The last words. Of parivartan. Of gratitude.

The remembrances of older days are recollecting in my head like a flash right from my first year to this very moment. "The most important question of life is what are you doing for others?"
Like dew drops each memory is clinging to the tree and will now fall one at a time. With every dream coming true- right from multiple camps to a heavy step like clean satya to a risky business like Sugraahi or haphazard event with slum kids 2 days back, each one has come out beautifully. A real successful year this 2012-2013 was.
I convey my thanks to my members, my family. "I must be cruel only to be kind". I thank everyone for tolerating my anger & showing your patience. 8 am morning meetings or leaving college at 8-9pm after work memories are the ones I am taking with me.
The farewell was beautiful, really beautiful for I could see glimpses of our work at the back of my head and in eyes of everyone with beautiful annual magazine in hands. I do not wish to thank by taking names as you all have made me proud. The team would have been incomplete with anyone missing.
Keep up the good work you guys! Keep going this way; for this way is the best of all. We all have seen this video- but I want everyone to view this when something upsets or bothers you, ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IReflkF4_tc&feature=youtu.be

For now, its time for me to say Goodbye. With tears of joy, of happiness, of pain, of love, of laughter of everything I wish you all good luck for years to come.

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes...again
Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need...of some...stranger's hand
In a...desperate land

Lets Bring Our House Sparrows back!

Why is it a trend? That what is in abundance shall fall down someday.
A few days back Delhi Chief Minister Mrs. Sheila Dikshit announced House Sparrow as "State Bird of Delhi". Launching "Rise For Sparrows"; India's largest conservation programme for these birds, would draw awareness and rise attention towards these beautiful birds, they say. Delhi, considered under one of the greenest cities in world, has surely a tremendous scope for urban conservation. We all know urban population has made it difficult for sparrows to fly in the open blue sky, the fertilizers in soil has affected their feeding on insects and worms and development of buildings has worsened their nesting. If humans need development, why not think of organisms who live with us too?
What has happened, has happened, we should now think what steps we can take for their betterment.
Common Bird Monitoring of India launched its website- Common Bird Monitoring of India
which serves awards, FAQ's, birds in your region, sponsors, bird of the month, latest new, photography competitions etc, all for spreading awareness for all kinds of birds. Lets be a part of this!
What more should we do?
*Go organic! Replace the pesticides in house plant pots and spare some un-affecting worms for sparrows.
*Provide clean water for birds, right outside our balconies.
*Keeping larger bird bath & a bowl of dust bath for birds will surely help. All birds needs them daily. Sparrows need them quite often a day.
*Growing hedges with edible berries will surely facilitate bring them back. Its their favorite meal.
*Putting nest boxes/handies at a safe height for breeding.
An amazing site by Nature Forever Society provides scientifically designed sparrow nest boxes made of recycled pine heart wood & special sparrow feeders on a no-profit-no-less basis- Nature Forever Society
With bird feeders at Rs. 89 and Sparrow nest boxes from Rs. 309 onwards is surely a do-able price for saving these species.  Eager to hear the bird chirping again? Join the cause and bring the sparrows back!

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer"- Albert Camus

When 'that' dream came true

When you've spent all your years dreaming for something. To achieve. To feel. To do. That sudden up rise in stomach you feel everyday that the dream is still in head. Dreaming even when sun has risen to its full. The desperation eats you alive all the counting hours of day and it feels amazing. It feels full. To have a dream is more important than to have a life; at times. Especially if you wish to do something which hasn't ever occurred before.

"A man would do nothing, if he waited until he could do it so well that no one would find fault with what he has done"- Cardinal Newman

The grandest of all moments is the one when its just about to happen. The adrenaline rush to its fullest and heart beats beating all earlier records. When all eyes are not on you but on the work that you've done- that 'it' moment when life has different meaning to itself. When you thank God for everything He has ever provided to you. When you fall in love with yourself all over again. 

I felt it too.

But it comes with a parallel worst feeling- now what? The dream is now full with colorful rainbows flying from all directions along with praises and adoration. You've written history with big bold beautiful golden letter and left it for generations to carry forward. You come home and have a good night sleep. The next morning feels a little empty with no more plannings to do. You look yourself in the mirror. The soul is now complete with a part missing. For a person who has dreamed of this all along with every passing day; there's nothing more to do. There's no more dream. There's a crater in mind, in soul waiting to be filled with a dream again. Another just like Sugraahi. 

dedicated to all parivartan members :)

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.
T. E. Lawrence 

Bliss that I find here

That blessing in life called Parivartan

Almost three years at college, coming to an end and it has already started pinching somewhere. Never have I really liked my chemistry department though, where I study. Its something beyond my department and friends that I will miss. 

The amazing work we kept doing

Almost three years at Parivartan, coming to an end and surely it is pinching me. Parivartan- Social Service Society of my college, I have been associated with since my first year, an amateur who surely wanted to learn a lot from senior ones. My boring classes, long labs, furious teachers, have always come at second priority after smiles I wanted to bring at so many faces. The first year I only came to college for society work, ngo visits and receive as much experience as I could and sincerely respected orders given to me by seniors when I started off under teach the kids. Second year was even better- with three amazing people I have met in my college life whom I can never think of living without- Riddhi, Disha and Swati. The knowledge and experience just got better with them and we clearly had spread out our web at larger diameter, working for street children, people with disabilities and many more. Third year was a loss in beginning as my heart missed them a lot. With that came a responsibility of being the head of the society where I, now, have to give orders and see who all are working efficiently. Feels empty sometimes as no one sees if I am working efficiently or not.

Letting you go was the hardest thing I did since  years.
But you made me realize you are around all the time. 

College for me, only means working with Parivartan- running for permissions, scolding kids, slum teaching, associating with double the ngos we worked with last year and spreading as much awareness as we can. I will be missing my college, my society which has given me lot. Three amazing years at Parivartan are coming to an end. Not to forget the amazing and hardworking people I have met all throughout these years. Most of them have graduated, some will graduate with me, some who will do so in coming years. It feels like I have grown a lot- as a human, as a person. Surely I have learned to respect my co-workers. The journey of bringing change in college life as a student is coming to an end. But, as a person, it is not. I still have long way to go and continue my relations, visits to many organizations especially working for people suffering from disabilities. I thank Parivartan with open heart for teaching me all walks of life. Talking of experience, many more are yet to come. And of bonds, surreal ones just grow with time. 

The awesome trio!

That blessing in your life which we all call- Parivartan

Breakaway

{The creation above is a pure instance of nurturing talent, in every sense. Courtesy- Our member Hardik Gaurav (now a passout), but still our hearted member }
5th August 2011
2:15 pm.
T1
"Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray

I could BREAKAWAY"

The song gets played on Riddhi's laptop as we wait for the Orientation Ceremony to kick off, filling us with more enthusiasm, fervor in our nerves, rapture in our souls and adrenaline rush flowing in. Our first ever Orientation ceremony, that too stellated by us. We sat with our attires for the moment as the army of students gather. The entire flock of around one fifty to two hundred people enter the hall with my eyes gazing at them. I talking in monotonous tones regarding the crowd to my mates. Even I see my batch mates entering in. The slide show runs at the back, with amazing snaps showcasing how amazingly we work. The snaps even start running in my tiny head, refreshing the memories how we have touched don't-know-how-many lives. I felt proud, for the first time in my life, of myself. Therein, Swati takes the heads out of the hall and we generated a circle and holding our shoulders, the feeling of Indian Cricket team flows in.

"Guys this is our first effort together, it will go nicely. This is our time. Give in your full efforts".

Revived with new energy, we enter the hall back again. 

The time arrived. That's when Swati begins her unprepared lecture. Totally blabbering whatever comes in her mind. Omitting the zipping of her mouth even a second. We starred at her through the stairs, just as more people flow in. Even the stairs aren't reserved for us now. The adrenaline rush flew with about three hundred meters per second. 

Just as her golden words came to an end, we asked people to register them in sorts for our simplicity.

It became a circus actually, still, out heart flying with giant wings ensuring us "this year will be a platinum one, with so many expedients in our heads and so many members to help us lock stock and barrel our dreams".

The hush rush & assiduous day came to an end. Thats when Swati says, "Guys the real work begins now". We all know she wont let us breath lest the work is discoursed.

The Core Team is cemented by the most lively people I've ever come across. (It includes me too, which I couldn't digest for the next 24 hours of announcement)

We live, work and breath with higher zeal than ever. This year will surely pass out with flying rainbow colors! 

Wishing Good Luck to one and all!!! 

Every cloud has a silver lining

29th July 2011
We were all called there. All the members of Parivartan, Social Service Society of Sri Venkateswara College. Even the non-members could come along. Its Mr. Dinesh's birthday today. The chairman of Friends' Organization (ngo) at Karampura that works for the rights for differently-abled people. That's the first thing I learned there: Replacing "dis-abled" with "differently-abled". The not-so-wonderful auto ride didn't give us a boost to start with though, still the hopes of having a great day kept us alive. We were called at Haus Khas, Aadi (Action for Ability Development and Inclusion), one of the biggest ngo of Delhi. I ask Swati why are we called here? "That's because Mr. Dinesh has done his schooling from this place", she said. "Maybe the school is organizing it for him or maybe he asked them to organize it here, either way round", she completed. We brought along a beautiful bouquet of flowers made at satya niketan. Then, entered (after our obnoxious auto ride) into the aadi foundation. "Okay, I didn't expect this", I said looking at Kritika. "Neither did I", she said.

The school, was next to beautiful with red bricks, in the shape of an oval building covered with greenery, spacious classrooms filled with neatness and large corridors- seeming more of some hill station school from the first floor as we enter the F1 hall, offered by the person sitting at the reception, he too, differently-abled. Enters Dinesh Sir on his wheelchair. Greeting us with a huge smile. We could make out how happy he was to see us all- we a bunch of around 10-12 members. Dinesh Sir suffers from cerebral palsy, a disease in which the brain works but the body doesn't. We greet him with the bouquet we brought for him, which adds up his happiness factor. He starts talking, when we sat. Even though, its troublesome to understand his words and sentences at the first meet, but now we understand him to a large extent. We sat, talked to him for a while. Enters a man, nearly fifty years of age. Followed by two more teachers of aadi foundation. Then, comes the IIT  "dudes", as Swati calls them. They sat at one chair distance from Kritika, our new president (we have two Kritikas), we giggled. When the IIT "dude" sat near the chair of Dinesh Sir, and started speaking, the fifty year old man prompts and says, "be a bit louder". He increased his pitch, for that's the only option for him. Then, comes the special guest- a major chief and mentor-cum-guru of Dinesh Sir. We all stood and greeted him. He starts speaking, as Sir said I've spoken a lot. "Speak a bit louder", says that fifty year old man again. He too, increased his pitch, for no other option left. He starts, " I know Dinesh since he was a student of this school and how he used to come with bruised chin all over". That's what has given him so many marks at the chin- the stitches, something that I kept wondering since I met him over a year ago. The major continues, "Thats because the people at the bus used to call him mad, make fun of him and hurt him badly, push him while getting down the bus. But, thats the best thing about Dinesh- his enthusiasm and guts to go ahead in life. Most of you would not know but this is the man who introduced the idea of low floor buses which you all get to see all throughout the city. Yes, it was a long case, which he finally won. Where, I supported... a bit. The idea of low floor buses helps the differently-abled people easier to commute". He keeps his hand over Dinesh Sir's shoulder and continues, "Dinesh belongs from a well groomed family. Yet he used to travel through buses not cars, all because he is down to earth. The best things about him is, if he gets stick to things he will complete it some or the other way, but he won't leave it". He praises him a lot. When, Sir introduces his father. The fifty year old man is his father. That came as a bit shock, though. I know now how he is down to earth, so is his father. At the end we were supposed to jot down something we felt during the session, in just five to six lines. It was just not possible to describe Dinesh Sir, the day in five or six lines. Somehow we did it.
The program went on, when me and Swati had to leave (her dance class and mine, home far away). We apologized for going this early. Followed by an enjoying auto ride with Swati. The giggles even irritating the auto wala. The day ended with even more respect in my heart for him.
Such personalities always enhances the positivity around.

(L-R) Me, Swati, his father, a teacher at Aadi, his mentor. 

You may also visit the Friends' Organization, he always needs help in drafting letters and other paper works.

Major with Mister Dinesh

"One Little Finger"

Reading the newspaper, TOI crest, I came across the one article that touched my heart on page no. 28. Which later on inspired me to dig a little deeper.

The Book Cover of "One Little Finger"

Searching for the Wonder Women, Malini Chib, on google, I actually entered a new phase.. something out of this world. 

The info which I collected and couldn't resist sharing with one and all :

Malini Chib is a 44 year old women staying in Mumbai having cerebral palsy.

"Cerebral refers to the cerebrum, which is the affected area of the brain (although the disorder most likely involves connections between the cortex and other parts of the brain such as thecerebellum), and palsy refers to disorder of movement", says Wikipedia.

Chib at the release of book

Malini's book "ONE LITTLE FINGER", is an autobiography which was released in India, New Delhi on 3rd December 2010, giving the best gift to all on World Disability Day and a reason of joy 

to the entire world.

Born in 60's in Calcutta to Mithur Alur, she was stamped with the term "disabled" suffering from the disease which is incurable, according to the doctors. 

Passing out from Bombay's St Xavier's College of Special School wasn't very easy for her.

People starring at her, while she used the ramps made for wheelchairs, no one understood whatever she said. But yet, with a very supportive family she carried on.

"At St Xavier's I had come to terms with the fact that I will always be different, that my body scares off boys, that I will never have boyfriends like other girls. I had friends, gossiped in canteen, went to movies, with them, but at parties the girls would drift away with boys and I'd be left alone", says Chib during an interview with TOI crest. 

Malini with her mother Mithur Alur

As a matter of fact, this didn't swayed away her thoughts, dreams, ambitions with the wind. She possesses a degree of Women's Studies from London University and Library Sciences and Information Management from the London Metropolitan University. 

 Right now, she holds a job at Oxford Book Store, Mumbai and not to forget, she is also the founder and co-chairperson of ADAPT ( Able Disabled All People Together), earlier named as Spastics Society. 

ADAPT, is a school for children and works for assessment, infant stimulation, therapy, counseling, inclusive education, skills training and job placement, continuum of support services and home management programmes for children and young adults with disability.

"ONE LITTLE FINGER", the book in which she wrote every word with her one finger and has been doing so since her lifetime, is the first book  in India to be written by a person suffering from cerebral palsy.

She still wants to see the world disabled-friendly.

On the other hand, I believe, she raised mountains of hope for all disabled people, and also proved wrong the people with perception that those with disability are a liability to the nation.

She thereby, has defeated the disability.

We salute the spirits of Malini Chib.