“I wanted you to see what real courage is instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” These stimulating words from the famous book ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird’ by Harper Lee, best describes the purpose of Udaan Edufest 2019 – Udaan Hauslon Ki. This two- day programme organized by Udaan Welfare Foundation at Ma Niketan, Thane, on December 28 and December 29, 2019 was tailored to inculcate courage in the hearts of the 260 lesser privileged girls from different Children’s Homes of the Society of Helpers of Mary. The theme was designed to motivate them to face any challenge thrown at them head on and emerge winners in every situation.
INAUGURAL CERMONY
Inaugural ceremony of the 12th edition of the Udaan Edufest 2019 – ‘Udaan Hauslon Ki’ was graced by our Guests of Honour – Mr. R. S. Rautela, DIG CRPF, Navi Mumbai, Mrs. Jagmeet Madan, Principal, SVT College, Juhu, and Rev. Sister Priya, Mother General, Society of the Helpers of Mary. The encouraging and thought provoking words delivered by our guests gave a head start for the girls to begin their activities with zeal and ardour.
STORIES OF COURAGE
The 1st session was facilitated by our member Mr. Ramnath Dixit, a Consultant Facilitator at Squirrel Interventions, Public Speaker and a Visiting teaching faculty. His talk on examples of courageous persona and relating them with the present conditions being faced by girls, not only encouraged the children but also gave a boost to all the participating volunteers and faculty members. This enthused many of the participants to come forward and share their own experiences.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
After a great session by Mr. Ramnath Dixit, all the girls were excited to learn some outdoor skills from the best faculty members and trainers led by Mr. Omkar Khalap from Falcon Media. Various outdoor activities were conducted on both the days to induce the spirit of adventure and fearlessness in the minds of the participants. They were taught to be ready for any circumstance.
The outdoor activities for both the days included –
ARCHERY
The girls were encouraged to shoot arrows at the inanimate targets. It was fun watch the participants miss their targets as well as see some successful shooters enjoy the sessions.
RIFLE SHOOTING
Rifle shooting was conducted as a part of the outdoor activity where the accuracy, precision and speed of the girls was tested. The girls paid attention to the instructions given as they were very keen to try something new.
FIRE FIGHTING
The girls were introduced to various techniques of handling extreme situations such as fire-fighting and rescue.
TENT BUILDING
In the tent building activity the mentor guided the participants, step by step, on how to build a tent while living in a forest and survive.
BURMA BRIDGE
The daunting activity of walking on a thin rope was taken up by the girls. While few of them failed with a smile on their face others were able to complete the activity without any problem. This not only encouraged the girls to maintain their balance on the rope but also emphasized the importance of mental balance.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Survival skills were taught to the girls. They learnt to use twigs and branches to generate fire. Made bowls using leaves and cook meals with whatever material was available and drank soup which they had prepared.
SELF DEFENSE
The girls were taught some basic techniques of self- defense and martial arts through practical demonstrations and training. Their mentor explained to them the moves and actions which they then practiced. They were made aware of the dangers involved and the importance of adopting the correct approach to learning the moves. Discussion was also held to highlight various issues and aspects of child abuse and the options available to them to protect themselves. This session increased the level of self confidence in the participants, instilled in them a sense of positivity regarding their physical self and made them more equipped to deal with strangers.
This 2-day experiential learning changed the mindset of the girls to some extent. The multifarious well designed outdoor activities in which they wholeheartedly participated made them aware of the importance as well as knack of dealing with challenges head-on at the very moment rather than strategizing on how to avoid them. Outdoor activities exponentially boost the mental health and this in turn makes every kind of physical exercise more fruitful. The entire experience not only heightened their sense of adventure but also sharpened their thinking skills, bolstered their self- confidence and self- esteem. They were exhilarated with their achievement and realized that windows of multiple career opportunities, hitherto meant for men alone, were open for them to explore.
ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM
We were very happy to welcome some enthusiastic group of senior citizens for a lovely orchestral evening on the first day. Their energy lit the whole auditorium with smiles and had a relaxing impact, with joy filling every heart. All the girls started grooving to the songs and danced with full energy despite having had a gruelling day. We thank Mrs. & Mr. Anand Chhatre and their group for entertaining the participants.
DJ NIGHT
After a day filled with fun outdoor activities and the musical entertainment, arrived the most sought after event for the girls -DJ. We were delighted to see the joy on their faces when the music started. They danced their hearts out and were ready to continue late in the night.
DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY
The second day started early in the morning with dance movement therapy facilitated by Mrs. Manjushree Patil, Ms. Preeti Pathak, Ms. Poorna from Aatman Academy, Thane. This session was organized for the girls to use psychotherapeutic movement to improve their health and well-being. They were involved in various activities using verbal and non-verbal communication, which included aerobics, meditation and art. This event witnessed participation whole heartedly amidst immense enjoyment.
COURAGE THROUGH DANCE
Roopali Deshpande and her team of Anandees gave a phenomenal performance on the eve of Dec. 29th. They presented an exhilarating, energising and motivating show, giving a clear and loud message to the girls about courage. The program began with a dance performance followed by Anandee’s portrayal of famous female personalities such as Rajmata Jijau Jijabai, Rani Laxmi Bhai, Neerja Bhanot, Malala Yousafzai, Laxmi Agarwal and Arunima Sinha who are well known in the annals of history for their courage and valour in the face of dire circumstances. All segments of the audience – children, visitors, volunteers and team members gave a standing ovation to the entire troupe.
RECOGNITION OF VOLUNTEERS
Our large pool of volunteers used their strengths and talents to make this Edufest a success. They created a happy and vibrant environment for all the children. Without their help the execution of this program would have been next to impossible. Each one of them deserves to be acknowledged and appreciated We look forward to more and more volunteers being part of the Udaan family.
CLOSING CEREMONY
Udaan Edufest 2019 concluded with a scintillating dance performance by the girls of Ma Niketan. Dr. Krishna A Methekar was the chief guest at the closing ceremony. He inspired the girls with his motivational address.
We aspired to make the 2-day fest a never before experience and learning on the values of valour and courage for the participants. The girls imbibed valuable survival skills to be used in unforeseen situations and the same would serve them well in their future independent lives.
Felicitation of our Benefactors:
No organisation working for the needy can survive without support from donors. Udaan Welfare Foundation humbly recognises the faith and trust imposed in us by several individual as well as Corporate Donors. It was a great moment to have with us several dignitaries to grace the occasion and bless us. Just to name a few-
Mr. Anurag Pratap – CSR Head, Capgemini India Ltd.
A true leader for the benefit of NGO’s and the underprivileged, who feels the sufferings of the destitute and provides innovative ways to reach out across the country. Udaan has been a grateful beneficiary since 2012 and have been supported by him in setting up our two Computer Centres.
Mr. Adarsh Nayyar – Sr. Vice President and CSR Head – Galaxy Surfactants Ltd.
A very professional CSR leader has supported Udaan Welfare Foundation in setting up our Dental Clinic, Science Lab., and other projects at our Saksham Community Centre, Thane.
Mrs. Urvashi Saxena – Retd. Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai
A very humble, ever smiling and ever helpful personality has always been by our side in trials and tribulations. She has helped us raise funds through various organisations for our different projects.
Dr. Alok Sharma – A renowned neurosurgeon and HOD at Sion Hospital, Mumbai has been our regular benefactor through his institution – Neurogen Brain & Spine Institute, Navi Mumbai. His contributions and support to our Dental Services uninterruptedly has benefitted nearly 6000 patients.
Mr. Manohar M. Chitale, an industrialist gave Udaan an endowment of Rs. 50000/- for supporting and motivating two young enterprising, underprivileged girls every year with the interest accrued. This year two girls from TMC School 55 Azadnagar, Thane were chosen and blessed by Mr. Chitale by presenting cheques of Rs. 1500/- each. We thank Mr. Chitale for this generosity.
Our experience of working with children over the years has given us a lot of insight into the needs and aspirations of the children. We strive to incorporate new ideas based on what we’ve learnt from our past experiences.
Entertainment Program
The second day evening post the closing ceremony, we arranged for a puppet show, mime performance and magic show. The show left the girls awestruck. The thrilling performance of mime really won the hearts of all children. The children thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment program.
The joy of receiving an unexpected gift is boundless. We gave presents to all the girls for their valuable contribution to the success of the program.
