Monday, February 23, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Most Fun Diwali ever: Celebrations at Dr.PV Rao Orphanage
A week's planning and a lil' bit of practice by some volunteers resulted in our most memorable Diwali in a long long time, on 26th October 2008 @ Dr.PV Rao School & Orphanage.
The fun began from the very beginning :) Ashwin and Uma (Speak Out – MAD volunteers @ PVR School) started off with the story of Diwali (their own version of things :P) and had to be told the right 'story' by the kids and volunteers. Then volunteers from Government Girls Home and Anbu Karangal kicked off the festivities with a dance programme...
A skit titled “Good Boy, Bad Boy” enacted by PVR guys made children understand the importance of being a good student. The group’s miming efforts ought to be commended! The group dance by them was memorable too. They tried hard but rhythm and co-ordination were hard to spot ;) (Considering they were practicing only just before the programme began and delayed the start with their practicing... it was a decent show). Several solo and group dance performances and song renditions by the volunteers of PVR followed.
The excitement amidst volunteers became contagious and soon children from PVR started performing solos and group dance performances... And what’s Diwali without sweets and crackers!!! After several free for all dance performances to several ‘kuthu pattus’ we finally rounded off the day with sweets and crackers for children and their teacher-volunteers.
The BHUMI team @ PV Rao Orphanage for the Diwali Celebrations
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Infosys exhorts employees to go on 1-yr sabbatical, work for NGOs
India’s second-largest information technlogy services provider, Infosys Technologies, has issued letters to its employees stating they could opt for a one-year sabbatical to engage themselves in philanthropic activities. They would continue to draw 50 per cent of their salary during the period. Infosys crossed the 100,000-employee mark in India in the quarter ended September 30, 2008.
The company said that while the move may have coincided with the global financial turmoil and slowing growth rates of IT firms, it should be perceived as a pure voluntary act by employees who are prompted by altruistic motives and inspired by the example of its chairman and chief mentor, NR Narayana Murthy.
The employees, an internal memo said, need to be on the company rolls for at least two consecutive years before they are eligible for the offer and a panel comprising senior members of the Infosys leadership team will decide each case. “This policy will promote volunteerism among employees and we believe that the value and benefits arising from it will have an impact on community, the employees and ultimately, the company,” it said.
Sources said that the policy came into force only a few days back and the company is working out the finer points like whether the employees will be given any salary or emolument during the sabbatical. However, it is understood that the company is planning to pay some amount of the salary, while the rest the employees can earn from the NGO they are working for.
An Infosys spokesperson confirmed the development: “We introduced this policy almost two months back, which allows the employees to go on up to one year of sabbatical to engage in philanthropic activities. All the employees have been communicated the policy internally.” When asked how much the employees will be paid during that time, the spokesperson said they will be given 50 per cent of the salary, while the other half will be given by the respective NGOs they work with.
“It’s a part of Narayana Murthy’s desire to give back to the society, which is driven by the fact that many employees quit their jobs to pursue philanthropic activities. This would give such employees an option to pursue their hobby while still continuing with the jobs, even if they will be paid a small amount by the company. The employees can go out with a cut in their salaries, even though the final details are being worked out by the company,” a source close to the development told Business Standard.
POSTED from the Business Standard
The company said that while the move may have coincided with the global financial turmoil and slowing growth rates of IT firms, it should be perceived as a pure voluntary act by employees who are prompted by altruistic motives and inspired by the example of its chairman and chief mentor, NR Narayana Murthy.
The employees, an internal memo said, need to be on the company rolls for at least two consecutive years before they are eligible for the offer and a panel comprising senior members of the Infosys leadership team will decide each case. “This policy will promote volunteerism among employees and we believe that the value and benefits arising from it will have an impact on community, the employees and ultimately, the company,” it said.
Sources said that the policy came into force only a few days back and the company is working out the finer points like whether the employees will be given any salary or emolument during the sabbatical. However, it is understood that the company is planning to pay some amount of the salary, while the rest the employees can earn from the NGO they are working for.
An Infosys spokesperson confirmed the development: “We introduced this policy almost two months back, which allows the employees to go on up to one year of sabbatical to engage in philanthropic activities. All the employees have been communicated the policy internally.” When asked how much the employees will be paid during that time, the spokesperson said they will be given 50 per cent of the salary, while the other half will be given by the respective NGOs they work with.
“It’s a part of Narayana Murthy’s desire to give back to the society, which is driven by the fact that many employees quit their jobs to pursue philanthropic activities. This would give such employees an option to pursue their hobby while still continuing with the jobs, even if they will be paid a small amount by the company. The employees can go out with a cut in their salaries, even though the final details are being worked out by the company,” a source close to the development told Business Standard.
POSTED from the Business Standard
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Speak Out - Make A Difference is a Global Competition Finalist!
The numbers were so baffling that I had to read them over and over again to convince myself that in fact, they were true, and no it was not time yet to change my specs again….
521 entries from 61 countries… And the MAKE A DIFFERENCE project has been picked as one of the 15 finalists…
After convincing myself, (and reading again), I realized that this was no fluke…
We were finally being accepted for the work that we do…
The Staples Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition’s purpose is to discover and recognise creative, inspiring ways in which young people are changing the world….
And as a BHUMIan, the fact that we got picked from among several hundred deserving nominations from around the world, is a matter of immense pride… If you’re a Bhumi volunteer, I’m pretty sure you’re feeling euphoric too…
Anyhow, the competition isn’t done yet.. Go to http://changemakers.net/en-us/competition/staplesyv to vote for the most deserving candidate….
Check out MAKE A DIFFERENCE, COCHIN's Voting Made Easy section for more detailed info on how to vote…
Three Cheers for everyone at MAD Cochin & MAD Pune as well :)
521 entries from 61 countries… And the MAKE A DIFFERENCE project has been picked as one of the 15 finalists…
After convincing myself, (and reading again), I realized that this was no fluke…
We were finally being accepted for the work that we do…
The Staples Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition’s purpose is to discover and recognise creative, inspiring ways in which young people are changing the world….
And as a BHUMIan, the fact that we got picked from among several hundred deserving nominations from around the world, is a matter of immense pride… If you’re a Bhumi volunteer, I’m pretty sure you’re feeling euphoric too…
Anyhow, the competition isn’t done yet.. Go to http://changemakers.net/en-us/competition/staplesyv to vote for the most deserving candidate….
Check out MAKE A DIFFERENCE, COCHIN's Voting Made Easy section for more detailed info on how to vote…
Three Cheers for everyone at MAD Cochin & MAD Pune as well :)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Speak Out: Flash Card Games
1.Crisscross Bingo:
Materials Required:
1.Bingo board - a grid with:
Rows - Verbs from the verb set assigned;
Columns - Subject (I/He/She/It/We/They)
2. Pair of dice –
Verbs and Subject on each
How to Play:
Step 1: A child rolls the dice
Step 2: He/She makes a sentence with the combination
Example:
Dice 1: He; Dice 2: Walk
Sentence: He walks to school
Step 3: On the bingo board, the child needs to write his/her name in the grid that corresponds to He and Stand. The first child to make a straight line (like cross and naught) is the winner.
The dices and board are available on:
http://www.toolsforeducators.com/crisscross/
2.Memory game: Cards placed face down.A child tries to match a picture with its corresponding flash card.Kids were so excited that they decided to complicate it further by shuffling the order after each chance!! So it took some time to finish the game.
After making a right pair, the child has to say the substitution chart with actions for that verb.
3."Stop!! Thats mine!": This game is played one at a time. A child is given a picture card. The remaining cards (9) are put down one after another by the moderator. The child needs to hit and say STOP when his/her picture's flash card is put down.
4. "Make your pair": Picture cards (P) should be separated from flash cards (F) and shuffled. Every child is given 1P and 1F.A child starts the game by putting down a F card.The next child, picks it up, chooses to retain, drops another/same F card.The game goes on till one manages to find his/her pair.
NOTE: The picture card should be retained throughout the game!
During all games, children were asked to make sentences with a subject(he/she/you) + verb.
Cross posted from the BHUMI, Chennai Blog
Materials Required:
1.Bingo board - a grid with:
Rows - Verbs from the verb set assigned;
Columns - Subject (I/He/She/It/We/They)
2. Pair of dice –
Verbs and Subject on each
How to Play:
Step 1: A child rolls the dice
Step 2: He/She makes a sentence with the combination
Example:
Dice 1: He; Dice 2: Walk
Sentence: He walks to school
Step 3: On the bingo board, the child needs to write his/her name in the grid that corresponds to He and Stand. The first child to make a straight line (like cross and naught) is the winner.
The dices and board are available on:
http://www.toolsforeducators.com/crisscross/
2.Memory game: Cards placed face down.A child tries to match a picture with its corresponding flash card.Kids were so excited that they decided to complicate it further by shuffling the order after each chance!! So it took some time to finish the game.
After making a right pair, the child has to say the substitution chart with actions for that verb.
3."Stop!! Thats mine!": This game is played one at a time. A child is given a picture card. The remaining cards (9) are put down one after another by the moderator. The child needs to hit and say STOP when his/her picture's flash card is put down.
4. "Make your pair": Picture cards (P) should be separated from flash cards (F) and shuffled. Every child is given 1P and 1F.A child starts the game by putting down a F card.The next child, picks it up, chooses to retain, drops another/same F card.The game goes on till one manages to find his/her pair.
NOTE: The picture card should be retained throughout the game!
During all games, children were asked to make sentences with a subject(he/she/you) + verb.
Cross posted from the BHUMI, Chennai Blog
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