AFS India Newsletter | May 2022

THE

Changemakers May 2022 NEWSLETTER

Priyanshu Dogra, AFS Alumnus (Winter in Italy 2021-22) from St. George's School, Alaknanda, Delhi

Inside this Issue 1. Check out the highlights of the North and East Zones’ GYSD activities in Volunteers are Changemakers.

2. In Member School Stories, Ms Rebecca Lal of All Saint’s School, Nainital, writes about “A Pivotal Journey through The Climate of AFS” 3. In the School Stories, read about the Virtual Exchange Program between PPS, Nabha and Medi-Caps International School, Indore.

Also read about the Upcyclothon event organised by RKKGPS, Jodhpur.

4. Explore the story of Vanshika Garg, Asia Kakehashi 2021-22, in Alumni Stories where she shares her experience of visiting an ashram for the first time.

5. The Hosting Stories brings about our successful completion of the hosting program for Lefa Molemela from South Africa.

6.Read the wonderful experience of Mrs Tarunpreet Kaur Uppal in the 18+ Programs segment.

Volunteers Are Changemakers GYSD 2022 Activities from the North and East Zone

Jamshedpur Chapter On 2 April 2022, Meenu Raisurana from Jamshedpur visited the Furida Old-Age Home for women in village Gerua with a group of people. They distributed the monthly rations and provisions for the month of April. A bore was handed over to the villagers yesterday to fulfill the basic necessity of clean drinking water. We installed the boring well at Mohaldi Village.

Ms Meenu also visited the Sahyog Village Orphanage (Sonari) on 30th April 2022 and spent some time with the babies and little children upto 6 years where they distributed the monthly provision, sweets, biscuits, fruits and drinks to everyone.

Jodhamal Public School - Jammu Jodhamal Public School, Jammu organised a Free Medical Camp on 16th April 2022, under AFS India for the underprivileged people residing in the slums near the JK Medicity Hospital, Jammu. A team of eminent doctors including Dr. Sandeep Khosla (Chief Medical Officer), Dr. Umang Jamwal (Periodontist and Oral Implantologist) and Dr. Abhinav Sharma conducted free medical checkups for the entire slum population. More than 70 people received free medical aid and medicines based on the diagnosis.

The drive was a success and concluded on a high note.

Yadavindra Public School , Patiala Rarely do such opportunities come where we get to give back to our community but when they do it is our duty as responsible citizens to grab them. Such an opportunity was given to us by Afs with the motto “Smile, serve and share” ,with its goal being to put a smile on the faces of those who have been deprived of a cause to be joyous.

A group of eighteen students accompanied by three teachers went to the local streets of our town to serve food to those less fortunate than us and in return got satisfaction and peace from seeing their happy faces.

The inexperienced children put on the chef hat and in teams of three prepared potato curry, puri and prasad. On 26th April, the food prepared with love was affectionately handed out. The gratification received from the service is indescribable. We are grateful for this opportunity as it has given us so much satisfaction and has ignited in us the spirit to continue to serve humanity in the future too.

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Delhi Public School, Srinagar On the event of Global Youth Service Day, the Srinagar chapter organised an activity day with the children of Hanfiya Islamic Educational Institute, Chandhara Village.

The School has been adopted by DPS, Srinagar with an aim to enhance the learning environment of these school students at the physical as well as psychological levels.

A group of 24 students from DPS, Srinagar planned and scheduled the activities for the day of service dedicated to children of the school. The students spent a day with the underprivileged children and engaged in some fun-filled activities like painting competition, calligraphy competition, storytelling, poetry recitation, singing, making origami, etc.

The students also distributed stationery kits including pencils, sharpeners, erasers, scales, etc. The school also provided sports equipment like footballs, skipping ropes, badminton rackets, etc. for the purpose of donation. The local school teachers also took part in the activities along with the students.

The British Co-Ed High School, Patiala, Punjab Mehreen Kaur Virk Class V

I loved doing the AFS GYSD activities – “Serve, Smile and Share together”. It made me thankful to God for all the small and big things I am blessed with. In order to share what I have, I made grilled sandwiches with potato and cheese fillings, wrapped them, and packed them in a box. My mother and I then went to the slum area near our home and gave the sandwiches to the children there. They loved the sandwiches and were all smiling.

Inaya Narula, Class 10 This year gave me the opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the importance of humanity. It is said that ‘Service of mankind is service to God’. Following this, with all COVID protocols, on 14th April, my sister and I made sandwiches and mango shake and distributed chocolates and patties to the underprivileged children. Moreover, I also started helping my maid’s daughter with her studies where I tutor her every day.

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Arshgeet, Class 9 Humanity teaches us to help one and all. I also try to do my bit for the society by helping the people around me in the best way I can. I do simple things by serving water to the thirsty and giving vegetables to the needy people. In the evenings, I spare time everyday to water the plants on the road adjacent to my house. Doing these simple gestures gives me lots of happiness and I feel great. I think if we all should make an effort in contributing towards the betterment of our society.

Gurjashan Singh, Class 9 True happiness is something that is permanent and cannot be achieved through material possessions or just a piece of paper, the pleasure and excitement gained from materials only last a short amount of time and cannot make one permanently happy.

What's heartwarming is that we do find tiny streaks of charity at least in a few in our society. For us to be really humane, helping one another should be inculcated as a habit.

Donating your time to support those around you is extremely beneficial, both for you and your community. It is statistically proven that people who volunteer regularly are healthier both physically and mentally. For this reason, one should always smile and always be happy.

Mehakpreet Kaur, Class 9 On the occasion of GYSD, I went out in the streets and fed a few dogs. I brought one of the puppies home and made him safe in my house as it wasn’t safe for him to roam on the roads. The next day, I went outside and planted a few saplings and also motivated a few people to do so. I also went out to a campus and did some cleaning to make the surroundings beautiful.

Ekjot Kaur, Class 9 By assisting abandoned and lonely animals, I became a more empathetic person. Additionally, this volunteer opportunity allowed me to destress and momentarily forget all my problems since spending time with animals transformed me into a happier and a more content individual.

Gursahib Kaleka, Class 9 I helped my house maid experience the world of education. I decided to enlighten her with some basic English. The smile on her face when she finally learned a few words melted my heart. I also wanted to put my contribution in fighting against global warming so I decided to sow a sapling that will grow into an exquisite plant.

In the end, I would like to say that alone we can do so little but together we can do so much.

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Sargeet Kaur, Class 9 For my contribution towards the betterment of the society, I not only plant trees but also nurture them on the regular basis.

Nowadays, trees are rapidly cut for human comforts but it is necessary to stop this immediately and as well as plant more trees. I hope that we do our best to save our planet by planting more trees.

Banireet Class 9 There is a place in Patiala called “Atutt Langar” which serves free food to everybody 24x7. It has been going on since 2016. As soon as I entered the place, the ambience was so lovely. While I was serving, a little girl came to me asking for rice. As I gave it to her I asked her name. I talked with her for some time and it felt wonderful. That day I learnt that no matter what you do, when you help someone in need, you have an amazing feeling inside. So many people give you blessings from their heart and that just brought a smile to my face.

I really enjoyed serving food to the people.

Hazel Kaur Kathuria, Class 9 During my childhood, I have seen my father recycle the old clay pots to put water for birds and stray animals and now we have also joined him in doing so. My sister and I plant a tree every year on our birthdays. I teach our domestic help’s daughter thrice a week. I do some simple practical thingsand do my bit towards sustainability.

Shreya, Class 9 On 22nd April, my mother and I gave packets of rice and jaggery to the needy and aged people. On the next day, I took my grandmother out for a walk in our beautiful neighbourhood as she was tired of sitting in a room. We talked and laughed a lot during our stroll. While taking a walk around, I noticed that the plants in the park were not watered. So, after the walk I went back to the park and watered all the plants. You see, it is not only important to plant the trees, but we also have to conserve them.

Ruhani Narula, Class 9 We went to a play school called “Masti Ki Pathshala” where my sister and I distributed snacks to the children. The snacks were homemade sandwiches, mango shake and chocolates. The students sang to us lovely poems. We then clicked some pictures and at the end they all said “Thank you”. It was a great experience for me!

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Koonj Dhaliwal, Class 9 We, humans love the exotic breeds of dogs more as stray sounds so lame. But the precious mother Earth, loves them all the same. For when we see one hurt, either stray or famous breed, we shall help them out and do our moral deed. And thus, I too rescued a stray dog and took his care. Moreover, I also planted a tree.

Manasvi Bansal Class 12 This year, in accordance with Global Youth Service Day, I tried my best to contribute to the sustainability goals. I planted two Tulsi plants at my house. Planting these beneficial plants gave me a feeling of self-satisfaction and made me believe that even a small change such as this could make a difference.

Prableen Kaur Saini In lieu of GYSD under AFS India, I planted some rosemary seeds in my garden. It has plenty of biological benefits that helps to alleviate muscle pain and boosts our immune and circulatory systems. After I planted the seeds, I felt satisfied and felt that I could make a difference even with a small change such as this.

Simrandeep Kaur Food security is the basic right of every human being. But still, a number of deaths are caused each year because of starvation. We all need to come together to eradicate this issue completely.

So I deicede to provide food to the poor and “Serve, Smile and Share Together.”

Navkiran Class 12 Menstruation is a natural biological process that every girl goes through. A phenomenon that is so significant for the survival and propagation of our species depend on it and yet considered as taboo. I visited an elementary school of my village and found out that 3 out of 10 girls are unaware about menstruation at the time of their first periods and use unhygienic ways to manage their periods. I spent my day educating the girls there about period hygiene and did my bit of raising awareness about the subject.

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Riddhima Garg, Class 9 I keep on looking out for the opportunities to help those less fortunate than me. Such an opportunity presented itself before me when my mother asked me to tutor the kids of our maid who weren’t doing well in their studies. I started tutoring them and since then they have shown remarkable improvement. I always make a point to offer some drinks or refreshments to hawkers and delivery men whenever they visit my place.

Akshara Bansal Class7 For the GYSD activity this year, I decided to clean my surroundings and plant some trees because if our surrounding is clean we will have rare chances to fall ill. If our surrounding is clean we will also feel fresh and clean. I also helped some people in the nearby slums for we should show some kindness to poor people that do not have food to eat, a proper home to live in, or good clothes to wear. When we show some kindness towards people God blesses us and give us more to help the people.

Urvi Gandhi, Class 12 The Sant Nirankari Charitable Organization holds a blood donation camp every 24th April all over the world. It takes place every year in Patiala. This year I volunteered at this event along with my family. I was given the duty of registering the people who came to donate their blood. I also handed out refreshments to the donors to keep them hydrated. The camp was a huge success as 404 people donated blood. I felt happy to have lend a helping hand for such a noble cause.

Hiteshi Bansal Class 12 It is very sad to see the state of the cows abandoned on the streets. I often go to cow shelters (goshalas) to spend time with them. Whenever I see stray cows on the street, I inform the authorities to take them to the cow shelters as stray cows are one of the causes of accidents on roads. Along with the local veterinarian’s help, I help them to get medical intervention. I frequently feed them fodder.

Riya Dhiman Class 12 To offer my service on Global Youth Service Day, I taught my 10-year-old neighbor advanced MS Word. She showed up very enthusiastically to the class. We conducted it online in accordance with the social distancing covid norms to prevent any doubt of germ contamination. I taught her MS Word features like applying borders, changing color of the page, adding signature, SmartArt, spellcheck etc. Both of us enjoyed it a lot. After this we planned for the next sessions, proceeding with complex topics like MS Excel, Scratch, algorithms etc.

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Eknoor Kaur Class 7 I went to a local animal shelter (Gaushala) in Patiala to volunteer and educate myself. I saw many animals there which were injured or were abandoned. I spotted monkeys, hawks, kittens, cows, dogs, pigeons, doves and crows at the site. I got inspired to create an awareness program to ‘Stop Animal Cruelty’. I created informative posters, distributed them and spread the word about the same. The overall visit was highly informative.

Aashirya Bansal, Class 7 I assisted in a social activity that wisely brought smiles on many people’s faces. I distributed food to people for only five rupees. Now, one might think that why charge five rupees and not give it for free? So, my grandfather always tells me that when a person pays for the food he feels proud to eat that food. My grandfather’s philosophy really touches my heart every time I provide food to the needy as I see that pride in their eyes when they come to actually buy their meals and not live on someone’s charity.

The Punjab Public School, Nabha Chapter The Punjab Public School organized the Global Youth Service Day activity on April 24, 2022. A group of 14 students including 3 Educators and AFS Coordinator Mr Sumit Sharma created awareness amongst daily wage earners including rickshaw pullers and porters about personal hygiene, food adulteration and food safety. The activity was carried out at railway stations, bus stands and squares where the daily wage earners normally gather. The staff and the students associated with the activity prepared sandwiches on the campus and arranged fruits and face masks for distribution amongst the people.

Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya Gwalior The students at SKV came up with some activities in service of our Sahayikas who sacrificed their families and answered to the clarion call for the safety of health and wellbeing of them. As the final exams of students got over and they had joined their new session, they decided that they would donate their notebooks, stationery items, books for the children of Sahayikas. They also decided to recycle the empty papers from their notebooks so that they can be again bonded together to make a new notebook and also made carry bags from old newspapers. A set of biodegradable Sankalp sanitary napkins that were made by the students were distributed to them. The staff, house mothers pooled some amount and decided to give the Sahayikas water bottles.

The Sahayikas were overwhelmed with joy, contentment and happiness to see how grateful the students were for all the hard work they put in to take care of them.

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Kolkata Chapter | Lakshmipat Singhania Academy Keeping the GYSD theme in mind, our school made sure that we cater to the maximum number of people in the community. We reached out to the underprivileged as well as the privileged. We did community cooking and served food to the people dwelling in slum areas. We collected unused shoes, and bags and served the Future Hope Foundation, an NGO, for their inmates. For the privileged group, we arranged a vaccine drive for 12 to 14 year olds and also spread information about Diabetes and how to prevent it.

Doctors were invited to give expert advice and random blood sugar was checked for all. Also our little ones came to school and did community sapling plantation.

All Saints' College, Nanital During this GYSD Month, All Saints’ College orgnised class-wise activities where the classes 4 & 5 did cleaning of the flower beds and in classes 6 to12; each student donated one piece of stationery and was presented to a local village Government School. The volunteers spent the day with primary students, taught them songs, and interacted with the local village people. Sanitary Napkins were also distributed to women that were made by our school.

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Member School Member School Stories Stories A Virtual Exchange Between A Virtual Exchange Between The Punjab Public School The PunjabInternational Public SchoolSchool Medi-Caps Medi-Caps International School A cultural exchange program was held virtually at The Punjab Public School, Nabha in collaboration with the A cultural exchange program wasIndore held virtually The Medi-Caps International School, on 10thatMay Punjab Public School, Nabha in collaboration with the 2022. The event was moderated by the students Medi-Caps International School, Indore on 10th May Ushaan Sandhu and Manjot Kaur. The students gave 2022. The event by their the students presentations on a was few moderated countries and cultures Ushaan Sandhu and Manjot Kaur.

The students gave that topped the happiness index. The following were presentations on a few countries and their cultures the presentation teams. that topped the happiness index. The following were the presentation teams.

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School Stories AFS UPCYCLOTHON Keeping in mind the vision to inspire young people to become changemakers of tomorrow, Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls’ Public School, Jodhpur, organised ‘Upcyclothon: Regard before you discard’, an online competition where 33 schools and 226 students participated.

The students created videos that were an amalgamation of creativity and innovation. Each and every video showcased the best possible way to upcycle the waste materials adhering to the 3 Rs - Reduce, Reuse and Repurpose.

Students used a variety of waste materials ranging from old coconut shells, cardboard, newspapers, used bottles, plastic spoons and egg cartons. Imaginations ran wild as the students sent videos showing items such as sustainable cooler, eco-friendly toothbrush & comb, nature-friendly decorative items, eggshell lamp-shade, table made of eco-bricks and CPU case, handmade paper, pencil stands from old newspapers, bird houses from discarded items, dolls from plastic spoons, rainwater harvesting model, greenhouse prototype, drip irrigation project, flip flops made of old yoga mat; this list is endless.

With all the students showing their creative best, it was a tough time for the judges to decide the winners. The videos were judged by the three renowned panellists – Mr. Priyam Doshi, Mrs. Devika Mankotia and Ms. Divya Patwa on the following criteria- Utility of the Product, its Eco-Friendly nature, Optimum Use of Waste Material, Visual Appeal of the Product, Creativity and Presentation of the Product. The teachers in charge of this event were Ms Aashna Jain, Mrs. Radhika Singh and Ms Amba Singh Jhabua, under the guidance of Mrs. Sapna Gupta, AFS Coordinator and Dean of Cultural Exchange Programs of RKKGPS. The results of the Competition were announced. The Ceremony was streamed live on the Official YouTube Channel of RKKGPS, Jodhpur. It was mind-blowing to see the seeds we sowed to create a sustainable future blossom into a tree of positive change and hope

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Result

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Alumni Achievement My Visit to Anand Ashram

By Vanshika Garg, Asia Kakehashi Project 2021-22

I went to Anand Ashram for three days and spent time with around 30 kids staying there. In the beginning, I was a bit nervous about whether the kids will like me or not but I came out of my comfort zone and had a really nice time. As soon as I entered the ashram the kids hugged me and asked my name. They all were so sweet and playful.

On my first day, I took chips for them and they all were happy to get those gifts. I played many games with them. All the kids would pull my shirt and would tell me to pick them up on my back. I promised them that I will come for as many days as I can.

When I went to the ashram the next day, all the kids came running to me and started shouting my name. It made me feel so happy and loved. I enjoyed each and every moment with them. I noticed that they fight a lot with each other and sometimes hit each other.

That day I spoke to them and told them not to fight or hurt each other. They all took time to understand what I was saying but I was filled with joy to see a change in them in such a short period of time.

These kids inspired me. They created an impact on me. They taught me that, no matter what the situation is you should always be happy. I think I also made an impact there that you should never fight with each other and always solve your problems with each other by talking to one other. I am so happy that I went there to spend time with those kids. I made so many memories and I will keep going there whenever I can.

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Hosting Story Successful Completion of 18+ Internship Hosting Program

18+ Program

We are happy to announce the completion of our Hosting Internship Program with our participant, Lefa Molemela departing from India and safely reaching back to his home country, South Africa on 26th May 2022. Lefa Molemela was hosted in Gandhinagar and did an internship at Aveosoft Pvt. Ltd. from February 2022.

We want to highlight that the journey of his exchange would not have been possible without the tremendous support from the volunteers of the Gandhinagar chapter. We thank the Gandhinagar chapter for the amazing support provided in making Lefa’s program a successful one.

My Memorable Trip to Colombia

By Mrs Tarunpreet Kaur Uppal, AFS 18+ Teacher's Assistant Program to Colombia Art is my life wherein I have been engaged in the teaching & learning process for the past 19 years. Art is another name for the expression of emotions, of thoughts and above all, it reflects our culture and way of life.

When I got the offer of teaching students in Colombia, my happiness knew no boundaries. I was excited, enthralled and overwhelmed. Soon I was packing my luggage and alongside my mental planning had also begun. I made a list of all the theoretical and practical topics to be discussed with a completely new set of learners. But I was completely unaware that my new classroom will comprise not only a new set of learners but also a language entirely unknown to me.

I remember my first day at Juan Pablo Segundo School, where I met the art teacher Ms. Yanth and the real challenge began as I could not understand Spanish and they didn’t know English. I could not find any art material according to my teaching requirements. My phone was not working so had no help from Google Translate. But my faith in God and my dedication to Art soon helped me resolve these issues. Ms. Jackeline, my host, was an angel to me since she brought a ray of hope and helped me with my classroom translations and also ensured a home-like stay in her house. After a few challenging days, I brought my classes on track, soon it was Our Class and My students. After teaching for two months, the last few days were utterly emotional. The Page 13 | April 2022 | Newsletter | AFS India

students and I had formed a strong bond - Art had united us.

With a heavy heart, I bid farewell to the school authorities, Ms Yanth and the wonderful bunch of loving students. In the last part of my trip Jackeline, Aura and Marlen helped me visit places of cultural importance in Colombia. I will forever stay indebted to them for arranging a meeting with local artists where I had a lifetime of experience of learning art.

I am indeed thankful to AFS India for giving me this experience of cultural, emotional, and artistic exchange. In the end, I would like to mention that art truly knows no language or boundaries, and the will to teach and learn can surely overcome all kinds of barriers

Educator’s Desk A Pivotal Journey through The Climate of AFS

By Ms Rebecca Lal, All Saints’ College, Nainital

In 2019, when we joined AFS as an institution, we had international perspectives and global exposure in our minds with learning and service occupying centre stage. Four years of active association with some of the highly motivated associates of AFS leaves us satisfied today, of our contribution as inspired global citizens and assists us to create opportunities for cultural explorations.

Engagement with AFS has helped us actualize our vision and mission of truly understanding one another and seeing the world from different perspectives. Under the banner of AFS, various conversations were initiated that helped us channel critical analysis and thoughtful discussions structured around recognizing how race, ethnicity, class, gender, family and context shape human values and influence the world.

AFS has shared insights on actively realizing our educational goals: To unify the individual, school, family and community with a universal philosophy.

To encourage accountability across the social strata.

To teach the intuitive philosophy of generating a feel-good factor as a reward for positive actions.

To believe that thoughts lead to actions, actions lead to feeling about yourself and feelings; lead back to thoughts in a circle.

To reach the importance of interconnectedness among social ecologies and influences, teaching positive actions for physical, intellectual, social, and emotional areas.

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The GCC program is a soul-enriching journey that takes one on the path of attaining global empathy.

As educators, we face the task of preparing our students for a world that is filled with chaos. In order to become global citizens, we must realise the importance of small actions that contribute to formulating opinions. I am gr ateful and blessed that I availed the opportunity of becoming a globally competent citizen as I now feel that my teaching has been completely transformed.

AFS Mission AFS Intercultural Programs is an international, voluntary, non- govermental, non-profit organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world.

AFS Values AFS enables people to act as responsible global citizens working for peace and understanding in a diverse world it acknowledges that peace is a dynamic concept threatened by injustice, inequity, and tolerance AFS seeks to affirm faith in the dignity and worth of every human being and of all nations and cultures. it encourages respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms witout distinction as to race, sex, language, religion or social status.

AFS activities are based on our core values of dignity, respect for differences, harmony, sensitivity and tolerance.

Global competence is the “power skill” young peple require to make their impact on an increasingly diverse world and global economy.

Active global citizens must be prepared to communicated, collabrate and lead across differences to tackle the world’s greatest chalenges and help more people benefit from a global economy.

For any Suggestions, or sharing stories or experiences, please write at india@afs.org Learn more about AFS at india.afs.org Be inspired by our History at india.afs.org/afs-timeline/ Connect with us at: facebook./afsindia youtube.com/afsindiaofficial twitter.com/IndiaAFS instagram.com/afs_india

AFS Intercultural Programs 163, Ground Floor, Jasola Vihar, Pocket 2 New Delhi , 11025, India www.india.afs.org | india@afs.org