Community Development Project
This year has been interesting for all of us in the community as we consciously tried to look ahead and leave behind the agony and chaos that has been prevailing all these past months. We focused on learning and deepening our skills, both personal and work-related. We spent a significant amount of time in group discussions and dialogues to foster a deeper sense of unity, teamwork and mutual support.
This year too, as in the previous year, the major challenge was getting our students back to the classes.
— Several of our students have relocated to their villages while many others have been forced to take up odd jobs to support their families.
— Though the students are not able to come to us very regularly, we try our best to engage them as meaningfully as possible whenever they do come.
— The fact that these children have not lost their connect with us and continue to visit us and communicate with us is truly reassuring and reinforces our belief that we have had a long-lasting impact on their lives. All our students, whatever they may be doing today, deeply miss their time at the Centre.
On March 6th and 7th, 2021, we participated in an exhibition-cum-sale hosted by the Chandigarh J.W. Marriott.
— Our products were widely appreciated.
— We were able to sell off most of our products on display.
— Many customers learnt of our cause and our work and started regularly visiting our Centre.
The tailoring and embroidery department is now flourishing, with customers coming to the learning centre and giving us orders for custom-made clothes. Word of mouth is spreading and the feedback about the quality of work and customer relationship has been very positive.
We were fortunate to get an opportunity to make designer-chairs for an upcoming resort in Himachal. This was an interesting and educative process for the carpentry and weaving department as making the designer-chairs was an exacting and intensive task.
In August 2021, we started 3 courses for the women of the Family Welfare Center (FWC) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Group Center, Pinjore, which included courses for Beauticians, Tailoring and Cooking.
— About 30 ladies were trained over a month. These ladies got the opportunity to learn a skill of their choice and monetize that skill for themselves and the FWC.
— The courses included attitudinal training, the dynamics of team-building and team-work, basic leadership sills, active listening skills, and the ability to give and take feedback.
An awareness program and free re-usable sanitary-pad distribution was organised jointly by Auromir and Aikyam of St.Kabir School, Chandigarh, on November 30th, 2021. This event was covered by News Today Live. Students of this school got the chance to talk freely to the women of the community about various issues like personal hygiene, gynaecological issues and other women’s health related concerns.
In December 2021, we got an order to make single beds, work tables and chairs for the officers of the CRPF, Pinjore. This provided us the opportunity to contribute to the welfare of officers who sacrifice so much for the nation.
We have some new women-members in the Community.
— Suman who joined in October is picking up skills of inventory management and basic tailoring;
— Renu Bala who creates products using Crochet and Knitting;
— Gudiya who is helping with housekeeping and is learning basket weaving.
Both, Renu and Gudiya, joined us in December 2021.
On February 26th and 27th, we participated in another exhibition-cum-sale hosted at the Hyatt Regency, Chandigarh. We once again got a very encouraging response. Our products and your cause were much appreciated. We have received some enquiries for volunteering and internships.
We now have an intern working with us at the Centre: Amit Kumar from Agra, Uttar Pradesh. He is pursuing a Masters degree in Social Services from IGNOU. He will be working with the children on yoga and meditation. He wishes to go deeper into these subjects and wants to plan a physical health and meditation program for the youth.