Life Skills Valedictory Function on 19th Jan 2008

In 2004, Sindhu Naik, now a volunteer of ILP had authored a report called: "Project Saamarthya: Empowering Young People for Life". Project Saamarthya aimed at imparting the Life Skills to adolescent boys and girls. One of the key concerns noted in their report was that education coupled with life coping orientation for adolescents is an urgent/imperative need of the day, in a changing socio-economic-political-cultural milieu. Essentially, it meant to impart the social, emotional and cognitive skills to children.

For various reasons, the gaps identified in the report and hence the necessary action to address them could not be initiated. Sometime last year (2007), Shanmugam and Kiran, two of our ILP volunteers brought back life to this initiative. They went around first to Vivekananda Yoga Kendra at Yeshwantpur exploring whether they could deliver the requisite training. In the meantime, they discovered Unnati an organisation more devoted to imparting training of this kind and other many meaningful vocational training and job-oriented courses. When they approached them, Ranga from Unnati readily offered to help they designed the curriculum together. In a few weeks time, they set a 14 week workshop for about 15 of our students by ILP's Puraskara scholarship programme.. Paraspara Trust, the partner for scholarship programme in Yeshwantpur, Mathikere and Malleshwaram readily agreed to part with a classroom space to facilitate the workshop.

Ranga, Shanmugam and Kiran assisted by Arpana (of ILP) and Pramila (of Paraspara) have put in dedicatedly for seeing through this workshop. In spite of the many challenges each of them faced at times, the trio put a great show. Ranga had a personal loss at home, but still continued to come almost every Saturday. Shanmugam met with an unfortunate accident, which almost immobilised (with bed rest) him for weeks, yet amidst all these he continued to prepare the slides and content for delivering the course. Kiran, with his ever-smiling and tireless spirit sustained the activity chipping in at every need of the hour. Arpana promptly attended these sessions as well and in the meantime did get attend the Trainers course for this as well. Pramila took care of other logistics every week, adding with some light refreshments after the sessions every week.

Now, they have successfully completed this 14 week programme. What do we expect at the end of this rather new and different experiment? Check this invite here.



Last Saturday, while I was in Gubbi, Gunavathi called me up inviting for tomorrow's function. Earlier this week, I received this ppt, for which I learnt these students have taken initiative to get this rolling! Way to go!

All I have to say is, I take this opportunity to invite you to the Valedictory Function of Life Skills Programme on behalf of the students who have organised this event! See you at Paraspara's Office on 19th Jan 2008, 3 pm.