My voice lives forever! - Chandrakanta S

Chandrakanta S

I joined Imagine Trust as part of my school activity which wanted its students to engage in Community service. I am so glad to have chosen Imagine trust which has been really generous to me.

I was given a task of recording a book for the visually impaired. It was something new and different to do than what the rest of the class was doing.

It was my first time doing a noble endevour like this and I as usual tend to delay and postpone my work. Thus after a bit slow start I got the spirit and I finished recording the entire book. On completion a sense of joy and satisfaction came over me which made me feel good about myself.
I was happy to have done this. The ‘Monk who sold his Ferrari’ by Robin Sharma is one such great books that inspires you. I am happy that lakhs of visually impaired persons will listen to this book through my voice.

I would like to thank Imagine Trust for letting me do this work which stands as a wonderful experience.

Editor’s Note: Chandrakanta is a kind person who feels for others. She is a student of standard 11 and has recorded a book under the Imagine Talking Books Project.
If you desire to be the voice to the lakhs of visually impaired, write to us at theimaginetrust@gmail.com. We will enable you to record a book for the visually impaired.
 

Visit to Old Age Home at Prashant Nivas: A beautiful day made memorable!

Well, it turned out to be a beautiful day from a disastrous previous night for me. All praise to Imagine. Yes, I joined my hand with some good intention in order to become useful for the society in some way. Old Age Home was the initiative in front of me.

I was  glad that first time I was getting this kind of opportunity that would give me something to be proud of myself, but I knew that somewhere in the corner of my heart, it was a sad feeling that was encroaching me to think to see grey-haired people, being left out in shelters. Some children bring them to old age homes and leave them here, promising to come for them later. But once someone gets in, there is no leaving.  

When I entered the premises, I saw a grim expression, may be an expression of loneliness, expression of being left out! These people must have once upon a time sacrificed their sleep for their children; must have nurtured them with care; must have provided their family with every necessity within their reach, and now when they are weak, feeble and old; they are left on their own.

I was feeling good when I made them smile, interacted and was lucky enough to be loved and got blessed by them. But that feeling got mixed with some gloomy emotions when I saw a young girl telling me "I don't have anyone" & Winola, my friend asked her not to cry.

When I felt their hands on mine, it felt like a different world to me. It was heavenly. Some got left out by age factor & some because of their illness such as being mentally challenged. Who knows whether they suffered this in the later run after being in solitary state. There was this Urdu speaker, Shahina, she loved me as her own son. There was a Keralite women, who sang innumerous songs for me, may be she was trying to get the feeling of her lost times. The advantage & knack over other volunteers was my ability to speak & understand multiple language.                                          

Life is a circle, many seem to forget that. Initially we needed them, but now they needed us. It's just that, roles get switched.

- Abdulla
Imagine ROC Volunteer

Date:15 Feb,2014

Venue: Prashant Nivas, Mangalore

Volunteers: Anupam Lobo, Abdulla, Aparna Naik, Jean Eden, Jovita Elveera Mendonca, Roshni Jean,Vinay Mut,Winola D'souza, Nitin Kumar, Divya Mulky, Akshata Shenoy, Rajvee Poojary, Leena Rasquinha.

Imagine Reach Out Club (ROC) is a initiative towards providing opportunity for the youth to get involved in service oriented work.

Send a mail to theimaginetrust@gmail.com to be part of future Reach Out Club (ROC) initiative.

Imagine ‘inspires’ 1600 Government School Students

Mangalore: Children from 27 rural government schools deliberated on various career opportunities ahead of them under the Imagine Inspire project. Series of Career Guidance, Motivation Talks and interactive sessions were organized by a Bangalore-based NGO The Imagine Trust in collaboration with the Department of Public Instructions and the Department of Women and Child Development.

 “The guidance and coaching that our 10 standard students receive during these programmes truly helps them develop positive thinking. It also motivates them to strive for success, said Sudhakara, Block Education Officer (BEO), Mangalore South, who was instrumental in organizing the program by bringing together the school heads of these 27 government schools under this project.

“Over 1600 students were covered under this novel project where the focus was to enable them make the most suitable career option of their choice. The aim was to inspire them to face life head on despite economic and social problems,” said Nitin Kumar the co-ordinator of the Imagine Inspire Project.

Apart from placing before students the gamut of career options available in the market, an effort was made to address their common fears and inhibitions. Sessions on How to prepare for examinations, stress management, overcoming failure were conducted along with experience sharing from several professionals from various fields, Nitin added.

The Imagine Inspire workshops were conducted in 6 different locations - Sarojini Madhusudhana Kushe, Attavar, Government High Schools, Kuppepadav, Moodshedde, Pavoor, St Sebastian School, Permannur and Kanachur Academy, Deralakatte.

The uniqueness of this program is that children get to interact with several professionals who fought various obstacles to enter the career stream of their choice. The event was co-ordinated by Imagine volunteers Sachin Kamath, Jeethy Dsouza, Raviraj Belma & Nitin Kumar.

Well-known speakers including Charles Furtado, lecturer, Vishwas, editor Udayavani, Vishranth B L, Chartered Accountant, Preethika Suvarna, HR professional, Sharmila, Poonam, counsellors, Sunila, Social worker, Family Service Agency, Chaitra Shetty- lecturer, and Damodhar Shenoy, Chartered Accountant were part of the programme.

Imagine volunteers Verdant Ravi, Bhanu Mati, Shibani Konchadi, Anupam Lobo, Nishith, Naima Asifa, Prakash Bhanushali, Rachana, Jean Eden, Aparna Naik & Ratan assisted in the project.

The Imagine Trust is a Bangalore-based non-profit organization which works with school children and with visually impaired in Karnataka. Started by a group of like-minded professionals today has Imagine Inspire Project, Imagine Talking Books Project, Imagine Reach Out Club (ROC) and Imagine Green Projects running in Mangalore & Bangalore.
For more information visit www.theimaginetrust.com.

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No big funda! Simply Green it is!

Everyone is talking of Green things. Save the earth!!! Save our mother!!! But how can each of us actually do this? While adults like to engage themselves into intellectual debates it’s the young minds that need to be told of simple ways to Go Green. That is all what Imagine Green Champion project is all about.

Tell a child that if it reduces the use of plastic, it can save the earth. And lo! the child will get into action! That’s the power of “Catch them young”. We have faced the adult lot which will go green only if they have the time and some limelight. Let’s shake them up too and tell them that going green is not something needs a master’s degree or a life changing decision. This is the small, yet powerful message that the Green champion project drives in the mind of each child.

Using the black earth imagery the clock is turned to 2030. The messaging happens with the journey to reality/present from the future. During the Live Green Lives sessions in schools, children are shown very simple ways in which they can reduce, reuse and recycle. Take the scientific or theoretical fundas away, we make it simple and impactful to daily life. The green ways are simple, easy to achieve, no major modification to lifestyle and above all getting the sense of satisfaction that “I am doing something to save the earth.”

At schools the impact is immediate. They see, they feel and they act! Those schools where these sessions are conducted see less of littering around and more environmentally sensitive students.
If you want to join this “no funda” initiative just associate yourself with any of these facts and write to us at theimaginetrust@gmail.com

• I know a school in my locality where we can conduct a Green Champion session
• I can help be the bridge between Imagine and the school for building Green Champions
• I am willing to give 3 hours in a month for this Green initiative and do my part to “Save the Earth”

Its ok, we all suffer from this “I am busy” syndrome. Once you act on it, you have plenty of time at hand.