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 

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

Girl Power : Quick Self Defense - Easy but requires dedication!

The weaker sex. Damsels in distress. Women across the world are considered as fragile creatures who cannot protect themselves. So, it is high time that they defy all the odds and prove their mettle.

Self defense-learning to fend off an attacker can not only help women have peace of mind when walking alone, but also boost their confidence, independence and instill in them a sense of accomplishment.

In Dec 2014, Colorss Foundation had launched its Quick Self-Defense Application that teaches women invaluable skills to defend themselves and their loved ones. With the help of this application, women and girls will be able to learn and practice self-defense.

A new version of this application will provide one with language options (yes, now you can choose from 19 available languages- Japanese, Nepali , Hindi , Bengali , Assamese , Marathi , Gujarati , Kannada , Malayalam , Oriya , Tamil , Urdu , Punjabi , Russian , Telugu , Chinese , Portuguese , Arabic , Spanish!) which will help reach more women and children. 

Though Colorss Foundation is going forward with the Android version of this App, we hope to launch an ioS version soon.

You can beat the world. You can win any battle. You can move mountains. You can break rocks. Your body is more capable than you think & your resolve is stronger than you believe. 

Download this app from the Google Play Store and keep yourself updated : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.colorssfoundation.colorss&hl=en

Remember-if you have been knocked down, come back swinging!

-Sagarica Brahma