Pankhudi Foundation Blog

Hi,
Caution: This is not a forward. Please bear with the length of the mail. Read when u r free. And share ur views and experiences too J
I am just sharing my experience with u here… My special thanks to Sneham without which I couldn’t have identified the home at all J please read on…
I thought of starting my experience like “The Day started with…” but for me the day didn’t start at all. It continued from the previous night. I didn’t suffer from Insomnia still I was still awake at 12 o clocks midnight, doing my final round of packing and planning. Going through the volunteer list again and again I had a sense of fear how is this event going to be successful. Many of the volunteers who promised to come had some higher priority work and couldn’t participate in the event. But I would say the hope remained plenty. The efforts would be paid well.
After preparing some charts for the event, excitement didn’t let me work further. I packed up everything and lay in bed. Do you think I will get sleep.. Naa.. Now insomnia peeped into my night. Without knowing what to do I logged in into net at 1 o clock. I could see few of my friends online , I was explaining my plans of action and asked their opinion. Their feedback was good and all were wishing Happy Independence Day. Saturated with the internet I logged off at 1.45 and back to pavilion.
I lay in bed and went through the sequence of events happened in past few weeks.
With all teams of Pankhudi planning for some events on August 15^th, Chennai team still had a poor volunteer base and no proper field identified. We tried for some slum projects and it turned out in a way that we can’t organize any event so soon. Spirits alighted I was waiting for a situation to catch on. As you all know I am also a member of Sneham, a NGO within Infosys. We got an invite from a home called “New Life” for flag hoisting. Seeing this request I thought why not Pankhudi organize an event for the kids there.
Why to procrastinate. I immediately mailed Srikanth, from Sneham. He gave me contact number of lalitha madam who was the care taker there. I spoke with her. I swear I didn’t have any plans. But a story writer inside me awoke at that very moment and gave her a snapshot of what we are going to do. She was happy and welcomed us.
Home fixed. Organizer fixed. What about volunteers? I had only Veena from IFMR. It is ok. I composed one request mail and mailed to my entire friend network. I would it was contribution from each and every friend to forward this mail to their network. At last we got a fair volunteer base of around 30 people. The more happy news was that many people wanted to contribute to this event. Since Pankhudi didn’t have a separate account.
Volunteers fixed. Funds rose. Now activities – I thought of three events.
Competitions – Input from them.
Show from our side – Input to them
Games/Entertainment – Enjoyment
It was a big event for me. It was a great boon for my confidence. I had no volunteer base. Now I am so confident that the event would be successful.
As I communicated this schedule more people joined. It was a good thing. Saturday, I, Veena, Nayeem visited the orphanage. It was a wonderful visit and everything fell into place. I also had a small volunteers meeting to explain the plans. The sail was safe and the captain is happy.
On 14^th august a day before the event, many of the volunteers withdrew their presence due to some higher priority work. But it was fine. We had many more to compensate. Did final shopping and came home. Planned for games. Travel arrangements for people coming from IFMR fixed. Tried maximum to avoid extra cost incurred. Then it became night and now I am lying down.
I didn’t know when I slept along with my thoughts. Morning started fine and fresh. Got ready reached the bus stand by auto itself. Mahesh was waiting. Soon all other people came. And the strength of people came was comfortable. We were 13 in number. It includes,
·         Divya,
·         Saroja Aunty,
·         Mahesh
·         Vinoth,
·         Vivek,
·         Vijaykumar,
·         Rija,
·         Praveena,
·         Meena,
·         Shafi,  
·         Kanimozhi,
·         Sadana
The bus was delayed for half hour and was fully packed when reaching the depo itself. No one managed to get a seat. In bus itself I explained the plans for the day to a little extent. Then we reached the New Life Home. We requested the bus driver to stop in the entrance of New Life home itself.
We were welcomed warmly by the Orphanage people. The volunteers were from different source. So we had introductions within ourselves. Then we split up the books (gifts) into primary and secondary. We went for breakfast. By that time the other set of volunteers from IFMR(Institute for Finance and Management Research – MBA students) came to the orphanage led by Veena and Nayeem (Pankhudi Co-coordinators).
After a short while, we were briefed about how New Life started and how we can help them through networking and other things. Doz, One of the trustee of New Life said that it was a true motivation from this “New Life”, which supported him to pursue his MCA. He is now working for Covansys and spends most of his weekends in New Life home apart from his own family.
Then the team was split. The entire team volunteers were split into 10 teams, each having one north Indian (MBA stud) and one Tamil volunteer. This would give them maximum interaction and get to know new friends.
After taking a visit to the dormitory where the elders stay and decoration of the stage, we took a stroll to the nearby Panchayat School. There were elders of the village, the headmaster, the chief guest (from NGO – Helpline I guess) and the village people whose children studied in the school. Some were peeping through the wall to look the dance show. When we entered the school there was dance show going and we really enjoyed. Also one welcoming thing was that, the chief guest who came from helpline got amazed by the talents of the kids there and promised to gift (books) to all the kids who participated in cultural. He also gave spot prizes for few kids.
We didn’t expect the headmaster would greet us on the stage and called me to give small talk (?? Why me??). I went and talked a few words. As expected there were lot of giggles when I started talking. The other day when we visited the school for initial planning there kids surrounded us and kept me a name too: Priya.. I just recollected it and asked the kids to participate in the event. Everyone nodded and there were around 250 children that time.
From school we planned to take the children directly to school. But came to know the kids didn’t have their breakfast. So sent them to their home and requested them to assemble back with color dresses. This was for the children in village. The orphanage children were with us. And we moved the orphanage. As planned we had to split up the kids into ten teams. And the volunteers have already been split into 10.
An important strategy has to be taken here. The teams should have mix of children in all age. So we asked them to stand class wise and then we formed a huge circle. A common approach would be to ask the children say 1 to 10 continuously and then ask each to separate. But since the circle was huge (100 children) the volunteers have to pick the children for their team. So what we did is that one volunteer from each team should stand in the middle of the circle. And another volunteer2 should come near the children. Now instead of the children counting 1 to 10, I will say this kid is 1, and then team 1 volunteer will come and take him to his team. After putting the kid to his team he will come back again to carry the next kid. It was really funny. All volunteers acted as if they kidnap the kids to the team.
Then each team volunteers took kids to a comfortable place and asked them to start drawing. The materials for drawing and essay writing were already distributed to the respective teams. Then the drawing competition began. There were also employees from Hyundai Company, who donated food for the day. They were very much interested and were visiting each team taking pictures and all. One kid has to be mentioned here. He has the extreme talent of drawing so naturally and beautifully. He also brought his previous works which really amazed us. And the other part of him is, he is deaf and dumb. In a village which is located 5 kms from main road with bus facility once in 3 hrs we found a genuine diamond. The team will decide on how to expose his talent and shape him better.  
Then the kids have completed their drawings. Due to lack of time, we chucked the essay competition. Then the kids were having lunch. Our magician also reached the venue by the time and was having lunch with them.
Meantime a team led by Sanitha, started evaluating the drawing. But the kids from village were already there and someone have to engage. All were busy with some work… So as usual Divya got into the form. Now from coordinator I took a new face of kid and started playing with them. We sang songs, “Intha petti teriyuma”, “ muttai kulla irukaiyile” and “oru viral aadiyathaam”. The children also taught us the song. The funnier part was the north Indians also tried to sing the song. J … And we really enjoyed. In a short while Magic show started….
The magic show, was the highlight of the entire day. Magician Sethuraman ( A TNSF volunteer) enthralled the kids with his sense of humor and magic. The people who came to the orphanage for donating food and many others also enjoyed the show. When they left they expressed their appreciation for our Pankhudi team for their enterprising performance. .. Sethuraman, conveyed lot of messages to the kids like “don’t believe in people cheating” ( “Ethuvum manthiram illa ellame tanthiram thaan” – there is nothing like magic.. only logic.  wah wat a translation J ) ..
Then after the magic show was over, the kids were again back to ground for playing. The same team as that for the drawing competition was there. The game now to be played was scenario acting. Each team will enact a scenario .. not a skit.. in the sense they must stand still but in different action as to depict a particular scenario. Choosing the situation is the be decided by the team itself. This was very very interesting and this brought up the souls of many…

• As soon as the topic given one team completed setting up in 2 mins. The scene depicted was a cricket ground. One kid with a bowling action, fielding, etc etc. They were so quick ..
  
• Another team depicted a hospital scenario – two bent down and one kid over them to simulate a bed and patient..
  
• Another team of military force shooting Mahesh ( a terrorist)
  
• A school assembly – a marchpast
  
• The team that won the prize was this team – In this team each kid was in his own action. There was no similarity between any one. One singing posing like a singer, one like a politician, one like a dog.. a mixture of everything. We took 5 mins to bring some commonality. But didn’t work out. Atlast we lost and the kids revealed that they enacted a mental hospital .. .. great creativity
  
• This was the final one in pack.. Two kids raised hands to show like entrance of a home. One big girl holding hands of a small kid. Was it a school where mother leaving kid to the school. No. It is from an orphanage; a mom is adopting a kid and taking to her home. Wow.. No more words..
  

After that we played some more games and back to stage. The dance show started. Please see the album to see a kid in the stage performing the dance. He is just amazing. If you are a tamilian u cannot say I didn’t see “ Vaalameenukum vilangu meenukum” song. He danced for that song. Almost for 3 times he danced for the song again and again. And the fun started when another girl kid also joined him (she couldn’t resist dancing) .. then we had group dance from senior girls there. Then another dance from “Imsai Arasan” – “aadi vaa paadi vaa” – No words to tell. A boy kid danced like a girl and there was no limits for the enjoyment.
Then from our volunteer’s side, Vijay and Rija danced. They danced instantaneously without any preparations. Vinoth kept changing the songs and they adapted promptly and danced. It was a wonderful show too. Then finally we had prize distributions. All books were given to children who drew well. The care takers distributed the prizes. Who else have more care to the children more than them? Every time when we gave prizes, sir, looked the chart they drew, and showed his appreciation to each kid. The kids’ enacted mental scenario also got prize. One kid got a special prize for his amazing drawing. It was really amazing and wonderful. The sad part is he is deaf and dumb. But that was not a limitation to show his talent. Let us find out a way to showcase his talent
Finally the caretaker gave a small talk to thank the entire team. She also told that pankhudi is now their team. And they want many more functions like this and got promise from us. Finally we bid bye to the children.
Fine.. Now when can an event be successful? When its objectives are met… We planned for many more games and essay competition. I also thought we all will dance together. Many didn’t happen. And there was no “Respected Sir, Dear children, friends “ kind of speech. Everything was informal. We could see kids mingling with our volunteers having lunch with them, sitting along with them for magic show. There was an absolutely 100 percent achievement in this. We wanted to show them that we care and it has proved in this event all the way.. It was a perfect teamwork with each one contributing in their own way. There was 14 north Indians with absolutely no idea on what people talk. Still they conveyed one special feeling  - “We care”
Finally when we left, I saw two kids weaving their hands carrying two pots in their head.. I felt the pain in their hands but hope in their eyes. The final satisfaction came up that very moment with all the efforts made along the past few weeks…
Three cheers,
Divya.S