Women in the world making special news

History created: India's first batch of women fighter pilots commissioned’, this was a big and welcoming news published in 2016. Two years later, in 2018, the women made it to the newspapers again and managed to pull out yet another ‘first’ from their bags by flying MiG-21 ‘Bison’, which has virtually the highest landing and takeoff speed in the world. As the country marked 71 years of Independence this year, a first all-female SWAT team was deployed in streets of Delhi. These women have been trained in Krav Maga, which is a form of martial arts.

Feats like this conjure up from a number of external and internal factors, external in the form of help and support, both from family and society and internal in the form of courage, confidence and skills. Even more everlasting and deeply touching is the fact that the difference is made not only in the lives of the few women who were mentioned in the papers but the impact is manifold and macro, in terms of the countless women whose lives rekindle with hope and desires.

There are a number of women in the world who are making special news in their daily lives by winning their own ‘fights with firsts’ and at the same time there are many women who need help and support to make their fights a success and their achievements a news.

‘Mission 1000’ is one such initiative which wants to empower underprivileged girls and support them to move ahead so that they can turn their chances into opportunities. It prepares them to not only take the first step but also to sustain the confidence and to enhance and grow further. This is made possible through integrated workshops, which teach Self-Defense, and also focus on core development through meditation, life-skill sessions and value-based lectures.

A girl who can stand up against bullying, another who can go out and confidently perform her chores, a girl who can now travel in public transport and continue to educate herself are all special. These are a few impacts made possible through the mission. Though their fights have just started and their firsts may sound naive but these are the turning points which create histories. Every story starts with a single word. ‘Mission 1000’ aims to impact at least a 1000 lives every year, it aims to reach out to 1000 girls, who gain confidence to teach their mothers, and thus, help spread the message of empowerment like fire.

Join the ‘Mission1000’, and help achieve a common goal – thousand lives, thousand transformations.

Ashpreet Dhillon

Mission 1000 is Packing a Punch by Teaching Martial Arts to Hundreds of Schoolgirls

TheBetterIndia  and Project Inspire has covered our organization and specially the project Mission 1000 which aims to teach girls karate to empower them physically and mentally.  

Check out the entire coverage at TheBetterIndia 

Do read this article if you would like to know the purpose behind the Mission 1000 project, a powerful strategy by Colorss Foundation, that carved their current position as a Project Inspire semi-finalist!

Mission 1000 is 2016 semi-finalist at Project Inspire the multi-award-winning initiative presents 18-35-year-olds worldwide with an opportunity to win a US$25,000 grant to assist an existing organisation which supports women and girls in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East or Africa.

Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World is a joint initiative from the Singapore Committee for UN Women and MasterCard, to help young change-makers create a better world for women and girls in Asia and the Pacific.

Project Inspire 2016 will take on the theme of ‘Empowering Women Through Safety and Security’. Applicants will be asked to demonstrate how their ideas harness safety and security concepts to empower women throughout Asia and the Pacific.

Up to 20 top problem solvers will be picked to progress to a crowdfunding stage of the competition as semi-finalists, where they stand the chance to secure additional funding and a wild-card ticket to Singapore as a finalist.

Do read this article if you would like to know the purpose behind the Mission 1000 project, a powerful strategy by Colorss Foundation, that carved their current position as a Project Inspire semi-finalist!

Mission 1000 is 2016 semi-finalist at Project Inspire. Our project is among the 20 top problem solvers.

Currently we are having a crowd-funding running for Mission 1000 and the campaign would get over on 26th October 2016. 

Kindly find the link here - appreciate your contribution to this project. There is no minimum amount so feel free to be a part or at least choose to share the campaign and create awareness.

Thanks,

India: Celebrating 69 years of Independence

Today, we are a nation that stands tall- the world’s largest democracy, to match our strides with the Americas and Englands of the world in every sphere. When the chorus of Cassandras rise, it helps us reflect on where we were 69 years ago, and where we are today. What reason do we have not to feel anything but proud of our brilliant accomplishments?

Looking back at our past, we can get a notion of how hard we have struggled to reach this zenith of success. Our freedom-fighters, with their relentless toil, have earned our country’s independence.

Why is it that India never invaded other countries? Surely not because we are weak. It is because we, the Indians have been blessed with the gift of tolerance. Despite unfulfilled promises, grim prognoses and failed messiahs, the Republic has endured everything thrown at its face. It is surely a miracle-the way India has withstood and surmounted all the odds-the chronic and extant tides of highs and lows that has besieged it, time and again. India has vanquished all evils with her brandishing sword of tolerance.

Keeping in mind the philosophies and ideals of the heroes of yester years, some of them fulfilled, some of them not, we, the youngsters of tomorrow, must take up the responsibility to work hard to make this a better India. Our aspirations for India should be more corrective than progressive.

Heroism should be a quality to strive for and patriotism should be an awareness, not a mere emotional display reserved for the Independence Day alone. We should all aspire to purge the country’s wounds and purify it to an extent where the world looks up to us and exclaims “Saare jahan se achha!”, indeed.

We all look forward to a day when every Indian’s dream is transformed to reality. And to achieve this, we need to shape the impressionable young minds by urging them to pick up their pens. Be it the young boy who toils by the candle-light or the little girl who walks miles to go to school,  every effort made towards education will lead to a brighter future for the individuals, the society and the country as a whole.

Colorss Foundation , an NGO based in Baroda, Gujarat and having its presence in Pune, Maharashtra in India aims to do just that by helping children become more independent and empowered through projects based in arts, technology and science.

It decided to do its bit in contributing to the spirit of Independence Day this year by organizing a drawing competition for its students. The topic- Swachh Bharat & Independence Day. The cleanliness campaign championed by our Honourable Prime Minister is perhaps one of utmost importance because in order to ignite the youth of our nation to build a better India, we need to provide them with a clean and healthy environment for their holistic development. The youth can carry forward this mission as a regular project and pass it on to the generations to come because we want this initiative to last forever.  By inculcating this idea of a cleaner India, Colorss Foundation achieved something spectacular-it helped in motivating the youngsters to come up with creative ideas to present to the world a cleaner India.

Apart from that, this Independence Day, Colorss also released one more edition of its E-zine (project Colors Of Life) which was highly praised and appreciated by the school authorities. Vision ignites minds. What we need today are great minds-great visionaries who can inspire an entire generation! We should take a solemn oath to keep the lamp of knowledge burning bright and give our everything to help build a better and brighter India. Let our sweat and toil create Agnis that can annihilate evil!

Friends, Indians, countrymen-come let us join forces and work towards this goal of unleashing the power within. Let us go to dust as proud citizens of this glorious nation, to rise again and revel in its splendour.

Bharat Mata Ki Jai

For Love,

-Sagarica Brahma

What we have achieved so far!

A series of info-graphics that will help showcase what we have achieved so far. You are most welcome to be a part of our growing organization. 

Colors of Life

Project Uttejana

Mission 1000

Project Enhance

Project Urja

We would love to have you with us at Colorss.

'Do Good, Feel Good' initiative

Anand Koti runs a "Do Good, Feel Good" initiative, where 40% of the proceeds from the self-defense workshops are directed to help the efforts of the Colorss Foundation where the under-priveliged females, both young and old, are trained for Free in self-defense. If you wish to see Koti's LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandkoti

Eve-teasing, undesired stares, men lurking in dark allies..these are some of the everyday fears that women in India have to live with. With 19 years of martial arts practice and another nine years of experience in training others, Koti has made it his mission to protect women by teaching them self-defense. We are happy to get the support from Koti. You can have a look at their website www.anandkoti.com and their social media accounts: - www.facebook.com/anandkotidotcom | www.twitter.com/anandkoti | www.instagram.com/anandkoti for more information. 

To keep yourself updated with latest Health and Fitness related topics and to learn more about Ergonomics read their blog as and when you get time. https://anandkotiblog.wordpress.com

Koti, is leading Mission 1000 project which is one of the promising projects at Colorss Foundation, Mission 1000 is focused on training young girls and women in self-defense techniques. Mission 1000 aims to reach out to at least 1000 underprivileged women and girls every year. By equipping each child with self-defense skills, Mission 1000 hopes to tackle the sexual abuse, which include harassment, assault and rape, against women in India. As Mission 1000 believes in providing free-of-charge self-defense workshops, this programme largely relies on donated funds.

Taught by the founder of Colorss himself, Anand Koti, the students have been learning several skills on how to punch, kick and block assaults. Each child has also left each session with a boost in her stamina, self-esteem and confidence.

Mission 1000 makes a difference to the lives of these young women. Those who have completed the Mission 1000 workshops express gratitude in learning self-defense. Some have even taught these skills to their own family members. The daily fear of being harassed is now a thing of the past for many of these young women, who are now more confident in interacting with society. Students undergoing Mission 1000 workshops will leave with a certificate and a new set of skills that they can use to protect themselves and their future. Along with learning kicks, punches, blocks and self-defense techniques the girls also enjoy meditation, which is also the part of the workshop. Meditation has helped the girls release stress.

For Love,

Gift Self-Defense workshop to women/girls & Make them STRONG

Gift Self-Defense workshop to women/girls who can't afford learning these skills and neither have the privilege of feeling safe 24x7. The male-hood needs to be groomed and trained on respecting the womanhood. Parents, schools and life-values needs to be pressed in properly. Waiting for the society values to get unlearned will take time. 

However, learning a skill to protect the self and the body is no harm and it should be encouraged. It actually increases confidence and builds the strength among the girls/women. It not only promotes stronger physiology it also helps at psychological level. One of the promising projects at Colorss Foundation, Mission 1000 is focused on training young girls and women in self-defense techniques. Mission 1000 aims to reach out to at least 1000 underprivileged women and girls every year. By equipping each child with self-defense skills, Mission 1000 hopes to tackle the sexual abuse, which include harassment, assault and rape, against women in India. As Mission 1000 believes in providing free-of-charge self-defense workshops, this programme largely relies on donated funds.

Taught by the founder of Colorss himself, Anand Koti, the students have been learning several skills on how to punch, kick and block assaults. Each child has also left each session with a boost in her stamina, self-esteem and confidence.

Mission 1000 makes a difference to the lives of these young women. Those who have completed the Mission 1000 workshops express gratitude in learning self-defense. Some have even taught these skills to their own family members. The daily fear of being harassed is now a thing of the past for many of these young women, who are now more confident in interacting with society. Students undergoing Mission 1000 workshops will leave with a certificate and a new set of skills that they can use to protect themselves and their future. Along with learning kicks, punches, blocks and self-defense techniques the girls also enjoy meditation, which is also the part of the workshop. Meditation has helped the girls release stress.

Karate is one thing which will increase our confidence and make our body fitter and stronger. It has helped me a lot after learning Karate. This has given me strength to face someone in any situation. Earlier if I used to go alone, me and my parents we used to worry. But now we all are more confident. I have changed a lot in positive way after learning Karate. I would like to thank our school teachers who thought about us and arranged for Karate classes. I would also like to thank Pooja Teacher and Karate Sir for their efforts.  Manisha V one of our beneficiary. 

Please help us protect these young women by helping us sustain these Mission 1000 workshops. Be part of the Mission 1000 movement by reaching out to us at emailcolorss@gmail.com or visit our website to give securely at http://colorss.org/donate/. 

Give a Book, Help Children Read!

Do you have books that you don’t need anymore?

Do you want to help children read?

Join the Library Project!

Colorss Foundation is looking for any new or used books that can help 8 to 16 year old children read. 

With your help, Colorss hopes to fill the shelves of the libraries in Mahadji Shinde High School and Dr. Ambedkar Memorial and Technical High School in Pune, Government School in Rajupura, Baroda with your donated books. 

Although the books that Colorss has brought to these schools have added immense value to the students’ education, there is still a lack of necessary books. If these books are not provided soon, this can limit the students’ learning.

 

What do they need?

The students need books that can help them study their subjects in school. The books will need to cover topics related to Hindi, English, Maths, Science, Social Studies, History and Geography. Books written in the English Language will also be useful, as the students need to become fluent in speaking and reading English. We would encourage books that are in English to be simple, easy and descriptive for them. Additionally, dictionaries that can translate Marathi-English, English-Marathi, Gujarati-English and English-Gujarati are highly appreciated.

How can I help?

Drop us an email at emailcolorss@gmail.com or leave a post on our Facebook wall (https://www.facebook.com/colorssfoundation). Tell us that you would like to help or have some books to donate! We will excitedly get back to you and arrange the easiest way to deliver the books.

We would like to thank you for reaching out to us and to these students. Every single donated book counts as each book brings a child to a new world of imagination and knowledge!

What we are up to : MORE GIRLS LEARN SELF-DEFENSE IN MISSION 1000

WHAT WE ARE UP TO

28 December 2015

MORE GIRLS LEARN SELF-DEFENSE IN MISSION 1000

Colorss Foundation is currently running a workshop to train young girls in self-defense techniques. This effort falls in line with Mission 1000’s aim, which is to transform the lives of at least 1000 underprivileged women and children every year. 

By equipping each child with self-defense skills, Mission 1000 hopes to tackle the sexual abuse, which include harassment, assault and rape, against women in India. As Mission 1000 believes in providing free-of-charge self-defense workshops, this programme largely relies on donated funds. 

Mission 1000 is focusing its efforts on Mahadji Shinde High School in Pune, where almost 300 girls are now learning self-defense skills. These Mission 1000 workshops target batches of 80-60 female students from the 8^th to 11^th grade. Taught by the founder of Colorss Foundation himself, Anand Koti, the students have been learning several skills on how to punch, kick and block assaults. Each child has also left each session with a boost in her stamina, self-esteem and confidence. Mission 1000 hopes to complete this workshop by the end of the first week of February 2016, before setting sights on teaching self-defense skills to students of the Dr. Ambedkar Memorial School next.

Mission 1000 makes a difference to the lives of these young women. Those who have completed the Mission 1000 workshops express gratitude in learning self-defense. Some have even taught these skills to their own family members. The daily fear of being harassed is now a thing of the past for many of these young women, who are now more confident in interacting with society. Students undergoing Mission 1000 workshops will leave with a certificate and a new set of skills that they can use to protect themselves and their future. 

Please help us protect these young women by helping us sustain these Mission 1000 workshops. Be part of the Mission 1000 movement by reaching out to us at emailcolorss@gmail.com or visit our website to give securely at http://colorss.org/donate/. 

By Asyura Salleh

Colorss Runs a Brain Gym

WHAT WE ARE UP TO : Colorss Runs a Brain Gym

The Colorss’ team at the government school in Rajupura, Baroda, has recently ran a Brain Gym for students in Grades 1 to 4, to help them learn the numbers from 1 to 100. The children responded positively to the activity, and were able to learn the sequence of numbers through the creative brain game. 

 Students prepare for the Brain Gym

The Brain Gym conducted a housing activity, where students were given cards, which mentioned numbers 1 to 100. The volunteers would throw a set of dice and indicate the number on the dices on their own sheet. This would be related to a specific material within a house on the volunteer’s sheet, with a number on it. This number is then flashed to the students. Excitedly, the students would identify the corresponding number on their flashcards, mark the number and spell it out to the rest of the class.

Within 90 minutes, the students finished playing the game and were asked for feedback. Soon enough, we learned that after the activity, most of the students were able to learn all the numbers from 1 to 100. This is a huge accomplishment as a large number of students across four grades were able to recall a wide range of numbers as a result of the Brain Gym.

Students enthusiastically participate in the Brain Gym

This Brain Gym activity not only improved the students’ ability to memorise numbers from 1 to 100, but also greatly contributed to their personal development. The activity boosted their concentration levels and self-confidence in their own cognitive skills.

 Students pose during the Brain Gym Activity

The positive outcome of the Housing Activity within the Brain Gym led the Principal Mr. Kanti Bhai to express his interest in the activity. He appreciated the effort put into running the Brain Gym and encouraged the school to continue holding similar activities in the future. 

By Asyura Salleh

Call for Volunteers - Colorss Foundation

LEND A HAND

Call for Volunteers

On a break from school or work? Need a change in the usual routine?

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

Colorss Foundation is looking for six bright, active and passionate individuals like you to spend some time with our children. We hope that through your experience with us, you will be able to help others and enjoy yourself in our creative and engaging projects. Read on for a sneak peek of your life as a volunteer and on how to apply!

What Will I Do as a Volunteer?

 As a volunteer at Colorss Foundation, you will be able to:

ü  Teach 5^th to 9^th grade students how to speak, write and listen in the English Language

ü  Help 5^th to 9^th grade students learn basic computer and Internet skills*

ü  Engage in the conduct of soft-skills workshops on leadership, time-management, value education and personal grooming

*If you are interested in teaching computer skills and come from the corporate world, you will be exclusively part of our Colorss Corporate Ambassador Program (CCAP). Through this program, you will engage with our students for three hours every Saturday of the week.

Which Colorss Foundation Projects Will I Volunteer In?

You will be closely involved in these projects:

ü  Colors of Life: Help children engage in creative activities (drawing, writing, dance, etc.) to support psychological and physical development

ü  Project Enhance: Assist young girls in taking up sports with a focus on Self-Defense skills, to aid psychological and physiological development and boost overall confidence

ü  Project Uttejana: Participate in an ICT powered project-based computer literacy platform that connects underprivileged children to mentors from the corporate sector.

Where Will I Volunteer?

You will be volunteering at Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Technical High School, PCB - Pune, where all the projects will be based.

How Long Do I Need to Volunteer For?

You will need to dedicate just two hours of your time at this school twice a week, for a minimum of three months.

What do I Get from Volunteering at Colorss Foundation?

At the end of your time with us, you will have made new friends, gained an eye-opener to the lives of underprivileged women and children, and 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 do I apply?

Drop us an email at contact@colorss.org, with the subject heading “Volunteer Interest”.

Tell us a bit about your background, skills and what you are interested in doing at Colorss Foundation. We’ll excitedly read your email and get back to you!

#STUDENTSKILLS - A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

#StudentSkills : A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

          

Colors of Life students have once again brought creativity to their education! Recently, students from the 5^th to 9^th grade gathered to showcase the importance of compassion and helping others. In their short theatrical sketch, the children acted out short five-minute story-lines that centered on this theme. Their imagination got the better of them, as within only 20 minutes, the children were able to create characters, set out a script and rehearse their upcoming show.

        

Out of all the acts, two theatrical sketches were particularly successful in demonstrating that a friend in need is definitely a friend indeed. The first act opens with the scene of two friends that are walking alongside one another. Suddenly, one of them gets into an accident. Unnerved and not sure of what to do next, the boy that is unharmed leaves his friend and rushes home. The accident eventually attracts a commotion and the injured child is taken care of by a group of people. Soon enough, a roadside shopkeeper demonstrates compassion and takes serious care of the child. The scene then shifts to the unharmed boy, who approaches the shopkeeper to ask about his friend. Quite rightly so, the shopkeeper scolds him and explains that he should not have ran away but should have instead stayed by his injured friend and taken care of him.

            

The second entertaining act takes place in a zoo and includes animal attacks. It begins with four friends who decide to go for an outing to the zoo. They soon enjoy themselves and become distracted in talking to one another. Suddenly, a lion jumps out and attacks them. One of the boys tries to distract the lion by throwing an object at him. Yet, the lion continues its attack and targets the second boy. Shocked and afraid, the first boy runs away and leaves the scene. The two girls in the group then come to the rescue and manage to save the attacked boy from the lion. As they bring him to the doctor to tend to his lion-attacked-wounds, the injured boy confides in the doctor as he realizes who his true friends are.

By: Asyura Salleh

FUN FACTS : Colorss Foundation Uses Creative Writing to Tackle Illiteracy

FUN FACTS : Colorss Foundation Uses Creative Writing to Tackle Illiteracy

Illiteracy can inhibit a person’s development and access to a good quality standard of living. It describes the state of not possessing the skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, which can prevent the person from applying these skills in their day-to-day lives. Illiteracy is a developmental problem and has been designated as a concern by the UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, “We need to see specific, well-funded strategies that prioritize the poorest – especially girls – improve the quality of learning and reduce the literacy gap so that education becomes meaningful and universal.” In India, 287 million adults were considered illiterate, which makes up 37 percent of the entire world’s illiterate population. This has grave consequences, especially for the female population. It is observed that illiteracy is a danger to family planning as married couples that do not use contraception are likely to be illiterate. This can lead to difficulty in stabilizing India’s booming population. 

A solution that can contribute to improving literacy levels amongst India’s population lies in Creative Writing. This method teaches the public, especially children, to write in an imaginative way to express their ideas and thoughts. Through creative writing, a writer would be able to express feelings and emotions and not just present dry facts.  Creative writing is beneficial to children as it will help them explore their imagination more and cultivate their ability to soak up more information. It also boosts the confidence level of students and brings an effective change to the conduct of education.

Colorss Foundation has intelligently incorporated the useful method of creative writing in their projects in order to reduce illiteracy levels. One of their projects, Colors of Life, encourages children to write on topics that have been specially chosen. This method helps trigger brain stimulation and also spurs curiosity amongst them. Children that have produced creative writing content will be able to witness their proud efforts published in the Colorss E-Zine, which was launched in 2011. As a result of creative writing, children have demonstrated a renewed interest in education. More importantly, there is an observed reduction in the school drop-out rate, which suggests that illiteracy rate is successfully being tackled!

Sources:

1. A. Dharmalingam and S. Philip Morgan, “Women’s Work, Autonomy, and Birth Control: Evidence from Two South India Villages”, Population Studies 50, no.2 (July 1996), pp.187-201
2. Colorss Foundation, Annual Report for the Year 2011-2012, (Colorss Foundation, 2012)
3. Nilanjana Bhowmick, “37% of All the Illiterate Adults in the World are Indian”, Time Magazine, 29 January 2014
4. Education Business, “Bringing together Creativity and Literacy”, Education Business: The Business Magazine for Education 2014. Available Online: http://www.educationbusinessuk.net/index.php/features/400-creative-literacy/3955-bringing-together-creativity-and-literacy
5. Tushar Tere, “Underprivileged children from slums take tour of nature park”, Times of India, 20 June 2013
6. UNESCO Office in New Delhi, Education for All 2000-2015: India is First in the Race to Reduce out of School Children, 9 April 2015, Available online: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/newdelhi/about-this-office/single-view/news/education_for_all_2000_2015_india_is_first_in_the_race_to_reduce_out_of_school_children/#.VaKELJNViko

GET TO KNOW US: Palak Nagar

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH VOLUNTEER PALAK NAGAR

"Get to know the real social changers behind the efforts of Colorss Foundation. Today's spotlight is on Palak Nagar, a volunteer at the Foundation that helped develop the second version of our Quick Self Defense Application for all Android platforms. Aside from being endowed with computer skills at her fingertips, Palak also has a genuine passion in helping women." 

Palak Nagar is a Computer Science Engineer with a passion in helping women.

Join us as we get to know her 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.

In Colorss Foundation, I am involved in Project Enhance.

Why did you volunteer at Colorss Foundation? I volunteered at Colorss because this organisation basically works for women. Through this organisation, many girls have learned self-defence, which is very worthwhile in today’s era.

I like volunteering at Colorss Foundation because I like the attitude the Foundation has towards each other and towards every human being. Its members are very kind, helpful and highly understanding. They understand the circumstances of everyone.

What have you learned from volunteering at Colorss? I have learned a little bit of self-defense, especially the easy techniques. I picked this up while developing the Self Defense Application. As I am also a girl, I need to learn self-defense to help overcome bad situations.

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