United Arts Society - ART IN ME (for children)

United Arts Society is a not for profit organization that works at developing the artistic side of young children. While doing so, children thoroughly enjoy the experience. I got an opportunity to cover a weekend art activity, ART IN ME, that took place on the 24th of July.

Nestled in the heart of the city, and yet somehow the place was completely cut off from the city life, is Smriti-Nandan, the location that UAS chose to let children explore their dancing and photography interest. Smriti-Nandan is a place meant for art - the stage, the surrounding, the entire locale had an out-of-the-city feel. Children loved the spot & it was interesting to note that parents were also delighted on seeing the spot.

The program was to begin at 10:00. Some parents were a little late but the dance mentor, Veena, was happy to accommodate the late comers too. All children were thoroughly disciplined by the parents to ‘behave at their best’ and the mentor advised the children to be left alone while the parents would wait outside or go for a shopping drive. Cunningham road was near by and so were the malls for the parents to explore.

The mentor ensured that the children were feeling at home and sure enough the children connected very well with her. Soon, the entire team began with various body flexibility moves and fun games and the children were loving every bit of it. What was interesting was the various run and catch games that were played in various 'positions'. In one game, you would have to chase without letting your foot palm touching the ground.

It was good to see every child so engrossed and why not, such opportunities never come their way in their routine mundane days. It was an hour and half and the children were completely enjoying albeit thirsty by the end of the first half of the session. That was the end of the part 1 of the session and all children took a 10 minute refreshment break.

Then, it was the photography session which was led by another mentor Amulya. Everyone encircled her as she took her seat on the floor making a circle out of the children’s team. These were the children who had seen digital cameras on their first b’day and therefore, the device was not new. But when Amulya pulled out her digital SLR camera, all eyes were awestruck. She then carefully started to explain the camera’s outer parts and how they help in taking a picture. Lens, flashes, apertures, they were all explained in a simple manner that ensured that everyone understood. I was 22 when I understood what aperture was. The average age of these children was 8, much better than me already.

Then it was show time, all children with their respective digital cameras were given an assignment to shoot something or someone from the garden and bring it back for review. That took about a good 30 minutes and then the team broke sub-teams of 3-4 to make a pin-hole camera. Cardboards, cello tapes, were all kept ready for the children to start ‘manufacturing’ their first camera.

All the work was finally evaluated by Amulya and the children were allowed to take home their ‘manufactured' piece.

It was a perfect outing for children that were fun-filled, energetic and more importantly allowed children to explore their artistic side of their brain. Not everyone in this group would eventually become a dancer or a photographer but without these type of sessions, the chances would’ve been even less. Kudos to their parents for being thoughtful to start nurturing their children’s interest areas so that children grow up to become what they want to become and not just money making machines.

Wipro Earthian - The sustainability program for students

When you visit a new place, the first thing that you notice is the neatness and hygiene factor. Earth is actually very beautiful and some countries have done an exceptional job to preserve and even better it. India has so many issues that neatness is the last thing in our agenda.

While we live, trying to make the best out of this life, lets also try and give back something back to the society. I've chosen cleanliness and energy as my social responsibility areas. I will ensure that I do my best to keep my area clean by not littering, by advising fellow citizens. I will also ensure that I reduce my carbon footprint by reducing the usage of my private vehicle, walking and cycling more and also by using by using public transport like buses and trains more than private vehicles.

If you feel strongly like the way I do, Wipro is giving an opportunity to present your thoughts and ideas in a whitepaper which if selected, whitepaper stands to earn Rs. 2 lakhs. Your photographs will be published across Wipro network on mails and your work along with your photos will be published in this blog site.

Reducing carbon foot print and neatness is what I chose. You can also chose any topic of your choice from the following and submit your entries.



Here's an example of what all we can do:

- If you have your own home, try and build a water harvesting set-up so that dependence on water from government reduces. This, on the long run, will reduce your water bill.
- Use solar water heater, which not only saves power but also electricity bills over a 7 year period.
- Don't throw garbage or litter on the streets, they are ugly to look at, and they clog the drains meant for water and then the area floods. Government then spends money to clean this up. Whose is this money? Yours and mine... Advise anyone throwing litter on the streets not to. It also affects tourists whose most common complaint is not India's poverty but India's complete disregard to neatness and hygiene.

Watch this video to understand how human greed and want for things have put so much pressure on other living creations and the planet. If don't mend our ways, forget the planet's sustainability, our own existence will be under threat!

To register: India needs to be at the vanguard and to act as a role model to demonstrate how it is possible to grow national wealth in a sustainable manner. For India, the future adults are the only hope and you are that only hope. Future generations of children and young adults, are the key stakeholders who will be impacted by what is happening. The nature of these problems requires completely new ways of thinking, sensibilities, changes in behaviors and responses. They require interdisciplinary subject knowledge and a radical change in approaching the problems. Educational institutions are ecosystems where this can flower.
'earthian Sustainability Program' is designed to act as a catalyst for fostering excellence in sustainability thinking and doing amongst young people. The annual awards program is a first step towards a deeper engagement with children and young adults in schools and colleges.