Tackling the Rape Culture with Self-Defense Workshops | Colorss Foundation

In the State of Uttar Pradesh, another teenage girl was found hanging dead from the tree. Tortured. Raped. Murdered. This is the latest from a string of attacks in recent weeks, which included two cousin sisters being gang-raped in their village. Indians are becoming more and more aware and fearful of the rape culture and violence that has presided over the country. Since 2010, crimes against women have increased by 7.1% in India.

A new incident of rape now occurs every 22 minutes. Enough is enough. Alcohol does not rape women. The nighttime does not rape women. Clothes do not rape women. It is men who rape women. Victim blaming is not the solution, but women empowerment can be. We need to put an end to the constant fear that women face, walking alone in alleyways. We need to train women in self-defense.

We cannot just remain naïve, and let our girls be victims to countless, unpredictable attacks. It is both the duty of families, as well as employers to ensure that women at home and in the workforce are equipped in defending themselves. This does not just have obvious benefits for the women who become more confident and productive at work, but also for the companies as trust and engagement is promoted. 

The Colorss foundation is an NGO, located in Pune and Baroda that offers self-defense workshops for women of all ages. Designed for the best comfort, this NGO offers 2-3 classes per week, with around 10-15 participants in each class. The NGO also conducts corporate self-defense workshops. With increasing crimes, it is necessary that Martial Arts be adapted to self-defense purposes and not just spiritual & philosophical development. And this is exactly what the Colorss foundation does. Eloise Stark, a participant stated that “It’s about standing up and saying, I can protect myself, I refuse to be intimidated”. From these workshops, students have reported improvements in body flexibility, shape, body control and discipline as well as psychological benefits of improved self-awareness, confidence and reduced anxiety. Listen to Jimsy, another participant on her experiences with the programme below.

Anand Koti who is an expert in Martial Arts with a 2nd degree Black Belt in Karate, is the founder of the Colorss Foundation. With over 17 years of experience, Anand has impacted over 600 lives in the last six years. Thanks to his vision, the workshops have been conducted in Pune & Baroda, with support from large corporations like Nielsen, Vodafone, L&T, Reliance Industries, Reliance Township and schools of Pune. For more information on Anand and his self-defense workshops, you can contact him on koti@anandkoti.com (Phone: 0091 960 494 1020), or through Facebook , Twitter and YouTube.

For Women Empowerment,

Shama Kukkady

Nielsen Global Impact Day 2014 with Colorss at Baroda | Colorss Foundation

On April 20th, 2014 Colorss Foundation gave a shout out on Twitter and Facebook for people to donate a sewing machine for Project Urja. On June 12th, 2014 this request was fulfilled by Nielsen on the Nielsen Global Impact Day (NGID). This donation was made to Colorss Foundation as part of Nielsen Cares, Baroda initiative.

#colorss #womenempowerment #nielsencares - Team Colorss at Baroda

Colorss was founded by Anand Koti with a mission to give a platform to like-minded people to work towards empowering socially deprived children and ensuring their right to education. Hence the project 'Colors of Life' was started in Pune. Since its inception in 2008, Colorss has come a long way and spearheaded many more projects.  A learning over a period of time and initiatives, that a child cannot progress in isolation and that the mother is the most instrumental factor of this empowerment process gave birth to Project Urja.

#innocence #cute #children #colorss #joyofgiving

Colorss Foundation started Project Urja with a focus to empower rural women to become entrepreneurs and in turn become self-reliant citizens inspite of limited opportunities. This program marked a step ahead in this direction through this generous donation. Slums of Indiranagar, Baroda participated in various activities that Colorss Foundation and Nielsen had organised to celebrate and spread awareness about Project Urja.

The day's plan had something for each community member. A drawing competition was held which saw more than 60 children in the age group of 6-11 years take part from Sanjay Nagar - 1 and Sanjay Nagar - 2 slums of Indira Nagar. The kids also had fun playing various other games while their mothers got a health check up at the general medical health camp conducted on the day. Free medicines will be provided as per their prescriptions in the coming week to more than 65 women who participated in the camp by Nielsen.  A workshop was also conducted to emphasize the value of managing time and finances in the lives of these women who play multiple roles of a mother, daughter, wife, friend and confidante to feed and nurture their families as well as contribute to their communities. The objective was to reach out to these women and motivate them to join Project Urja.

Ms Sophie Joseph Vice President of Nielsen sharing her thoughts about Colorss

The men were definitely not forgotten. A short informative skit was performed by the Nielsen team to put forth the ills of alcoholism. In spite of Gujarat being a dry state, alcohol is still playing havoc in the lives of rural and marginalized population. This is affecting whole families and especially children. The performance addressed the negative impact an alcoholic father can have on the education of a girl child. A message for rehabilitation through de-addiction camps was communicated to help reform the fathers.

Nielsen Global Impact Day with Colorss Foundation in Baroda ended with a prize distribution for the winners of the drawing competition and hot and delicious Chai-Samosa for refreshments. But Colorss' engagement has definitely not ended with Baroda. Colorss Foundation through the Nielsen cares initiative reached out to over 200 people from the community. The foundation aims to bring together a lot more people from other parts of Baroda to grow Project Urja. Colorss also hopes the society to come forward and get involved through monetary or/and volunteering support. You can started by visiting their website/ blog to know more about their various other projects. Don't forget to follow them on Facebook , Twitter and YouTube to show your support and stay updated.

For Love,

Prajakta Patil

#colorss #nielsen #nielsencares #nielsenglobalimpactday #baroda #ngo #children #womenempowerment

How the Colorss foundation’s 7-day Online Self Defense classes inspired me!

When it comes to Self Defense I’m pretty paranoid. I worry about a number of different situations that may be very unlikely to happen, but it is always very important to feel safe because today on the streets of this country anything can happen. And therefore, when I read about Colorss foundations’ Seven day online Self-Defense workshop, I was instantly fascinated by the workshop and was very keen on attending it. The best part about the workshop was that it was online. I didn’t have to take out much time from my busy schedule to be physically present at a place for these classes.

The workshop made me understand myself, my fears and my abilities better. I learnt that self-defense is not about getting into fights with others, but about how you can extricate yourself from certain situations, which includes general awareness of the surroundings and the importance of being steady and remaining calm at the same time in a bad situation. We covered things like how to get out of wrist grabs, body grabs, chokes, and as women where our strength comes from. It’s not about getting into a one-on-one fight with the attacker but to create enough impact to get the time to escape and run to a safe place. The best part about the workshop was that every technique was demonstrated with pictures and we could also ask questions and clear our doubts about any of the techniques.

Besides all of this, the workshop also inspired me to get in good shape, as the principle of self-defense involves being ready and fit both mentally and physically. Since those seven days, I’ve regularly been practicing the techniques taught in the workshop. I’m glad I came across such a helpful online workshop. I hope and also encourage Colorss foundation to come up with more such helpful techniques in self-defense.

~ Empowered

Kritika Kapoor

Photo-updates of Self Defense workshop for Women

Self Defense workshop for Women, a set on Flickr.

This is an extension to our Project Enhance! While the most obvious benefit of these self-defense workshop is the ability to defend yourself against an attacker, there are also numerous peripheral benefits, such as increased confidence and mental development. At Colorss, we strive to give women the physical and mental strength to surpass any challenges. Anand Koti, the foundation’s director, is conducting the classes. Anand has been practicing martial arts for over 15 years and has a 2nd degree black belt in Karate, which demonstrates his commitment and discipline.

This project came to life as a result of recent discussions and demonstrations concerning womens’ and girls’ safety on the streets of India. At Colorss Foundation we strongly urge women to be aware of their safety and different ways of protecting themselves. Knowledge is a great weapon! We believe that It is only when awareness is created, when people engage in discussions, and word is spread, that we can start a joint movement to increase the safety for women and girls in India.

Workshops conducted at - Reliance Industries Ltd; Vodafone [Baroda]; L&T Knowledge City; Nielsen during the year 2013.

Feel free to share.. you can contact us directly if you want to learn self-defense. Contact us at: contact@colorss.org

A glimpse of Self-defense workshops | Colorss Foundation

In India, girls are forced to battle for their fundamental right to live, from the day they are born. Because of social stigma, women in India are often considered inferior and suffer torment and persecution for no reason other than their gender. From a young age, most local women are taught about the dangers they will inevitably face during their lives. Unfortunately, being aware is no longer enough.

While it is by no means an altogether solution for the terrible issue of violence against women, providing Indian women with self-defense training is a great step forward in order to protect their basic freedoms and permit the ability to walk through the streets unaccompanied without fear.

Colorss' have conducted self-defense workshops for different corporate:

Self-defense workshops

Self-defense workshops

Self-defense workshops

Participant sharing her thoughts after the workshop

Participant sharing her thoughts after the workshops

Colorss Foundation, a NGO based in Baroda, Pune and Ajmer is launching women’s self-defense classes to empower the women of India and provide the skills to remain calm and fight back against attackers, if this is ever required. If there is one thing that the December 16 attack has achieved, it is in spreading the reality that no one is safe from these types of assaults. Every woman in India, through no fault of her own, is a potential victim.

Colorss’ self-defense classes are for working women, university students and children, with no prior experience necessary. The classes are designed to take part 2-3 times a week, with groups of 10-15 participants in Pune. The classes may take place at your personal residence with a group of 10-15 participants, for the convenience of participants.

While the most obvious benefit of these self-defense classes is the ability to defend yourself against an attacker, there are also numerous peripheral benefits, such as increased confidence and mental development. At Colorss, we strive to give women the physical and mental strength to surpass any challenges.

It is our goal to empower the women of India to have the confidence to live completely fulfilling lives.

Contact Colorss for more information on self-defense training. You can email us at:emailcolorss@gmail.com and find us on Facebook.

Self Defense Workshops - to empower the women of India | Colorss Foundation

In India, girls are forced to battle for their fundamental right to live, from the day they are born. Because of social stigma, women in India are often considered inferior and suffer torment and persecution for no reason other than their gender. From a young age, most local women are taught about the dangers they will inevitably face during their lives. Unfortunately, being aware is no longer enough.

While it is by no means an altogether solution for the terrible issue of violence against women, providing Indian women with self-defense training is a great step forward in order to protect their basic freedoms and permit the ability to walk through the streets unaccompanied without fear.

Colorss Foundation, a NGO based in Baroda, Pune and Ajmer is launching women’s self-defense classes to empower the women of India and provide the skills to remain calm and fight back against attackers, if this is ever required. If there is one thing that the December 16 attack has achieved, it is in spreading the reality that no one is safe from these types of assaults. Every woman in India, through no fault of her own, is a potential victim.

Self-defense workshop for Vodafone staff and their family members; Baroda

Colorss’ self-defense classes are for working women, university students and children, with no prior experience necessary. The classes are designed to take part 2-3 times a week, with groups of 10-15 participants in Pune. The classes may take place at your personal residence with a group of 10-15 participants, for the convenience of participants.

Anand Koti, the foundation’s director, will be conducting the classes. Anand has been practicing martial arts for over 15 years and has a 2^nd degree black belt in Karate, which demonstrates his commitment and discipline. In addition, Anand also possesses an undergraduate degree in Industrial Psychology and Masters degrees in Health Management and Industrial Relations and Personnel Management.

This unique combination of education and passion for martial arts has provided Anand with the perfect blend of skills to successfully pass his knowledge on to students. Under Anand’s supervision, many children from the Pune region have already benefited from Project Enhance, another initiative of the Colorss Foundation. Project Enhance involved providing underprivileged children of the region with martial arts and creative arts classes. The results of Project Enhance have been overwhelmingly positive. In addition to building the physical strength and stamina of the participants, Project Enhance also boosted their self-esteem and confidence.

While the most obvious benefit of these self-defense classes is the ability to defend yourself against an attacker, there are also numerous peripheral benefits, such as increased confidence and mental development. At Colorss, we strive to give women the physical and mental strength to surpass any challenges.

Colorss' have conducted self-defense workshops for different corporate:

Self-defense workshop at L&T Knowledge City, Baroda

Self-defense workshop at Nielsen, Baroda

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, there were 24,206 cases of rape registered in India during 2011, but this is suspected to be a major under-representation of the true figure and of the problem at hand.

The worst reaction from this case would be for women to remain indoors, further restrict their activities and escalate the oppression they already face on a daily basis. This should be used as an opportunity to empower the women of India – for them to stand up and assert themselves.

It is in the hands of the government to make a legitimate stance on the issue of violence towards women and make widespread changes throughout the country; however, basic self-defense is a great step forward for the women on India.

It is our goal to empower the women of India to have the confidence to live completely fulfilling lives.

Contact Colorss for more information on self-defense training. You can email us at:emailcolorss@gmail.com and find us on Facebook.

Underprivileged children from slums take tour of nature park - Times Of India | Colorss Foundation

Media coverage in 'Times of India'

The Colorss Foundation had recently organized an event for 25 underprivileged children and 5 women, from Sanjaynagar slums at the nature park in Sindhrot, on the outskirts of the city. The event was organized by Nielsen, Vadodara to celebrate its global day celebrations. The activities included cartoon strip competition, trekking and the launch of E-zine. E-zine is the output of a Colorss Foundation project - Colors of Life

click the link below to read more about it on Times of India
Underprivileged children from slums take tour of nature park - Times Of India

Nielsen Baroda [on NGID 13th June] Launches the E-zine written by disadvantaged children, Baroda | Colorss Foundation

Nielsen is a leading global information and measurement company, provides market research, insights & data about what people watch & what people buy.

As a part of their 'Global Day Celebrations ' Nielsen (Baroda, Gujarat, India) has partnered with Colorss Foundation to involve 25 disadvantaged children and 5 women from the Sanjaynagar slum area at Nature Park, Sindhrot, Baroda – Gujarat.

Colorss Foundation strives to build a better future for the disadvantaged children and women. The foundation aspires to build a family of like-minded people whose motive would be to empower socially deprived children and women with qualities like self-confidence, responsibility, and self-esteem, at the same time ensuring that the disadvantaged children complete their school education. Colorss has been working towards its vision, thus contributing in whatsoever manner possible to strengthen the deprived communities and get them in closer proximity to what may seem alien or new to them. It has also been striving hard to inspire and transform individuals and volunteers to take action and serve the society and in turn give back to the communities where we belong.

Launch of E-zine created by the children from disadvantaged community

On 13th June 2013 we launched the E-zine - created by the children from disadvantaged community - Baroda, Gujarat. E-zine is the output of a Colorss Foundation project - ‘Colors of Life’. ‘Colors of Life’ uses technology for lowering school dropouts. Children write essays on specially chosen topics that trigger brain stimulation and create curiosity. These topics are published to E-zine, this significantly increases their self-esteem. You can click the link to read the E-zine.

Namrata 

Namrata sharing about her experience about the event, she says,’ I really enjoyed my journey to the Nature Park. The surroundings, nature and ‘Neel Guy’ that we saw were a great moment. When the E-zine was launched it thrilled me thoroughly and when I saw my photograph in the E-zine I was very very happy. That particular moment is very precious and I can’t explain it. When the cartoon strip competition started I was little scared, unsure about my performance. However, when we got the topic ‘Environment’ I was able to understand what I will put in the cartoon strip. It’s a thoroughly great experience that we had. I am very happy and thankful to you all’

Aruna ben parent of Aarti

Aruna Ben – parent she says,’ When I saw my daughter’s photograph in the E-zine, I was very happy. I realized the potential of my daughter. It was a great feeling my daughter made me feel proud. Today in front of everyone when the E-zine was launched I was not aware of what’s happening. It was only when my daughter got the copy and showed me. The nature park trip has been an eye opener it made me realize the talent of my daughter. Thank you.’

Sonu Shah [Associate Director Nielsen] – We are happy to partner with Colorss Foundation on our Global Impact Day. We have got the children to Nature park near Sindhroth village. This was a one day event and the interaction with the children was great. Generally the children don’t interact when they see new faces, however in the case of the children from Colorss’ it was great as they mingled with each other and with the entire staff of Nielsen. The cartoon strip competition was wonderful and they have performed really well. The theme of the cartoon strip competition was ‘Environment’. We all had a wonderful time.

For Love,

Nielsen partners with Colorss Foundation for supporting education ofdisadvantaged children from Sanjaynagar slum. [13th June 2013 – GlobalImpact Day]

Celebrating 'Global Impact Day' of Nielsen | Colorss Foundation, a set on Flickr.

Nielsen is a leading global information and measurement company, provides market research, insights & data about what people watch & what people buy.

As a part of their 'Global Day Celebrations ' Nielsen (Baroda, Gujarat, India) has partnered with Colorss Foundation to involve 25 disadvantaged children and 5 women from the Sanjaynagar slum area at Nature Park, Sindhrot, Baroda – Gujarat. The event started at 9:30 am with break-fast and then series of activities. We started around 4 pm back for Baroda.

Colorss Foundation strives to build a better future for the disadvantaged children and women. The foundation aspires to build a family of like-minded people whose motive would be to empower socially deprived children and women with qualities like self-confidence, responsibility, and self-esteem, at the same time ensuring that the disadvantaged children complete their school education. Colorss has been working towards its vision, thus contributing in whatsoever manner possible to strengthen the deprived communities and get them in closer proximity to what may seem alien or new to them. It has also been striving hard to inspire and transform individuals and volunteers to take action and serve the society and in turn give back to the communities where we belong.

The Global Day Celebrations included the below mentioned activities:
The activities include cartoon strip competition, trekking and the launch of E-zine. E-zine is the output of a Colorss Foundation project - ‘Colors of Life’. ‘Colors of Life’ uses technology for lowering school dropouts. Children write essays on specially chosen topics that trigger brain stimulation and create curiosity. These topics are published to E-zine, this significantly increases their self-esteem. The cartoon strip competition achieves similar objectives and also helps pass positive messages.

Namrata sharing about her experience about the event, she says,’ I really enjoyed my journey to the Nature Park. The surroundings, nature and ‘Neel Guy’ that we saw was a great moment. When the E-zine was launched it thrilled me thoroughly and when I saw my photograph in the E-zine I was very very happy. That particular moment is very precious and I can’t explain it. When the cartoon strip competition started I was little scared, unsure about my performance. However, when we got the topic ‘Environment’ I was able to understand what I will put in the cartoon strip. It’s a thoroughly great experience that we had. I am very happy and thankful to you all’

Aruna Ben – parent she says,’ When I saw my daughter’s photograph in the E-zine, I was very happy. I realized the potential of my daughter. It was a great feeling my daughter made me feel proud. Today in front of everyone when the E-zine was launched I was not aware of what’s happening. It was only when my daughter got the copy and showed me. The nature park trip has been an eye opener it made me realize the talent of my daughter. Thank you.’

Sonu Shah [Associate Director Nielsen] – We are happy to partner with Colorss Foundation on our Global Impact Day. We have got the children to Nature park near Sindhroth village. This was a one day event and the interaction with the children was great. Generally the children don’t interact when they see new faces, however in the case of the children from Colorss’ it was great as they mingled with each other and with the entire staff of Nielsen. The cartoon strip competition was wonderful and they have performed really well. The theme of the cartoon strip competition was ‘Environment’. We all had a wonderful time.

For Love,
Anand