Giving back to Society

GSIS has taken up the initiative to sustainably serve (through the IAYP Residential Project of the Gold Award aspirants) the Kolikarai village under the aegis of the Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association. Fourteen of us (8 boys and 6 girls) from Grade 12 embarked on this mission from November 14 to 18, 2014 at Kolikarai, a tribal village of the Irula community in the Kotagiri taluk of the Nilgiris district. This tribal hamlet is located 28 km east of Ooty. We started by organizing and storing our provisions, kitchen utensils, tools, and bedding and once this was over, we were eager to get into action. It was a thrilling experience to cook our own food. Washing our own used plates and kitchen utensils, laundering our clothes were quite an eye opener that these mundane chores are possible and great to be engaged in. We learnt what it is to manage our living space for the next five days.

Housed in the space provided at the village hospital and crèche, we helped clear off the weeds and trash from the nearby play ground which was also used as a volleyball court by the villagers. We were engaged in digging and setting up a compost pit for garbage disposal. Along with these, we had set up a fence around the play ground.

In the following days, we presented an awareness skit on sanitation and healthy living. This was performed by students of the IGCSE Global Perspectives. We spent our evenings visiting homes and interacting with the village folk to understand their lifestyle. We found the people of Kolikarai very warm and supportive of our efforts to render service as well as to learn from them the true spirit of living.

The NAWA ofce in Kolikarai encourages traditional herbal medicine. The herbal garden was a wealth of knowledge about the importance of varied herbs in providing immunity and important nutrients to our body. As a part of our project, we cleared the garden a8nd the pathways of all the weeds there. We then helped clean the Kolikarai village hospital.

The Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association runs a primary school in the vicinity for the children of the Kolikarai village. We spent time with the children. We engaged in classes, distributed snacks. This project has truly made us experience another aspect of life. We learnt to survive with basic resources.

The IAYP Residential Project challenged our outlook and expanded our horizons. It has inspired us to undertake our duties and responsibilities faithfully, excel in all that we do and to contribute valuably to society. There is no substitute to education as relief from unwanted pain and difficulties in life.

Knowledgeable interaction with people is of primary importance to alleviate avoidable hardships and to foster greater understanding and appreciation of life.  Click for more pictures

IAYP Silver Trek to Kedarkantha, Uttarkashi

Sixty Award aspirants from Welham Boys School, Dehra Dun accompanied by five mentors went to Kedarkantha (12500ft) in Uttarkashi District from 27th Sept to 2nd Oct 2014.  Here is a report about this trek from Laxman Bhandari (Award Leader).

On 28th morning at 6:30 am we started our Adventurous Journey from Welham Boys' School and reached Sankri at 5:00pm.

Our trek to Kedarkantha started on 29th morning at 8:30 am.  We reached the base camp which was at Juda Lake, 5 km away, after an arduous and steep climb. We were briefed about the do's and don'ts of staying in camps and were also given details on acclimatization as the altitude progressed.  We were constantly monitored and records of our health were kept. We stayed in a camp in the midst of forests. Staying in the jungle overnight was an exciting and memorable experience for all the members of the expedition. We collected firewood for the evening bonfire, which we enjoyed immensely.

The next morning on 30th September after breakfast at 8:30am we were briefed on the trek to the final climb of Kedarkantha.  All the members of the expedition were delighted to see the 65-member expedition scaling the peak of Kedarkantha successfully.  Exhilarated, we set off for the base camp which we reached at 5 pm and stayed there overnight.
On 1st October after breakfast at 9:00am we trekked down to Sankri which we reached at 1:00 pm. On 2nd Oct 2014 we proceeded back to Welham Boys' school after breakfast at 8:00am. We had our lunch on the way at Damta and reached the school at 5:40 pm. All the team members were filled with a sense of deep satisfaction after having accomplished a great feat.

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.   

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. 

Meet & Greet with the queen of the hills of Uttarakhand

Landour, a small cantonment town contiguous with Mussoorie, is about 35 km (22 mi) from the city of Dehradun in the northern state of Uttarakhand in India. The twin towns of Mussoorie and Landour, together, are a well-known British Raj-era hill station in northern India. Mussoorie-Landour was widely known as the "Queen of the Hills". It is where a group of forty IAYP Silver level participants from Purukul Youth Development Society, Dehradun along with five escorts went for their Adventurous Journey and for them it was an experience they will never forget. 

Their journey included a 16 km trekking from Rajpur to Landour, where they set up their base camp. This was was followed by a 12 km trekking to Khattapani and Ladur the next day and that is where they cooked lunch on fire. After returning back to Landour, next night they organized a cultural evening along with local children from an orphanage nearby. The final day involved a trek back to their home city of Purkal via Jhadipani and Rajpur.   

YES CENTRE AWARD LEADER TRAINING WORKSHOP

12th - 13th April 2014 at Father LeBlond School, Siliguri 

Two days Youth Engaging Society (YES) Centre Award Leader Training Workshop was held for nine students from Father LeBlond School, Siliguri and two teachers from Birla Divya Jyoti School, Siliguri. Niranjan P.Datta, Director, Father LeBlond School, Siliguri welcomed National Award Authority (NAA) India Programme Manager Bivujit Mukhoty by talking about the excitement among the school students who are part of The International Award for Young People (IAYP) Programme and also talked about the overall development he has witnessed among the students taking IAYP Programme. 

Award Leader showing her skills.

Rather than calling it a training workshop, Bivujit Mukhoty preferred calling it an experience sharing workshop. Over the span of two days at Father LeBlond School, the participants were given in-depth knowledge regarding the four domains of the programme i.e. Skills, Service, Physical Recreation and Adventurous Journey and also the Residential Project for the Gold Award Programme. Other than that the participants were also introduced to the technical aspect of the programme, which included Risk Management and Branding. Before meeting the teachers, NAA Programme Manager also held an orientation workshop for fifty students from Father LeBlond School to introduce them to the IAYP Programme. The workshop was delivered by Bivujit Mukhoty & Ranjana Rai (Member, National Training Panel & YES Centre Manager, The Assam Valley School, Balipara). The programme concluded with the presentation of participation certificates and badges to the participants by Mr. Datta. Click for pictures

Experiencing a new outlook towards camping

Rishikesh: An unforgettable experience.

Camping as an Adventurous Journey is not only about completing the required timescale that you need to complete your award but becomes much more fun when it is about learning about the nature and experiencing thrills that will help shape you into a better person. Here is an experience shared by Aishwarya Kakkar, a student of Delhi Public School, Gurgaon who for their Adventurous Journey went to the beautiful valley of Rishikesh.  

Pre-rafting talks delivered by professional trainers. 

The four day Adventurous Journey kick started on the night of 24^th October, where 92 students of the IAYP India Award Programme and 10 teachers left for Rishikesh. Little did we know the fun surprises that were waiting for us at Rishikesh.  Four hours into the journey, at around 2 am the buses stopped at ‘Subway’ for an early morning feast where we all ate to our tummy’s delight. The following days spent camping in Rishikesh was equally fun.  Activities such as rock climbing, rappelling, river rafting, trekking, beach volleyball and body surfing were planned for us.  Rafting being a new activity for majority of us was extremely thrilling.  We were lucky enough to experience rapids such as ‘three blind mice’ & ‘sweet sixteen’. Moreover, from time to time under the guidance of our leaders we were allowed to swim freely in the Ganges which altogether took our elation to a whole new level.  The warmth provided by the Sun in the afternoons was very comforting. The ideal weather also allowed us to enjoy the rest of the activities planned for us to their full extent. The adrenaline rush felt by each and every student during all these activities cannot be described in words. Though there were difficulties and fears faced by some of us whilst performing the activities but they were all erased by the welcoming and experienced instructors. We also played games and learned how to cook during a camping expedition. A 3 kilometers trek was arranged for us where we all learned a lot about our environment, its resources and its conservation in the most fun manner possible.  The students loved waking up to a beautiful sunrise, running on the white sand and quietly watching the sunset whilst sipping their hot tea. Singing, dancing and eating the yummy self-cooked food around the bonfire is a memory I will never let go of. During the night time we all used to gather around the bonfire which when complimented by the beautiful starry night sky helped us attain a state of bliss. Our trip to Rishikesh truly revamped our outlook towards camping.

Indian Special Projects - Adventure in the Eastern Ghats

Panchlingashwar: landscape that has drifted from heaven

Special Projects  Expedition

PANCHALINGASHWAR) FROM 22^ND TO 26^TH JANUARY 2011

IAYP gave us this wonderful opportunity to enjoy the expedition with ICNL (Institute of Climbers Nature Lovers) Kolkata.

Panchlingashwar is situated in Orissa, near Balasore. Forest and hills stay together in this grand Eastern-ghat mountain range. The forest here is called “Shimlipal”.  Elephants, porcupine, deer, hill-goat, shambar, squirrels etc  live here. Of course here lives the tiger too, but they don’t bother ICNL. They live in the core area of the forest and they don’t invite anyone. So, we did not go there.

Panchlingashwar is a piece of heaven that must have drifted from the kingdom of God. This land of rolling hills is inhabited by a proud race of villagers and wild creatures.The laziest individuals are converted into lively and highly energetic ones by rock-climbing, rappelling etc. Numerous walking trails in this region are a favourite with trekkers. Birds, bees, and butterflies are there to give you company. Wild cocks , squirrels, and monkeys keep a watchful eyes from the trees.

My students (Manav Vikas School- Jamshedpur) gained a little bit of knowledge about mountaineering and climbed some hills. We were sharing the thrilling experiences with some experienced climbers and they were briefing some of the difficulties they faced during the climbing of mountains. It was so interesting indeed.

The climb to Panchlingeshwar, which is in the eastern ghat mountain range of India brings you the panoramic view of the misty landscape. Panchlingeshwar temple is a bonus. The monks in red and yellow robes are amongst the many surprises that await the visitors searching for the heart and soul of India.

Kalyani Chakraborty
Award leader and teacher

Manav Vikas School (Indian Special Projects of IAYP India)
For more about the Indian Special Projects visit our website