Kindness in giving creates love

Satyans (Sat Paul Mittal School) of the IAYP club believe that “Kindness in words creates confidence, Kindness in thinking creates profoundness, and Kindness in giving creates love." And truly, this is just the beginning.

The journey began on 29th July, 2016 when the IAYP Club students at Sat Paul Mittal School volunteered to assist the authorities in their campaign of empowerment through Information Technology Literacy. The students designed placards on the Alphabet, Colours, Sports, Fruits and Vegetables to enhance the learning process of the specially-abled students. Dummy Keyboards were also made by students of the IAYP Club and gifted to help students in recognizing the letters of the alphabet and numbers on the keyboard. The outcome of this effort is visible now. Twenty-two students have achieved the minimum levels of Data Entry and have begun their journey to independence.

As part of the last lap, the Satyans of the IAYP club were at Aashriwad on 24 January, 2017 to donate the proceeds raised through the sale of 700 diyas, 100 envelopes, and 50 paper bags. In an endeavour to support the cause, Satyans purchased the diyas, painted and decorated them and sold them on Sports Day at the school campus. With the funds raised the school purchased two ASUS notebooks.

It was a heart warming sight when the two ASUS notebooks were handed over to Ms. Sanam Mehra, member on the advisory board Aashriwad and Ms. Reshma, Coordinator of the IAYP Programme. Satyans have been working very closely with the AMBA Project initiated at Aashriwad. This project is truly an empowerment project, where 22 students are being trained to pursue data entry as their profession. It aims at moving the students from Dependence to Independence. More pictures can be found here.

Adventurous Journey Report

Bronze Award participants from Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana completed their Adventurous Journey at Neen (Kufri) in Himachal Pradesh from 14th to 18th April, 2016. Ms. Premjeet and Mr. Kuber, two mentors from the school, share a report about their Award journey with us.

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 monotonies of daily life. To give young people a feel of excitement and thrill and with the aim of experiencing learning outside the classroom, this camp was organised for Bronze level participants to Neen (Kufri) in Himachal Pradesh.

On 14th April, 36 Award participants escorted by two mentors left the school premises of Sat Paul Mittal School at 5:30 am and reached Chandigarh at around 7:30 am. After breakfast at Chandigarh, the students moved ahead for Neen (Kufri). It took them approximately 7 hours to reach there.

The camp in Neen is situated at an altitude of 2250 meters above sea level on the Kufri-Chail road. This is a veritable paradise endowed with great natural beauty surrounded by lofty snow capped peaks and dense forests of deodar and oaks. The accommodation with Swiss tents, in the forests of Deodar and Oaks was indeed very blissful. Within a span of 4 days the participants enjoyed a new found independence away from home and beyond regular text books. It taught them how to survive without technology and the responsibility that comes with freedom and independence.

The participants were taken for mountain trekking approximately 2200 ft above the sea level. They were briefed about various adventure activities, rope courses, the usage of various equipment for tent pitching and trekking. The trainers also demonstrated tent pitching and tied various kinds of knots that are used during mountain trekking. This Adventure camp helped participants realize the importance of certain life skills like teamwork, compassion, gratitude and individual goal setting.

The participants also performed a number of thrilling activities like Burma Bridge crossing, Bamboo Bridge crossing, Commando Bridge Bush craft, Rope Valley crossing, night trekking and campfire. Every activity was performed by the participants with great enthusiasm and zeal. The participants were taken to a local school for a visit. There, they taught the children poems, rhymes and some music, and danced and played cricket with them. The children of that school were given gifts by the participants of Sat Paul Mittal School. Also, Award participants went on a cleanliness drive to a nearby jungle and village near the school campus. In short, this camp turned out to be one of the most memorable and transforming experiences of their life. Thanks to the adventure section of the Award. Thanks to IAYP. Click here for pictures

My Award Experience

Amreen Kohli, Silver Award participant from Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana is sharing her Award experience with us.

The International Award for Young People is a platform where students develop their social, physical and mental faculties by indulging in various sports activities, community service and intellectual/skill-based activities. The IAYP programme helped me develop my personality and become a well-rounded person who participated in a plethora of activities during this programme. We took part in the Labour Day programme, the Gadhimahi Candle March and the community-service-cum-adventure trip to Chail. In Chail, we experienced the thrills and chills of mountain climbing, valley crossing and rappelling. 

These activities gave us a break from the daily humdrum life, while giving our bodies some much needed physical exercise. The community service we did made us sensitive to the needs of the people around us. The IAYP programme aims to develop the skills of a child in every field. It has been an enriching experience to be a part of the IAYP programme. It helped me in becoming a confident and productive citizen of society, who cares about the well-being of others and herself. 

Thank You, IAYP!

Tushar Gupta (Silver Level), Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana sharing his experience of his Award Journey.
IAYP is a fantastic amalgamation of adventure, fun and learning.  I have evolved and matured with the IAYP from a free willed amateur to a mature and responsible citizen. Be it sports, community service  or student empowerment, the IAYP through its plethora of activities has provided me various opportunities to develop the leader in me.  It has nurtured my survival instincts, made me social and affable.  Above all it has given  me the freedom to express and feel and has kindled in me the fire to do something constructive for society and the community at large.
My journey during the session 2014-15 has been magical and enriching as I have been a part of various new initiatives to spread global awareness. Through the Rise and Vote campaign, I fervently  asserted that it is everyone's duty to vote in the elections if they dream of a great India.  How can I forget the Candle March to protest against the Gadhimai Festival where thousands of animals were brutally slaughtered to satiate the the thirst of ignorant villagers? I feel as a part of the community, the onus is on us to bring about an effective change.  I remember vividly participating in the Swach Bharat Campaign wherein I, along with many passionate volunteers undertook the humongous task of bringing about an awareness among Ludhianavis to clean the Sidhwan Canal. Then, the Chail trip was an enlightening one where we saw the life of want and neglect and realised that we are gifted with so many amenities. I volunteered to teach, paint, cook and undertook such exhausting physical pursuits like flying fox, rappelling and trekking. I am thankful to the school and IAYP for showing  us the  panoramic view of life with all the technicolor images of good and bad and building core values like integrity, team spirit, reverence, tolerance and respect.