28/03/2009, a day which I'd remember for years to come, a day where I could see hundreds of happy children together, a day where I'd put most of free time to the best use. Sugathi team visited Samskar (Nizamabad), formed by a lady, named "Hemalatha Lavanam", daughter of yesteryear poet great "Gurram Jashuva". A great initiative to help children of underprivileged women, who have no word in their village. She was successful in eradicating the problem to its grassroots.
Let me step back and explain you what Sugathi is all about. This is an initiative by few software enthusiasts, to help underprivileged children on having them educated. "Social Development through Child Education" is our caption, and we all believe in "Education is the backbone of our society". A group formed few years ago, growing from strength to strength, fewer people joining Sugathi every month who think alike, work alike and vision alike. Sugathi supports three schools through annual funding, funds collected from group members. Now, Sugathi is 40+ strong. We'd like to grow big time and fulfil our dreams.
Sugathi visited Varni, a place in Nizamabad district where Samskar is located, on 27th night 11PM. Sundar sir, manager head of the Samskar division Nizamabad, was kind enough to arrange us a cab reach Varni from Nizamabad railway station. We were group of 7, Srinath, Pavan, Venkat, Wazeed, Shabana, Samar and I. I slipped into sleep soon we'd reached the place. But, other folks were brainstorming with the activities need to be carried out the next day. They prepared the sketch of the activities and slept.
Woke up early in the morning, and done with daily shores. All of us looked very similar as we all sported the same "Sugathi" T-Shirt. We'd reached the place where children usually have their daily breakfast/lunch, it's a veranda where all children sit in rows and have their breakfast. We collected our plates and divided into two groups, and shared the space adjacent to the children. Got to meet few children there from standards 6,7,8 & 9. "Khichdi" was prepared in the breakfast, and we were impressed by the quality of the food served. I'd never eaten better "Khichdi" than this in my entire college life in Surat. I ate two plates of Khichdi, so were my other companions. We captured few snaps with the children and they were all eager to get involved in the activities. We could see the anxiety on their faces, as they could foresee this day was gonna be little different to any other day they had.
It was time to meet Sundar sir. We met him in office and understood the history of the organisation in detail. We also came to know about other initiative by Samskar, school founded in Stuart Puram to educate children of the dacoits/thiefs. After a brief talk with Sundar, we assembled all the students in a class room, with the help of the madam teachers in the school. We formed two groups, Conducted quiz, painting in parallel to these groups. Students were very creative and imaginative in their paintings. Their future looked very promising as they were spot on with the answers and sharp in their thought process, this school was inarguably the best we'd ever visited. It's lunch time by the time we finished the first round .Headed to the same veranda, where we had breakfast earlier in the day, and had lunch. Food was very delicious and tasty. Wazeed and Venkat prepared the needful for the treasure hunt, meanwhile remaining of us headed to the the class rooms and conducted the activities whichever we'd planned to. By the time, we are done with prize distribution, wazeed and venkat were ready with the chits. We formed 6-7 groups, each with 5-6 members in, and handed them the clues. To everyone's surprise, one group unearthed the treasure in not more than 2 minutes. All the efforts put by Wazeed and Venkat have just disappeared in a matter of two minutes. Now, time for few field events. We played till 5 and assembled all the students as it was time for few day scholars to leave. We gestured the students and students shared their experiences of the day. We left the place @ 7 in the night with loads of happy moments, thoughts, questions which no one has answers, ... I'm pretty confident that Sugathi would find answers for all of those.
Few students noted down our mobile numbers, some on papers and few on their palms. It makes me feel happy as I receive occasional phone calls from them even now. I feel very privileged to be part of such an event. I'd cherish these moments for long time to come. I wish them all the great success and pray the Almighty for better lives.
Let me step back and explain you what Sugathi is all about. This is an initiative by few software enthusiasts, to help underprivileged children on having them educated. "Social Development through Child Education" is our caption, and we all believe in "Education is the backbone of our society". A group formed few years ago, growing from strength to strength, fewer people joining Sugathi every month who think alike, work alike and vision alike. Sugathi supports three schools through annual funding, funds collected from group members. Now, Sugathi is 40+ strong. We'd like to grow big time and fulfil our dreams.
Sugathi visited Varni, a place in Nizamabad district where Samskar is located, on 27th night 11PM. Sundar sir, manager head of the Samskar division Nizamabad, was kind enough to arrange us a cab reach Varni from Nizamabad railway station. We were group of 7, Srinath, Pavan, Venkat, Wazeed, Shabana, Samar and I. I slipped into sleep soon we'd reached the place. But, other folks were brainstorming with the activities need to be carried out the next day. They prepared the sketch of the activities and slept.
Woke up early in the morning, and done with daily shores. All of us looked very similar as we all sported the same "Sugathi" T-Shirt. We'd reached the place where children usually have their daily breakfast/lunch, it's a veranda where all children sit in rows and have their breakfast. We collected our plates and divided into two groups, and shared the space adjacent to the children. Got to meet few children there from standards 6,7,8 & 9. "Khichdi" was prepared in the breakfast, and we were impressed by the quality of the food served. I'd never eaten better "Khichdi" than this in my entire college life in Surat. I ate two plates of Khichdi, so were my other companions. We captured few snaps with the children and they were all eager to get involved in the activities. We could see the anxiety on their faces, as they could foresee this day was gonna be little different to any other day they had.
It was time to meet Sundar sir. We met him in office and understood the history of the organisation in detail. We also came to know about other initiative by Samskar, school founded in Stuart Puram to educate children of the dacoits/thiefs. After a brief talk with Sundar, we assembled all the students in a class room, with the help of the madam teachers in the school. We formed two groups, Conducted quiz, painting in parallel to these groups. Students were very creative and imaginative in their paintings. Their future looked very promising as they were spot on with the answers and sharp in their thought process, this school was inarguably the best we'd ever visited. It's lunch time by the time we finished the first round .Headed to the same veranda, where we had breakfast earlier in the day, and had lunch. Food was very delicious and tasty. Wazeed and Venkat prepared the needful for the treasure hunt, meanwhile remaining of us headed to the the class rooms and conducted the activities whichever we'd planned to. By the time, we are done with prize distribution, wazeed and venkat were ready with the chits. We formed 6-7 groups, each with 5-6 members in, and handed them the clues. To everyone's surprise, one group unearthed the treasure in not more than 2 minutes. All the efforts put by Wazeed and Venkat have just disappeared in a matter of two minutes. Now, time for few field events. We played till 5 and assembled all the students as it was time for few day scholars to leave. We gestured the students and students shared their experiences of the day. We left the place @ 7 in the night with loads of happy moments, thoughts, questions which no one has answers, ... I'm pretty confident that Sugathi would find answers for all of those.
Few students noted down our mobile numbers, some on papers and few on their palms. It makes me feel happy as I receive occasional phone calls from them even now. I feel very privileged to be part of such an event. I'd cherish these moments for long time to come. I wish them all the great success and pray the Almighty for better lives.
