Saturday 19 April 2014

Marching Forward

As we are in the process of setting back systems, policies and codes in place, a new team gears up taking up various roles and positions at LDF with fresher ideas, missions and goals to achieve; each day at LDF is packed with energy engaging with people and their dreams-for themselves as well as the organization. 
The thrill of adventure in the young and the bliss of achievement in others is something worth watching as the team grows filling up with professionals flowing in from diverse cultures and a diaspora of traditions. They say there is something magnetic about LDF that attracts people to work with us and I do stand to witness it and testify the same. 
As we carefully select the team to ensure that they are not just passionate in words yet also in action, I look forward to seeing a fuller team that will support one another and have the joy of working together in a place that looks forward to put back the smile in every child's face.
In the pic. Children from The Banyan smile with a new hope during a program that connects them to a part of the world that appreciates and accepts them better. Pic. courtesy: Ms. Jeny Verma.

Monday 14 April 2014

What Does It Mean?!

Last week, there was a Parents-Teachers meeting held at the Banyan-the school that children from vulnerable communities take pride to walk into. Post meeting, the results for the previous academic year were announced and report cards distributed in the classrooms. Nothing different ofcourse...
While walking through the corridors, thinking of the celebrations that will be happening in some of their homes, I realized that some of the parents were holding the report cards in their hands and scratching their heads and seemed confused inside the classrooms. Making an enquiry, I realized that most of the parents neither knew how to read nor to write and were clueless what the "A's", "A+" and "%" in the cards they were holding meant; those letters and numbers in small boxes seemed to them like strange symbols they said and were wondering if their children had done any serious mistake. Interestingly, some of the kids who had got a series of A+s and high percentiles, which we seem to understand, came from homes where the parents had never gone to school and who needed help in understanding that a simple pat, a smile and a sweet word of appreciation can do magic to these kids who were already doing wonders here at school.
Miles to go before we sleep...   
  

Saturday 12 April 2014

To Answer The Question, "Who Are You?"

Lovedale Foundation (LDF) is a fully integrated not-for-profit organization that delivers innovative module of community-based holistic programs in rural India since 2001. With a Vision, “To provide intellectual and moral leadership by igniting the minds of children and youth to realize their potential and make positive contributions to the society and to the nation at large,” LDF intends to redefine the existing system of charity activities into highly effective development initiatives through scalable and sustainable solutions. LDF has not only accomplished numerous milestones but is also creating an institution that is a unique model of a community movement that takes responsibility for its weak and vulnerable sections of the society.

In the pic. Remember the time when our hands would rise before our minds could think when the teacher asks us a question?(!) A child from 'The Banyan' a school run by Lovedale Foundation, which thrives for international standards in promoting quality education and reserves its admission to only those people living Below Poverty Line-as measured in India, children with special needs, children from slums and orphans. Will pen about it in the next posts to come...