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R HEART U O Y S E H C T H AT T O U Y L I A D G IN AN INSPIR Vol. 1 No. 14 Pages 16 PUNE, TUESDAY MAY 8, 2012 Rs.4 WEATHER
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BROADENING ‘VIRTUAL’ HORIZONS
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Accessorise with the right bags, colours, prints and shoes this summer >> P9
A community that shares its beliefs through Facebook >> P4
EAT HEALTHY, LIVE LONGER A healthy diet is the secret of longevity >>P14 Rahul Deshmukh
Placed as she was in an orphanage when just 10 months old, Anupama Dongerdive’s life has turned into a mission of providing shelter and learning for young girls who would otherwise be pushed into a dark abyss. It’s an uphill task though to constantly brave the odds and keep going
n a h p r o n a e Onc y n a m f o r e h t o now m SHEHNAZ CHAWLA
A
n u p a m a Dongerdive’s smile, the sparkle in her eyes, positive attitude, willpower, beautiful heart, faith and vision instantly makes her a very special woman. In fact, Anupama also considers herself ‘a special and lucky person’. Why? Well, her mother placed her in an orphanage at the age of 10 months rather than simply aborting or abandoning her at birth. “Though,” she admits, “Growing up as a nobody’s child was very painful and lonely.” Living with 1,000 other girls
in an orphanage near Solapur, Anupama always yearned to be a part of a big family. She was among the four students selected to study in Hutchings High School, Pune. Miserable at living alone, she would often request her friends to take her home and make her a part of their loving unit. Growing up anonymously amongst 1,000 abandoned others, Anupama was only eight years old when she first felt god speak to her about caring for the orphaned and abandoned girls. Transferred to another orphanage at 16 in Mumbai, she quickly took on the role of caring for the younger girls and was given unofficial charge of them.
Reaching out further z Anupama is busy right now planning a community and day care centre in Undri. “The children from the slums nearby in Undri visit the centre and are fed, clothed and provided with basic education as well. It was brought to our attention that these kids, for lack of engagement, tend to lose focus. We also noticed that these kids just wander around and pick up bad habits along the way. If we can give them a few hours of informal education and care, it will change their lives.”
A helping hand z Recently women residents of the Ganga Satellite housing society in Wanowrie organised a programme for women and then donated the proceeds to Vanitashray. The money was utilised to pay the Montessori teachers’ training fees for three girls from the home. Says Anupama, “People can contribute in any way they like. Even time spent with the girls in the home and at the community centre is appreciated.”
Later she was introduced to a training programme by a friend in Pune, where she met her life partner Silas Dongardive. Fortunately, Silas shared the same dream as hers – a home for destitute children. “My husband encouraged me to follow my dream and he helped me start the home,” she states. Later, as a newly married woman, Anupama started to apply for the custody of two baby girls who had been left with her. Her supportive husband, who had married this orphan despite the protests of his family, worked with her in starting ‘Vanitashray’, made up of the two Hindi words ‘Vanita’ (woman) and ‘Ashray’ (shelter)
in Pune At only 28 years old, however, Anupama’s husband died, leaving her alone yet again. He left behind two biological daughters, Alisha and Sunayana, and five other girls they had taken in. Coping with widowhood was not easy. Anupama was perceived by society as having caused her husband’s death and having put a curse on the family. >> Continued on page 5
EXTRAA Contact Anupama: 9850440180 anusilasdon@hotmail.com www.vanitashray.org
Cyber cell counters e-stalker menace AWARENESS The Pune Police’s Cyber Crime Cell outlines precautionary steps to avoid falling prey to the online lurker
What is your
LIFE 365 daily all about?
RAKESH NAIR
M
y wife has been receiving abusive calls and constant messages on a social networking site from an anonymous caller. Now that her mail account has been hacked, I have no choice but to file a complaint,” says a harried Pratiek, a businessman from Surat, as he sits with his wife in the Pune Cyber Crime Cell. Pratiek’s wife is a victim of cyber stalking, which, according to reports, is the most common crime committed over the Internet and the phone.
What is cyber stalking? “Even sending simple Facebook messages like ‘I love you’ to an anonymous person amount to cyber stalking. One must refrain
Just like Pune is a city that still respects values, welcomes ideas and supports genuine efforts, Life 365 is more than just a daily. Going beyond news that has already been done to death, Life 365 rejects negativity,
from creating harmless fake profile, sudden temptation may ruin everything.” says Niranjan Reddy, an award-winning ethical hacker. Practices such as using unauthorised credentials to make online purchases, harassing someone, etc., amount to cyber stalking. “A few months ago, I was receiving crank calls from nearly four or five different phone numbers. Since I’ve had the number for a long time, I wasn’t too keen on changing it. When the calls became offensive, I filed a complaint with the Kalyani Nagar police station. The
sensationalism and superficiality in its columns. We are here to promote good values, good people and good work. As a cosmopolitan, commercial hub, the city today abounds with enlightened individuals, talented
police took action immediately and I stopped receiving calls the same day,” reveals Sajitha (name changed to protect identity). Taking cue from Sajitha’s experience, her friends have started relying on another method to combat the crank call menace. They have installed ‘call blocker’ applications on their smartphones to keep the stalkers at bay. The software auto-answers and disconnects the calls, making the stalker lose call credit in the process. Most stalkers, after losing money multiple times, give up the chase.
creators and innovators, genuine activists and social groups. All inspired and inspiring citizens. Life 365 will strive to capture the mixed ethos of it all. We promise to function as a responsible and
Report crime
z “One should immediately get in touch with the local police and file a complaint. You needn’t visit the Cyber Cell for the same. Most complaints are registered through email,” says Sangeeta Alphonso, Inspector-in-charge, Cyber Crime Cell. You can report crime online at through crimecomp. pune@nic.in. For more details, call 020-26123346.
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