When we started the Environment Team at YFS with the Parisara Ganapati initiative, little did we know what the future had in store for us. After a lot of brainstorming, we came up with Narayana Patra [in which we knock on every door in a locality, give them a cloth bag and ask them to keep a handful of rice/dal aside everyday while cooking. We collect this at the end of a month or two and this will be distributed amongst our tribal brethren or needy ] and other such activities.
I always had this urge to do something for the children we teach, so that they learn the importance of saving resources from a tender age! And children are like amazing monsters – Like they say, show them your finger tip and they gobble up your entire arm. Started ‘Treasure from Trash’ craft classes for them, showed them a few things I made using pencil shavings, groundnut shells etc.. They asked me 100 qs immediately about what all they can use – broken bangles, dry leaves and what not!
We made a few simple plain greeting cards with a provision for students to write their names and other details on the back page. The idea of doing something on a greeting, which would be given to others appealed to them even more and lo! they came up with such masterpieces! R.E.A.L.L.Y! Have a look 🙂
Click on the pics to enlarge.
Bangles, matchsticks, sand, dal – they have used it all 🙂
Balaraju poses with his creation 🙂 His Mom’s Bindi finds a place on his card too 😉
And few of them even made special ones for me 🙂 Like I said before, when I asked one of the girls if she had shown it to her Mother as she would have been very happy, she said ‘Akka, you are the one who teaches me so many things; you should be the one to see it first’.
Anusha with her gift for Akka 🙂 She is selfless enough to let her sister Anupriya in the frame too 🙂
Another gift from Madhavi 🙂 🙂 🙂
While on greetings, we had given a few to other children who love drawing and painting too. And they were nothing less 🙂
Oh yes! Portia finds a place along with Srinivas Ramanujam and Netaji 🙂
U liked them all din’t u 8)
And see what these girls came up with!
Since we were telling them so much abt waste management, reuse and other blah-blah, they innovatively reused the Nestle Curd cup as a dustbin! They collect all the dust from their bench in this one and discard it in the common trash can at the end of the day 🙂 Brilliant isn’t it!
Looks like I will be doing more of picture posts this time around 🙂 Lotz and lotz are waiting to be shared and to be honest, it’s easy to weave words around such magical pics than trying to cast my own boring spell 😛 😛
Three cheers for the third post! Yay 😉
P.S: In Defence of Animals India [IDA India] has started the ‘Water Bowl Project’ to help animals beat the heat this summer. All we have to do is contact them. They will provide you us a FREE cement BOWL which we can place close to our home, office, galli, nukkad, wherever! They will even have it installed for FREE. All we have to do is fill the bowl whenever required – AS SIMPLE AS THAT! Please check this out for more info.
You are doing a great job, Swaram! Unknown artists are coming out!
Will comment in detail tomorrow!!
LikeLike
Thanks for the detailed comment too Sandhya 🙂
LikeLike
wow.. this is indeed incredible!
The children are very talented and its good to see that your encouragement has done them proud! 🙂
LikeLike
Seriously. Storehouses of talent they r 🙂
LikeLike
Oh my! Talent, art apart, the kids look so happy! 😀
Hugs babe 🙂
LikeLike
Their smiles steal ur heart na 🙂
Thanks sweets. Hugs to u too 🙂
LikeLike
gal you are on a roll… good luck with NaBloPoMo… pictures with priceless smile makes wonder… you rock as a akka… keep it up Swaru..
LikeLike
Ha ha thanks Ani 🙂
LikeLike
So beautiful is ur heart and the work u do….A super tight hug to you, my dear Frnd. 🙂 🙂 Actually, I really wish to give that hug in person. 🙂 🙂
Lovely thoughts become lovely actions and thats what I see in those cards created by children. 🙂 With u as their beacon of guiding light, I see them shining on their road to success. 🙂 🙂 Am totally impressed. 🙂
LikeLike
I sooo wanna meet u soon too. Tell me what can I do to get u here 😛 😛
LikeLike
you are doing a beautiful thing, swar. bringing out hidden talents to light. look how happy they look 🙂
LikeLike
Hugs T 🙂 🙂 🙂
LikeLike
i love your header!
LikeLike
Thank u T 🙂
LikeLike
Awesome work and doing all this work kudos to you swaram.. glad i know you ..
its gonne help these kids later in life with all this encouragement that you guys are giving them… Hats off …
LikeLike
😛 😛 😛 😛
LikeLike
Swaram, these children are so lucky to have someone like you help them flower…..wonderful stuff, outstanding initiative ! Kudos !
LikeLike
Oh my! Those r very big words SurangaJi. We get to learn more from them actually 🙂
LikeLike
These pictures moved me swaram.
It’s awesome the kind of work you’re doing. Keep it up.
It inspires me to do something too.
It’s wonderful that you’re working so hard at giving these little kids a normal life.
LikeLike
Hugs Nivs 🙂
LikeLike
Such wonderful and talented and gorgeous Kids 🙂 Really touching, Swar. U are a real angel!!
LikeLike
👿 Look what I am 😈
LikeLike
Woww!!Wonderful,Swaram!You are really doing a great job!And the kids are so very talented!
LikeLike
Thanks Trish. They r they r 🙂
LikeLike
Brilliant.. These kids are so talented… I must say you are doing some really awesome work with these kids
LikeLike
They r Prats. All they need is that li’l push 🙂 Thank u so much 🙂
LikeLike
Hi! What you are doing is commendable. More power to you:)
If you ever need any help in scaling up/creating greater awareness for the cause you are involved with, we’d be happy to help
Our website http://www.thedot.in/
LikeLike
Thank u so much 🙂
LikeLike
I admire you more, Swaram! You have given them hint now, how to make greeting cards without spending much, they will follow this method always and remember you always!
Nice to know you, girl!
LikeLike
Oh never thot of it that way Sandhya! U r so rt 🙂 Thankkk uuuuu 😀
LikeLike
You are doing a great job swar… The kids are very creative…. Loved all their work….
Proud of you swar… Keep going… 🙂
LikeLike
Thank u Tan 🙂
LikeLike
Wondeful intiative swaram…
Loved those portraits ,how creative kids are.
btw which school is this ???
LikeLike
🙂 🙂
Balamrai Government school 🙂
LikeLike
What an initiative dear girl and with lovely reuslts to show, Am so very proud of you 🙂
The pics show the effort put it!
LikeLike
Thanks Smita 🙂
LikeLike
just want to do one thing right away…come and hug you Swar for what you’re and what you being to these kids !!
You’re a gem,told you 🙂
LikeLike
Come come come 😀
I luv eating them Nu 😛 Get a pk for me 😉
LikeLike
rofl Swar 😉 which colour gem are you ? 😉 lol…the panda commercial one ? 😀
LikeLike
Oh Swaram.. I dont know how to appreciate you for your work. Seriously, you are just doing awesome job.. whenever i see this type of post, I feel I am wasting my life :(. Pl let me know if you have anything like this in Mumbai. I wanted to do like this, from long time.
The kids are seriously creative.. All the cards are too good 🙂
LikeLike
Hugs Kavya! Never feel so about yourself 🙂
Will surely let u know 🙂
Hugs!
LikeLike
Lovely and Creative. Kudos to Akka 😉 for being an inspiration to the youngies. 🙂
LikeLike
Ha ha! I like it that they call me Akka and hope they continue doing so 😉 😉
LikeLike
It should be aunty right?
LikeLike
Awesome work Swaram! The kids are amazing. I remember doing some art with dal when I was a kid. These pics are really good and the kids look so happy 🙂
LikeLike
Oh ya! It’s so much fun no 🙂
LikeLike
Lovely post Swaram! So much of creativity within the kids!
You sure are a great “Akka”, a role model, not just for these kids, but for us too! Its not easy to dedicate one’s saturdays and sundays on work!!
LikeLike
Very sweet of u to say that Anu. Thank u so much 🙂
LikeLike
how lovely my dear
LikeLike
Hugs Monu 🙂 Luv ur profile pic 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful all of them.
I should say you are doing a worthy job,very happy at that.
LikeLike
Thank u AA. Let me write u a mail 🙂
LikeLike
Lovely cards and drawings! As I have said before, I feel it’s great that you guys are doing such a selfless and noble job. 🙂
The kids appreciating you for your effort and making a special gift for you – that must be sooooooooo satisfying na? Wonderful.
And thanks for the info on the water bowl project. I’ll put it up on Facebook as well, so that more people can know about it! BTW is it only in Hyderabad or can we do it in Bangalore and other cities as well?
LikeLike
U r so rt Priya. That satisfaction – nothing can beat it 🙂
Infact, we get more than what the kids get 🙂 Rightly called ‘The Joy of Giving’ 🙂 🙂
IDA project is running all over India Priya 🙂
LikeLike
Yes..kids are amazing! You give them an idea and they go the whole hog 🙂
Lovely cards all!
LikeLike
Am glad u liked the cards Priya 🙂
So true that, abt kids 🙂
LikeLike
adorable
LikeLike
Absolutely 🙂 🙂 🙂
LikeLike
Look at the infectious smile 🙂 besides the talent.
LikeLike
🙂 🙂 They keep us gng no 🙂 🙂
LikeLike
Ohhhhhhhhh. This is lovely. N such joy on the kids faces 🙂
LikeLike