Sewa Sandesh June 2018

International Yoga Day  The true essence of Yoga is mindfulness and awareness. As believed by many that yoga is a form of exercise for the body, on the contrary, it is the coming together and balancing of the Trinity - Of the mind, the body and the soul. With its emphasis on breath and the mindfulness, we inhale the virtues, the joys and exhale the vices and the stress of our lives. Our centres throughout India, especially in Uttarakhand where our SKVK centres in Chamoli, Rudraprayag as well as all of our 7 Model Training Centers namely PMKK Centers in Pauri, Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri, Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag saw great participation from all members of Sewa team who participated in various events on the eve of Yoga Day. Sewa Kashi project also witnessed a massive participation of volunteers, children, men, women, old and young alike, on  International Yoga Day on 21st June 2018, practising the science of 'Yog', for a healthy and happy life. Sewa International wishes everyone a very Happy Yoga Day.

Uttarakhand  Formation of "Sewa Jyotika Sahayta Samuh" The SHG story in Uttarakhand has been crossing new milestones with its team working towards expanding the reach of the groups and to sensitize the people regarding the new age rural development policies and initiatives. Another feather added to the Sewa International success stories marking our initiation into the 2nd cluster in Joshimath block with the formation of "Sewa Jyotika Sahayta Samuh" in Urgam Valley, Salna village. The success comes as a great motivation to the team who has been working tirelessly to mobilise the women. The SHG has consolidated the women of the area into a binding force socially and hope to be the harbinger of change in the community.  Bal Panchayat in Dhankot Village Seeing the effectiveness of the Panchayati System, the idea of Bal Panchayats took a shape in Uttarakhand. The purpose of the children's council is to involve the youth in asserting their rights, building their sense of community involvement, and training them to hold leadership positions in Gram Panchayats and higher tiers of the system when they reach adulthood. A Bal Panchayat for children aged 7 to 12, has been formed in the village Dhankot of Chandrapuri cluster in Rudraprayag by Sewa International's Uttarakhand vertical called Sewa Yuva Jyoti. Various activities include management games, inspirational storytelling sessions, creative drawings, debates etc. A core team of 4 members was elected and a Bal Pradhan, Bal Mantri and Gullak Mantri were chosen from amongst the members. Sewa International seeks to make the children also as stakeholders in the community decision-making process by providing them with the knowledge and means to discuss and plan for their own development. These children are going to be the leaders of tomorrow so training starts now!! Sewa Mahila Jyoti (Non-Farm Based Livelihood Initiative) A Ringal training program was organized, starting on 14th June 2018, for the members of the SHGs in Ukhimath, Rudraprayag. The training program spanning for a week every month aims to train the women in creating new and market relevant designs for better sales of the products. Sewa International team has also provided the trainees with the necessary toolkit required to make the baskets. Bamboo craft is practiced in many places of Uttarakhand due to abundant availability of rich quality and variety of species of bamboo in the local forest. Among the species of bamboo, Ringal is one of the bamboo species. The farmers fetch the Ringal bamboo from the forest and weave the baskets in the winter, when there is not much work in fields. The finished baskets are mainly used for storing grains and supplements and carrying purposes. Ringal handicrafts have a huge potential for providing sustainable livelihood to people in Uttarakhand due to its unique eco-friendly properties, which have a great demand abroad also. But, it suffers from lack of trained and motivated people, who are willing to put efforts to carry this forward. Sewa through its dedicated SHGs for Ringal Handicrafts, aims for changing the existing scenario for good.  Tripura  Sports Meet at Naisinghpara Camp Our tuition centres in Tripura for the Bru tribal children have not just been a source of learning but also a platform to bring together these young minds for their personality development. Recognizing the importance of sports in this regard a sports meet was held atNaisingpara camp, where more than 450 students participated. The children happily and enthusiastically played badminton, football, and other games.  The whole place came to life with the squeals of their laughter and their unbridled energy. They also performed dances and sang songs which were enjoyed by everyone. The winners and best performers were rewarded with small gifts. Sewa International believes that "A Healthy Mind lives in a Healthy Body", and through these extra-curricular activities, it encourages students to not only study but also play, in order to develop their personality. Kashi  Nursery Management Training Sewa International in collaboration with Kalloogautam Research & Development Foundation organized a Nursery Management Programme in Vegetables at Chunar (Mirazapur) on 24th June 2018. The chief guests of the program were eminent scientists from Indian Institute of Vegetable Research Center(IIVR), Varanasi, Mr Kaushlendra Panday and Dr Nagender Rai. The lecture involved a detailed talk around the following important pointers regarding identifying a good nursery, planting the seedling, various plant protection measures and treatment of common plant diseases. Around 40 farmers who participated in the event were greatly benefitted from the program and expressed gratitude for senior scientists for their valuable time and knowledge sharing. Apart from the training imparted, a seed distribution drive was also held which involved the distribution of Sponge Gourd and Trichoderma seeds to 40 farmers. The farmers can now with the help of these best practices, increase the productivity of their crops at the same time taking care of the soil nutrient balance. The event was a great success and we hope to benefit the community and the farmers in the future by more of such events.  Training Program - Onion and Garlic Research Sewa International along with ICAR - Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research, Pune organized a training program on June, 2nd, 2018 whereby 80 farmers were trained. Prof Gautam Kalloo, former VC, Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University, Jabalpur was the chief guest of the programme. The training programme imparted knowledge to the farmers regarding the sowing techniques of onion, the necessary soil conditions, the optimum weather conditions required for a good crop. Our future endeavors would be to develop Farmer Producer Organisations in Kashi. Time to time visits by the senior scientists would also be organized for the benefit of the farmers. Sewa Australia Counselling - Crack Your First Job(CYFJ) We have all been there at some point in our lives, clueless about the nuances of applying for our first job. From drafting the cover letter to approaching the interview with the right skill set it can become quite a challenge for the newcomers into the industry. Sewa Australia with its novel idea of  'Crack Your First Job' has been helping the migrant job seekers to build a career and to develop a community of 'High Potential' individuals. The latest edition of the CYFJ was held on June 17 2018, which was a great success. The team shared valuable insights on job search strategy, networking behavior and the importance of body language. Sewa International associates worldwide are engaging local communities by identifying the local needs and providing valuable services for the growth and benefit of the community as a whole. Contact us: Plot No. 49, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi - 110002 +91-11-43007650 | contact@sewainternational.org sewainternationaldelhi@gmail.com

SEWA SANDESH - MAY 2018   Sewa Bru Rehab Project - A​ ​Tribal​ ​Support​ ​Initiative Bru Tribes (also called as Reang), are among the 21 scheduled tribes of the state of Tripura. In 1997, a bout of ethnic violence forced thousands of Brus to leave their homes in Mizoram, & ever since, they took refuge in a town called Kanchanpur in northern Tripura. Now, they are spread across 7 refugee camps on the Jampui hills. Sewa International’s rehabilitation initiatives for the Bru tribe have focussed towards providing employment/livelihood opportunities through skilling, education and health services to this community and surrounding areas. Education Sewa International has made much effort to make learning and educational equipment available to tribal children. Sewa International distributed the following learning aids and sports equipment in 22 Sewa Learning Centres(tuition centres) across displaced camps in NaisinghPara, AshaPara in Kanchanpur sub-division andKhakchangpara, Kaskaupara in Panisagar sub-division - All-in-one book (elementary  Maps (India/World) 7 types of charts (alphabet, fruits, colors, numbers, body parts etc.) Badminton kit Skipping ropes Board games Not only was this a new experience for the children, because of the addition of the sports equipment, a dedicated ‘games/recreation period ’ has been included in their centre timetable for the very first time. Sewa aims to support tribal schools and tuitionames/recreation periodNot only was this a new experience for the children, because of the addition of the sports equipment, a dedicated ‘gcentres with the necessary learning aids and sports equipment as our aim is to contribute to the overall well-being and holistic development of the tribal children. These continued efforts are especially important because when these learning centers were initiated, only a handful of children attended due to various reasons. But once people learned about the free of cost & quality of the educational services being provided at these centers, the number of children gradually increased and continues to do so, till date. In order to keep the attendance going strong and to reduce the dropout rate, Sewa International held an Educational Awareness Programme in the Naisingpara camp. Bru children turned up in large numbers to participate in the camp and were made aware of different learning techniques to help them develop an interest in various subjects, and a special orientational address was also made to make children aware of the importance of attaining a formal education and the implications of illiteracy in the outside world. Kaushal Bru  - Sewa & PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna) Sewa International trainees in the PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna) training center at the KhakchangPara camp, Tripura, have acquired the skill of tailoring through their diligence, hard work and our support, thus opening new venues for livelihood for the Bru tribe. The trainees here are now wearing dresses that they have stitched themselves through their newly acquired tailoring skill and are making dresses for the community as well that will further provide precision to their work. Health & Hygiene - Sewa Swasthya Mitra As part of a Health and Hygiene initiative, Sewa International conducted a Review of Health Awareness Training for our informal health workers called Sewa Swasthya Mitra led by Dr. Viren Naik, who volunteered for this cause. The training focussed on evaluating the progress of the Swasthya Mitra, identifying gaps and opportunities for providing better health care. This program focusses on spreading awareness among tribal people of the hazards of leading an unhealthy, unhygienic lifestyle and promotes hygiene best practices among the community, along with offering free of cost common medicines for general ailments like fever, diarrhea etc.  These informal health workers (Sewa Swasthya Mitra) bridge the gap between public healthcare institutes and underprivileged patients, who, due to lack of knowledge and accessibility to healthcare services, suffer to the extent of losing lives due to common ailments. The Sewa Swasthya Mitra team visited the Hazacherra camp and the families residing there. The team interacted with the families, especially the womenfolk and children, making them aware of the benefits of a daily hygiene routine and healthy practices to help prevent diseases and lead a healthy lifestyle in general. 3 Medical Camps were also held in Hazacherra, Ashapara and Khakchangparacamps. 400+ bru tribals in camps were benefited through these camps. For the follow-up, they were referred to nearby hospitals as well as Swasthya Mitras were instructed to visit them regularly to see their improvement. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra ~ Uttarakhand Sewa International’s interventional efforts in Uttarakhand have been gaining success and acceptance among the local communities, ever since they were initiated in 2013, post the disastrous cloudburst, which killed and many and rendered families homeless. But due to our rehabilitation undertakings, the local population of Uttarakhand has been able to usher out of the engulfing aftermath of the natural calamity in the region. Recently, 52 of our young trainees successfully completed their skill development training in Quality Seed Grower and Self-Employed Tailor jobroles, under PMKK (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra) program of NSDC. A certificate distribution event was organized in Chandrapuri, which was presided over by Hon. MLA(Rudraprayag), Shri Bharat Singh Chaudhary, to encourage the successful trainees. Mr. Chaudhary lauded the efforts of Sewa International in creating employment avenues in the remote and far-flung hilly regions of Uttarakhand thus preventing dissatisfaction, distress, and employment-related migration among the youth of the state. Sewa Kaushal Vikas Kendra ~ Uttarakhand Sewa Krishi Under Sewa Krishi, the women from Dakshin Kali SHG have begun engaging in community cluster farming in village Raduwa, Pokhari Mandal. Through this initiative, Sewa International intends to curb the losses incurred due to fragmented land holdings in a systematic way, and maximize their bargaining capacity at the time of production. Sewa Mahila Jyoti Sewa Mahila Jyoti vertical has been mainly providing 2 types of training which are: 1. Center-based training 2. Community-based training Through centre based training, around  380 women have already completed their training from 6 different centers run by Sewa Mahila Jyoti. We have successfully organized community-based training in 9 villages of Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts in the state of Uttarakhand. In these training centres, a total of 131 women were collectively skilled so far. Currently, in 6 such community-based training centers, training sessions are in progress, benefitting around 31 women. Recently, Sewa Uttarakhand began a 20 days community knitting camp in village Chandnikhal, Pokhari cluster on May 21st, 2018, in which 21 women have registered. Apart from training in the skill of knitting, Sewa Mahila Jyoti has also trained 22 female beneficiaries of Subhai village, Tapovan, district Chamoli, for the production of Ringal (Bamboo) based products. These training initiatives/programs will enhance the employability of these rural women and help us step closer towards our aim of a skilled Uttarakhand. Sewa Kashi “Swacch-Shikshit-Kushal Kashi” was started with the aim of reviving the dying handloom industry of Banaras or ‘Kashi’, and has evolved with multi-pronged holistic interventions in the fields of education, health, sanitation & agriculture. The weaver community in Kashi has been trained with latest developments in their field through the workshops conducted by Sewa International from time to time, their products branded and sold in exhibitions, their kids educated, and their locality made Open Defecation Free (ODF) through sponsored individual/community toilets. Farmers are given periodic trainingto improve their agricultural skills. Their children are provided educational aids in various educational centers managed by Sewa International. The change is visible and positive. In order to help in the identification of the beneficiaries of our Chunar initiative, Sewa International in has helped weavers in Chunar acquire an identification card. The benefits of this step are listed below :   1. An ID card would help them gain access to multiple benefits like availing medical facilities from the local health centers. 2. It would help to scale the benefits under various government schemes. 3. Such identification would prevent misleading of funds.   It would ensure that all local weavers are covered under the benefits provided by the government and other agencies Toilet & Hygiene Project Sewa International has installed more than 200 toilets under various toilet installation projects in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, including 20 toilet installations in and aroundLucknow. The funds for this initiative were raised by Sewa International USA. One of the reasons for the high drop-out rates from schools, especially among adolescent girls, is due to the fact that there was an absence of a usable toilet in the schools. Our team, led by Set. Jaye Ramanan, supported by Shri Thiagarajan Ramanan, took the initiative of toilet installation in these schools. A special note of thanks to the Sewa USA donors whose continued support makes it possible to undertake such an impactful project. Renovation of Existing Toilets - Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh During April, we narrowed down 20 schools on the basis of priority and commenced the first phase of the renovation of existing toilets. May has been a month of obstacles. Despite that, toilets in 8 schools are currently undergoing major renovations. Pre-Project Donor Visit - Chennai, Tamil Nadu Shri. Ganeshan, one of our overseaskaryakarta and supporter of Sewa International, visited India to inspect a project we had proposed a few months ago. He interacted with the staff and children of Olcott Memorial High School and Aadi Dravida Government School in Tamil Nadu. He assessed the need for an English & Hindi teacher, basic computer literacy, along with replacing toilets. Enabling Change - Sewa USA Sewa USA has made its mission of serving the underprivileged a reality in the United States, around the world & especially in the Indian context. It is our pleasure to share some of the recent highlights from the Sewa USA chapter in the following report. Memorial Day Weekend - ‘Abhyas Varg’ The Memorial Day weekend saw a very busy beginning for the Sewa Houston Team. Here are the highlights of the proceedings that took place :   1. Thursday and Friday  The Family services team organized an‘Abhyas Varg’ or training workshop and held discussions with Shri Girish Mehta, our National Advisor, and founder of The Indian Circle of Caring. A total of 10-hours of Abhyas Varg took place on Thursday and Friday evenings with Sachin, Dabir and the Family Services team. A total of 20 ‘karyakartas or workers attended the workshop. Girish’s tireless energy, enthusiasm and the ability to inspire ’is praiseworthy.   2. Friday evening - Moments of Pride Sewa got the prestigious G7 award by the‘Houston International Trade Development Council’ for “Outstanding Nonprofit”. Shri. Gitesh Desai (Houston Chapter President), received the award at their Gala on Friday which was accompanied by two congressionalrecognitions and a congratulatory note from White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islander.     3. Saturday Morning  We witnessed the launch of the 2018 Get Inspired Houston Summer Internship (GIH) with 9 interns –the first orientation meeting for the interns was held at the Sewa office where they were greeted by the Sewa Houston Team. This is the 6th consecutive year of summer internship where young adults spend more than 200-hours over a period of 2-months volunteering on projects related to the education of underserved and refugee community in the Sewa Houston AmeriCorps.  During the session, Andrea Garcia, (Houston VISTA volunteer) said in her speech :  ”I can tell you truly from my heart, based on my 2 years of active association with Sewa that this is the organization where money really reaches the needy – the dedication of the Houston Sewa team is an inspiration. It is humbling to see the trust bestowed on Sewa by volunteers and supporters alike. Looking forward to an eventful summer ahead. It is truly a bliss to witness the dedication of a passionate and selfless team.”

Testimony Of A Young Girl - Sewa USA Impact The following is a heart-warming email from a young girl, who had made a request for 2 laptops for her brother who is graduating as the Valedictorian of Tucker High School and herself. Here’s an excerpt from the email of gratitude from the girl: “You and your Sewa International team put in your best efforts to ensure my brother and I get all the help we need during this difficult time- I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart… When you, Mr. Swadesh, responded back to me saying that you would be willing to help me- I thought it was a true blessing. You found a generous donor for us, Mr. Sam Patel, for whom I cannot express enough gratitude. Good things do occur but they can’t occur without those who think of doing good deeds for others, like yourself and your whole Sewa International Team, Mr. Yashwant Belsare, Mr. Raghav, and many others. It is better to do one’s own duty, however defective it may be than to follow the duty of another. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it never sins -  Shree Krishna.” At the end of this report, we would like to leave you with a sense of accomplishment because It is due to your donations, that we are able to touch so many lives. We would like to take this opportunity to request you to please continue your support so that we are able to continue our journey towards a healthier, empowered and brighter India. Contact us: Plot No. 49, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi - 110002 +91-11-43007650 | contact@sewainternational.org | sewainternational@gmail.com