Parichay - Our Identity

In the “Orissa I Care” open forum discussion during Prayas’ 05, we had an initiative thought of in concern with, promoting handicrafts and handlooms of Orissa. After the conference, some of us got together to discussing and building on the thought. We also went ahead meeting and interacting people at a handicraft center in Bhubaneswar “Ekaamra Haat” where they sale goods.



We heard their concern, that these goods are not getting recognized and promoted at various forums. They are loosing their identity slowly. We also heard the concern to reduce the role of middleman in some parts of handicraft industry such as handloom and appliqué works.



We had couple of brainstorming meetings discussing from where and how to start. We decided to make a trip to Pipili and named the initiative as “Parichay – Our Identity”. We thought to actualize our discussion on the eve of new year and hence on 1st Jan 2006 a crew of 11 members left Bhubaneswar to Pipili, the center of all kinds of appliqué work in the entire state. We carried our video camera and few other still cameras to document the experience.



We had prior contacts of some craftsmen from previous interactions at Bhubaneswar who are related with this industry for pretty long time. We interacted with those people who guided us through the shops and to other craftsmen who are actually in the heart of developing the things. Some of them expressed;

- “No doubt, these days the market for such products has got good acceptance but what we earn from these business is not enough to make it as our full time profession”.

- “We are engaged in appliqué works but we won’t wish to see our off-springs also doing the same job of a craftsman”.

- “We are financially challenged but if the government supports us then things will change completely. For example, we are making lampshades whose market price is between Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 depending on the model and the quality of raw material used, but what we are paid? Not even one quarter of the price...”



We collected data, shot videos as well as took still photos in order to make a documentary on the entire concern.



We were satisfied to an extent after getting in touch with the people & getting a chance to listen them and their concerns. We had never got a chance earlier to see the work and listen their experience so closely. After packing up with the interaction we went to Chandrabhaga and spent some time with ourselves.



After 5 months when some of our friends participated in the National IofC youth conference, they showcased the appliqué work products at our national center at Panchgani, Pune. The products were well appreciated and all the materials were sold out hand to hand by the participants who came to participate in the conference from various regions of India.

Akshar Jyoti

  
A Sparkle of Knowledge

While roaming around in the scarlet evenings, some of our team members based at Silicon often came across a bunch of children with muddy feet, innocent eyes and faces laden with cement dust. The sight would sometimes stop them in their tracks and they would ponder, could we do something for these kids, who belong to a nearby slum area. These children used to play in unhygienic conditions. Their parents being out to work since early morning, they were left out to look after themselves. Excepting one or two of them, none of the rest went to any school.



After thinking for a while, our team members and the Executive Director of SIT, Mr. Nitai Gaur Dhall, together came out with this idea of spending our evenings with these kids, teaching them the basics and playing with them.



The dawn of August 15th 2004, heralded a new promise and brought about a sense of newfound freedom in the form of ‘Akshar Jyoti’ – the light of knowledge. Some students of SIT also volunteered to carry on this work along with our team members. We have been allotted a classroom in our college for this activity. With the support of Mr. Dhall, we collected and distributed clothes, bags, slates and books among the children.



Initially it took a lot of cajoling and chocolates to make these children aged between 3-11 years, come daily. Gradually they began to enjoy their playtime that preceded or followed the study hour. They basically learn counting, alphabets and small sums.



Then came the question of hygiene. We personally interacted with each of their parents. Gradually they understood the importance of hygiene and started practicing it. We arranged for medical checkup of all those kids and distributed medicines to the needy. The main concern for us is that these parents are unaware and illiterate. So we are continuing in our effort to educate these elder people also and we hope to succeed soon.



“The greater use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it”



Akshar Jyoti continues to be an integral part of our lives. It gives us immense pleasure to spend some quality time with the underprivileged children of the workers employed at the construction site of Silicon. The foundations of love, trust, and friendship that were laid between us on the 15th Aug' 04 have strengthened further over time. Being inspired, some other students of Silicon also joined us in our pursuit of bringing the light of education in their lives.



But even though the children learnt their alphabets perfectly, they still came in dirty clothes and chose to walk barefoot despite having slippers. We realized that if they had to be nurtured and their personalities refined, some values had to be inculcated in them. The importance of education, cleanliness, hygiene and nutrition had to be instilled in their lives.



It is said that:

if u teach a man, u teach an individual,

and if u teach a woman, u teach a whole family.



With that in mind, we set about getting the parents of these children involved in the process too. Sadly, out of around 60 people, only a few turned up. Nevertheless, it was an interactive experience. Though some of the parents had had primary education, they surprisingly did not believe that their children’s future lay in education.



These meetings, however, were not continued for long as the workers had to attend to their household chores in the evening. Our dream is still a long way from being realized. In the meantime, we continue teaching the children, playing with them and helping them grow. Being a part of their lives has been a humbling experience. It has taught us o value things we often take for granted in our lives.



As time passes, some workers migrate to different locations, taking their children long in search of new jobs, new lives. Will this life be better than what they already have? Maybe, it will, if we realize that it is our responsibility towards humanity to make small changes in this world. No matter where we are, we can light up the lives of these unfortunate people, just by spending few hours with them. That way we can pay some of it back to our nation or, pay it forward perhaps?

Prayas

“Prayas” is a sincere effort meant to bring out the best in youth of Orissa, by providing them a platform to realize their inner potential and to motivate them to shoulder their responsibilities and duties in the best possible way. The basic motto that we believe in is, “Change yourself to see the same changes that you have always wanted to see in the world”.

Till the date, the annual residential youth conferences being organized in Orissa

-Prayas-2010

-Prayas-2009

-Prayas-2008

-Prayas-2006

-Prayas-2005

-Prayas-2004

-Let’s Make A Difference*

*This was the title of the "1st Regional IofC Youth conference”

Evolution of IofC in Orissa

A new concept for the people of Orissa, though not a new one for the world, Moral Re Armament (presently known as Initiatives of Change), is making an attempt to reach out to each and every individual of this state. Due to several constraints like geographical, financial and mainly due to lack of awareness, it becomes difficult for the people residing here to participate in the conferences organized at Asia Plateau in Panchgani (Maharashtra).



In May 1997, Rajiv Goenka, a youth from Orissa, first attended the Initiatives of Change (IofC) - National Youth Conference, held at Asia Plateau. He was eventually inspired to proliferate its ideas and messages to the youth in various regions in India, with the motto that “If the youth are not able to reach Asia Plateau, then IofC should be brought to them”. Since it’s easier and better to begin change at home, it triggered off the idea of organizing the first regional Youth Conference in Orissa. Due to his sincere effort he could gather 5 more youth and they attended the National Youth Conference in Jun 2003. On their way back to Orissa, this group was highly motivated and discussed in details, on how to go about organizing the 1st Youth Conference in Orissa.




After coming back, Harsh W. Mishra, who was part of the above youth group, took active role in the evolution of this dream. Thus, with meticulous planning and efforts of Rajiv and Harsh, the first Regional ‘Initiatives of Change’ Youth Conference was organized in lush premises of Silicon Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar, in Dec 2003.



The overwhelming success of the first Youth Conference instilled enough confidence in us to build a youth team with volunteers from all over Orissa as well as outside Orissa – a youth team comprising youngsters who feel earnestly to dedicate themselves to the cause of development of Orissa.



The three D’s – Dedication, Determination & Devotion – laid the foundation stone of the IofC-Orissa team. As a result of will power, the Three D’s and a desire to make a difference, months of planning and hard work generated a self-belief in us to continue with these ideas. Not to forget the Initiatives of Change (IofC) - Youth Team of Asia Plateau, the Directors, faculties and staff of Silicon Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar helped us remarkably as they guided us on the path of success.




All this and more gave us the zeal to come to a unanimous decision of not only taking up the initiative to organize such youth conferences annually, but also to devote out time to visit some villages of Orissa, to teach and spend time with small children from near-by slums, taking some steps in promoting Handicraft industry of Orissa, conducting small workshops for school and college students, doing out-reach programs through Seminars and lecture series at various institutes etc...



Over the last Seven years, IofC-Orissa group has had a phenomenal growth, and every year an endeavor has been made to reach far and wide and to influence as many as possible, with the principles of Initiatives of Change (IofC).



And the journey continues…