A Chance for Equality | shortlisted for #mBillionth2018 in Inclusion & Empowerment category

Sachin Tendulkar is a name known to everyone. He is one of the most famous cricketer’s of Indian cricket team, as well as is among the greatest batsmen in cricket history. He was only 11 when his brother, who believed he had great potential, took him to coach, Mr Ramakant Achrekar. Sachin was a little boy and was obviously nervous; he was not able to perform up to his calibre in front of Mr Achrekar. 

Ajit who had full confidence in Sachin, insisted Achrekar to move away from the nets and watch Sachin from a distance. Ajit stole a chance for his brother and it worked, Sachin did not get conscious and performed at his best. A chance at the right time can make a huge difference.

Now is the right time for information and everything digital, helping people on Planet Earth to have their chance to access information, knowledge and services at all times and at all places through the use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and digital tools is the mission of DEF (Digital Empowerment Foundation). The foundation works tirelessly to bridge the digital divide and empower the information-dark societies. Apart from its various programmes, DEF also launches few awards. One of the awards, The mBillionth Award South Asia, is the most influential and leading platform to explore, recognise and honour excellence in mobile innovations, applications and content services for development and empowerment across South Asia. The mBillionth Award has been previously won by start-ups like Ola, Paytm, Redbus.

The Quick Self-Defense App from Colorss Foundation is delighted to have been shortlisted as one of the innovations in the ‘Inclusion and Empowerment’ category of the mBillionth Awards. The App focuses on women empowerment and teaches techniques for Self-Defense. The app is easy to understand and is also available in multiple languages. It focuses on nine basic techniques to practice Self-Defense. Each technique is explained visually through a series of easy to follow steps. Also, each technique can be run in Learn or Practice mode, the Practice mode being a hands free mode, where the steps run automatically allowing the user to practice along with the steps.

Download the app and learn and practice Self-Defense anywhere, anytime.

References - https://mbillionth.in/background-concept/

Ashpreet Dhillon 

Self-Defense : psychological changes to human behaviour

In simple terms, defense is a countermeasure. If some damage or threat is perceived, natural response to protect oneself is triggered. The keyword here is ‘natural’. It implies everyone is born with the natural instinct to protect oneself from harm. Even harmless looking plants have self defense mechanisms, which range from visible defenses like thorns to invisible ones like release of chemical compounds.

Photo Credits

So, when faced with threat, natural response to protect oneself automatically takes precedence. But, is the involuntary engagement triggered by instinctive reaction enough to save us? The outcome does depend on one thing – practicing Self-Defense. Generally speaking, Self-Defense is thought of as a skill to enable oneself to stand against any harm to oneself. This is because of the benefits it has in terms of increasing physical strength. But, Self-Defense is not only about being able to protect oneself; it is also about being capable to protect oneself. This is especially true in case of women or children, who might be considered as being less able to protect themselves, based on comparative measures of physical strength. Self-Defense deserves due attention as it has the power to improve capabilities and compensate for any lack in abilities, hence changing lives forever. 

Just like reading a book on cars cannot make one a car driver, it requires practice, similarly Self-Defense needs to be practiced. Again, driving on an empty road might be impressive but it is not as challenging as driving in real traffic. Self-Defense, just like any other learning activity has its phases, too. As one goes deeper into the phases, it is easy to understand and feel the invisible benefits of Self-Defense. The observable visible benefits include increase in physical strength just like the visible plant defense mechanism, thorns. In addition, Self-Defense makes psychological changes to human behaviour too, which transcend the benefits to the internal mechanisms like release of chemical compounds on facing a threat situation. It helps to co-ordinate mind and body. ‘Battles have to be won in the mind first, and then with the body’, and Self-Defense helps to train both the mind and the body.

Colorss Foundation: Quick-Self Defense application for Android Phone

Practising Self-Defense broadens self-perception on one’s own physical capabilities, it increases confidence and self-esteem. These benefits are visible in the body posture and response reactions. It also has positive effects on the behaviour. It narrows the mental confusion and fear driven responses, helps to make quick judgements in threat situations and hence transforms a natural instinct into a more responsible means of protection for self and others.

~ Ashpreet Dhillon

Call for App Developers - Lend a Hand

LEND A HAND

Call for App Developers

Do you know how to develop mobile applications?

 Want to use your expertise to help others?

Join Colorss Foundation and share your skills and time with us!

Colorss Foundation is looking for creative and tech-savvy individuals and students that are skilled in app development and have a passion in empowering women. We believe in letting your creativity run in developing a very useful mobile application that can help ensure the safety of women. Read on to learn more about this opportunity and on how to sign up!

How can I contribute?

Colorss believes in the importance of helping women stay safe by teaching them how to defend themselves from harassment in their daily lives. For this purpose, Colorss has developed an app that women can download for free and learn self-defense techniques.

With your help, Colorss Foundation hopes to create an updated third version of this app. You will be using your app development expertise to create an app that is innovative, simple and powerful. Colorss also hopes that the app will be intuitive and extremely user-friendly.

Where will I contribute?

You are welcome to help develop our mobile application through an online capacity or by working on-site with Colorss Foundation.

If you would like to be based at Colorss Foundation, we will be delighted to welcome you as an intern. Colorss Foundation is located at Baroda, Gujarat and Pune, Maharashtra.

What do I Gain from Volunteering?

At the end of your experience with us, you will have made new friends, gained an eye-opener to the lives of underprivileged women, and further developed your skills in helping others! On top of that, we will award your dedication to our projects with a certificate of recognition.

Great! How can I sign up?

Drop us an email at emailcolorss@gmail.com with the subject heading “App Opportunity” to tell us a bit about your background and skills. We’ll excitedly read your email and get back to you!

GET TO KNOW US: Saurabh Tyagi

GET TO KNOW US

Up close and personal with Saurabh Tyagi, a Colorss Volunteer

As an avid learner, Computer Science Engineer Saurabh Tyagi has directed his intelligence and energies towards helping Colorss Foundation as a Volunteer.

Join us as we get to know Saurabh better!

Who is your inspirational role model? My father.

When I’m not volunteering, I’m a Computer Science Engineer.

I have been volunteering with Colorss for one year.

Why did you volunteer at Colorss Foundation? Colorss Foundation works for a good cause and volunteering here gives me the chance to be part of it. I also volunteered because I can learn so many things that will help me in the future.

I like volunteering at Colorss Foundation because Colorss Foundation is working for a very good and noble cause. It is also very effective and efficient. I also enjoy working with Anand Sir, because he is a very good person. He is very patient and understands the problem of others. He also coordinates very well with us.

What have you learned from volunteering at Colorss? In developing Colorss Self-Defense Application, I have learned a lot about the concepts of the development of android applications. I have also learned about how to work as part of a team in developing software.

To check out the Self-Defense Application that Palak helped develop, download the app from the Google Play Store here.

Self-defense app for Women on Road | Colorss Foundation

Quick Self-defense app for Android Phone

Are you tired of the lecherous gazes on your way to home from your workplace? Are you fed up of the sexual innuendos which are targeted at you every other moment? Have you complained to the higher authorities a million times about sexual harassment but to no avail? Do you wish that instead of waiting for someone to help, you could fight your own battle? Then wait no more! Download From Google Play Store

We at Colorss Foundation are here to help. As a part of our Enhance Project, we bring to you our second version of our first self-defense app intended to help you protect yourself. With this app, you can now sneak a kick and cut a chop at all the right places. 

The second version has got three more techniques added and few more cool features to practice section. Download From Google Play Store

The app features:

• Nine easy and simple self-defense techniques
• A surprise free 10 mins Skype video training session with a martial-arts expert
• Graphical tutorials of all the nine defense techniques
• Offline availability

To all the women out there – your body is more capable than you think and your resolve is stronger than you believe. Do not restrict yourself. Defend not only yourself but your loved ones as well with these nine basic and necessary skills. Download From Google Play Store

Thank you to the UNV volunteers for helping us to make this project a success.

Note: It is advisable to not to use the techniques unless faced with danger as it may end up causing permanent damage. Not meant for children below 10 years of age. 

Sessions on Android based Flag Recognition App

In this increasingly technology driven world it is highly imperative that the kids today get an equal and comfortable opportunity to acquaint themselves to the present day Science scene and are able to make the best of it. Many scientific innovations, in the form of engineered systems and soft-applications, are aimed at providing a better learning experience to the kids. Their use not only promotes a more practical and sturdy education, but also helps the kids develop a sub-conscious ownership of technological ideas. These experiences help them overcome their inhibitions and gain substantial technological exposure so as not to be intimidated by it. Additionally, it helps to nurture their interest in the field by showing them how interesting, fun and accomplishing an outlet Science can be.

Saumya with students 

Our demonstration session on the Android based Flag Recognition Application for 5^th grade students of Ambedkar Memorial High School was an attempt towards achieving the above said. We started with the thing that 5^th graders love the most i.e. drawing. They were each given a drawing sheet and a set of pencil colours/crayons/sketch pens. Next, they were to pick their favourite colour flag and draw it on the sheet. They excitedly drew around 2 to 3 different flags each and were eager to pose with their creations. Once the drawings were done, I got out the android phone with its flag recognition application. We clicked pictures of the flags, cropped them, gave them to the application and got the recognition results as a list of top-10 best matched countries. The students would look at the top-10 options and pick out the country that their flag belonged to.

Students engrossed in drawing the maps

This exercise not only helped them learn about the different countries and flags in a fun way, but also gave them a taste of how a machine can be trained to perform such an activity. The idea is to tickle these young minds and set them thinking. After all, good things start when you begin to think!!  

Saumya Jetley