Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Project Disha (an initiative of Prayatna School of Excellence)

Disha counseling campaign for government school students.

Disha (an initiative of Prayatna School of Excellence) launches a PAN India toll free helpline for counseling and assistance for stress related issues for the 10th and 12th class students of the government schools. 


They are offering counseling and assistance through professional and qualified psychology students who will talk to the government school kids before and during the exams to relieve them of the stress and problems faced by them. 

The helpline set up by Prayatna School of Excellence can be accessed through their toll-free number 1800-2000026 between 10 a.m. till 9 p.m. The number will be operational from Feb 22nd  till 22nd  April.

Their panel of counselors will help students with their exams preparations and related queries and also counsel them during their exams. More than 120 governments and lower level private schools from state of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan will be covered under this program. In Delhi alone, they are targeting over 20+ government schools including Kendriya Vidyalaya.  More than 50,000 students will be provided with this facility, thereby reducing the dropout rates in government schools, and preventing depression, suicides during and post exam time.

Project Disha is an establish education clinic in tier 3 and 4 town schools of India which empowers students with effective guidance and mentoring through professional and sustained assessment & e-counseling activities. The education clinic caters to solve the problems of student and their parents by providing sustained counseling/assistance on academics/career/personal issues.

More about Project Disha
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Monday, March 26, 2012

Attitude is Altitude

Nick Vujicic's life demonstrates that all things are possible.

By:Debarati Rakshit

Attitude Is Everything and Self Perception Determines Direction are the principle of the Attitude is Altitude program. Nick Vujicic has a unique plan designed to enhance the lives of employees, employers, students and educators alike. Through Nick's motivational talks people discovers that a positive approach points the way to a meaningful life. 

Nick speaks from experience. He was born with no arms and no legs. To most this would be a great detriment, but to Nick it was a challenge to triumph. Nick made a conscious effort to prevail and to dream big. Realizing it was about how he perceived his own situation, Nick changed the course of his life. He had a purpose. Today people gather strength from Nick and tap into their own worth, as he guides them through an insightful method of achieving greatness, regardless of situation.

Schools benefit from this unique appeal. This brings to light the fact that everyone has potential and that the educational process can be fulfilling. People learn how to overcome adversity, persevere under any circumstance and attain the height of their ambition. Nick Vujicic is reaching out to the corporate world and the educational system with powerful words of encouragement. We all matter! 

More about Attitude is Altitude @ Click here
More  Life Enhancing News @ Click here


Saturday, March 24, 2012

Captain Haneef (Vr.C) Foundation

BY:  Soubhik Chakrabarti

N2MN salutes you Sir 


The organization is founded in the memory of late Capt.Haneef Uddin of 11th Battalion, The Rajputana Rifles. He attained martyrdom in Turtuk (now renamed as sub-sector Haneef Uddin) on June 6th, 1999, in operation Vijay of the Kargil War. Captain Haneef Uddin was awarded Veer Chakra posthumously for the courage and valor he displayed while on duty. The organization aims to work for the socio-economic development of the underprivileged masses and promotion of art and culture.

Currently, the foundation focuses on three projects viz. education (Samarth), music (Swarah) and a pre primary school named Daisy Chain. Captain Haneef (Vr.C) Foundation successfully achieved their set goals through providing non-formal education and providing a proper education support system. The foundation is planning an expansion spreading their wings towards environmental issues.  

A lot of cultural events including dance and music are held by the foundation. Capt. Haneef (Vr.C) Foundation has been actively working for the welfare of underprivileged section of the society since its inception in 1999. 

More about Captain Haneef (Vr.C) Foundation @ Click here
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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Bond Street Theatre

By: Bindu Doddahatti

Bond Street Theatre was founded in 1976 by a group of physically skilled and socially concerned actors and musicians. The ensemble’s method was shaped by their diversity of techniques and their mission motivated by their passion to be useful in this world. 

The company creates innovative works that address social and environmental issues, and uses the performing arts as humanitarian outreach and a tool for education and healing. Their work takes them to refugee camps, areas of conflict and post-war environments. They collaborate with local artists to enjoy the benefits of artistic exchange and promote the value of the arts in shaping a peaceful future.

Bond Street Theatre continue to train it’s members in a wide variety of performance arts from around the world, selecting the gestures, rituals, symbols, and games which give life its shape and dynamics, and complementing them with striking theatrical forms. As a result, they have the diversity to present innovative, provocative theatre work as well as popular forms. Each year, the company reaffirms its mission to reach the widest variety of audiences, advance the quality of the theatre arts, and promote theatre’s relevance as an instrument for healing and world peace

More about Bond Street Theatre @ Click here
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Saturday, March 17, 2012

SUKRUPA



SUKRUPA mission is to create a pathway to a dignified life for marginalized Indians who are below the poverty line. Its mission is to help underprivileged children escape a background of poverty, slum life, illiteracy and ignorance, replacing these challenges with hope and opportunities available to mainstream children.  

SUKRUPA works with more than 400 children from the slums in and around R.T. Nagar, Bangalore and offers the programs ranging in many disciplines like residential program, school program,  program for school dropouts and leadership program. Sukrupa is a 10 year old, registered non-profit charitable organization that addresses the socio-economic development of the disadvantaged in urban and rural Bangalore, India. 

SUKRUPA works with deprived children and young adults, providing a secure environment, schooling and skills training that enable them to escape poverty, slum life, illiteracy, and ignorance. Sukrupa breaks the poverty cycle for these individuals and their families by creating opportunities so that they are able to integrate fully as participants and contributors in mainstream society.

More about SUKRUPA @ Click here
More Such Non-Profits @ Click here

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Boond


The Boond mission is to solve some of the biggest global challenges - adequate lighting, access to clean drinking water and pest control affecting the remote areas of the world. Through its innovative environment friendly products and sustainable business oriented approach.

Boond solves big global challenges through collective effort by ordinary individuals. In order to do so, it connects those who have the resources and the capacity to those who still lack the necessities like lighting and clean water. The Boond movement believes that by using innovative technology, smart financing and creating processes for entrepreneurial development, big changes can be made in small increments or boonds. 

Boond creates entrepreneurs who sell and service development products like solar lamps (and home systems), water filters, efficient cooking stoves, dynamo lamps and mosquito nets in remote rural areas or areas affected by calamities (floods etc.). The products are aimed at providing the poor with access to adequate lighting, clean water, efficient cooking and pest control, thereby improving their productivity and health. By train young people in becoming entrepreneurs Boond also provides livelihood to the rural unemployed while at the same time ensuring that best servicing standards are maintained.

The products are manufactured in India and are environmentally friendly. The solar lamp also helps in carbon reduction as it substitutes kerosene usage, thus making a secondary impact as well. 

  More about Boond @ Click here
More Such Ventures @ Click here

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Change Talk with Sarvesh Agrawal

An exclusive interview of
Sarvesh Agrawal, brain behind Internshala, with
N2MN changemaker Brototi Roy.


Internshala is an online platform meant to help students all over India with their quest for a meaningful summer internship. Engineering / Technology and Social Entrepreneurship / Public Service opportunities are its primary interest areas with special focus on start ups.

Journey from a business analyst to an entrepreneur would have not been easy, tell us about the driving force that motivated you to start INTERNSHALA?

Ever since I graduated from IIT Madras in 2006 I wanted to do a start up because I felt that learning and fun involved would be immense. I am fascinated by the impact Education and Technology can have on a human being's life, having been the first hand beneficiary of both myself, and wanted to do something in this area.

In October 2010, while brain storming with a few friends on possible business ideas we zeroed down on a student portal (which quickly distilled down to an internship portal given the obvious need and absence of any major players). At the same time a friend of mine from IIT Madras days, who was then doing his MBA from London Business School, was looking for an internship in India in a niche area and could not get any despite such academic credentials which I found very odd and the decision to start an internship portal was confirmed.

First thing that comes in your mind when you think about INTERNSHALA?

Meaningful internships.

Financing a new budding organization is always a problematic task… how you managed to finance INTERNSHALA?

Internshala is advantaged in a sense that it works with youth who are always willing to lend a helping hand to a cause that they so closely identify with. Lot of students from all over India intern/volunteer with Internshala because they relate to the problem we are trying to solve and believe in Internshala – this takes away considerable amount of manpower cost.

In addition, lot of other businesses who want to reach out to growing youth market segment, use Internshala platform to advertise their product and services for a fee which helps keep the ball rolling. Given most of its online, we have been able to keep the operating costs low by using lots of freewares (Wordpress, Google Apps etc.) which has also helped.

You work closely with youths. How you see them shaping the future of India by working towards the sustainable development?

One thing that is obvious is that in today’s social media age, youth is more aware and can easily lend voice to a cause if it strikes a chord. However, it’s on us to guide and channel this increased awareness and energy towards a worthy cause. Today’s youth are not afraid of voicing their opinions and are more willing to take risk today compared to a decade ago. Hopefully some of this would translate into a better future for all of us.

One significant moment that changed the social arena for once and all in India in last 12 years? 

I’d think that it is Right to Information act – the reason I say so is because this empowers a common citizen to become a watch dog for many social welfare schemes being run by the government and hence, perhaps, ensuring better delivery.

At a global level, I think its advent of Social Media which has changed the way we interact and react to outside world for ever and social arena is not left out. Support for Anna Hajare’s campaign on Facebook is a prime example.

A Word of guidance to News Not Making News for revolutionizing the news sector in India?  

I am too young and inexperienced to offer any guidance but as a reader I think there are two main challenges:-

  • How do you stay away from the peer pressure of ‘Breaking News’ culture and still be able to get reader’s attention in today’s 140 characters tweet age
  • When ‘Paid News’ is becoming an acceptable norm, how do you win the trust of the readers as source of authentic and unbiased news? It’s scary that today even Media cannot be trusted as being a truthful guardian of democracy. 

  More about Sarvesh Agrawal @ Click here
More Change Talks @ Click here

Monday, March 5, 2012

Tripindya


By: Ramya Ajay

Tripindya is an NGO that works on spreading awareness among the Indian youth about the social and environmental problems and a platform to counter these very problems. They wished to see an India where people would obey traffic rules. They wish to see an India progressing into the 21st century where the youth are aware of the environmental issues the world is facing. 
 
They decided to start a concept that would transcend borders, languages, cultures and barriers to spread awareness to the masses across the country on Road Safety, Social and Environmental issues. Hence tripindya started as a dream for a bunch of youngsters who wanted to make a difference in the mindset of today’s urban and semi urban youth.

Tripindya is a platform for the youth to share their ideas and innovations that could help the overall progress of the community. Their mission is that every individual in this great nation gets the satisfaction and happiness in making a fellow citizen happy. They have synthesized a number of concepts that could capture the imagination and creativity of the youth and divert it towards making the community a better place to be. To get more positive vibes out of the surroundings, they started few campaigns like Horn Ok Please & Thank You Visit Again. 

More about Tripindya @ Click here
More on N2MN @ Click here

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Reap Benefit

By: Kanika Kakkar

Reap benefit is build on the highlighting and profiling by working with the students and staff to implement solutions to reduce the waste, water or energy footprint and reward them for it. 

Reap Benefit is India's first website to highlight environmental initiatives by educational institutions. 
 
They work in a three-pronged approach: To make green actions a habit among students, to empower students with practical knowledge of actions across energy, waste & water and to reward students for taking green action, ensuring continued positive action.  The idea is to measure sustainability and track schools or companies that increase their level of self sustainability and then again, reward the individuals who have contributed to the positive change.

Their activities include profiling educational institutions on environment sustainability in a scientific manner to break the information barrier, innovative student engagement programs using out of the box techniques, rewarding students for taking green actions to promote continuity and providing students opportunities in research, design, innovating solutions and communication.

More about REAP BENEFIT @ Click here
More on N2MN @ Click here