- Sumithra Sivaramakrishnan, Sattva Editorial Team
Yet another day passes by, with most of us wanting to do something for the society, bring a change in someone’s life and contribute in our own little way to make this a better world. However, we wonder whether the effort of one person will make any difference. And that is when we hear stories of people like Venkatesh who dispel the myth beyond doubt.
Venkatesh has always been keen on helping people around, right from sending petitions for the elderly to the government to process their pensions. It was this passion towards helping people led him to start something on his own. Since his economic conditions did not allow him to do his graduation he was very keen to help similarly underprivileged kids complete their education.
In 2005, Venkatesh who stays in Sheshadripuram went to the slums around Sheshadripuram in search of disadvantaged children. Soon he had a group of 30 who assembled at his house every day. These children were given basic education and were involved in a variety of extra curricular activities. As their numbers grew, Venkatesh was forced to look for an alternate location. To get the necessary funding, Venkatesh started the Suraksha Makkala Rakshane Trust which today is governed by a board of trustees. This seven member team comprises of his family members and some volunteers.
At the moment the Suraksha Makkala Rakshane Trust has around 70 children from areas like Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar and V.V. Giri Nagar. The trust works with children from diverse backgrounds including children from the streets, slums and runaway children in Bangalore. Apart from imparting basic education to these kids, Venkatesh also conducts educational tours for the children with his own money. Today, Venkatesh also has 4 volunteers from software companies conducting classes for these kids on a regular basis.
Venkatesh’s plans to sponsor the higher education of many deprived children in the future. He is looking to buy computers and is setting up a library for these kids. He needs the support of many volunteers who can teach the children on a weekly basis; donate funds for their food and education. Funding is a big problem and to that end he is looking at various programs for fund raising. Apart from door to door canvassing, Venkatesh is also planning to make paper bags to sell and raise funds for the children.
“I am working for these children and I am very optimistic that most of these children will complete their basic education and get good jobs” says Venkatesh. These kids do not live in a safe place, they neither do have friends to talk to and nor do they get the opportunity to travel outside. Venkatesh provides them education, food and a healthy atmosphere. The effort of this one might not be visible to us, but it makes a world of a difference to these 70 children.
Contact details:
Venkatesh
Suraksha Makkala Rakshane Trust,
#19, Gang man quarters
Near Krishna Floor Mill, Platform Road
Sheshadripuram, Bangalore – 560020.
Phone: 080-65321218, 9741012428
E-mail: makkalasuraksha@yahoo.com
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Enlightened souls
G, Sriraksha shares her experiences of being at the Louis Braille day celebrations in Hampinagar on 20th January 2008
On 20th January 2008, a sunday quite unlike any other, the public library in Hampinagar was bustling with unprecedented activity. Hundreds of visually impaired enthusiastic young people directed their minds and hearts to participate in the various competitions that were to be held there. While melodious voices set the tunes during the singing competition, the aspirants for Braille reading and writing competitions paid ‘literal’ tribute to Louis Braille.
For 20th January is the ‘Louis Braille Day’!
Tens of young visually impaired children started engraving words dictated by a coordinator into dotted Braille script in one such competition. The atmosphere was vibrant with the spirit of the young people who had come from various schools for visually impaired from across Bangalore as well as from rural areas of Karnataka.
This event was the organized by Sahana charitable trust, an organization committed to aiding the visually impaired and empowering them with education.
Sahana charitable trust, an organization started by 5 people, some visually challenged themselves, aims to create study materials like textbooks and literature in Braille. Printed textbooks and other precious literature dyed by ink worthless to those whose eyes cannot comprehend; these are translated into dots of Braille by and for those undaunted spirits who just believe that the visually impaired have every right to be literate and educated as the visually endowed are!
1 print page gets translated to 4 Braille pages - So, hundreds of pages encompassing books from 1st standard school syllabus to Pre University are converted to thousands of Braille pages. The entire activity is driven by 6 braillies (visually challenged themselves) and comprise 3 employees, 1 manager and 1 coordinator. The staff is aided by 8-10 volunteers who contribute time to read out from printed script so that the content can be translated into Braille. Each month 10 such books are churned out, each book comprising about 200 Braille pages. These books are then distributed free of cost.
Dignitary Vijayanagar MLA Krishnappa, who supports this noble cause and was the Chief Guest of the occasion. Lakshmi N, an indomitable spirit, one of the creators of Sahana and currently the managing trustee gave her heartfelt opinion on the occasion. “Nowadays th
ere are so many, means and the technology which can and should be used to overcome obstacles. The visually impaired should be aware of such opportunities so that they don't crumble down in underconfidence. For this, on one hand the facilities should reach them and on the other hand awareness should be created in every such person that they can and should reach out to get the qualification they need." Visually challenged herself, she lives her words and her spirit inspires many.
The Chief in-charge of Sahana, Mr. Narasimhaiah has fought the darkness in his eyes to enlighten many a life. In his words “ Sahana creates Braille script which cannot be bought in shops. It also creates employment among the visually impaired. We need more volunteers. Volunteering matters.”
While computerization has made the lives of visually impaired easy (Softwares like ‘Jaws’ convert letters to sounds and enable them to type) , there are however practicalities like the rented house for running the institution, employing people and dearth of volunteers that Sahana is fighting to cope with.
Sahana, the organization, tries to create awareness among the visually impaired, encourage Braille in the true sense and thus inspire hundreds. May these words reach the right volunteers, philanthropists and generous souls to further their cause of providing education to everyone.
If you want to share such experiences with us, please write to us at sattva dot ezine at gmail dot com
On 20th January 2008, a sunday quite unlike any other, the public library in Hampinagar was bustling with unprecedented activity. Hundreds of visually impaired enthusiastic young people directed their minds and hearts to participate in the various competitions that were to be held there. While melodious voices set the tunes during the singing competition, the aspirants for Braille reading and writing competitions paid ‘literal’ tribute to Louis Braille. For 20th January is the ‘Louis Braille Day’!
Tens of young visually impaired children started engraving words dictated by a coordinator into dotted Braille script in one such competition. The atmosphere was vibrant with the spirit of the young people who had come from various schools for visually impaired from across Bangalore as well as from rural areas of Karnataka.
This event was the organized by Sahana charitable trust, an organization committed to aiding the visually impaired and empowering them with education.
Sahana charitable trust, an organization started by 5 people, some visually challenged themselves, aims to create study materials like textbooks and literature in Braille. Printed textbooks and other precious literature dyed by ink worthless to those whose eyes cannot comprehend; these are translated into dots of Braille by and for those undaunted spirits who just believe that the visually impaired have every right to be literate and educated as the visually endowed are!
1 print page gets translated to 4 Braille pages - So, hundreds of pages encompassing books from 1st standard school syllabus to Pre University are converted to thousands of Braille pages. The entire activity is driven by 6 braillies (visually challenged themselves) and comprise 3 employees, 1 manager and 1 coordinator. The staff is aided by 8-10 volunteers who contribute time to read out from printed script so that the content can be translated into Braille. Each month 10 such books are churned out, each book comprising about 200 Braille pages. These books are then distributed free of cost.
Dignitary Vijayanagar MLA Krishnappa, who supports this noble cause and was the Chief Guest of the occasion. Lakshmi N, an indomitable spirit, one of the creators of Sahana and currently the managing trustee gave her heartfelt opinion on the occasion. “Nowadays th
ere are so many, means and the technology which can and should be used to overcome obstacles. The visually impaired should be aware of such opportunities so that they don't crumble down in underconfidence. For this, on one hand the facilities should reach them and on the other hand awareness should be created in every such person that they can and should reach out to get the qualification they need." Visually challenged herself, she lives her words and her spirit inspires many.The Chief in-charge of Sahana, Mr. Narasimhaiah has fought the darkness in his eyes to enlighten many a life. In his words “ Sahana creates Braille script which cannot be bought in shops. It also creates employment among the visually impaired. We need more volunteers. Volunteering matters.”
While computerization has made the lives of visually impaired easy (Softwares like ‘Jaws’ convert letters to sounds and enable them to type) , there are however practicalities like the rented house for running the institution, employing people and dearth of volunteers that Sahana is fighting to cope with.
Sahana, the organization, tries to create awareness among the visually impaired, encourage Braille in the true sense and thus inspire hundreds. May these words reach the right volunteers, philanthropists and generous souls to further their cause of providing education to everyone.
If you want to share such experiences with us, please write to us at sattva dot ezine at gmail dot com
Sunday, February 3, 2008
January 2008 : Everydayman
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi
“The history of the world is but the biography of great men”, wrote the Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle. And for long, the “Great men” theory has held its ground dividing the world into achievers and the rest of us. If there was any point in time when this theory faced its stiffest competition, it is today. Everyone is a source of knowledge in Wikipedia, everyone a writer or a journalist through his own blog, everyone has a face and a voice in YouTube.
And everyone is an agent of social change.
In this New Year special edition of Sattva, we wanted to highlight the role of Individual Social Responsibility in the social change process. We wanted to capture the entire long tail of experiences right from stories of unbelievable grit and sacrifice to little things we do in daily life that matter. And today, we have more stories than we can share.
We found remarkable individuals from far and wide beyond here and now - From John Johanan who single-handedly organizes road safety campaigns in Bangalore to a regular blogger from Cuddalore who got his district collector’s attention to development issues in his
town. From KV Krishnan Nair who ensured everyone has an equal right to education back in 1918 to Harekal Hajabba who built a school in his home town by selling oranges in the Mangalore Bus depot.
We are thankful to Rebecca Thomas for sharing her experiences on how Music gives physically and mentally challenged children the gift of expression. Vishal Talreja, the founder of Dream a dream, shares his views on volunteering and social responsibility. And you, our dear readers, have shared with us a million ways in which one can make this society a better place to live in. In our photo feature, we have showcased individuals we see everyday, who are socially responsible by doing their duty. And our salute to the army soldier who refused to be photographed but deserves his place in that page.
Here’s the last nail on the coffin of mythical superheroes. Move over, Superman and Spiderman. Here’s the new superhero – Everydayman. Each one of us.
Click here to read the January issue.
“The history of the world is but the biography of great men”, wrote the Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle. And for long, the “Great men” theory has held its ground dividing the world into achievers and the rest of us. If there was any point in time when this theory faced its stiffest competition, it is today. Everyone is a source of knowledge in Wikipedia, everyone a writer or a journalist through his own blog, everyone has a face and a voice in YouTube.
And everyone is an agent of social change.
In this New Year special edition of Sattva, we wanted to highlight the role of Individual Social Responsibility in the social change process. We wanted to capture the entire long tail of experiences right from stories of unbelievable grit and sacrifice to little things we do in daily life that matter. And today, we have more stories than we can share.
We found remarkable individuals from far and wide beyond here and now - From John Johanan who single-handedly organizes road safety campaigns in Bangalore to a regular blogger from Cuddalore who got his district collector’s attention to development issues in his
town. From KV Krishnan Nair who ensured everyone has an equal right to education back in 1918 to Harekal Hajabba who built a school in his home town by selling oranges in the Mangalore Bus depot.
We are thankful to Rebecca Thomas for sharing her experiences on how Music gives physically and mentally challenged children the gift of expression. Vishal Talreja, the founder of Dream a dream, shares his views on volunteering and social responsibility. And you, our dear readers, have shared with us a million ways in which one can make this society a better place to live in. In our photo feature, we have showcased individuals we see everyday, who are socially responsible by doing their duty. And our salute to the army soldier who refused to be photographed but deserves his place in that page.
Here’s the last nail on the coffin of mythical superheroes. Move over, Superman and Spiderman. Here’s the new superhero – Everydayman. Each one of us.
Click here to read the January issue.
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