We often forget that we are
living in one world. A world in which the poor are fellow human beings, just
like us. People that we hold responsibility to. People that we need to care
for. But there is a common misconception that uplifting the poor is only about
selfless giving, providing little benefits for society. In reality, this is
contrary to the case. Poverty alleviation not just promotes social justice, but
also provides economic, social and health improvements for the nation.
Cloth donation drive in Gurgaon
India is known for being the
world’s biggest democracy. Yet it faces vast unequal differences in the
distribution of power, control and autonomy, which are fundamental principles
of democracy in the first place. How is it just that India is known as one of
the world’s richest nations and yet 42% of Indians live below the poverty line?
We cannot just turn a blind eye to the suffering of the poor. It is the duty of
those that have access to resources and education, to make a difference when
they can. This does not mean dragging down the wealth of the rich, but
uplifting the poor. This involves providing the poor with economic,
educational and political tools that encourage autonomy and active
participation in society.
Many that live in poverty could
have been doctors, innovators and investors creating a difference for the
nation. But because poverty limits access and control over basic necessities
like food, education and health services, few have a chance at becoming
productive members of society. If those in poverty were provided with the
opportunity to utilize their full potential, their contribution to the economy
would be immense. We need to recognize that the fortune lies at the bottom of
the pyramid.
Research indicates more equal
nations are less likely to suffer from social and health-related problems. This
is worrisome for countries like India, where income inequality has doubled in
recent years. Being desperate and hopeless, poor people are more likely to
engage in risky behaviors like robberies, prostitution or drug dealings as a
means of coping. Others turn to religious extremism and fascism for refuge.
Although this burdens society as a whole, the poor and vulnerable are again
more likely to be victims of crimes.
The health of nations has also
been affected with higher rates of divorce, depression and domestic violence
linked with countries that have higher income inequality. This is because when
there is hierarchy, individuals are constantly competing for status, which
increases stress and worsens health outcomes. The poor being more prone to
illnesses also threatens nations as a whole. Diseases like Bird Flu spread
fast, particularly in populous countries like India. With the safety and well
being of the nation at large, it is more than essential to “Love thy neighbor
as thy self”.
All in all, it is vital that we
all take action against poverty - “the greatest cause of suffering on
Earth” (The World Health Organization).
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill
When I first contacted Anand, founder of Colorss Foundation for volunteer teaching at one of the several schools run for the underprivileged in Pune I was not sure what I was getting into -- there was a will to help but not a true grit; there was a path to tread on but no one to lead the way.
But having been associated with the kids and the foundation itself for quite a while I can affirmatively say that it has been a truly rewarding experience. From the very first day when I was introduced to the principal and members of the staff at Dr. Ambedkar Memorial High School school by Anand , everyone including the children have been very warm and welcoming . I have no previous experience as a teacher/tutor and was initially skeptical about how I would handle a bunch of exuberant kids but I was surprised at the level of discipline and knowledge in the students of Project Enhance which made the ice breaking process seamless and easy.
From playing "Fire in the mountain" to singing "Happy and you know it" in perfect harmony to teaching me the basics of Karate and martial arts the kids have been lovely and I have enjoyed every bit of my time with them. Some of the kids are particularly brilliant and surprised me with a "Nice to meet you" and a firm, confident handshake at the end of one of my sessions at Dr. Ambedkar Memorial High School with the enhance girl students.
This Saturday I got an opportunity to visit the Mahadji Shinde High school where I was introduced to the principal and the team of volunteers including Dhiraj , Neha and Nikita. I interacted with the girl students of project enhance who have been learning karate at an average duration of one to two years variably amongst the group and got their feedback regarding how karate/martial arts has impacted both physiological and psychological aspects of their lives.
The girls were very enthusiastic about sharing their karate learning experience and willingly stood up to talk about the same. Most of them agreed to the fact that their posture has improved and slouching/sluggishness while walking and other normal daily activities has reduced to a great extent. Showing off their power with a mighty punch on my palm they also said that their efficiency and stamina in lifting heavy objects and other tasks that involve a firm grip like holding on to a bus pole steadily has also improved. They said that the karate classes has given school a whole new perspective and that not only has it been a great learning experience but also immense fun . Some of them admitted that the karate classes were the highlight of the school for them and that they attended just so they could be a part of it all.
Amongst psychological aspects they said that the physical well being and a sense of self reliance which comes from the fact that they are better equipped to defend themselves in the face of danger has promoted an overall sense of well being and comfort in their minds. Even though the rigorous physical nature of this sport would leave them exhausted by the end of the class, girls said that they felt very mentally active and alert after the karate sessions.
They also admitted that their concentration level has improved and studies have become fun because they listen and understand better. Some felt that their minds were able to reject the antagonism, hardships and anguish in their life amidst their community because they are simply happier on account of having learnt something novel and fun which they can share with their family and members of the community.
I believe I have seen only one facet of this magnificent problem of education that our society faces today and that it will take generations to uproot it completely. But a firm belief in the capabilities of these children, a helping hand and little bit of your time can go a long way in bringing a smile on the faces of these little kids who never have and never will have access to the same opportunities that you and I had growing up as a child .
It is immensely gratifying to be a part of a great cause like this and there is no joy greater than sharing a part of the bread that you have earned for yourself.
Anand
Koti, founder of Colorss with more than 15 years of martial arts training, a
second-degree black belt, and a passion for using his talent to help others
reach their potential has come up with this project.
Project Enhance uses a combination
of sports (Martial Arts) and creative arts as vehicles to promote both the
physical and mental well-being of underprivileged children in India. Good
mental health is not just the absence of a mental disorder; it is a state of
well-being where an individual feels confident and ready to cope with the
stresses that life sometimes presents.
In India, young girls are viewed as
inconsequential, often ignored, or even harassed and molested. Project Enhance
aims to empower young girls and boost their self-confidence through a blend of karate
and creative arts in hopes that they can one day become educated, productive,
and active members in their communities and society.
Objectives:
-Empower young
girls
-Promote mental and physical health
-Foster a sense
trust, cooperation, confidence, and community
-Encourage values
of discipline and responsibility
Students undergoing self-defense techniques under project enhance.. Demonstrating the techniques with our volunteer/inter Neha Shaw (Symbiosis Law School, Pune)
How Can Martial Arts Help?
The art of karate involves
integrating the mind and body to condition the physique and enhance
self-awareness. When the muscles and brain act in perfect unison, a sense of
discipline, mindfulness, and serenity are set in play. Thus, learning to
control each movement in a fluid and adaptable fashion produces benefits that
outlast practice sessions. Research has shown that karate is associated with
positive changes in mood, as well as reductions in anxiety and depression.
Sensi Pervez Mistry, the father of modern martial arts
in India, noted: “Karate is generally perceived as a destructive sport. This is
a misconception. In fact, the reverse is true. With karate, we can work towards
improving health. A willingness and desire to be a better person is developed
and self-confidence is built while ego is dampened.”
In
fact, martial arts promote both mental and physical health and enforce values
such as respect for others, faithfulness, and tranquility, and sincerity. When
these qualities act in unison, they can induce relaxation and increase
self-confidence. Additionally, many studies have championed the cognitive and
behavioral benefits of martial arts. Improvements in self-esteem (Fuller,
1988), positive receptiveness of physical challenges (Richard and Rehberg,
1986; Trulson, 1986), greater autonomy (Duthie, 1978), emotional stability and
assertiveness (Konzak and Boudreau, 1984) and reductions in anxiety and
depression (Cai, 2000) have all been associated with martial arts training.
To
sum it up, Gichin Funakoshi, the father of modern karate, once said, “The
ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of
the character of its participants.”
Sensi Mistry speaks about Anand
Sensi Pervez Mistry is considered to be the father of
martial arts in India.
He has been the Chief Instructor for the International Okinawa
Goju-RyuKarate-do Federation in India
for the past 46 years and is the founder of Karate-do in India.
“Karate is generally perceived as a destructive sport.
This is a misconception. In fact, the reverse is true. With karate, we can work
towards improving health. A willingness and desire to be a better person is
developed and self-confidence is built while ego is dampened. When Anand met me
a few years ago, he was worried whether or not we would be able to manage the
program. I was confident from day one that he would succeed. He has struggled and faced hurdles, but he
has conquered all of them, in part from the confidence he has gained from
martial arts training.
How Can Creative Arts Help?
Creativity
and art help reinforce elements of martial arts training, further helping
children develop and retain their learned skills. Though its task-based
instruction and demanded attention to detail, art cultivates a sense of
responsibility, hand-eye coordination, and controlled motor skills.
Furthermore, selecting materials and tools, focusing on creating a work of art,
and ultimately finishing a project fosters a sense of achievement as well as
enhances cognitive skills, decision making skills, and discipline. Furthermore,
to maintain and develop awareness of different methods of mind and body
control, games, meditation, and dance are incorporated into each creative arts
session.
Current Status and Project Structure:
Project Enhance currently focuses on
helping 110 girls from two schools
·Fifty five girls
from 5th, 6th, and 7th grade girls from
Mahadji Shinde High School, a municipality school under Pune Cantonment Board.
· Fifty three girls from 6th, 7th,
8th and 9th grade girls from Dr. Ambedkar Memorial
School, a municipality school under Pune Cantonment Board.
It consists of 1 hour sessions, twice a week, with 30
minutes of martial arts training and 30 minutes of creative arts. Each martial
arts session is a mixture of exercise and meditation. These sessions aim to
relax the body muscles and gradually build flexibility and stamina. Each
creative arts session includes various exercises in drawing, sketching,
dancing, music, acting, brain-stimulation games and story-telling.
Based on child progress, the program introduces longer
and higher levels of martial arts and creative arts sessions. Thus, the
contents of each session change along with the children’s progress in order to
keep challenging and encouraging each child to reach his or her full potential.
Finally, a counseling component is integrated into the
program. Professionals work with the children not only to provide a support
system, but also to motivate them to succeed, improve communication skills,
discuss future careers, and teach them about socially acceptable behavior.
Quote from participant:
I feel very peaceful after joining the karate project.
Our teacher is a very cool person and karate benefits us and gives us physical
exercise. Karate also helps us develop a better memory and gives physical
flexibility to our bodies. There are so many benefits of karate.
How can you contribute?
Volunteer:
Volunteers are our greatest asset. You can contribute
by volunteering to conduct workshops in various media of creative and performing
arts, such as drawing, counseling, painting, dance, personality development, brain-stimulation
games and creative writing. Any other forms of creative art are welcomed as
well!
Definitely you can…I saw and learnt this from these small kids who although came from a weak socioeconomic background, often separated families still had a smile on their faces and zeal to learn and change the way their life was.
While they were introducing themselves I noticed that they had family problems, e. g death of a parent or separated families. Most of the mothers worked in other houses doing the household chores to earn a living or fathers worked in factories or buildings as laborers.
It was an urge to teach small children which made me to join Colorss as a volunteer. My task which seemed to be very easy to me initially turned out to be a challenge for me. I was supposed to take a 45 min class, making children of class 6-9 standard write articles on a few topics.
I started with an article on My Ambition, where I had not only to explain the meaning of ambition to children but also had to assist each of them in framing sentences ,making them spell every word properly and translating their thoughts from Hindi to English. This took 30 min for me and there was hardly any time left for any other activity. It was a kind of surprise for me to see children of 8th grade unable to spell “will” “have” “doctor” “because”. I felt the presence of a loop hole in the education system where students of an English medium school were not well versed in spellings and general English.
I thought of doing it another way. Next day I divided them into teams and told them to ask spellings from the opponent team. This sense of competition made some of them to find difficult words from their text books such as “environment” and learn them. This little effort of the children was encouraging for me. I also introduced some games in the class such as “Bring a thing” where students had to bring specific objects from their teammates such as “A black Reynolds pen or a paper boat”. Although I could not work for a long time as my vacations were going to be over, but it was an experience I would cherish forever.Something definitely needs to be done somewhere and Colorss is an attempt to do it. After joining Colorss as a volunteer, with Anand sir’s support I was more than comfortable and enjoyed every bit of work. Anand sir’s briefing of everything about children, their background, talents, general behavorial tendencies were helpful to know children better. I would like to thank Anand Sir for giving me the opportunity and believing in me. It was something very different and satisfying I could have done in 4 years of my college life. I enjoyed it and learnt a lot from it.
Create your own story with the help of an image was held at Baroda 'Colors of Life' project, by the Team Baroda. Here the volunteers showed the students the image below. Here the children were asked to look at the image and think what they can perceive. They were asked to come-up with a story. This unconsious method has helped in creative thinking and opening the children.
Image used for creating your own story.
The students came up with this story..
'There was a village called Rampur. A fair was held there one day. Everybody from the village went there. Rohit, a four year old boy, also went there with his parents. Rohit was delighted to be at the fair. He wanted to go to the balloon-seller, food-stalls, the magician, toy stall and the snake-charmer. In his excitement, he left his mother’s hand and got lost. When he couldn’t find them after a while he got scared and started crying. He cried so much that he became tired and fell asleep. His parents made an announcement in the fair asking people to find Rohit and bring him to them. A man found Rohit sleeping and brought him to his parents. His parents were very happy and grateful.'
We were delighted to read this and we hope even you would have enjoyed.
