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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th December2013
Labour’s listening to the voluntary & community sector in Harrow
Walking with the kids of tomorrow Spriha Srivastava
When I received a call from India Vision Foundation to walk the ramp with underprivileged children as part of their event KIDS on RAMP-age, I jumped with joy. The idea of walking the ramp with children was extremely exciting. I have been associated with India Vision Foundation for close to four years now. It all started when I visited their day care centre inside Tihar Prison as part of a documentary that I was preparing as a Masters student. I found their work and their dedication to be extremely amazing and decided to continue helping out the organization in whatever way I could. It was a spectacular evening and one dedicated to children. Their confidence, their happiness and the sparkle in their eyes was the main part of the evening. Dreams and aspirations are two things that prove to be a driving force in anyone’s life. It’s said that if you have dreams you should always let them chase you in order for you to work harder to achieve them. However, not everyone in this world has enough opportunities to pursue their dreams and this is where Navjyoti India Foundation, a NGO run by former IPS officer and India’s first lady police officer Dr. Kiran Bedi comes into play. Navjyoti India Foundation along with India Vision Foundation, continue to serve the children of underserved communities, with a gripping event 'KIDS on RAMP-age' to provide an exclusive opportunity to
more than 100 children. The children, in the age group of 5-18 years, walked the ramp in the show, arranged by the exclusive collections of five designers from India, Thailand & Dubai. There were more than 50 special invitees and hundreds of people to witness this spectacular event and to show their support towards the cause, where the children were the BIG celebrities for the night! The children of underserved communities walked on the ramp with icons of the corporate world to draw attention towards their untapped talent and the need for equal opportunities in terms of quality education, better standards of living and vocational training. Navjyoti India Foundation and India Vision Foundation (IVF), both are founded by Dr. Kiran Bedi and provide education to the children in urban slums and to the children of prison inmates, vocational training to youth, women empowerment and rural development in the villages of Haryana. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Kiran Bedi said, "We, at Navjyoti and IVF, are always working towards bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots. The Kids on Ramp-age event is an initiative to encourage an inclusive, harmonious and integrated society so as to empower one and all. I am very grateful to all the supporters for becoming a part of this event and for walking hand-in-hand with the children of Navjyoti and IVF. I would especially like to thank the five
designers for providing the outfits and to enable our children to have a joyous experience." The evening was divided into various parts – children from each project walked the ramp confidently, dressed in extremely smart casual or formal wear while the audiences cheered for them. The grand finale was where I was to make my debut and I was nervous for two reasons – one, I had never walked the ramp before and two the confidence with which these kids were walking I was scared if I would be able to match that. Well, they announced my name and I made my way up to the stage clutching my sari and making sure that I carry it well. Two small little boys came running to me on the stage and held my hands and said – “Let’s go.” And it all became so easy. I just had to follow them and walk to tunes of a very peppy number. They led me to the end of the ramp and asked me if we could dance and we did. They didn’t want to stop and I surely didn’t either but the show had to go on so I slowly nudged them and brought them back on the stage. The entire thing was not more than five to seven minutes but it touched my heart and gave me memories of a lifetime. I have never had so much fun in my life. This felt fulfilling and an evening spent worthwhile. As Dr. Kiran Bedi said during the event, “If God gives you more; there is a specific reason behind it.” So, look up that reason and act now!
Let us know what you think. Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com
The Harrow Labour party is making sure its manifesto for the 2014 election is rooted in the views of the community. At a packed school hall at Harrow High School on Saturday 30th November evening, Harrow Labour party welcomed over 100 community leaders and representativ es, representing diverse communities and stakeholder groups across Harrow. This was Labour’s opportunity to hear from them about what they wanted to see from the next Labour administration in Harrow. We promised to listen and act, where we can, despite the huge, unprecedented and unfair cuts to local government by the Tory Government. Across the 4 hours, there were some lively discussions and debate on policy areas from Children’s to community services. As ever, the community came up with some great ideas, some of which we will take forward and put into our manifesto for the 2014 elections. Cllr David Perry, Leader of the Harrow Labour Group said: “The people’s priorities will be our priorities. We recognise the valuable insight
that community and voluntary sector has in making sure we get our policies right, that’s why we held our Community Gettogether where our diverse community representatives have their say. We’ve had great input from our stakeholders, we’ve listened to them addressing
cerns and vision for Harrow are being listened to, it was a very positive and constructive event". Cllr Sachin Shah, Harrow Labour’s manifesto co-ordinator said: “The Labour party has always had the community at the centre of our values. We’ve now heard some
their views and aspirations during the preparation of our manifesto. This is the beginning of our dialogue with the voluntary sector and we’d be meeting them on a regular basis to hear them to shape Harrow’s future in the way the community sees it.” Baldev Sharma Harrow Asian Multicultural Association (HAMA) said: "It was great to have the opportunity to voice the views from the community and help shape the Labour Party Manifesto for the Council Elections in 2014. We are pleased our con-
great ideas from across the voluntary sector in Harrow. With the Tory government imposing austerity on Harrow all the way to 2020, we can’t promise to include everything asked for, but we now know the community’s priorities. The Harrow Labour party will now fully reflect on the views of the voluntary and community sector and will start putting pen to paper on our manifesto in the coming days. The full version of the Harrow Labour Party manifesto will be published early in the New Year.
built upon focusing on the needs of high street retail customers and developing a strong team here at Kolak. Judges comment: “Purely because of the amount of jobs they have created – 100 employees
at the start to 750 employees now, they have benefited the area hugely and improved lives of hundreds. You can tell from the entry and through customer feedback that they are committed to high quality products.”
Continued from page 3 It is vital that the international community, including the UK, works with the governments of countries like Jordan to ensure the needs of children are met. This means helping not just with the
immediate needs of food and shelter, but also helping to build sustainable solutions. The children fleeing the conflict in Syria cannot afford for us not to, and the future of any postconflict Syria depends on it.
Kolak Snack Foods wins three top business awards
At the prestigious West London Business awards Kolak Snack Foods won the top award of “Overall Business of the year” and also won "West London Business of the year" and highly commended in “Food and Drink Business of the year”. Kolak’s Managing Director Ashok Lakhani comments: We are very proud to win such a prestigious award especially considering the wide range of excellent entries reflecting the diversity, quality and strength of the West London business sector. Our success is
A lost generation?