Yes. Seriously. I am sure you must have been bored with the run-of-the-mill type of birthday celebrations of yours or one of the members of your family. Don't you think it gives immense happiness and satisfaction when you celebrate your birthday with lots of little poor children by sponsoring lunch for that day at a meager Rs.2400? You have different options. If you don't want to give money you can donate in kind. You can spend with little children and understand what a great service Nachiketa Tapovan has been doing for these poor little kids. Remember, these kinds of little things that you do with your little kids plant seeds of social service and sense of care for poor and deprived in them.
My second son celebrated his birthday with these little children in January,2009. I want to thank Mr Purnachndra Rao garu of NICE organization (http://www.nice-india.org/Welcome.html) for letting us know about Nachiketa. You can call Mr Purnachandra Rao garu to know more schools and organization like these for your donation.
Brief profile about Nachiketa:
Nachiketa Tapovan is different from lot of Orphan's homes in lot of ways because it focuses not only on education but also on spirituality as propagated by Swami Vivekananda.
Swami Vivekananda through his soul stirring speeches and quotes awakens in each of us an inner calling urging us to work hard and to elevate mankind economically and spiritually.
Nachiketa Tapovan, is a fruit of such inner calling-a spiritually oriented service organization formed in January 1999. The main aim is to spread the moral and spiritual values amongst the youth. Tapovan aims at achieving this by translating its ideals into practical activities for the elevation of humanity irrespective of caste, creed, community, or gender, looking upon people as the absolute manifestation of the Divine.
Please visit http://nachiketatapovan.org/index.html to know more about Nachiketa and also how you can help them.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
BCT Parameswara Rao - Great efforts
BCT means Bhagavatula Charitable Trust started by Mr Parameswara Rao. I came to know about Mr Parameswara Rao in 1986 when he got Man of the Year award by The Week weekly magazine. His achievements are amazing. He showed to the world what can be done to change the lives of rural people in India.
Mr Parameswara Rao's own life itself is an inspiring story for young people to emulate his acts and to chose the path of social service. He left his plushy job and job offers because of what he believed in. He went back to his native village near Vizag, AP and started revolutionizing the way rural people live in some villages.
His efforts have been amply rewarded. His work grew into the NGO Bhagvatula Charitable Trust that works in 39 villages directly and influences work in hundreds of villages -- for example at one point in time it was running 700 Non Formal Centers until it trained local NGOs there to run them themselves. Vast acres of wasted badlands on the rocky hill slopes are now prospering into lush green farmlands. A model for holistic development, BCT is well known for work in reclaiming wasted land, setting income generating activities by village initiatives, women's empowerment, and education.
A very modest person, Parameswara Rao is not eager to claim responsibility to things he/BCT initiated -- for example the anti-arrack movement in AP portrayed in the film "When Women Unite" was triggered by a story in the literacy textbooks about a village where women stop their husbands from drinking. What the film does not mention is that the story is a true one from Marripalem, one of the BCT villages.
BCT has come to believe that there is no waste land, it is only wasted land, in other words, man not utilizing the appropriate technologies for bringing the land into production. In order to demonstrate this point, BCT has taken a 50 acre wasted hill slope, in the rain shadow region of Ponchardarla Hill which as about 24 inches of annual rainfall. With proper soil conservation and water management techniques, the area is a blooming greenery with about 100 species of plantations in a matter of 3 years. The fodder is being developed in three tiers as a semi-pastoral system. Even growing of the flowers is demonstrated to be yielding 1000 rupees per acre annually.
Now my question is why can't our political leaders make this happen all over our country? Why can't the government take the expertise and help of BCT in implementing this all over the state or country?
I am providing here some links that could be helpful in learning about Mr Parameswara Rao and his BCT more.
http://www.bctindia.net/
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/08/27/stories/2005082702571900.htm
http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/15/stories/2005111516040300.htm
Mr Parameswara Rao's own life itself is an inspiring story for young people to emulate his acts and to chose the path of social service. He left his plushy job and job offers because of what he believed in. He went back to his native village near Vizag, AP and started revolutionizing the way rural people live in some villages.
His efforts have been amply rewarded. His work grew into the NGO Bhagvatula Charitable Trust that works in 39 villages directly and influences work in hundreds of villages -- for example at one point in time it was running 700 Non Formal Centers until it trained local NGOs there to run them themselves. Vast acres of wasted badlands on the rocky hill slopes are now prospering into lush green farmlands. A model for holistic development, BCT is well known for work in reclaiming wasted land, setting income generating activities by village initiatives, women's empowerment, and education.
A very modest person, Parameswara Rao is not eager to claim responsibility to things he/BCT initiated -- for example the anti-arrack movement in AP portrayed in the film "When Women Unite" was triggered by a story in the literacy textbooks about a village where women stop their husbands from drinking. What the film does not mention is that the story is a true one from Marripalem, one of the BCT villages.
BCT has come to believe that there is no waste land, it is only wasted land, in other words, man not utilizing the appropriate technologies for bringing the land into production. In order to demonstrate this point, BCT has taken a 50 acre wasted hill slope, in the rain shadow region of Ponchardarla Hill which as about 24 inches of annual rainfall. With proper soil conservation and water management techniques, the area is a blooming greenery with about 100 species of plantations in a matter of 3 years. The fodder is being developed in three tiers as a semi-pastoral system. Even growing of the flowers is demonstrated to be yielding 1000 rupees per acre annually.
Now my question is why can't our political leaders make this happen all over our country? Why can't the government take the expertise and help of BCT in implementing this all over the state or country?
I am providing here some links that could be helpful in learning about Mr Parameswara Rao and his BCT more.
http://www.bctindia.net/
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/08/27/stories/2005082702571900.htm
http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/15/stories/2005111516040300.htm
Monday, January 12, 2009
Where is the infrastructure for our kids development?
Do we have good parks, sports grounds,libraries for our kids? It pains when you see the lack of infrastructure is really hurting our kids development. We have a wrong perception in India that kids' development means only education. Even if parents want to encourage their kids in sports or in any other extra-curricular activities, there is no way they can do that due to total lack of infrastructure.
I strongly feel Sports grounds and Libraries play a significant role in shaping the future of our kids. They have direct bearing on the personality of kids.
Government has to take some immediate steps to develop this. Again I reckon injecting some degree of capitalism here to have a win-win situation for all the players means government,people, and participating agencies.
This is what I recommend for Libraries:
1. Government enter into partnerships with leading industrial houses, and publishing houses to set up one big central library in every city, and town.
2. Government has controlling stake in the Library ownership.
3. Books are supplied by the Publishing houses.
4. Leading industrial houses play other roles like day to day administration and contribution to building development etc.
5. Set up smaller outlets in all the major centers of the city to have access to people in all corners of the city.
6. Charge nominally for subscription from the people.
7. Also set up web site for people to look at catalogues etc.
What do you think?
I strongly feel Sports grounds and Libraries play a significant role in shaping the future of our kids. They have direct bearing on the personality of kids.
Government has to take some immediate steps to develop this. Again I reckon injecting some degree of capitalism here to have a win-win situation for all the players means government,people, and participating agencies.
This is what I recommend for Libraries:
1. Government enter into partnerships with leading industrial houses, and publishing houses to set up one big central library in every city, and town.
2. Government has controlling stake in the Library ownership.
3. Books are supplied by the Publishing houses.
4. Leading industrial houses play other roles like day to day administration and contribution to building development etc.
5. Set up smaller outlets in all the major centers of the city to have access to people in all corners of the city.
6. Charge nominally for subscription from the people.
7. Also set up web site for people to look at catalogues etc.
What do you think?
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Why nobody talks about appropriate technology?
Way back in 1940s, Pandit Nehru advocated Appropriate Technology to battle innumerable issues that India was experiencing. Appropriate Technology is a synthesis of the foreign and the local, in order to suit the realities of our country, like abundant manpower, and natural resources etc. Visit the wikipedia to understand more about Appropriate Technology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_technology
There are so many ways if there is will to battle lots of issues that we are experiencing in India right now with technology. For example, in Tiurpathi, the city municipality initiated a project to procure household garbage for reasonable price to be used for energy and compost production. This helps preventing the cluttering of our neighborhoods with garbage and there by spreading of diseases and also it helps to generate energy at lower cost with appropriate technology. As a matter of fact, the huge garbage that we generate in our households can potentially create lot of wealth.
http://money.outlookindia.com/scripts/IIH021C1.asp?sectionid=10&categoryid=48&articleid=3093
There are so many other areas where we can use suitable technology such as Agriculture, Infrastructure, Health, education, and in all walks of life.
Now, why our leaders are not talking about technology to improve the lives of the people? Rather they are innovative in coming up with more and more populist schemes that will drain the coffers easily without any productive development?
What do we need to do?
1. More emphasis on appropriate technology in our education right from 6th class.
2. Seminars and conferences by Universities and schools to bring awareness and education.
3. Means to commercialize the technology
4. Government incentives to companies that adopt and produce Appropriate Technology.
What do you think?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_technology
There are so many ways if there is will to battle lots of issues that we are experiencing in India right now with technology. For example, in Tiurpathi, the city municipality initiated a project to procure household garbage for reasonable price to be used for energy and compost production. This helps preventing the cluttering of our neighborhoods with garbage and there by spreading of diseases and also it helps to generate energy at lower cost with appropriate technology. As a matter of fact, the huge garbage that we generate in our households can potentially create lot of wealth.
http://money.outlookindia.com/scripts/IIH021C1.asp?sectionid=10&categoryid=48&articleid=3093
There are so many other areas where we can use suitable technology such as Agriculture, Infrastructure, Health, education, and in all walks of life.
Now, why our leaders are not talking about technology to improve the lives of the people? Rather they are innovative in coming up with more and more populist schemes that will drain the coffers easily without any productive development?
What do we need to do?
1. More emphasis on appropriate technology in our education right from 6th class.
2. Seminars and conferences by Universities and schools to bring awareness and education.
3. Means to commercialize the technology
4. Government incentives to companies that adopt and produce Appropriate Technology.
What do you think?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Manava Seve Madhava Seva - Why don't you follow this?
Can you imagine Rs.1600 ($32) can serve lunch for approximately 300 children + staff at a school located in a slum area in Kukatpally in Hyderabad. This has other social repercussions too. Serving lunch at school helps to get those little and deprived kids to school and reduces the drop outs.
We spend lots of money to perform poojas to god and also for religious donations. Why do we do this? We pray god for good life to us and for our family ? eventually for salvation ? However I believe for sure the almighty will be more happy and will be more satisfied if we help those poor and orphan kids in India who are deprived of good food, clean water and good sanitary conditions. Don't you accept this argument? Yes we believe cutting across castes, creed, and religions that Manava Seve Madhava Seva. Right?
I have changed my ways for the last 5 years. I make sure for all birthdays of my family including mine (my wife, 2 boys), I donate money to some charity organization. I did a bit more for the last year birthday of mine. I calculated how much would I have spent for my birthday (including clothes, dinner outside etc), and donated the whole amount to Sankara Eye Foundation.
I for one believe that inculating the social service to our kids at young age is very very important. Unlike in Western countries, in India we do not have a practice called "Giving Time". In Western countries, Christmas time is called "Giving Time" and people generously donate money. The donation does not have to be money, it can be in any form, it can be your used clothes, food, your kids' old bikes, books, or some old furniture which you are not using etc.
So think on these lines. Suppose you spend Rs.5000 a year for religious purposes, why don't you siphon off 50% of that for social services? There are many orphan homes in Hyderabad. You can sponsor lunch for a day.
Similarly why don't you encourage your kids to donate a part of their birthday money for social service?
What do you think?
We spend lots of money to perform poojas to god and also for religious donations. Why do we do this? We pray god for good life to us and for our family ? eventually for salvation ? However I believe for sure the almighty will be more happy and will be more satisfied if we help those poor and orphan kids in India who are deprived of good food, clean water and good sanitary conditions. Don't you accept this argument? Yes we believe cutting across castes, creed, and religions that Manava Seve Madhava Seva. Right?
I have changed my ways for the last 5 years. I make sure for all birthdays of my family including mine (my wife, 2 boys), I donate money to some charity organization. I did a bit more for the last year birthday of mine. I calculated how much would I have spent for my birthday (including clothes, dinner outside etc), and donated the whole amount to Sankara Eye Foundation.
I for one believe that inculating the social service to our kids at young age is very very important. Unlike in Western countries, in India we do not have a practice called "Giving Time". In Western countries, Christmas time is called "Giving Time" and people generously donate money. The donation does not have to be money, it can be in any form, it can be your used clothes, food, your kids' old bikes, books, or some old furniture which you are not using etc.
So think on these lines. Suppose you spend Rs.5000 a year for religious purposes, why don't you siphon off 50% of that for social services? There are many orphan homes in Hyderabad. You can sponsor lunch for a day.
Similarly why don't you encourage your kids to donate a part of their birthday money for social service?
What do you think?
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Why can't Government do this?
Have you heard about NICE? Have you ever heard about Mr. Purnachandra Rao, the man behind NICE? Knowing more about NICE gives you mixed feelings. On the one side you feel happy to see an ordinary person doing extra-ordinary stuff, on the other hand it pains you for the inability of our governments to do these kinds of things.
NICE is Needy Illiterate Children Education. I reckon spending some time on this website gives you insight on what NICE is exactly doing. Here is the URL http://www.nice-india.org/index.php/Main/HomePage. I was amazed when I came to know about NICE almost a couple of years back. I met Mr Purnachandra Rao during my recent India trip since I was toying with the idea of doing something like what NICE is doing. I met him to understand the logistics, and other intricacies involved .
When NICE can take care of about 150 orphans very effectively, why can't the government with enormous resources do the same?
Yes, there are typical Indian problems such as corruption, red tap-ism, lack of political will, lack of proper press support, and finally lack of enough money. Do you believe government lacks money to implement these kinds of things on the future of India?
I strongly believe that our government can do this as follows:
1. Inject some degree of capitalism into this. What I mean by this is to involve private companies for maintaining libraries, hospital etc. I believe strongly that government cannot do every thing by its own both in terms of administration and funding.
2. Identify cheap lands out side district head quarters in every district to build huge buildings for school, one library, one hospital, and hostel for kids and teachers.
3. Involve rich people and celebrities in this project to get publicity as well as for funding. Encourage them to adopt some children.
4. If possible have some vocational training to children to generate some money for them.
5. Finally have total transparency in the spending of money with auditing from non-governmental entities.
Keep in mind one thing "Anything you do can get you fired; this includes doing nothing"
What do you think ?
NICE is Needy Illiterate Children Education. I reckon spending some time on this website gives you insight on what NICE is exactly doing. Here is the URL http://www.nice-india.org/index.php/Main/HomePage. I was amazed when I came to know about NICE almost a couple of years back. I met Mr Purnachandra Rao during my recent India trip since I was toying with the idea of doing something like what NICE is doing. I met him to understand the logistics, and other intricacies involved .
When NICE can take care of about 150 orphans very effectively, why can't the government with enormous resources do the same?
Yes, there are typical Indian problems such as corruption, red tap-ism, lack of political will, lack of proper press support, and finally lack of enough money. Do you believe government lacks money to implement these kinds of things on the future of India?
I strongly believe that our government can do this as follows:
1. Inject some degree of capitalism into this. What I mean by this is to involve private companies for maintaining libraries, hospital etc. I believe strongly that government cannot do every thing by its own both in terms of administration and funding.
2. Identify cheap lands out side district head quarters in every district to build huge buildings for school, one library, one hospital, and hostel for kids and teachers.
3. Involve rich people and celebrities in this project to get publicity as well as for funding. Encourage them to adopt some children.
4. If possible have some vocational training to children to generate some money for them.
5. Finally have total transparency in the spending of money with auditing from non-governmental entities.
Keep in mind one thing "Anything you do can get you fired; this includes doing nothing"
What do you think ?
Friday, January 2, 2009
Where is the concern for pedestraians?
People are vexed and tired with the total lack of traffic sense of people on the roads in India. No rules, no common sense, and no concern for other fellow being. Do Indians lack humanity? Is it utter lack of civic sense? India boasts of great cultural values, but it might be a thing of past (ancient and medieval times). I think strongly that traffic sense is also a part of your cultural values. The traffic system in India is totally broken due to various factors government' failure, corruption, people's non-cooperation.
Let me tell you my experience, crossing the roads in Hyderabad is a herculean task. People don't have any concern for kids, women, pregnant women, senior people on roads. Last month I noticed a very senior woman (must be around 65 years of age) trying to cross the road on Raj Bhavan Road, people would not stop their vehicles to let this old woman cross the road. A good Samaritan helped her and eventually with great difficulty he could take her to the other side. Think about small school kids, and pregnant women. There are so many people getting killed trying to cross roads in India.
Some thing has to happen to change this.
1. Educate people to instill some traffic sense. Try some Ads with celebrities.
2. Have Zebra lines with stop lights at all important roads to start with in all Indian cities just like in Western countries. A pedestrian can press the button at a Zebra line so that the red light remains for 1 minute for people to cross the road.
3. Employ some retired people as traffic volunteers during the busy hours at these zebra places to help kids, senior and other needy people to cross the road.
What do you think?
Let me tell you my experience, crossing the roads in Hyderabad is a herculean task. People don't have any concern for kids, women, pregnant women, senior people on roads. Last month I noticed a very senior woman (must be around 65 years of age) trying to cross the road on Raj Bhavan Road, people would not stop their vehicles to let this old woman cross the road. A good Samaritan helped her and eventually with great difficulty he could take her to the other side. Think about small school kids, and pregnant women. There are so many people getting killed trying to cross roads in India.
Some thing has to happen to change this.
1. Educate people to instill some traffic sense. Try some Ads with celebrities.
2. Have Zebra lines with stop lights at all important roads to start with in all Indian cities just like in Western countries. A pedestrian can press the button at a Zebra line so that the red light remains for 1 minute for people to cross the road.
3. Employ some retired people as traffic volunteers during the busy hours at these zebra places to help kids, senior and other needy people to cross the road.
What do you think?
Need Clarity on Issues for elections debate
We have mushroom of political parties that are generously showering promises to people without concern for their repercussions. There is no clarity on the issues and common people get baffled by not understanding what a politcal party is up to. If you look at Western countries the various issues are broadly categorized so that it facilitates an orderly debate by political parties and also easy understanding for common public to take a stand on a political party or figure.
Even the media does not really structure their interviews properly to fathom the policies of a political party or figure. I have made an effort to categorize the various issues under the following buckets.
1. Economy
2. Welfare
3. Sanitation
4. Infrastructure
5. Education
6. Jobs
7. Burning issues
We can have sub-categories under these main categories. Every political party has to clearly spell out their policies so that people get a chance to compare and take a stance.
What do you think?
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Pathetic sanitary conditions
Visited India in November. Visited a couple of towns in Andhra Pradesh namely Kakinada and Rajahmundry in the East Godavari district after a long time, probably after some 15 years. What pained me is the pathetic sanitation situation. Roads are congested and bad in condition, no traffic rules, open drainage still. People are peeing on the roads. There is no difference in the sanitation conditions now and 25 years back.
What a shame ? Even after 60 years of independence, even after India's tremendous economic growth in the last decade, there has been no attempt by the various governments to fix these problems. I noticed the slum areas in those places which have been existing for the last 3 decades without any improvements. It is disheartening to see the small kids who are the building blocs of India's future languishing in those unhygienic conditions.
What do we need to do? This one issue has to be topping priorities of the next government along with other basic issues such as education, clean water etc.
What a shame ? Even after 60 years of independence, even after India's tremendous economic growth in the last decade, there has been no attempt by the various governments to fix these problems. I noticed the slum areas in those places which have been existing for the last 3 decades without any improvements. It is disheartening to see the small kids who are the building blocs of India's future languishing in those unhygienic conditions.
What do we need to do? This one issue has to be topping priorities of the next government along with other basic issues such as education, clean water etc.
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