Corporate Social Responsibility
BAL MELAWA 2018
The smile of a child bring peace to us, it lights up joy within and settles our hearts … and what happens when hundreds of children smiles!? That’s what happened on 23rd November 2018 when Snehavardhini Social Trust organized its 25th Bal Melawa at Revoli adivasi wadi for the Kathkari children from 21 villages. Bal Melawa is the feast of children where they come together to celebrate their childhood, dancing, singing and by learning through creativity. It had began with the intention of helping children to come up with confidence, and to give them a platform to express their talents and gifts at a time when they had no opportunities or when they never dared to show up due to their fear and low self esteem … an after math of untouchability practiced through the years. In the process of accompanying through generations and forming them, it is a joy to see their creativity bloomed and showcased with confidence.
And what was so special during this silver Bal Melawa?!
We had Mr. Madan More a ventriloquist who gave an awareness program on the importance of education, cleanliness and positive behavior to 285 children aged from 5 years to 18 years and to nearly 165 adults who joined us from two villages (Meda and Revoli) to support and appreciate the talents of their children. He spoke to them about the impact of child marriage and the mal effects of alcoholism in the families and especially on the relationships and future of the children. His message reached to the hearts of children and adults alike and all learned together through fun
Children participated enthusiastically in the exhibition on “environment and science”. They were competent in exhibiting their ideas with perfection. While a group creatively showed how the water harvesting can help the livelihood programs of the villages, there were others who brought the herbal medicines to board to prove that the nature is the best healer.
Every group who came from the villages participated in the cultural programs. The most outstanding group performed musical play on the role of women and their life status from the ‘womb to tomb” and we can’t forget the wisdom of a group that portrayed “wisdom is powerful than muscle power” through a comedy skit. They tried to convey some learning through every performance presented which reminds us a saying “The child is the father/mother of every man/woman”.
It was a proud moment to release the first book ever in the history of the Kathkari tribes in Raigad - the book named “Navi Disha” which contained the poems, stories, drawing and articles by the Kathkari children and the adolescents. It holds their thoughts, opinions their dreams and the new horizons that they envisions to reach. It was a proud moment to witness where the people whom we were teaching to read and write basically have began to pen down their thoughts creatively. They have begun to think!
Meal together was a graceful moment, where the peak of the celebration reached when the children. Youth, adults and the catalysts sat together to celebrate the fraternal love and unity. “Anna dan is the maha dan”. Thanks to those generous hands who fed more than 500 persons on that auspicious day.
The journey of their growth in confidence is their journey from the gifts they used to receive out of some one’s generosity to the pride of receiving their prizes which they earned through their meritful performances. It was such a proud moment to see them so happy with their prizes and the confidence that was shown in their eyes
This Bal Melawa indeed was a memorable one. Thanks to Elppe who joined hands with us in this capacity building and creative growth process that lays foundation for a new society
Brigit Viji
Person in charge
Snehavardhini Social Trust
DISHA 2018
It’s sad when people give up on life … and especially when they want to stop this life journey half the way. Life is so beautiful and it is so worth living when you have an aim and life map at your side. There is only one life we need to live it fully and excellently. No compromises can come on the way when it comes to quality living. People give up on life when they do not know how to tread the life through the “ways beyond the map”. That’s what snehavardhini Social Trust noticed during the last two years of suicides and suicidal attempts which happened among the unmarried adolescents of the tribal communities. It could be understood well because their parents or the previous generations have never lived such an age called “adolescence” due to the child marriage practiced in their cultures. They were young parents at the age of 11 or 12… at the beginning of their early physical maturation.
It was a wake up hour for us when the “giving up” attitudes increased among them. In a meeting with adolescents from 18 villages we asked them a simple question “How can we help you to help yourself?” After the discussions they presented their needs, problems, dreams and possibilities that they would dare in their lives if we accompany them. “DISHA 2018” was an answer which we gave to their expressed needs. There were 79 adolescents participated out of which 10 were from the main stream.
We had Mrs. Rita Kamble a renowned professor of psychology and a trainer in vipasana who gave the orientation to the emotional problems of adolescents and gave training on vipasana to fight stress in life. Followed by Ravindra Arwel a specialist in his work with adolescents joined us for a day giving them an orientation to the stage of adolescence, their problems, and the proactive ways to address them. He lit in their hearts the spark for higher goals in life, the importance of trustful relationships, and the courage to face the turmoils of fighting the child marriage and above all to dream big and strive harder to reach their goals and to swim against the currents.
Sex education was one of the important time of the workshop, though we planned it only for an hour, the interactive session covered the half part of the whole day. Ravindra Arwel, Prachi Bardeshkar and Trupti led the session and many of them expressed in the evaluation that they benefitted most from these sessions
We were really blessed to have a great catalyst of the society, a person who makes his dreams a reality with such effectiveness Mr. PP. Bardeshkar the MD of Elppe, who spoke to the adolescents about the key secret of successfully reaching towards their goals- motivation and perseverance. Only a motivated person can dream big and persevere to reach the goal.
On the last day we had Mr. Kiran and Deepak teaching the adolescents self defense program, guiding them for their self protection. Every adolescent was met personally through personal counseling; each one of them also came up to express what they learned from the workshops. Then reached the moment where they penned down their dreams and desires. They indeed were inspired by Disha 2018. In their own words:
“When I came to Disha I did not know myself well… but now I know who I am and what I want to become. It helps me to trust myself and others” (Ram Vijay Jhadav)
“I learned that by working together as a team we can bring about a change in our lives and that of the villages”. (Ashok Lakshman Powar)
I was so frightened to speak up in the beginning but “Disha” gave me the courage and taught me how to face the fear to speak up in the public” (Ramesh Barkya Koli)
“Vipasana was something new for all of us and I liked it. It really helps” (Vikas Rajendra Koli ) “It was for the first time somebody asked us about our feelings and views and we could open up our minds” (Rohit Powar)
“We got so many new friends …we are happy that there are others like us” (Barti Lakshman powar)
We are indebted to each and everyone who rendered helping hands to these adolescents. Especially to all the volunteers and to Elppe for making “DISHA 2018” an effective one. We are sure that it indeed has been a “Navi Disha” to the adolescents who participated in it. Thank you for making a difference in their lives.
Brigit Viji
Person In charge
Snehavardhini Social Trust
MAHILA MELAWA (International women’s day celebration)
The uniqueness of women are ignored by themselves and others in the various spheres of the society. They are unnoticed and uncounted domestic workers of our society. Throughout the histories witnesses the struggles to establish the preciousness and equality of her life. But the most disastrous fact is that women themselves believe that the society is right and that they deserve to be uncounted because they are women. The Snehavardhini Social Trust never leaves the opportunities to celebrate the women’s day in order to foster the belief that they are unique, precious, gifted and inevitable factor of the existence and sustainability of the whole creation. This year the women’s day was celebrated on 19 th March 2018 in Palekhurd tribal village where around 350 women from 30 villages and 75 adolescent girls participated besides the villagers of the hosting village. The women and villagers took the active participation in organizing the same along with the social centre. We had women and adolescent girls who came up with confidence to speak, dance, sing, to perform skits and street plays. There were TTC students from Mumbai who performed an awareness skit on the protection and safety of women and the equal dignity of her life. It was an occasion where the women from different villages came and enjoy together under the banner of the centre and the SHGs. During this event the centre took the opportunity to speak against the child marriage and felicitated 75 adolescent girls in which majority are still pursuing their studies. The villagers helped in preparing the food and serving the same. The prizes and gifts for all women were distributed and were appreciated for the worth that they have. We had invited the government officials who deal with the women’s welfare who spoke to them about the possibilities and policies that ensures their protection through the law of the land, another one spoke about the schemes that the SHGs can get through the government for the self and collective employments etc. The program went on for the whole day where everyone enjoyed the same and went home taking some knowledge and a lot of happiness within.
We are immensely grateful to our benefactors who made this day possible for our women.
Brigit Viji
Snehavardhini Social Trust
