Planet Hope children's magazine - The creation of our heart beats - Edition 4, March 2012

hy lt e ea Lif

H

n nm a e ro l C vi En

t n e

The Spark of knowledge

Planet Planet Hope India

Introduction This is the 4th edition of our magazine “The Creation of Our Heartbeats”. This time we have dedicated the magazine to environment and health. We had lot of exposure visits and workshops on environment and health. We found it important to know about health because healthy people make a healthy nation. Environment factors are important to preserve the environment for our happy and healthy living in this planet earth. In this edition of the magazine you will see the children’s learning experience towards health and environment.

In December Mrs. Marianne and Mrs.Gera from the Netherlands came to Bangalore. They are teachers and stayed 2 months with us.

They took a leave and left their families to contribute to the development to the children of Planet Hope. In this Magazine you can read about the huge change they made at the Day Care Centre for the children from the stone quarries and the new learning methods they introduces to the St. Mary’s School.

So here we present all that we saw and experienced. The articles, interviews, drawings and pictures are written and made by ourselves.

Mr. Manu Abraham, our new program-coordinator and Miss Vimala helped us translating, designing and printing. We thank them for their support.

Thanks to the contribution of Deloitte Fair Chance Foundation and Stichting Vincentius Rotterdam we have the great chance to have exposure in different ways, to participate in different workshops and publish our own magazine. This magazine we distribute to our friends, relatives, teachers, students and neighbors. They can read and understand better about our lives. We are grateful to our donors for this opportunity.

The kids of Planet Hope

The Waste Management Program at Christ University

We visited the waste segregation and management unit at Christ University. It was a great opportunity for us to be educated in the field of environment preservation. It was also good chance for job orientation. For all of us it was the first time we entered the compound of a university as well!

My experience “When we went to Christ University one of the person in charge explained about recycling of paper, plastic and food waste. I learnt that through waste paper we can do recycled products by adding cotton and water to the waste paper. We saw the way they were segregating waste as paper, plastic, metal and food waste. They are used to making paper files, greeting cards, wedding invitation cards, paper bags extracted out of recycled waste papers, we also saw them making compost fertilizer out of food waste.

We were given chance to make a paper sheet and it was a good experience. The paper can be painted or printed after the final process of paper making. I went with my friends to learn how wastes are recycled and to encourage the protection of our environment.

Thanks for the great opportunity. It was also great to see the university from inside, never been there before!’”

By Dhurga (15 year old, 10th standard)

03

Eco friendly art

Flower workshop by Carin Kloosterman Miss Carin Kloosterman gave a great workshop to the Carmel Ghar girls. She collected a full bag of old saris and challenged us to make beautiful flowers of it. In the beginning we could not believe we could do it. But she stimulated and encouraged us a lot. She was so nice and funny! She told us “you can do it�. Every flower is good. None is incorrect! And she was right. We managed to create 16 different flowers and stitched it to a frame. It is our proud to display it in our study hall.

Miss. Carin Kloosterman

04

Workshop on environment preservation

At Planet hope Home, the coordinators organized a workshop on environmental preservation. With lots of examples they explained this matter to all the children, the smaller and elders ones. Ajith Kumar and Antony Dass wrote an article for the magazine. “Nowadays pollution is more due to factories, vehicles and usage of plastic�.

People are cutting trees and there is scarcity for rain in the required places. We must grow lot of trees; they give us oxygen taking the carbon dioxide omitted by the factories and the vehicles and the trees less down soil erosion. The factories leave their chemical water to the water bodies and this should be banned strictly. Since chemicals are getting into the soil through fertilizers and pesticides soil pollution is happening. The foods we eat are also polluted because of soil pollution. The carbon dioxide which is omitted by the vehicles, factories, volcanoes, usage of fire wood, cow dung for cooking and fire of the forest make air pollution; we must stop it. In our area people through plastic covers, papers and other garbage in the front of the shops and the road side which makes our area look dirty. There are no dustbins.

So usage of dustbins must be encouraged. We would like to make a campaigning to give awareness about this to the shop keepers and the people in the public in the coming months. We also have an interview with some shop keepers regarding this.�

By, Ajith Kumar. S (14 year old) Antony Dass (16 year old) 05

Cleaning the working environment!

In a few years the eldest children have to decide about the higher or vocational studies they like to do.

Therefore it is important to know what jobs are offered. Every two month’s job orientation activities are organized and at the end of the day we interview the employees. Inspired by the workshops “environmental preservation”, we interviewed shop owners in the neighborhood of our Planet Hope home and asked a few of them about their concern of a clean working environment. These interviews you can read next.

Interview with the kitchen appliances shop keeper 1. What is your name?

Shashi Kumar.

2. Why are you doing this work?

I have to earn for my livelihood.

3. Do you like this work?

Yes, I like to work in showrooms.

4. How much have you studied?

I have studied till 10th standard.

5. How much is your salary per month?

6,000/- rupees (92 Euros).

6. Would you like to have your surroundings clean?

Yes, it will be nice if that can happen.

7. What do you do to keep your shop and your surroundings clean?

I clean my shop every day as well as I clean only around my shop not more than that.

8. Do you think keeping dustbins in the front of all the shops can be a good idea to keep clean around your shopping complex?

Yes, in one way it can help.

By- Ramesh and Satheesh (12 years old)

06

Interview with footwear shop keeper 1. What is your name?

Mohamad Zafar.

2. Why are you doing this work?

I need to earn money to run my family.

3. Do you like this work?

Yes, I like foot ware business.

4. Do you clean your shop?

Yes. 5. Don’t you like to keep your surrounding clean?

Yes, I would like to keep it clean so that there will be good attraction to the customers.

6. What do you do to keep your shop and your surroundings clean?

I don't have an idea till now 7. Do you think keeping dustbins in the front of all the shops can be a good idea to keep clean around your shopping complex?

Yes, that can be good idea and also we can throw all the garbage in the dustbin instead of throw them just like that in a corner.

By- Muniyappa and Kiran (11 years old) Interview with a Varity shop keeper 1. What is your name?

Sohan Lal. 2. Why are you doing this work?

I need to earn money for my family.

3. Do you like this work?

Yes. 4. Do you clean your shop?

Yes. 5. Don’t you like to keep your surrounding clean?

Yes, but nobody cleans.

6. What do you do to keep your shop and your surroundings clean?

There was a sweeper before to clean the whole complex where in there are around 20 shops in this complex. But now there is no one. But I try keeping it clean around my shop.

7. Do you think keeping dustbins in the front of all the shops can be a good idea to keep clean around your shopping complex?

Yes, that can be a good idea. People must be aware of putting the garbage only in the dustbins not anywhere else.

8. Do you think doing a campaigning about dustbin can be helpful?

Yes. I will support it but we must make all the 20 shop keepers to participate in the campaign.

By- Muniyappa and Kiran (11 years old) 07

Visit to Bannergetta National Park To educate us about the importance of animals in the circle of environment we went for a visit to the Bannergetta National Park, Bangalore . The Planet Hope driver Mr. Antony took us on his free Saturday in the early morning to the park we stayed the whole day and had a interesting and wonderful day! “We saw different kinds of animals and birds there in the zoo. It was just amazing! We were running around the park to se different kinds of animals, birds, snakes etc. There were Hippopotamus also”! Soumya. M (4th standard, age:9years) “In the zoo we saw dear, leopard, elephant, zebra, parrots and lot more. We were very happy and running around”.

Suresh S.L, ( Age:8 years) “We played in the park there in the Bannergetta national park. It was very beautiful and I was very happy in the Zoo”.

Poomani . M (4th standard, age: 9 years) “First time I saw a real leopard.”

08

Self hygiene Mrs. Gerry, a retired nurse from the Netherlands conducted two workshops on self care and hygiene, importance of water and solutions for dehydration for the youngest children of Planet Hope Home between the ages of 6- 10. The children learnt about cleanliness of teeth, face, other body parts and clothes. They also learnt about importance of water and the solutions for dehydration.

The children had a job orientation in the field of health by interviewing the doctor from ‘Ashraya’ dispensary.

09

A workshop on Health and Hygiene A workshop on basic health and hygiene was conducted in the Planet Hope Home. Around 40 children attended the workshop. The session grabbed the attention of the children since it was conducted with the aid of toys and materials. The main aim of the workshop was to motivate and aware the children towards the need of basic personal hygiene for better health and living. Mrs. Gerry demonstrated various healthy hygienic measures using interesting methods for the children that will be helpful them to remember and perform every day. She also distributed brushes and tooth paste for the children to encourage them towards personal hygiene.

The major topics covered by the workshop were: Care for the teeth Cutting nails to avoid diseases Personal hygienic measures like taking bath every day, washing clothes etc..

Caring the hair and Looking after your feet The workshop on “Health and Hygiene� for primary school children of Planet Hope.

The activities involved the children’s participation.

The care takers of the Planet Hope Home helped the children to understand the concepts better.

10

Water and dehydration “Water can clean our body externally as well as internally.”

The second workshop was organized around the topic “Water and Dehydration”.

Miss. Vimala led the session with illustrating various examples from daily life and explained us about the importance of drinking purified water and its effects on health.

Prema. G (7years old) and Lakshmi. V (12 years old) “Water is very important for living. We can be healthy by drinking water. Water is also important in keeping us neat and tidy. We should always drink clean water since water is one of the mediums in spreading diseases. We must drink water before playing since water will be dehydrated through sweat. There must be enough of water in our body otherwise dehydration happens.

To keep ourselves away from dehydration we must drink lot of water and other water contents like juice.

There will be water content in our daily food but it is not enough, we should drink water to keep the balance of water in our body”.

Job orientation Anand (Age: 12 ), Shanmugam ( Age:12) and Suresh (Age :13, 6th standard) We visited the Ashraya Clinic in Bangalore as a job orientation. Maybe we want to become a doctor when we study well. It was nice to meet the doctor. She explained well about her job, showed her office, the room she welcomes her patients, the medicines, the medical tools she uses to treat the sick patients. She works a lot because a lot of people are sick and need her help. It is a nice job when you are able to make people better.

Interview with Dr. Sreejaya, ‘Ashraya’ Clinic What is your name?

My name is Sreejaya.

How many years of experience do you have?

I am working as a doctor for around 15 years.

11

What are the major sicknesses you find here?

Here mostly people come for the treatment for common sicknesses like viral fever, cough, diarrhea, etc…

Why did you become a doctor?

I wished to become a doctor when I was young itself and I wanted to serve people and care them.

Do you like children?

Yes of course, I like children a lot.

What is the importance of hygiene?

As children, you have to be very careful about hygiene and cleanliness. Unhygienic habits can cause various diseases like diarrhea, jaundice, infections etc… so you have to be clean always. Wash your hands before and after eating. Cut your nails properly and wash your dresses very well. Keep yourself clean and drink lot of water.

What are your suggestions for us?

Study very well and achieve good things in life. If you work hard you will get good jobs. Every job is good so select jobs according to your talents and capabilities. If you really like to become a doctor keep trying for it. And be good human beings wherever you are.

Thank you doctor!

Interview with the flower shop keeper 1. What is your name?

My name is Raju.

2. Why have you chosen this work?

This business can be done with less money so, I chose this work.

3. Do you like this work?

I love this work.

4. How much have you studied?

I have studied till 10th standard.

5. How much do you earn a day?

I earn around 400 to 500 rupees (6 – 7 Euros).

6. Where do you get these flowers from?

From the K R Market 25 kms away from our place.

7. How do you keep these flowers fresh through the day?

By using clean water and trimming, I keep these flowers fresh and beautiful.

8. Are you married?

Yes. 9. How many children do you have?

I have 2 children.

10. Are your children going to school?

Which standards do they study in?

Both of them are studying. Elder daughter studied 2nd year PUC and younger son studies in 8th standard.

By- Ramesh and Satheesh (12 years old) 12

Ashraya Deep Day Care with new colours and materials At the border of the stone quarries The Sacred Hart Brothers run A Day Care Centre sponsored by the Jiander foundation. It is a safe place where children in the age of 3- 6 years can stay during the daytime while their parents have to work in the stone quarries. The stone quarries are unsafe places especially during the blasting times. A van goes in the morning to collect the children and brings them back in the afternoon.

The Dutch teachers Marian and Gera went there for 2 months and together with the staff they developed a new program and organized the children in two different age groups. Marianne raised funds at her primary school the Reuzelaar. With this money, furniture was bought as well as teaching materials. All the children at Ashraya Deep never went to school before. So they have to get use to it.

Lots of children of Planet Hope home went to Ashraya Deep before they came to Planet Hope. Like Prema. She came to visit Ashraya Deep and was impressed by what she saw. She likes to share her experience! Two children from girls home Carmel Ghar have interviewed Mrs. Marian towards her experience in India.

Lighting the Spark of Knowledge Anyone who visits Asraya Deep Day Care after a long time will definitely notice a change. Children sitting on chairs and benches, singing songs, playing with lots of materials, colours and pictures all around and lot more‌.

Hats off to the two dedicated people, two teachers (Mrs. Marian and Mrs. Gera) from the Netherlands came with a method that is very child friendly to motivate them towards education by giving them the taste and colours of education. Now the kids can feel the colours, numbers, letters and everything through games and other creative ways.

The entire children are now divided into two classes, class A and Class B. The children are cleaned up every day morning before they enter their class room by wearing their given uniforms.

The original concept of the playschool is implemented by giving the children training for cognitive development by solving puzzles, personal and social competence by introducing group activities where they interact each other irrespective of their social backgrounds etc‌ Training is also given to the new teachers in the play school to continue the methods introduced and to prepare the young children for school education by lighting the spark of knowledge and wisdom. May this be a good beginning!

Manu, the program-Coordinator

13

Experience sharing My story from the Day Care Centre till Carmel Ghar: Prema “When I was small I went to this place Ashrayadeep, the day care centre. An aunty (the field animator) from the Ashrayadeep came house to house in our stone quarrie to request our parents to send us for Day Care. I remember to have a good time at the daycare because I could be in a safe room; there was no dust and no blasting. We learned the ABCD, and songs. And we got a lunch. Sometimes it was the only meal I got that day. So I was happy to go to the daycare, although I missed my mum.

To be back after all these years I am surprised to see this place now. It changed a lot. All these colours and toys. It is nice to see that the children can have so much exposure here. It is good for them to have the possibility to learn in different ways.

They enjoy it a lot. It looks like a real school.

Since I went to Ashraya Deep my mum sent me to Planet Hope home when my dad died. Ofcourse I missed my sisters and my mum because from that time on I did not came home at the end of the day any more. But I know I have the opportunity to go for studies and have a good job later because I can go to school and don’t have to work in the stone quarries as my sisters have to do.

I hope these small children here at Ashraya Deep will go for studies too and can enjoy their childhood a lot here. I think Asraya Deep is a great place for them. Maybe I can come back here after my studies as the teachers of these children that is my dream, to become their teacher and contribute to the place that gave me the chance to grow in my life and guide children like me.

By, Prema (11years old, 7th standard))

Interview with Mrs. Marian, a teacher from the Netherlands, by Sheevaleela, 13 years old What is your name?

My name is Marian.

What do you find special in St. Mary’s Play School children?

Marian: These children are very special for me since they just started going school with joy and happiness.

How do you become a teacher? What you studied?

Marian: In my small age I wished to become a Pilot, but later my life has turned and I did my education in academics and practiced teaching in the Netherlands.

14

Are you angry with naughty children?

Marian: No, I am not angry, but I will make them sit in the “thinking chair” when they act naughty. Every child can make a mistake or is sometimes naughty. As a good teacher you have to talk to them and correct them.

What was your motivation to become a teacher?

Marian: I like small children very much and playing with them. So I was motivated towards teaching small children and also in different standards.

Do you like all the children here?

Marian: Yes, I like all of them. They are learning very fast and improving everyday and following what we are teaching them.

Do you think all the children are happy here?

Marian: Yes, many of the children are very happy here but some of them are not happy because they are away from home.

Do you like working in India?

Marian: Yes, I really like working here in India because children are very sweet here and I think India is a great country.

How do you handle so many children?

Marian: I can handle any number of children with love and care. You just have to talk to the children with love and try to know them better.

St. Mary’s School Spoken English classes were taken by the teachers Mrs. Marian and Mrs. Gera at St. Mary’s School with new teaching materials and methods which the teachers of St. Mary’s School observed to adopt those methods in their day to day teaching. Here we have an interview with Mrs. Jacintha, a teacher of St. Mary’s school about her view the new methods have made.

Interview with Mrs. Jacintha, teacher of St. Mary’s School

By Rekha (6th standard, 12 years old) What is your name?

My name is Jacintha.

How was your experience last month?

I was very much happy, because I learned different teaching method and its components like voice modulation and giving different activities depending upon the concept.

What are the new methods? Do you like it?

Yes of course, it is like activity method, learning by puzzles, working with colors, arrangement of numbers etc…

Are all these methods useful?

Yes, because I could give individual attention for each student and also develop their thinking.

Are all the children happy?

Yes they are very happy playing with materials and they are becoming more creative.

Do you like the craft works the teachers from Netherlands taught us?

Yes it was very beautiful. We really learned many things from them. Thanks to Maria and Gera, the teachers from Netherlands. Both of them were very active and dedicated. They trained children to do colorful paintings and craft works.

15

Personal stories My Best Friend My best friend’s name is Priya. I like her because she is helpful to others, she speaks very sweet to me as well to others, and she speaks English very well. She is so sweet that she doesn’t scold when someone does wrong to her.

She reminds me when I have forgotten something. Her favorite colors are pink and blue. I like Priya’s handwriting. We share our things to each other. She is beautiful and sometimes she gets angry but still she is a good girl and a good friend to me. Priya is good at studies, dance and singing. I saw her crying when I left my village to come to Planet Hope Home and she also wanted to come with me. Both of us liked the same things and persons, like our class teachers- Anusha and Divya.

Whenever I go to my village for holidays, she comes running to see me and also brings flowers for me. When we were small she used to give me story books to read till my 4th standard. It is been long time that I came to Bangalore leaving my friend in the village but still she says that I am the only best friend to her.

By Kavya (14 years old, 8th standard)

My Family I like my family very much. They are my best friends. I live in Carmel Ghar, the girls’ home and before I live in child home Planet Hope. Till today I miss my family especially my mum very much. She lives at the Border of Karnataka, far from Bangalore and is not able to come to visit me regularly. So she can only come three times a year. That makes me very sad. My dad died. My mum has to travel 2 full days to visit me. Her boss does not allow her to come to leave her job so long. She works near the stone quarry, carrying stones to build houses. My two brothers live with her and help her. I am her only daughter and I cannot be with her. We live in a small hut. My mum is my best friend. My family members’ name is Rangaswami, Pushpa, Shivakuimar, Ashwani and Ravi kumar. My family is very beautiful. My mother is hard working for that I am study well. My mother wants me to study well. My family is a small family. I want my family to be happy.

Ashwini (13 years old, 8th standard)

16

My life in Carmal Ghar I live in Carme Ghar home now for more than 9 months. Before I lived at Planet Hope. My life is good here. I can go to school, we live in at a nice place with the sisters and the 18 girls are my friends. I stay in a room with 6 girls and have my own bed. My two elder sisters and little sister live with my mum in a small house near the stone quarrie. My sister has to work and did not finish her studies. So my family expects me to study well and find a good job. I do my best to the maximum, because I want to contribute to my family. , It is not easy for me to study. I do my best to the maximum. Every day we have to get up at 6. We start with a meditation moment together.

That is a nice moment to start the day. It gives peace in my mind. We brush and get dressed in our school uniforms. We help each other to do our hairs in tails. After that we have breakfast together in the dining hall. We have nice plastic flower table covers from the Netherlands! The cook gets up at 4 o clock every morning to prepare Indian breakfast like idly, chapatti, or rice with dhal. With the bus we go to school. I go to the Jyothy School. I must be sure to be in time in the class otherwise the teacher will be angry. I share a bench with 6 children. In the class are 50 children. We have class hours from 09.00 till 03.30. When I come home I wash myself and change my dress. We have tea and after that I wash my clothes on the rooftop. Than we have lots of homework to do from 17.00 till 20.00. We have homework guidance given by the sisters and special teachers. At 20.00 we have dinner. We can relax and then we go to bed. I like the weekends because than we have more free time. In Carmel Ghar Kavya and Rekha are my good friends and they help me in studies. I like to be in Carmel Ghar because I feel so safe here. I hope I can stay here for a long time.

I want everyone to be happy always around me.

Rama (13 years, 8th standard)

About Tamil Nadu: My native place I like Tamil Nadu very much. That village is very nice. I want to go there and stay there. I want to see my family members. There is a river in my village, if I bath there, I will become white. I like to swim in the river. There are crocodiles in the river. I like crocodiles very much. I like to play with my brothers. I have three brothers. Me and my brothers played crackers during Deepavali. My brother’s name is Arun, Mahesh and Praveen. I like these three brothers very much. I have 5 sisters also. I like them very much too. I like my mother very much. She is looking after the family very well. My mother’ name is Shanti. My relatives or neighbors do not help my family. But, people from my native place help us very well.

Theresa (14 years old, 8th standard) 17

18

Child sponsorship program Planet Hope is starting a child sponsorship program with the primary motivation to support the children in distress for education and a better living in Planet Hope Homes.

A sponsor can send a child to school by providing 30 Euros a month.

With the support of a sponsor we can provide 1 2 3 4

Education Food Transportation And personal care of your sponsored child.

For more information sent an email to:

planethopeindia@gmail.com/ karen.duys@gmail.com

PLANET HOPE Chikka Byrathi, Dodda Gubbi Post , Bangalore - 562 149 , Karnataka , India

Planet Hope India