tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17715324754815287342024-03-24T00:44:12.940-07:00SEWA Youth ConnectSelf-Employed Women's Association in Delhi launched an innovative mentoring program linking women studying at Delhi University to underprivileged SEWA Youth. Mentors and mentees share their stories on this journey, learning about someone from a different background, teaching each other and growing together.Youth Connecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342808604283793776noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-9601007085742471332015-09-18T00:09:00.002-07:002015-09-18T00:29:59.759-07:00THE TURNING POINT - My Fellowship Journey <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> THE TURNING POINT </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Mentor : Bani Sodhi, BA (Hons) Political Science, Miranda House, DU</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Mentee : Nargis, Student Class XII</i></b></span></div>
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According to Mahabharata, " There is nothing humility cannot accomplish". SEWA Bharat's Youth Connect has been such a humbling experience for both me and my mentee Nargis. More than anything else it has acted as a catalyst of sorts in connecting girls from different backgrounds to achieve a substantively benevolent purpose. The journey has been long and beautiful, having given us a myriad of opportunities to discover not only tangible aspects of life but also the intangibles.<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"> I am very proud to say that throughout my mentoring journey, Nargis and me connected on an emotional level as well which is what makes it very difficult for me to narrow down to one incident that we could coin as the 'turning point' in our journey.<br />As Lord Krishna says, " The senses are higher than the body, the mind higher than the senses; above the mind is the intellect, and above the intellect is the Atman. Thus, knowing that which is supreme, let the Atman rule the ego. Use your mighty arms to slay the fierce enemy that is selfish desire". This has been one of my primary stances throughout my mentoring journey. I wanted it to be a self introspecting, self realization journey for my mentee. Hence through out our meetings we endeavored to reflect upon our being and state of mind and perhaps try and alter the thought process.<br />Each meeting or interaction as me and Nargis call it, was about introspecting our reactions to situations, deliberating on them and sieving out the 'perceived right reactions, that consequentially led to the ' certainly right RESPONSES' . This not only enhanced our thought process but also our way of living. I made conscious efforts to develop the attribute of 'Emotional Intelligence in my mentee'.<br />It was all about giving yourself time to reflect on the nuances of a situation before taking a step, though it seemed a little tedious at first, since having to think and choose rational responses for every situation in life is humanly not possible, but well this journey for me was all about developing this as a way of life for my mentee.<br />It was only when 'IMPULSE' was eradicated, the path for ' RATIONAL CONSEQUENTIAL THINKING' was paved which definitely was the crux of our entire mentor-mentee journey.<br />I will forever be indebted to SEWA Bharat, for giving me such an exquisite opportunity of mentoring, and in all my humility would like to believe of having made a positive impact in the life of a young girl, who is endeavoring to do the same in her household, in her community and her country.</span></div>
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I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Tanvee Ma'am for the constant support and adding bundles of cheer to our journeys :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559602287627129414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-65524615399199940842015-06-13T03:33:00.002-07:002015-06-13T03:34:22.280-07:00Note from Kriti and Sheetal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">SEWA Youth Connect has brought two
individuals from two backgrounds together. It was started with 11 pairs in Dec
2013 . Seeing the positive feedback we
started with 14 pairs in September 2014 and the
latest batch was started in April 2015 with 13 pairs of mentors and mentees. Currently we have 24 pairs of mentors and
mentees in the programme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Each pair has its own journey and its own
individual story to share. It has been a two way learning process for both the
mentor and mentee building them as confident individuals. Here is what Kriti and
Sheetal shared with us recently after they were awarded for their best performance in the programme so far.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>Mentor Kriti, B.A Pol. Sc(H), I.P College, DU, (19
yrs):</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> “</span><span style="background: #F6F7F8; color: #141823; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">With each passing day, I stand here
filled with reverence and awe for this organisation and people working for and
within it. The bond I have built with few of the other mentees along with my
own mentee Sheetal is extremely sweet and simple. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I never interacted with anyone from this
background at this level. After seeing the way they live their lives happily brings
satisfaction with our own lives, It teaches us that life is about living beyond
materialistic things. Best things are the aim of program, in this program both
mentee and I learn equally and develop personality equality like sisters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My expectations from the program are fully met,
a lot of freedom and exposure is there. Also, Sheetal comes well prepared for
meetings now and she has understood her role in the program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The
Program is going very well. I have full freedom to develop Sheetal as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My parents are very happy with me joining
Youth Connect and wish to meet mentee </span><span style="background: #F6F7F8; color: #141823; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My mother says I have grown as a responsible and mature
person. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: #F6F7F8; color: #141823; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I hold a lot of re</span><span data-reactid=".2b.1:4:1:$comment1598151813795728_1599183707025872:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3">spect
in my heart today for the work that has been initiated by this organisation and
the amount of happiness spread by each one us. I believe this is one of the
most beautiful and special relations that I have built which will be termed
with a 'FOREVER' now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span data-reactid=".2b.1:4:1:$comment1598151813795728_1599183707025872:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$text0:0:$text2:0">Thank
you<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=100000148076164&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" data-reactid=".2b.1:4:1:$comment1598151813795728_1599183707025872:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$range0:0" href="https://www.facebook.com/tanvee.kakati?hc_location=ufi" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Tanvee</span></a><span data-reactid=".2b.1:4:1:$comment1598151813795728_1599183707025872:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$text0:0">,
and the whole team for the constant appreciation and motivation. I wish all the
good luck to all the other mentors and mentees irrespective of the fact that I
know you or not. The only thing I can assure is, if you are a part of this
programme, you will have a beautiful journey ahead, without doubts!<span class="apple-converted-space">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: #F6F7F8; color: #141823; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span data-reactid=".2b.1:4:1:$comment1598151813795728_1599183707025872:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$text0:0"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: #F6F7F8; color: #141823; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sheetal,
Class XII pass (18 yrs)</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: #F6F7F8; color: #141823; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">: </span></span><br />
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: #F6F7F8; color: #141823; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“ I thank SEWA Youth Connect for
giving me a wonderful mentor. She works on my English skills. We meet every
week either in her college (IP College, DU) or we go and explore historical
monuments. We recently went to see the Humayun’s tomb. I like seeing new things
and learning about them with her. Earlier I could not travel alone. But travelling
for the meetings have made me confident and now I can go anywhere. Tanvee ma’am
says ‘Ab toh tum kahi bhi aa-jaa sakti ho.” She also gave me the responsibility
to bring the new mentees from our area(Rajeevnagar) to the head office for
meeting as they were not confident to come alone. I felt proud. Me and Kriti
was also given an award for being best mentor and mentee in the last 6 months
period. I am extremely happy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: #F6F7F8; color: #141823; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: #F6F7F8; color: #141823; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> I am much more confident today. I can talk to
strangers better. Earlier I would not even say a word and was shy. Kriti made
me speak to her friends in college once and Ma’am also asks us a lot of
questions in the monthly meetings. I think that has helped me to speak better
today. We also got the chance to pose for a photo shoot wearing Loom Mool
outfit. I was nervous initially as I had never put make up and never done
anything like this. The clothes were also very nice too. All the mentors and
mentees were a bit nervous for the shoot. But Tanvee ma’am encouraged us to be confident and
we all were very comfortable and happy towards the end. It was a life time
experience. Ma’am always encourages us to do well. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Kriti remembered my birth day and wish me at
12:01 a.m., I felt very good that she loves me so much, I have become habitual of
staying with her, she is also very concerned for me. Earlier I used to fight
with sister even on small issues but now I don’t, people say that sheetal is
changed now. I now know how to face people and
situations. It’s a good program, earlier we were dull but now we know a lot of
things. My sister was a mentee in the first batch. She has also grown
positively through this program. Today, my Mentor is my best friend! </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">”</span></div>
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Youth Connecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342808604283793776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-51110168546820093492015-06-13T02:15:00.000-07:002015-06-13T02:27:26.262-07:00Congratulations every one !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is amazing to see the 11 pairs of mentors and mentees from the second batch of SEWA Youth Connect started in September 2014 complete 6 months of togetherness! SEWA feels proud and happy to encourage the young girls to come together and engage in the two way learning process. To encourage them further the best performing pair so far was awarded with a token of appreciation !<br />
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Here is what we had for mentor Kriti and mentee Sheetal!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0CNhfZk_J_ci-KLM7TDCRZvyL6HeAERtFlQrH4l8MSQO9EmXsTAyB57eqRsOv_SBVQEHhazX0LetoDD78BWxqqxv5-fGTyCact6HgQnDfSVjFIvY4QYOmmwPi4H5WdgLJI1XJYR99uCp/s1600/sheetal+appreciation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0CNhfZk_J_ci-KLM7TDCRZvyL6HeAERtFlQrH4l8MSQO9EmXsTAyB57eqRsOv_SBVQEHhazX0LetoDD78BWxqqxv5-fGTyCact6HgQnDfSVjFIvY4QYOmmwPi4H5WdgLJI1XJYR99uCp/s320/sheetal+appreciation.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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We congratulate everyone for their journey so far. We wish all of them luck to bring about a positive change in their lives!<br />
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Youth Connecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342808604283793776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-62224403134705529292015-04-04T06:26:00.001-07:002015-04-04T06:26:21.133-07:00Working with SEWA <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 20px;">My Mentoring Journey So far</span></span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 20px;">Dalai Lama once said, "All religions try to benefit people, with the same basic message of the need for love and compassion, for justice and honesty, for contentment". This is what me and my mentee realised in our journey with SEWA Bharat. Me and my mentee Nargis come from completely different religions and backgrounds. Being in a country where religious modernity continues to dominate public sphere it was beautiful for us to surpass these boundaries that not only helped us see a part of life that we were unaware of but also helped us to evolve as mature individuals on a personal level.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 20px;">Having passed the rigorous selection procedure for this fellowship that sought to look deep within us to measure our potential as mentors, my ethusiasm for the same made me believe I could do justice to the responsibilty, However as I progressed in this journey, I realised that there exsists a veil of ignorance that blinds us into believing that we are efficiently equipped to handle the tangible challenges in life. What we fail to realise is that there exist many intangible challenges as well, that come up unexpectedly. This beautiful journey made me and my mentee realise these intangible and significant challenges of life. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 20px;">The trajectory of our journey by far highlights the admirable achievement of emotional Intelligence. As we progressed, each meeting brought with itself a myraid of emotions that encouraged us to dwell deeper within ourselves and strengthened the mutual bond of dedication and sincerity towards each challenge we set out to conquer. On a personal level I was determined to have Nargis blossom as much as she could with my support. I realised a simple act of appreciation could do wonders to one's self confidence and self esteem. My mentees perseverance and welcoming nature came as a healthy surprise.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 20px;">Even as we dealt with serious and specific topics like improving her english, health,personal hygiene, self defense, time management, women rights, we also developed insights into unconventional topics like fashion, telephonic conversations skills, interview skills with stress on interpersonal skills. However apart from the routine, what stood out for me and my mentee were the different levels of empowerment fabricated by our circumstances. Empowerment for the ease of comprehension was related to emotional intelligence as apart from its usual generalised interutilization of professional independence and the former. It was pivotal for me to make her realise the dynamism of this attribute that encouraged independent thinking. As a manifestation of this, rational decision making found its way into her thought process, that made her take all aspects into consideration before asserting a choice. Hence, she learnt the art of consequential thinking. In this entire process I saw myself reiterating these values in my mind again while speaking to Nargis about it so we could collectively channelize the same into our future prospects of leadership opportunities. An elightenment struck that empowerement was directly proportional to freedom that sought its roots in the virtue of mutual faith and trust among our folks.</span></span></div>
<div class="s4" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 20px;">This journey has definitly made me and Nargis get a taste of " Eudaemonism", and we are thankful to SEWA Bharat for the same.</span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559602287627129414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-65073747186287680192015-02-09T20:44:00.001-08:002015-02-09T20:44:45.099-08:00FROM STRANGERS TO SISTERS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
The idea of meeting a stranger and making them believe that
you are there for them is a hard task. I feel privileged to be a part of SEWA Youth Connect. This programme has given me a chance to experience something really
challenging and different. At the same time, there is a lot to learn from it.</div>
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I still remember the first meeting with Prabha. We both were
a bit nervous and excited. But today, after completing four months of this programme,
I would say, I am lucky to have a mentee like her. Prabha is a sweet and caring
girl. She has a supportive family. When it comes to her career, she is hard
working, optimistic and focused.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through our constant phone calls and meetings, we both have
tried our best to strengthen our bond. I can see the curiosity to learn and
explore in her. Her active participation in all the meetings encourages me to make our
further meetings more interesting. There were hardly any situations where we
had differences of opinion. I am happy that she is honest with me and share her problems. It’s not only Prabha; even I share my problems with her. The best
thing about our bond is the understanding that we both have for each other. She is no more a mentee for me but a younger
sister. There have been moments of worry and there have been moments of pride. I
was so happy when she told me that now she is comfortable and confident in
travelling alone.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It is well said, if
you light a lamp for someone, it will also brighten your path. I enjoyed the
chance to have challenging discussions with Prabha. It made me realize how much
knowledge and experience actually I have.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It will be rewarding to see Prabha achieve her goals and grow in confidence. I am thankful to
SEWA Youth Connect for giving this opportunity to me.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676028255508507029noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-76176642296451926202014-07-17T22:54:00.004-07:002014-07-17T22:54:39.077-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
SEWA YOUTH CONNECT VIDEO</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjlEqY8TVZk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjlEqY8TVZk</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After a few days the first batch of SEWA Youth Connect will come to an end. This was a pilot project and we started this with just a hope that we will add something to the lives of the girls associated with SEWA. After 6 months we end up with experiences beyond imagination. We fill extremely happy to have made some changes in the lives of these young girls connected through YOUTH CONNECT. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Students from Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi have created this video on YOUTH CONNECT capturing what the girls had to share about their journey so far. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Selection for the next batch will begin soon. Watch this video and support our endeavour!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Cheers to YOUTH CONNECT!</div>
</div>
Youth Connecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342808604283793776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-19040115866297937712014-06-02T05:09:00.000-07:002014-06-02T06:10:29.125-07:00Spreading Her Wings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In the process of creating a hand holding relationship with Neelam, I accrued the role of a mentor to myself for the first time. Being the youngest one in the family, I didn't have enough precedents from my own life to base my relationship on. To bridge this gap, Violet, Program coordinator and later Tanvi, Program coordinator held numerous training sessions and one-on-one meetings with the mentors. And that's when I realized that mentoring relationship was taking place at more than one level. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">SEWA Youth Connect envisioned bringing together young girls from two opposite spectrum of life. Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Director, SEWA Bharat, put it very eloquently as "realizing one's social responsibility by giving back resources that we have enjoyed at the cost of those who have been denied yet come so far". Thus, the mentor-mentee relationship is that of equalizing besides empowering. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Neelam, when I met her first, was a timid young girl, just out of school. She reminded so much of me when I had first come to Delhi. I was nervous and scared. I could sense similar emotions in Neelam. As my relationship with her grew, I realized she has not been encouraged to be independent. She had comfortably accepted the fact that she isn't a thinking being. A lot of it, I would blame on typical educational pedagogy in our country that taught Neelam how to take exams but not how to think. In my capacity, I tried pushing Neelam to think alternatively and creatively. I bombarded her with questions, which she found silly and then intriguing. The pieces that I asked her to write may not be very high-sounding yet it reflects her individuality and her own thinking. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Over the period of time, Neelam slowly reposed her trust in me and made me her confidant. This is what she wrote when I asked her about our relationship</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">"Mentor-mentee ka rishta ek teacher ki tarah hona chahiye jisse padhai me help kar sake aur ek dost ki tarah hona chahiye jisse mai apni har baat share kar saku. Mujhe aaj tak aisi mentor nahi mili jinse mai apni baat share kar saku. Jo baat mai ghar me kisi se share nahi kar pati, wo mai apne mentor se kar sakti hoon. Jab mai youth connect se judi toh maine socha bhi nahi tha ki mujhe itni saari nayi baatein pata chalengi, naye logon se baat karungi. Ab mai akele aa ja sakti hoon. Mujhme confidence aa gaya hai. Jab mai apne mentor se milne jati hoon, wo mujhe alag alag jagah le jati hain aur batati hain ki yeh jagah bahut purani hai, jaise agrasen ki baoli. wo mujhse kehati hai ki jo na pata ho wo kisi se bhi pooch lo bina jhijhke. Meri metor ne mujhe vaishvikaran itne achche se padhya ki mujhe aaj bhi yaad hain. Meri mentor mujhe apne aas paas safe atmosphere banae ke liye bolti hai". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I take immense pride when Neelam immediately rises up from her seat to order coffee for both of us on our weekly meetings, something she was hesitant doing initially. She has shown evident signs of overcoming her hesitation and fears. She's catching up with spoken English because she feels intimidated by the fact that other people can speak English fluently while she can't. I encourage and help her to learn English however I make sure that she doesn't base her self-worth entirely on these superficial attributes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Six months ahead from when we had started, Neelam can now travel on her own. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">She laughs more often now. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">She writes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">She paints. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Most importantly, she is beginning to have an opinion on matters trivial or important. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Neelam is growing. I am growing. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Together, with SEWA, we are growing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqR86wQ6cfXeot3jtkhnkL9gAgsCZcz-D34D58DjXOMR0L1lymSB5SLVNTHZqHtQnoT1wWUotmITY1yyH3I1Jm-_VKOw7UWYjrl-JLM_Aa3_9UT1w_hlGON8kIjt8np7mEZjk00BC9bs/s1600/IMG_20140302_150134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqR86wQ6cfXeot3jtkhnkL9gAgsCZcz-D34D58DjXOMR0L1lymSB5SLVNTHZqHtQnoT1wWUotmITY1yyH3I1Jm-_VKOw7UWYjrl-JLM_Aa3_9UT1w_hlGON8kIjt8np7mEZjk00BC9bs/s1600/IMG_20140302_150134.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></span></div>
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Swadhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256912804801988952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-77754417013661281912014-05-24T01:43:00.000-07:002014-05-24T01:45:41.648-07:00When we sat across the table...I and Neha!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As you may have guessed by now, this blog post is an account of how we went about with the mock interview, but as you will read, you will infer that it was indeed much more than just a mock interview.<br />
It was... an experience<br />
an epiphany<br />
a revelation<br />
a moment of realization.<br />
Of late, I had been talking a lot about how I want my mentorship to have some substantial achievement.<br />
Now, it so happened, that as we had planned, we met on 21st April, the main agenda of our meeting being conducting a mock interview.<br />
So, I showed her around my campus, and then we settled in a classroom, where after creating a formal ambiance, we conducted an interview. Now, this is the thing about conducting such a formal activity: It gave her practical and first-hand insights into how an interview is actually conducted. While the questions i threw up on her were the usual ones, the conventional:<br />
Tell me something about yourself<br />
Why should I hire you for this position?<br />
Enlist your strengths and weaknesses.<br />
What are your views on the current situation of fashion industry?<br />
then, we proceeded with situational questions:<br />
Suppose you had a low budget and you had to make a choice between the low-quality cheap fabric on one hand and expensive fabric which you were paid for, on the other, what would you do?<br />
How would you deal with a last minute crisis such as duplication or/and copying of your designs by other designers?<br />
<br />
And with each responses she gave and I recorded, we got a lot to discuss.<br />
The interview was followed by a kind of feedback session, whereby I pointed out to her ow she needs to be focused on giving relevant answers and retaining her confidence simultaneously.<br />
It was only in our meeting after this one, that Neha told me how she was feeling nervous with the kind of questions she was supposed to answer and how she feels better equipped with answers now that she has an idea about how and what type of details are scrutinized.<br />
This was followed by a group discussion, for which it was essential to have another member in our discussion. So, I called up my friend and We randomly chose the topic "Social networking sites: Bane or boon (good or bad, for simplicity)". we launched into a heavy discussion for some 20 minutes, post which it was realised that current affairs and reading through issues of general concern are other areas we can work upon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dw0pVZzKhUkvAqDhLU0mUAduw5q36lo_yR8gsm-6YQF_fTPSkgK7GeWbA5Os6OSJfBiW-O1YXTDkTO-LOOqmASxYBotG5le1IvJGworfI4Nf0YDkIyWlUjCJwOtql0t9_mkhkjFdqOnU/s1600/20140523_125542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dw0pVZzKhUkvAqDhLU0mUAduw5q36lo_yR8gsm-6YQF_fTPSkgK7GeWbA5Os6OSJfBiW-O1YXTDkTO-LOOqmASxYBotG5le1IvJGworfI4Nf0YDkIyWlUjCJwOtql0t9_mkhkjFdqOnU/s1600/20140523_125542.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdS88wT307fpd8lSPhfEHjIoLD4_0_9VIrxgnjm1Zx-3GbWikCPVbCp_1IO2yLSYVJC0ucu1MsfJpkkqniAA1lUQN-gFy6GJm_QE_6fOAAoDXeRDwKc8IsSDaiKUIhTpRs_HwEKwrOPLG/s1600/20140523_125558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdS88wT307fpd8lSPhfEHjIoLD4_0_9VIrxgnjm1Zx-3GbWikCPVbCp_1IO2yLSYVJC0ucu1MsfJpkkqniAA1lUQN-gFy6GJm_QE_6fOAAoDXeRDwKc8IsSDaiKUIhTpRs_HwEKwrOPLG/s1600/20140523_125558.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
Our next meeting was on 23rd May, almost a month later (owing to my examinations although we did keep in decent touch/contact over the phone what with the marriage arrangements being done at her house).<br />
We planned to meet at CP, and I told her I would take her to Oxford bookstore. Her late arrival by an hour gave us fodder for our discussion: the issue of punctuality. But before I plunge deeper into the details of what all our discussions entailed, let me tell you how she had felt there. <br />
It was great to see her browsing through books, and she Even pinpointed to me a book Named "Reading Lolita in Tehran". The book's theme well blended with our motive. :-)<br />
This, and then I asked her to place the order.<br />
All in all, we carried forward our discussion about interview etiquette and professionalism.<br />
<br />
I do hope this has made some difference, even if minuscule.</div>
Kritika Narulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08381922674759765004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-41774428910227543202014-05-12T02:01:00.000-07:002014-05-26T00:19:45.051-07:00"One girl with Courage is a Revolution"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8odrxO-N_qU6DKKtddnyuXnNxPWHyymhGvSjqFKRJLj_Gx1WzSGUQSx1Wi-mMvPB2_5ocStHX3DFZTLNUu5G4njsyqZt6GGD_9uAGej50FY3gOCrrnL7l7xlifjfylNPJE45UD2zKQDm/s1600/girl-rising-640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8odrxO-N_qU6DKKtddnyuXnNxPWHyymhGvSjqFKRJLj_Gx1WzSGUQSx1Wi-mMvPB2_5ocStHX3DFZTLNUu5G4njsyqZt6GGD_9uAGej50FY3gOCrrnL7l7xlifjfylNPJE45UD2zKQDm/s1600/girl-rising-640.jpg" height="640" width="430" /></a></div>
<br />
Thanks to the American Center for facilitating the screening of Girl Rising and inspiring us all. We saw the courage of our Youth Club girls as they took the stage and spoke about the movie, their experiences and the hero in each of us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gmhWEuVRRKcgfMn0nXSeaOFCkH4iPQiXn6Zy0LPEGjwMu1aFqVSFu5Nb5ziCs4XcL9S-cJTMKKqrfyTRCehpX3L8xfoScS3mNPb6XB8W9F265_kwJJQkCv1W3mk5VVaFnZQeAyz36gnk/s1600/20140503_154237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gmhWEuVRRKcgfMn0nXSeaOFCkH4iPQiXn6Zy0LPEGjwMu1aFqVSFu5Nb5ziCs4XcL9S-cJTMKKqrfyTRCehpX3L8xfoScS3mNPb6XB8W9F265_kwJJQkCv1W3mk5VVaFnZQeAyz36gnk/s1600/20140503_154237.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Youth Connecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342808604283793776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-45289474324600193602014-05-09T13:18:00.000-07:002014-05-09T13:18:18.105-07:00GIRLS ARE RISING INDEED!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Ashes to
ashes, dust to dust... "</div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
It may be an inevitable truth
that we all come from dust and return to dust. The world will keep reminding
you this fact over and over, in case you forget and, spread your wings too much
and fly too far. </div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
But there are some girls in this
world that defied this fact and did not surrender. They went on to prove that
it is the journey between these two finite points that will still make us
immortal; an extraordinary journey towards one's dreams. An indomitable spirit
and unflagging enthusiasm decide whether we will kiss glory or taste the dust.
Nine such determined girls chose to follow their hearts' desire and to never
give up. Not even in circumstances that bereaved them of hope, momentarily. And
this is how we got a soul-stirring documentary film- Girl Rising!</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
Girl Rising takes us into the
lives of nine girls- Wadley, Amina, Ruksana, Yasmine and Sumi to name a few,
who live in different parts of the world. Thanks to SEWA and the American
Centre, for they gave us an experience of a lifetime by screening this film. In
these hundred minutes, fixed in our seats and totally captivated by what we
saw, we travelled with the girls across the world- to deserts, high mountains, cramped
cities and even disaster hit areas. We experienced a plethora of emotions as we
came across each girl’s story- awe, contempt, compassion, joy, sorrow, hope,
despair, pride, euphoria! From having goose bumps, to moist eyes, to a content
smile; I could feel it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All us SEWA
girls were watching in silence, the struggle and success of the nine girls,
separated from us (just)by the screen. But the undercurrents of a newly
realised potential and a flame reignited were almost tangible. It became
evident when every girl present there, expressed with a lot of fervour, how
inspired they felt. The message through the stories of those girls had come
across well. “There’s a Hero in all of us”, they said. The girls highlighted
the pertinent issues related to women, especially education, and spoke about
other social evils solemnly. They could somehow relate to the girls in the film
and realised that the problems, unfortunately, are faced not just by women of their
own country but by women worldwide. A noteworthy fact is that ultimately they
were all convinced that hope and determination can bring a big change, a
positive one at that. No matter how unfavourable the circumstances are, one
should never give up on their efforts and hope. After all, beautiful wild
flowers grow in the most unexpected and difficult places.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
It was a moment of pride for all
of us at SEWA, to see the girls stand up and speak for themselves. If this brilliant
amalgamation of Art and Reality in the form of this film could do such wonders,
more of such experiences should be brought to young girls with aspirations. The
confidence and vigour that they radiated suggested of a revolution not too far
in the future. They all had something precious to take back with them in the end.
All they now need is their families by their side and a lot of opportunities to
prove their worth...and sure then, will we RISE!</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585257069918965151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-11046572130510441322014-04-22T00:51:00.004-07:002014-04-22T00:51:53.375-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, my journey of the mentoring has not been so easy as I am still in a turmoil of what should be done. Initially i was very excited and enthusiastic of my new status and responsibility of being a mentor to someone who volunteeringly asked for it. Of course rapport formation takes time but who knew it would be like this. I was preparing myself for all the challenges and uncertainties. me and my mentee met once in a month or even it happened so that one whole month was skipped. Later on I got to know that she didn't understand that we had to meet every week of the month! Strange, yes ,very strange. I thought she was familiar with all the goals and frequency of meeting, still I explained it to her in different manners the importance and the goals of this programme. <div>
I thought maybe because of our differences she didn't open up to me as I was the one who was doing more of the talking , etc. I tried various ways to get her talking ,which I succeeded rarely! But i never gave up. I tried s hard to understand where i was wrong, what am i missing or not doing in order to fulfill my responsibility as a mentor. I frankly spoke to my mentee and told her that she could say anything to me at any point of time. She always just nodded. </div>
<div>
I spoke with my mentors , Tanvee and Violet, and I was disturbed as I wasn't able to figure out what was happening and where I was lacking. They suggested me with few things and I did so accordingly, but again no results. In fact, I was losing hope in this relationship because whatever I did was in vain. Till now I was thinking that I have some drawbacks in me, but later on I realised that it was my mentee who was not taking this programme seriously. </div>
<div>
Yes, there was a time when I said that I will quit, as everything I do is going in vain.</div>
<div>
I couldn't take all that carelessness anymore as I gave my best to this programme. All I could say is that I gained an experience which I never expected of. Also, I am a true believer in the fact that whatever has happened , has happened for my own learning. At least, I am satisfied with my own efforts and hard work.</div>
<div>
I am still holding on to some hope that things will change, no matter how tough it gets , I won't give up. But it is also true that at some point, a saturation happens and sometimes giving up is the only option. </div>
<div>
P.S. experience is an experience, no matter what path you choose or is chosen for you!...</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069081540759814852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-28444809051073527242014-04-17T12:24:00.000-07:002014-04-17T12:24:51.159-07:00The Odyssey <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating
them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”-
Steven Spielberg </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Youth Connect has by far been one of the most
different experiences in my life. I’ve always been fond of getting to know new
people, forming friends, but SEWA has provided me with a very unique and
different bond of friendship. I think all of us have been mentors at some point
in our lives, either for our friends or family, but this particular program has
given us the experience of a lifetime- of mentoring a person from a totally
different social background, and in this process, forming a very unique
relationship!</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’m very fortunate to have Poonam as my
mentee, and to have formed a good relationship with her in these past few
months. She is really sweet, well mannered and a good-hearted person, and its
nice to consider her one of my friends. I have interacted with people from
various diverse backgrounds before, but this is the very first time I’ve been
part of someone’s life, who is so different from me and vice versa. And I
definitely have to thank SEWA for that. In the past few months, I’ve taken on
different roles- of a friend, of a listener, of a mentor- all of which overlap.
I feel happy in saying that my relationship with Poonam has been stable and
that we’ve been compatible from the very beginning, in fact I think it gets
better with each meeting! Be it McDonalds, Starbucks, Atta Market (Noida),
Akshardham temple, my college fest or her home, we have both got the opportunity to be
a part of each other’s life, which definitely helps fulfill one of the goals of
this program. It makes us aware of the world beyond ours, of a life very
different from ours and I think such an experience is very enriching and fruitful!
Visiting her home was definitely a new exposure for me, but at the same time,
being at her place was almost like being at any other friend’s. It also felt
good to engage with her very welcoming and sweet family members.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It gives lot of satisfaction and happiness to
see Poonam enjoy having new experiences, be it trying out a new dish, sitting
in an expensive coffee shop, witnessing performances at a college fest,
learning how to e-mail or even speaking to me in English, etc. Going to all
such places with her makes it quite a new experience for me as well. Also what
is great about her is that she is open to all such new experiences! She is
eager to learn, to know and to question things. It is exciting to see her come
up with topics of discussion and also to listen to her views, opinions, and
solutions and not just have her as a passive listener. Poonam has aspirations
and wants to do well in her life and I feel this mentoring relationship will be
really successful if I’m able to motivate her to give her best in everything,
to work hard and achieve what she wants to! I would love to see Poonam get good
results in her studies, get her dream job and speak fluent English, few years
down the lane. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Another thing I like about her is that she
considers me a friend and is also interested in my life, my aspirations and
dreams, and at the same time considers me a mentor who is there to help her. I
believe this entire program is also helping me grow as a person, through
engaging with someone from a completely different social context, seeing
different realities and overcoming my inhibitions. This program is also helping
me getting to know myself even more! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Last Monday I asked Poonam to type out few
lines of her experience till now, on my laptop. Once she wrote, I read it with
her, and made few changes in order to help her improve her English skills.
However, I didn’t edit it completely so as to retain the feel of her words. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“I
have a good experience with Mahima, she is so sweet. I learnt from her how to
be confident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I first time saw
Mahima at metro station I was little afraid as to how can I manage with her, my
time, my behaviour and the most important part was my background according to
her. But I realized Mahima was like that she does not have any difficulties
with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is sweet, pure hearted,
beautiful, intelligent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She taught me
how to behave in certain places. How you speak a meaningful statement that
another person understands. She also teaches me English language. Mahima also
speaks with me in English. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When
first time Mahima come in my home her behaviour is very good towards my mom,
grandmother, my younger brother & I like this very much. I had spent great
time with her. This is my memorable period in my life. When we meet I have an
enjoyable time with her. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I am
improving my English, confidence level, and how can I speak to another person a
meaningful statement this thing I want and Mahima is helping me fulfill my
dream. At last again I thank Mahima for such a wonderful experience.”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I wish this 6-month program enriches our
lives and leaves behind some wonderful memories and long-lasting results. I’ll
feel a sense of contentment and achievement if I’m able to help Poonam and
bring a positive change in her life, in whichever way possible. She and I both
hope to continue this friendship even long after this program is over! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We have tried to convey the crux of our Youth
Connect experience so far, as concisely as possible. Hope you enjoyed reading
it!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Thank you. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16868289983277880119noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-66894483227207309372014-04-17T08:26:00.001-07:002014-04-17T08:27:58.844-07:003 months in, 3 months out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The prospect of meeting a stranger. And befriending her. And making her trust you. And making her belive that you are always there for her. </span>The whole concept is reminiscent of Margaret Walker's words, "Friends and good manners will carry you where money won't go." And precisely this is what we all, as mentors aim to do.<br />
Now, as far as my personal experience is concerned, let me begin by telling you about my mentee. Neha is a really good-natured girl. I would say she is blessed to have her family supporting her, and yet she doesn't think about herself too seriously, which obviously became one of my main objectives to achieve by the end of this program.<br />
We have had spontaneous discussions and thought-provoking conversations on a plethora of topics, ranging from women's security, to<br />
To give you a better picture, let me quote an except from my diary entry after our second meeting:<br />
<br />
I realised that something seemingly as trivial as her favourites could get me an idea of her as a person. Of how she deals with things. This was also a meeting whereby we discussed at length about the topics hovering around women, crimes, empowerment. Hence I believe this has been a productive and fruitful discussion. While she narrated her escapades to me, I too shared some instances of cat calling from my personal experiences and that of my friends. And of course, dealing with it.<br />
I chatted a bit about positive thinking and other traits of characteristics by drawing upon the qualities of her favourite actors. </div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many a times the discussions eliminated any difference we might have and thats what I feel good about.</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I tutored her on making an email account, however she seemed a bit too occupied, and troubled at the prospect of visiting a cafe, to be creating one.</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also made an attempt to make this mentorship substantial by introducing an element of "what can I do for you" </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">so as we had been trained I ventured into making a sort of contract. so as she desired I am going to help her speak in English and express herself coherently. Because I remember from my first meeting that she reiterated she is unable to express herself impromptu. Every following meeting shall be an attempt to help her get out of her comfort zone.</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also went ahead and discussed the concept of safespace. As pointed out before she faced a bit of problem in expressing herself but ended up on defining it as a silent place where she can have all the time to herself. Our give and take of ideas, opinions and thoughts continued, and while most of the issues had us in agreement, I really wish she too found the dialogues insightful. </span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">all in all, I was positive that this ship of mentor-ship can get a rudder and direction.</span></div>
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Well, three months into the mentorship, and 6 meetings later it certainly was a time to assess ourselves, to give ourselves a reality check. And yes, there have been moments of worry (about her continued interest in the program), and there have been moments of pride, when she did prove she is capable (more about it in some other post), yet in order to achieve some evident, substantial results, there is still a way to go.</span></div>
</div>
Kritika Narulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08381922674759765004noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-75588907013058397142014-04-12T19:48:00.000-07:002014-04-12T19:48:06.503-07:00THE ACCOLADE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I find it of the utmost privilege
to be a part of SEWA youth connect programme, because here I met Sarita, a shy,
soft spoken yet very cheerful and enthusiastic girl. My journey with her has
been a roller coaster ride, with all kinds of failures and successes. It’s been
3 and a half months now with Sarita, and all that I have gained from her is not
less than an accolade. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In the initial month we were just
knowing each other, there were inhibitions and to overcome that, I used to talk
about family, likes, dislikes, share the important events in my life.....it all
started like that and today has grown into a reflecting relationship. Through
constant phone calls, determination and trying hard to set up meetings no
matter what, engaging with her in every little thing, making her feel that I am
there with her, I have tried to put my best for strengthening our relationship
and to bring positive changes in both of our lives. I did not notice the
drastic change in Sarita before the meeting on 23rd march. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
That day her cousin brother came
with her. Often when I used to call Sarita he would pick up, talk harshly and
gave me all kinds of excuses to not let us communicate, and once he also talked
to me in an unpleasant manner asking about the programme and the meetings . I
already had an impression about him, so when he came, initially I was very
uncomfortable, but then I thought that it was a good way of showing him what
this program and meeting is all about. As Sarita and I began with the
discussion on the topic for the day, he kept sitting next to Sarita, fiddling
with his phone and listening to us. I asked Sarita to write down some points,
she was hesitant so I asked her to write in Hindi but her brother interrupted
and started snubbing her. She became more hesitant. I had to tell him to take
another table in the room and that he was making both of us uncomfortable. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
After an hour when the discussion
got over and we headed towards the metro station. Her brother started saying
that there was no use of the meeting and it was waste of time. I got offended. I
asked him why he has such a notion, to which he replied that there is no need
for girls to study, they should only take care of the household chores. I got
very angry and started bashing him up with my words. I said to him that he
being her brother should support her, encourage her to study, to become independent
instead of oppressing her. I took it to the larger context and said that
because of people like him girls in our country are being devalued. And there
it began, I never heard Sarita with that high voice. She complained about her
brother freely not being scared of him that he is the one who does not let her
go out of the house, about all the wrong things he says to her, and how he suppresses
her. That was like a boost for me, having Sarita on my side, understanding what
is wrong and speaking up for herself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Her brother said that after
meeting me Sarita had become ill-mannered. When I questioned him about it, he
said that now she has started arguing and does not listen to him and goes out
of the house. I told him that it’s her life, and he cannot take charge of it,
he is not her parent. And then I also told him that he was actually the ill-mannered
person because of the way he had talked to me every time I called up Sarita and
the way he was talking to me then. I told him that he had no idea how wonderful
Sarita is. All this went on for half an hour, and it seemed never ending to me.
By the end of it I realised that how insecure this person is, his anxious body
movement and changing facial expressions from scowling and snarling to laughing
away to avoid and end the conversation, it was impossible to change his views
and thoughts because he was acting very ignorant and was not at all accepting
or trying to understand. So to turn things into other direction' as response to what
he said about the programme and the meetings and also to what he said that he
can “teach” her the same things for which she comes for the meetings, I challenged
him that he will teach her new things every week, he will have 7 days to do so
and so will I in just 1 meeting per week, and I said he can ask Sarita what she
learns in that one hour and I will ask what she learns from him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The sad part about all this was I
realised it is not easy to change people’s mind set, it is rooted deep somewhere
which involves the whole family, the whole community. I don’t know what her
brother must have gained from that interaction but after that meeting all I know
is he does not dare to pick my call now. That
encounter has actually helped me in removing the biggest obstacle between Sarita
and me. The best thing about all was that Sarita stood for herself. And since
then I am seeing her growing every day. She speaks up at her home now if she
feels things are wrong. She clearly understands that SEWA and I are there with
her. For her SEWA is her biggest strength.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I told Sarita about this blog and
she too sent a message that she wants to share with all of us. She said that
she aims at becoming economically independent in life. She said she wants to do
something for her family, her parents specially. She wants to be that important
person in the family who can take care of everybody. She has this whole idea of
remaining collectivistic yet independent in life. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I got the gift of my honour from
Sarita. Now I can see how she is transforming things for herself and for me too.
My hopes have gone high now and I am even more determined and focussed towards this programme and with Sarita. I wish that there is no turning point after
this and both of us grow and development benefiting from each other successfully. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10179458284805383478noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-5925037948398052142014-03-31T22:52:00.002-07:002014-03-31T22:52:56.299-07:00Great Event Yesterday!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnR2kZlpVx2OBO3Gv9InE-hA5kDq7koM7OMhWU42Vn9raMd_eSG7d2SQabN6QpiZuFChU-WhLzpGai6TRX4O7EZadFBUcN7pxLgWzlsF0CoWVfb9GyPQMlaKh-uaO_zpxlKQfygPgoGMQ/s1600/Michelle+Bekkering-emailer-revised.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnR2kZlpVx2OBO3Gv9InE-hA5kDq7koM7OMhWU42Vn9raMd_eSG7d2SQabN6QpiZuFChU-WhLzpGai6TRX4O7EZadFBUcN7pxLgWzlsF0CoWVfb9GyPQMlaKh-uaO_zpxlKQfygPgoGMQ/s1600/Michelle+Bekkering-emailer-revised.jpg" height="640" width="496" /></a></div>
Comment with your thoughts, or post about the event in general if you feel inspired to! </div>
Youth Connecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342808604283793776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-74322795058911102662014-03-27T02:50:00.000-07:002014-03-27T02:50:19.858-07:00Pooja and me: the journey of an unprecedented bond :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">Pooja and Me: Journey of an unprecedented bond</span></u></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">Pooja Sharma, 20 year old girl, is in the last
semester of Political Science honors (Graduation). After completing
this course, she aims at either becoming a teacher or will do masters in
political science. This is the answer you will get when you ask about her
aspirations. But again, you ask her what her heart lies in? She will
immediately, with that shinny glint in her eyes, answer, "mujhe na JNU se
International Relations (antar-rashtriye sambhandh) karna hai." </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">I met her as a part of the Youth Connect program
of SEWA, which aims at empowering women via communication. Thus, the journey of
an unprecedented bond and knowledge sharing started. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">From the beginning itself, we opened up to each
other. The reasons behind this were; first Pooja is a chirpy girl, who loves
talking. Second, we were too excited about the programme. Third, we could see
part of ourselves in each other. Fourth and last we were ready to inculcate the
positive change (we were expecting to happen anytime soon). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">We didn't have regular meetings for quite a long
time, but we were always connected through phone. During our meetings, we
do nothing special but start with briefing about our routines and somewhere in
between, we don't even realize, we pick up a conversation which is useful for
her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">We make a point that we give each other daily
(weekly) tasks. For example, the latest one: Pooja is preparing for entrances.
So we decided to study Globalization. I asked her to go through it thoroughly
(which she did) and told her that I will also come prepared. Then we met on
Sunday. I asked her to explain the topic to me first. After that I explained it
to her adding some different points which she didn't mention. But the task
wasn't over. After that I gave her an assignment (to write an article) on the
things we studied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">Now you must be wondering what the point of
doing it? We are not giving coaching to our mentees. Rightly questioned. Well
the answer for it is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">With the help of these assignments I focus on
improving her understanding of things. Without knowledge life is difficult and
without opinions life isn't possible. So with all this I mainly focus on
availing her a platform where she can develop a point of view for herself. This
is what will serve her benefits in the long run. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">Through these snippet-ed assignments I wish she
understands what is 'her right and wrong'. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">This was, however, the first textbook based
assignment. Our other exercises include: analyzing the surface and surroundings,
knowing yourself, problem analysis, solution building exercise etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">And we are still unveiling the mystery for new
things, as these exercises are not something I go prepared with. They strike me
the very moment we discuss our routine, we talk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13.5pt;">I hope this journey leads both of us to a
beautiful end. But without any doubt, Journey is more beautiful than arriving
the destination. Something, Pooja has made me realize. As after 2- 3 months
this program might end but the kitty that will be full of experiences will
always be cherished and treasured.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;">Written by Snigdha Jindal </span></div>
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SNIGDHA JINDALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03859903004689531427noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771532475481528734.post-1012692583691258292013-09-23T23:28:00.002-07:002013-09-23T23:28:56.434-07:00SEWA FELLOWSHIP LAUNCHED - Youth Connect<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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