor.

To develop personal skills, do Community Service,

Build character, launch into adventure, joy not amiss,

Gain a sense of achievement, confidence, self-esteem,

Is the essence of this program, so I deem.

The age most misunderstood is the teen,

Will become most constructive when they are keen,

To bag Bronze, Silver & Gold, International Award,

A self-fulfillment, when only fourteen, fifteen or sixteen.

Mr. Ahoto through PPP spoke of Leadership skill,

The deaf frog and the Japanese model,

Are the moral of the lesson to follow,

Come what may, be ‘deaf’ not ‘dumb’, ‘lone’ but not ‘hollow’.

For the concept of International Award, hats off to IAYP,

For the resourceful Seminar, Thank you Bivujit, Chai, Henry & Kapil Bhalla.

                                                                                                                              -- J. David.