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09/06/08

We painted the Weekend in Moradabad :)

Saturday Morning: 0300 hrs... my alarm goes off!!! And then the alarm on the other phone goes off too... I had just slept at like midnight... but getting up was important... I did... Woke up Ashu (my cousin) called up Tushar to wake him up and checked with Aro to make sure he was on his way to my place...

Why get up this early on a Saturday morning?
Valid question :)

We four were going to Sankalp, Moradabad... The same place I had visited in Feb'07... and wrote about it HERE!

Me and Aro had been discussing this trip for a while now, and last week when I realised that my travel plans were still very unclear I decided to go to Sankalp and do what was long due... So a few phone calls over the week, some bit of planning and we were all set... Roped in Ashu and Tushar as well... so we were four of us who were traveling to Sankalp and organise the painting competition...

The weather was good, the roads were good too wit a few exceptions... It did rain almost throughout the drive and at times it was too heavy to drive as well, however with one pit stop just about 10 kms after Gajraula (Reliance A1 Food Plaza) we reached Sankalp around 0800 hrs...

Found these beauties together on the grass @ A1 Plaza...

A Bunch of Happiness :)

I discussed the plan with Kalpana and Santosh who take care of the centre and we were all set to start the painting competition around 1030 hrs... The main centre has 100+ students and it was difficult to involve everyone in the competition, so we decided that we would let the teachers select some students from all the classes and have about 40 students participate...

We started on time around 1045 hrs and the kids finished their work around 1215 hours...




Our goodies for the Painting Competition :)

The kids could use the water colors, or the Crayons or Sketch Pens...

During the Painting Competition...

During the Painting Competition... (She went on to win a prize, for the strong message presented in a simple and very effective way)

During the Painting Competition...

One of the other winners in progress...

All done :) ready for a picture :)


We did manage a riot of colors :) and spread happiness :)


Some of the winners :) It was tough to decide what was better than the other... so we did not differentiate between the winning entries.. We could not have anyway :)

Post this we played "Stuart Little" (Hindi Version) for all the kids... (We had arranged for a LCD Projector, a laptop, the speakers and the DVD last night)... It was an amazing feeling to hear the kids laugh together and react to various scenes in the movie... One of the best experiences that I personally had EVER... So much so that I don't have enough words to write about the entire event!!! Now there was something for the kids after the movie too... We had prepared some questions from the movie, and the kids who answer those questions right were to get prizes...

The movie in Progress !!!

Once we finished the movie, we distributed the prizes for the Painting Competition and followed by the overwhelming question answer round!!!

The post movie huddle :) Had a great time here :)

We had asked everyone to first raise a hand and then we would pick who answers the question :) but as you might have already guessed for 100% of the questions everyone first answered the question and then raised their hands :) by the end of it we had exhausted all our questions and had to make a few set with our own knowledge of the movie :) it was fun...

Everyone would answer and then raise their hand :) It was tough to decide the winners :)

One question we asked was the name of Stuart Little's father... Well no one knew the answer, but one boy very confidently stood up and said "Daddy" :) I even asked the duration of the movie :) when we did not know what to ask :) and kids answered that too without raising any hands :) too bad it did not have a prize :)
I participated too :)

And then moved back to what I was slightly better at :) Capturing the moments :)

Managed to capture a game of Kho Kho too on the terrace :)

Windows XP :) Professional :)

Did I forget to mention that Gupta ji (The caretaker at the centre) also arranged for some Aalu, Pyaaz, and Palak Pakodas for us and the Chatney with Raw Mango and fresh Mint was just too good to resist... Don't know if I was eating the Pakodas with the Chatney or the Chatney with the Pakodas :)

What yummy Pakodas were they !!! Heaven !!!

Only one :) Love the way water rests on Rose Leaves :)

Once we were done at the Centre we moved around in the Community to get a first hand feel of the workshops...


The melting/moulding workshop... and smoke all around!

Molten Brass on fire...

Still from the same workshop...

An Art on its way towards extinction... The artist spends about 4-5 hours on every piece and gets around Rs. 50 per piece...

From the electroplating workshop...

Did not even realise how the time flew by and it was already 1645 hours when we started back for Delhi!!! All in All a wonderful day, an experience which words cannot express, and a feeling of satisfaction...

We have brought back the winning entries from the painting competition and the plan is to sell them with support from Online friends, and people we can reach via other mediums too... In one of my next posts I am going to post the paintings and if you are interested in buying one of them please do write to me @ prashantbhardwaj@gmail.com. I am currently in the process of finding out a place where I can get them framed for a decent price.

More about Sankalp:

Sankalp is an initiative of ASK (ASKINDIA.ORG) which aims at providing educating to the children who are involved in Child Labour in Moradabad... An initiative that is not 500+ children strong and going strong with its committed workforce... The teachers for the schools also come from the local community itself, and hence help the educated local women as well.

You can read more about Sankalp, ASK and my previous visit by clicking the following links:

ASK

Sankalp on ASK Website (The page also has a few photo essays that I did the last time I visited Sankalp)

My earlier visit to Sankalp (http://rightmore.blogspot.com/2007/02/ask-me-how.html)

Pictures from Sankalp and Moradabad (http://flickr.com/photos/prashantbhardwaj_ut/sets/72157594564953401/)

My last picture of the day :) All smiles... all happiness :) All Funn !!! Loved it !!!

25 comments:

  1. Riot of colour - happiness - hope and smiles indeed.

    Splendid impromptu idea which i'm sure gave many loads of reasons to smile and look back and smile tooo..

    ASK appreciates your efforts and participation in furtherin the cause of working children.

    God bless you and yes i'm extremely proud of you! :)

    Hug and the same content smile and look across the room for you as the one tht i gave last year!

    Love,

    Bindiya

    P.S: i missed it ....:( :( :( :(

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  2. Oops,

    i forgot to mention - thanks to Aro, Tushar and Ashish for all their efforts.

    'n Welcome aboard the Sankalp bandwagaon, :)

    Cheers,

    Bindiya

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  3. This was wonderful! Really proud of you and your friends. :-)

    God bless the kids, and you guys too.

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  4. i missed the kho kho session

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  5. Smiles, colurs, happines... all captured...:-))

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  6. You guys indeed did paint the weekend!! :)

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  7. overwhelmed.... NEAT, commendable

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  8. excellent work!!!
    when i was a kid, i was taught in my art classes that colors speak out... always believed that...
    today i saw them again, speaking and smiling and yes, painting good memories :)

    kudos sankalp/ a.s.k
    and best to everyone who is associated with sankalp :)
    great going :)

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  9. really nice way to spend the weekend........

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  10. Very nice! Really proud of you guys.

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  11. # Bindiya...
    thanks... and I should thank you for the support always... and the fact that ASK and you have given me the platform and the support to do what I am doing..

    thanks to you and Aqueel and everyone at ASK and Sankalp :)

    I remember that smile dear :)

    thanks...

    and you can come along next time :)



    # Anony...
    thanks...


    # Burf...
    hmm... it was an interesting 15 minute game... stopped due to rains :)


    # Chakoli...
    You have again not read the post :) only seen the pictures :)

    thanks...


    # Sam...
    Oh yes we did !!! Loved every second of it...


    # Aqui..
    thanks dear...


    # Mayuri...
    thank you.... really appreciate your kind words...


    # Deepu...
    one of the best ways I say :)


    # Subbu...
    :) Do you have any option other than that bro?

    :) thanks :)

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  12. Fantastic endeavor guys ! way to go !!!! what colors!! i m totally speechless !

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  13. :) the post was very heart warming :)

    Thanks for sharing :)

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  14. wow! very inspiring! did you guys come up with the idea yourself, ke unhone suggest kiya? wonderful initiative, and fun way to spend the weekend!

    loved the pic with the painted hands :)

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  15. Its the little BIG things you dow hich fills me up with so much happiness. Proud of you - what a beautiful way of spending a weekend. God bless.

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  16. Niceyyyyyyyy Om...

    What a splendid way to spread happiness around...not many people I know seek contentment in the happiness of those around them...
    Proud of you...and yeah...God bless all others who are with you on this...
    Cheers!
    :D

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  17. # Sharanya...
    thanks..


    # Bhaw...
    :) so what I had to bring you here to read it... I am glad I did :)

    thanks re :)


    # Neeku...
    thanks :)


    # Kashmira...
    I wanted to go and give the kids some stationary stuff... Aro wanted to come along... and we thought why just go and give... let do something creative... and thought of the painting competition... Actually we would try to generate some funds for Sankalp by selling the prize winning entries... lets see if it can work out the way we are hoping it would :)


    # Mon...
    thanks Mon for your kind words... I am glad :)


    # Reeta...
    :) OM does nicey things always :) and he is very lucky to have people around him who support and participate to make these things happen :)

    thank you dear !!!!

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  18. masta... pad kar itna shai lag raha hai... to wahan jaakar kya feeling mili hogi... i can imagine...

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  19. I happen to come across your site... did you take most of these photographs? You can check mind out if you like... go to http://snappyadventures.blogspot.com

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  20. # Aseem...
    bhai bahut hi zyada maza aaya thaa... next time you should tag along :)

    # Fliss and Mike Adventures...
    Yes I did...

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  21. This is a great initiative and very well organised. Gimme some time ... and I will definitely join u in these endaevors!

    Keep up the noble work.
    God Bless.

    Kshitiz

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  22. awesum!! keep us the good work.. n ya photos speak real loud n clear, soft n subtle..

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  23. # Kshitiz...
    Thanks bro... looking forward to it..

    # Chris/jane...
    thank you very much :)

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  24. this is the great work for the children.they can realise that they are not forgotten but the part of the mainstream development.making education fun works always and that is what u people done by organising painting competition and other activities too.

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