A handful of kindness by Keran Bahadur
Recommended by Manoj Bajpai, former chairperson Indore Sahodaya Complex of CBSE Schools
Just a handful is enough if given with kindness and intention to start a chain of goodness. Inspiring such a chain of goodness, educationist Keran Bahadur started a unique drive ‘A handful of Kindness’ in her school Colonel’s Academy, Mhow about a decade back.
In the last decade, she has not only transformed the lives of abandoned seniors, but inspired a long chain of goodness by involving students. “I began this drive by sensitising students about how much a handful can mean, when we went to nearby villages to identify people who needed help,” Keran said.
Keran with her students found 15 senior families, who were abandoned by children and left with no means to survival. “Next, we urged students to bring a handful of any grain they wished on every Thursday,” she said. Initially, it was difficult to put the idea across.
“On Friday, we packed the grains forming packages and the next day, i.e. Saturday, one class was taken to meet our adopted families with the grain packets,” Keran said. Doing such an exercise, students and parents learned the reason for handful of grain by experience.
“Till date, we continue this drive every week and on special days, like today, i.e. New Year’s eve, I invited all our adopted senior families to my home,” Keran said. Her children and grandchildren, who are visiting from USA also participated in preparing special meals for the adopted family.
“Eventually, as students have become sensitive, they automatically drive many activities like providing woollens for seniors during winters, decorating their homes during Diwali and parents are happy because kids learnt the value of handful of grain and never waste food,” Keran said.
Duty to children welfare: Anulata Singh
Recommended by Manish Verma, Joint director (Indore), school education department
Forming one of the most ideal schools that unite all, headmistress Anulata Singh understands her duty as an educator well. She often goes beyond her call of duty to ensure wellness, understanding, emotional stability and happiness of children in her school.
“I feel I am just doing my job, because I chose to become an educationist for a reason, which was to help children,” Anulata said. While many government schools have to be clubbed due to less number of students, her school has 450 students, who regularly attend the school.
“If I cannot build an environment, where students are willing to come to, then I would feel like a failure as a human being and definitely as an educator,” Anulata said. She also struggled to bring such an environment to school initially.
“I reach before my students arrive and prepare for the day and whenever possible a plan a surprise for my students,” Anulata said. She often spends extra time with a child, who struggles in a subject or is facing a personal issue.
On a mission for environment & health: Govind Maheshwari
Recommended by Padma Shri Janak McGilligan Palta
Holding a master’s degree and excelling in education, it was not difficult for Govind Maheshwari to get a job and live a comfortable life. But change does not come by being comfortable and thinking beyond self, he initiated a change.
About 2.5 years back, Govind learned about organic farming and started it on his 12 acre land. “I could see the harm pesticides cause to our body and environment,” he said.
He noticed how everyone, even villagers faced ailments frequently. “I started by setting an example with an organic farm, then reached out to discuss with other farmers,” Govind said.
Since many farmers were not willing to invest in organic manure, he prepared and provided them organic manure free to show them the difference. “I hold a farmer’s meet every month at my farm, where I even invite people from other States to learn and promote organic farming,” Govind said.
Recently, he noticed that there were no bees in the farm and all around. “Bees are the most essential part of our ecosystem but due to pesticides, we lost all of them in the area,” Govind said.
He started Bee keeping, which has not only pumped up his farm’s produce but even nearby farm’s produce.
Counselling for better tomorrow: Kanchan
Tare
Recommended by Reena Khurana, chairperson of
Indore Sahodaya Complex of CBSE Schools
A troubled childhood can turn not just one
but many other following lives around due to bad influence. With her mission to
guide students from their nascent age, an educationist Kanchan Tare reaches out
to various underprivileged and special children in city from time to time.
Though she does not have a fixed routine,
she feels always on her duty for children. “I cannot stop myself from reaching
out to every child I come across, whether it is the teenage boy serving me tea
at a small tea shop at Kanadiya road or the visually impaired children lacking
motivation,” Kanchan said.
Working on personal counselling, her
attempt is to counsel students in every corner of the city. “I am association
with visually impaired children, where I try to counsel them and whenever
possible provide materials for them,” Kanchan said.
She believes that children lack quality
time from their families today. “Due to this lack of time, many children lose
the track of their life,” Kanchan said.
Fighting for Trees since more than a
decade: CA Dinesh Kothari
Recommended by Kishore Kodwani, social activist
When we see the bigger picture, life urges
us to rethink our actions. Such was the case for chartered accountant Dinesh
Kothari.
“About 15 years back, when the urbanisation
of Indore was at full scale, I could see those protective trees being chopped
off to be replaced by concrete,” Kothari said. Unwilling to accept such a cost
for roads, he kept himself, his career and life aside for the trees.
“I fought several cases for every road that
was built in the city urging the court to ensure that trees are not cut, rather
roads are innovated to accommodate trees,” Kothari said. His major contribution
is on race course road.
“Most of us don’t even notice these trees
standing by the roadside on a usual day, but on a hot summer, these are the
trees saving us, they are holding back waters in monsoons for us, they are
providing oxygen for our lives to continue every day,” Kothari said.
Further, he worked on conserving wildlife
in Khargone to get the requisite orders from court. “We worked on conservation
of animals and development of Omkareshwar national park, which is still in
process,” Kothari said.
Train and Unite: Alok Khare
Recommended by Padma Shri Bhalu Mondhe
Education is the only way to drive change.
With such a belief, retired banker Alok Khare has been working on training
programmes for underprivileged children for the last 23 years.
“Without education, one cannot even dream
of a better life, so we wanted to start with that,” Khare said. With a group of
his friends, he started helping out students and conducting training programmes
for them.
“We try to award them certificates and
small gifts to motivate them to study,” Khare said.
Under other initiatives, Khare leads bank
unions and fights for the right of bankers. “Alone, we do not have much power,
so I head these unions, which help a banker in getting their rights,” Khare
said.
In several cases, where bankers were not
getting their increments and salaries, he has facilitated action.