Sewa Sandesh   October 2016 Sewa Sandesh team wishes its readers and well wishers a happy and prosperous Deepawali.

SOLOR POWER PLANT AT SANKARACHARYA KANYA ASHRAM   Sewa International has been supporting the Sankaracharya Kanya Ashram, Jaleshpata, Kandhamal, Odisha. It is a Girls’ school cum hostel facility, housing 190 students. The school was facing the problem of severe power cuts. Due to that, after sunset all the activities would sieze. The students were not able to study, more than two hours after the sunset, and this restricted their personal study hours, after schools. Sewa International has decided to support the school, and install a hybrid solar power plant in the school. The proposed plant is of 5kWP capacity, which is to be installed on the rooftop of the school. Although the school has the capacity to be installed with 60kWP power plant but, the current requirement, is way less than this capacity. Hybrid Solar plant is a good option because it is a one- time investment, it is viable in remote and inaccessible areas, emits zero Greenhouse gases, no pollution of air, water or soil. It also provides reliable power supply in all climatic conditions- whether it is hot or cold, and zero wastage. After its installations, students can have longer study hours, students could be provided with electric fans, computers and it would improve the security conditions as well. It will also power the water and water purifier which will provide the students with clean and uninterrupted drinking water supply. 5. Swasthya Sahayogi Sewa:  • 25 villages in two districts were finalized for operationalization of health initiative by Sewa International, Uttarakhand. • Team formation was completed for Swasthya Sahayogi Sewa. • Meeting conducted with Rotary Club, Dehradun regarding organizing of Health Camps and techno managerial support. • Meeting held with Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMO, Chamoli) for getting permission as well as for getting technical support to start health initiave by Sewa International, Uttarakhand. • Base line Information collected on selected health indicators form the project villages. • 2 days training for ASHAs on First Aid was completed for 15 villages of Chamoli district. • Orientation of Swasthya Sakhis (Field Worker, Health Initiative) done twice during the month.  • First formal departmental meeting was held at the stipulated date as per the reporting protocol for finalization of next month’s action plan, preparation of departmental budget, preparation of departmental report and discussion held on other relevant issues.   Swasthya Sahayogi Sewa 25 villages in two districts were finalized for operationalization of health initiative by Sewa International, Uttarakhand. Team formation was completed for Swasthya Sahayogi Sewa. Meeting conducted with Rotary Club, Dehradun regarding organizing of Health Camps andtechno-managerial support. Meeting held with Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Chamoli for getting permission as well as for getting technical support to start healthinitiative by Sewa International, Uttarakhand. Baseline Information collected on select health indicators from the project villages.  2 days training for ASHAs on First Aid was completed for 15 villages of Chamoli district. Orientation of Swasthya Sakhis (Field Worker, Health Initiative) done twice during the month.  First formal departmental meeting was held at the stipulated date as per the reporting protocol for finalization of next month’s action plan, preparation of the departmental budget, preparation of departmental report and discussion held on other relevant issues. DAGSHAI VISIT   The CEO of Sewa International Mr. Nishant Aggarwal visited, Shanti Niketan Hostel in Dagshai(HP), on 24 Sep 2016. The students of the hostel were given hand-knitted winter caps. These caps were prepared and donated by our Sewa International USA donors through their Knit for Sewa initiative. The team in the USA had worked tirelessly for a month to get hand-woven knitted woollens in time for the needy kids. Dagshai is a sleepy town at 5700 ft above, near Solan, Himachal with the history dating to the 19th century when it used to be a major cantonment town, famous for its now defunct wholesale market. It retains little of the colonial history but for our hostel. Shanti Niketan hostel building, which was donated by Shri Krishan Aggarwal, is more than a century old and still retains its old-world charm. Currently, it houses 29 children who study in Classes 3rd to 8th, from various rural/slum areas of districts Shimla, Mandi, Chamba, Solan etc. Most of these children have only one parent (either mother or father) and very little by the way of care, food or schooling opportunities at their home. When they join the hostel, they are admitted to nearby Govt Middle School, Dagshai for regular schooling. In the hostel, they get nutritious food, help in doing homework, lots of physical games and moral/ethical education. Most of the students have represented their school at State Level events in Athletics, Volleyball & Badminton. The school lacks in Digital Education, science lab, and computer lab. The school could also use an evening learning center. The capacity of the hostel can also be doubled but lacks resources. Sewa International continues to serve the need of the students and cause of education around the globe. EXHIBITION EPICENTER, GURGAON   Sewa International has participated in 7th Epicenter Diwali Mela, from 14-16 Oct 2016, at Epicenter Gurgaon, Delhi-NCR region. Sewa International has put up a stall showcasing our, “Kashi to Kutch” products. In this 3 day exhibition, the stall mainly showcased the bags of different styles and trendy scarves and stoles. There were different variety of bags viz. clutches, handbags, mobile pouches, sling bags of various sizes and passport holders etc. Being the shopping season, the exhibition generated a lot of enthusiasm, and had ample footfalls. Stoles made by the artisan women of Kutch, attracted the younger crowd of both girls and boys, and were a popular choice among the exhibited products. The products were made by the association of artisans working with Sewa Varanasi and Kutch Kala Sewa Trust. Sewa International has been supporting the artisans and traditional arts and crafts of the country. “Kashi to Kutch” is a unique project of Sewa International, where Sewa International takes clothes woven by the Banaras weavers and give it to Kutchi artisan women, who would then do, intricate Kutchi embroidery and tie& dye on the cloth, to produce a beautiful and one of its kind product in the world.  MR. SRIKANT KONDA VISITS KASHI-TO-KUTCH PROJECT IN VARANASI (UP)   Mr. Srikant Konda, Trustee of the Sewa International, Bharat, along with his family, visited the Varanasi project on the eve of Dusshera, 11 Oct 2016. Sewa International has been working towards the support and upliftment of the weavers, in Varanasi. Mr. Konda inspected the various initiatives undertaken by the organization, like weaver’s training, cleanliness drives and awareness campaigns, and education etc. He met with the weavers, who took training under the Sewa International training program, and inquired about the difference, training has made in their lives, and craft. He paid the visit to the 5 evening learning centers in Ramnagar area, which is currently, catering to 200 children. He also saw the recently installed 30 toilets in the Ramnagar area, and made valuable suggestions, for the cleanliness initiative of Sewa International. He appreciated the project, and wished luck for the fulfillment of the goals set by the organization. Sewa Srujan 3 new Self Help Groups were formed with a total number of 33 members. Bank linkage done for one Self Help Group. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) & Focussed Group Discussion (FGD) conducted in selected villages of all the mandals for need assessment and identification of alternative livelihood opportunities. Certificates were provided to 48 members of SHGs of Tapovan mandalregarding Fruit Processing Training. Training on Nursery preparation was provided to 18 members of 3 SHGs at Chandrapuri mandal in collaboration with Sewa Krishi team. SKVK centre, Pokhari was inaugurated with 55 members of 17 SHGs . First formal departmental meeting was held at the stipulated date as per the reporting protocol for finalization of next month’s action plan, preparation of departmental budget, preparation of departmental report and discussion held on other relevant issues. Success Story of A Handicraft Trainee Gunador is a 46 year old Reang tribesman, who lives in Naisingpara refugee camp, in North Tripura. The living conditions in refugee camps are deplorable, and there is no source of income. Sewa International has taken initiative, to improve this situation. We have started skill development programs for the youths in the camp. Earlier we have donated computers for the computer center in the refugee camps. This year we organised, a “Bamboo Handicraft Training Program”, at Naisingpara Refugee Camp, in Aug 2016. The training has been taken by two professional handicrafts trainer, and 11 youth from the camp have attended the training. Gunador is one of the trainees, prior to training, Gunador was struggling to make the ends meet. But after the training, he can produce beautifully crafted furniture from Bamboo. He now earns more than 3500 per month. His hard work and need have been channelized into a constructive activity, and he is able to generate livelihood out of the skill he acquired in the training camp. He thanks, Sewa International immensely, and says that more such camps should be held, every year benefitting the refugees living in the camp.