A DAY WITH PHILIPS INDIA INTERNS

On a hot summer day, Aarohan’s children were showered with smiles, love and care by the Philips India interns. On Tuesday, 17^th of May, we were expecting some Philips employees to visit us for their CSR activity. Soon a tall, young girl who was Vaidehi entered our workshop and along with her came 17 other young interns who were studying in prestigious institutions like XLRI and IIM. It is a matter of pride for us that the Aarohan children could interact with and learn from such bright students.

The interns asked the children whether they had heard about Philips and the children responded positively. After mutual introduction between the interns and the children, groups were formed. Some interns talked to the older children about Sant Kabir’s couplets and even about the stock market! The rest of the interns happily listened to the poems recited by the younger children.

The afternoon was reserved for a bag decoration contest. The necessary items like water colors, paint brushes, glitter pens etc were provided by the interns. The children played around with colors and created some strikingly beautiful designs and patterns. Some of the best ones were picked up by the Philips interns as souvenirs.

Evening was the time for entertainment and fun. Some children performed a skit on traffic rules which was greatly applauded by the audience. Other children presented dance and dramatized speeches. A round of antakshari between the teams of Aarohan and Philips completed the fun filled day.

The children and the interns carried back fond memories of the day with them.

What you and I spend on a Sunday brunch, is what they earn in a month!! Take a pause and think!

Aarohan means elevation and our vision is to elevate the underprivileged children of the society through basic education and training. Keeping in line with this vision, we recently expanded our reach to one of the most remote locations in India: Baripada, a small nondescript hamlet in district Mayurbhanj in Orissa. Baripada is bereft of any kind of development, be it economic or social. Mostly inhabited by people belonging to scheduled castes and tribes, Baripada needs serious attention and any NGO that works here will get ample scope to start from the scratch and stretch its limits.
Aarohan has taken the initiative to promote the facility of education for the benefit of the local children at Baripada. But it hasn’t been an easy beginning. Children here lead a life of penury as the parents manage to earn a paltry sum of Rs 300 per month for crafting bamboo baskets. That is probably what you and I could spend on an evening snack for one day!! Food, therefore, is a burning problem which strongly governs their decision to come to our centre. Even a small offering of regular glucose biscuits is a motivation enough for them. We are currently running this centre with mere Rs 5000 per month (for 100 children) due to additional funding needs at our Delhi centers, that have helped ~800 students receive education and make a living since 2005. The need of the hour for us is therefore, to sustain the Baripada project, without compromising on our other programs. And here is where I ask for your help! The slightest of effort from you will help transform the way these children live today!! Here is how you can help:

• Donate online: Visit our website (http://www.aarohanngo.org/donateonline.html) to contribute


• We will provide you with a tax certificate for the amount funded


• Put us in touch with individuals, organizations that are willing to support a good cause!


• Help us organize donation drives (stationery, clothes etc.) in your offices/localities


• Spread the word to your friends and families and encourage them to come out and support; Please join our facebook page and show your support! (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=530046340&sk=photos#!/pages/Aarohan/154219694633954?sk=info)
  

The problems are aplenty, but we are sure that with the kindness and support of like-minded people and organisations, we can definitely turn the tide in the favour of the beleaguered children of Baripada. We can help them fulfill the dreams they have always aspired for but could never achieve!!