Big Tree....!!!

There was a big tree,

Green tree,

Thick tree,

Under which lie,

So many small trees.

Have you ever felt,

What toll it takes to be a big tree ????


- Bhartiya

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

As the patriotism is on high today, lets build on it and pledge to connect each one of us to a cause and "be a change". Lets pledge to act and stop criticizing. Lets pledge to be proactive. Lets make this day special not by saying Happy Independence Day and remembering the freedom fighters but also by acting proactively. We are free from foreign regime but we are still plagued and enslaved by various other things such as poverty, hunger, health issues, corruption and infinite other issues. Today we all should pledge to choose any one cause and try to minimize it to our potential. Lets act together....!!!


If u will truly connect to a cause and work for it for next 365 days, then u will really celebrate the next Independence day and be a proud Indian..... HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY...!!!!

Service Before Self
- Bhartiya

Letters To My Friends 9 "Towards the End of Year: 1"

Dear Friends,

I wrote this letter on 13 April 2010 in Pune, when I was about to complete one year as a teacher. It was a sad period of time as I have to leave my current class "Superstars" and shift to Mumbai for another project within TFI.

13 April 2010, Pune.

In the last few months I have learned few basic things which I think a teacher should know and especially those who are teaching kids with challenged back ground. These kids suffer with few basic problems or the word “problem” is not correct it should they don’t know what they are capable of. They are fond of love and attention. They need a helping and caring hand and a shoulder on which they can rest their head when in problem. As they come from diverse and challenged background their exposure to the modern world or facilities of the world is nil. So, in this case extrinsic rewards work like anything. What I have observed and noticed in my class and by talking to other fellows around, small rewards to kids increase their confidence level to a new high every time. (But one should be very specific while choosing the kids for the reward; it should never hurt other kid’s DIGNITY)

I would like to share a few examples from my class. Preeti was a very shy girl at the starting of the year but was capable of doing much better. I had few conversation with her, went out for field trips etc. and her interest in academics kept increasing. She became a role model for others in class, she improved so much that in the last exams she ranked 1st in class. Pratap, Mustafussdin were two boys who tried hard but were unable to deliver what they were capable of. Regular mentoring, 1 – 1 conversation gave them the required confidence and they started delivering in the class. Nikita a very quite girl and was very weak in academics, gained her confidence in class when she secured good marks in a class test and I personally greeted her and boosted her in class. Then I took her to a field trip to a Bookshop (Landmark), discussed few things over there with her. And her investment in class rose to a record high, now she is doing very well in class. I called her mother and told her about the improvement in her.

This is one of the biggest successes for me related to any individual kid. Abhay was a very naughty boy, always engaged in mischievous acts with other boys of class. But I always believed in him that he is capable of doing wonders in class. I changed his seat and allotted his seat with Preeti(as a part of buddy system in my class), then took him out for lunch. We had a long chat and I felt that this boy can do wonders in class if he focuses properly in class. He secured good marks in one of the test, which boosted his confidence. During my differentiation strategy in class he was the one who completed the work first. One day I was telling them about series, so, as a challenge problem I gave them to find the next two nos. in the series of square of natural nos. (this happened just before lunch). All kids were playing around but a few were busy in class solving the challenge problem. Abhay came up to me with a solution, it was correct. I was very happy but the most amazing thing was that he did it in a way I have also not thought and it was correct. Now, in the last exam he was among top 5 and he also works as a role model for others.

But there is always a flip side of the coin, I have few kids in my class for whom I feel that I have not done enough justice to them. It can be due to a large class size of 50 kids or due to a fact they were far back then their grade level. Moin, Imtiyaaz, Umar, Sohail are a few who were unable to show great change in their academic level during the past year. Yet I would say that they have changed a lot in their behavior. Moin and Umar being mentally challenged are still few grade levels below class 3. I think I should have made a separate investment plan for these kids during the starting of year but as it was my first year in teaching I was also not so expert. But now I plan to make a separate investment plan for such kids in my next academic year.

I am of the thought that it is better to improve the system rather than criticizing it. For me school should be a place where the focus should be on kids and they should be the centre point. It is place that if the system over here is changed and it runs with sole motto of proving learning to kids then it can change lives of hundreds of thousands of kids passing through it. I started interacting with teacher and Principal of my school once I was well set. I started going to different classes, interacted with them. Slowly I came to know that it’s not only the fault of teachers here, they are over burdened with clerical work, that has been given to them by the government. For a newly appointed teacher the salary is 3,000/ Rs. for next 3 years. How can someone work with great efficiency and commitment when his daily needs can’t be fulfilled by his salary. He will take tuitions, avoid teaching in school and I personally don’t think that it is wrong in such case. These are the things that provide him extrinsic motivation and so they go for it. I had 1 – 1 conversations with different teachers and they came up with different issues or the loop holes of the system. A teacher has to pay 2 – 3 lakhs as bribe for getting the job after he/she is selected in the merit list of exam and after that they get a salary of 3,000/ Rs. for 3 years. Nearly all the teachers at my school have paid that, just for the sake of government job.

I would like to share an incident with a teacher at my school. The teachers are with so rigid mindset that corporal punishment is very important. So, once I was having a chat and the other teacher was not ready to accept that kids can be taught without corporal punishment. I gave him the example of my class, Aniket’s(other fellow from TFI) class told him that we are new to this field but still manage our class with it. I stressed on set consequences rather than beating them. Talked to him about the background from where these kids come, the love they want and deserve from us. And finally he promised me not to beat kids and I hope he follows in class.

As the days in class are passing by I am finding myself to be a much more matured and responsible person. I feel as if the targets that I have set for myself are changing and are becoming much harder, as I push my kids in class, something pushes me also to achieve more than what I had desired previously and that to in less time. I feel as if I have developed a teacher in myself which teaches my soul of what is right or wrong. Now I try to practice what I preach. I am more open towards feedback and readily accept and try to change myself if required. Now I reach out to someone not only to take something from him but also give him or help him in the way I can. My friends find a matured person in me and ask for my views on different issues.

Finally once again I would say that it’s an incredible journey. I enjoyed my first year and as I move forward in the second year of teaching I have set new benchmark for myself and my kids. Together we will reach the places never travelled before. Looking forward to the next year….!!!!


Thanks a lot for support.
With love "Service before Self"

-Bhartiya

Welcome Common Wealth Games....!!!

Nearly two months to go for the world’s second largest sporting event and where we are, what we are doing. Today we as a nation need to be together, welcoming the event rather than criticizing it. After all it is our Nation and an issue of National pride. If it is a successful or a flop event, the world will not remember the scandals that took place, it would just remember that 2010 CWG were hosted by India. So, it is time to work together and build on from where we are currently.

There are people who have started criticizing the CWG , they doubt on our capabilities to host such a massive event. I have read somewhere that, Australian coach has said to his athletes to be prepared of the low standard facilities in the coming CWG. He has even said that there can be scarcity of drinking water, electricity cuts, mosquito etc. We have to prove these people wrong and show them that we are not only the superpower of IT industry but we can even host such events and provide world class facilities. India is no more a country of beggars and snake charmers but it is developing nation which has the capability to do anything. We should keep our internal feuds, internal only. These things happen everywhere but our priority over here should be the games nothing else. We should work on how to provide the best facilities to our guest, who would be coming from different nation. I would urge each and every Indian to remember the philosophy of “ Atithi Devo Bhavah”, which means guest is equivalent to God.

Come on Delhi prove your potential, I believe that our nation can make the coming CWG the most successful CWG ever. The world is watching and we have to prove our credential like South Africa has done in FIFA.

What people need...???

There are election in few states within an year or so and political parties have started their melodrama of wooing the voters. I don't know when will they start campaigning on the basis of developmental issues. One party fights the election on the issues related to the drawbacks of the other.

Few days back I saw the news that Mulayam Singh Yadav was apologizing to the Muslims on the issue that he has taken the services of Kalyan Singh in the last election. Mulayam's trick to take Kalyan in his party just before the election was in order to get the support of O.B.C.'s in U.P. but he failed because Kalyan Singh was the C.M. during the Babri demolition in 1992 and so the Muslim who supported S.P. , left S.P. and went with Congress. So, now he is preparing ground for Assembly election in 2012 and hence apologizing to Muslims.

 Similarly there was as such no big issue in Bihar for opposition (LJP & RJD). So, they took the issue from the CAG report that showed financial irregularities. But they ignored the fact that the time period in which these financial fraud took place has the major portion of time when Rabri was C.M. The MLA's of LJP & RJD disrupted the proceedings of the house and  vandalized it, which resulted in great drama.

Where is Raj Thackerey nowadays ? People like R.T. come into picture only during the elections. They pick up a radical issue, which is well thought and have sentiments of public attached to that issue. They remain in news for 3 - 4 months of election and then hide themselves in woods. He fought his election on the Marathi Manoos issue, got support of emotional public. It doesn't matter to people like him whether the sentiments of crores of other will get hurt or not because they are not the part of the voter list which is important to him. And if in future he wants to fight the election from North India, he will apologize to the people of North India and play his card there because voter's forget everything very soon.

There are numerous such incidents in Indian politics where political parties want to gain from short comings of the other parties rather than thinking of what people need. In Indian politics it is a very rare occasion when one political party praises the other. Be it Congress or BJP or NCP or any other regional party all are waiting for a issue.

My question for the politicians is that when will they start the politics of development and behave like an effective opposition ?


 - Bhartiya

Letter to My Friends- 8 " Lead by Example"

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year...!!! May the year and life ahead bring about positive changes in your life and you achieve all what you deserve. Today I would share my thoughts about inspiration, what changed me as a human being and will hope that you read through till last and give back your responses.

            “INSPIRATION” which means a lot and has a great impact on anyone’s life. It is like a flash of lightening and can come from anywhere even a small child can inspire you or a very small incident that occur in our day to day life and sometimes you might see a lot happening around but nothing effects you. For me it is a process which continues inside us and keeps reforming through various things happening in our life. It happens through internal reflection and that can be done only if you give time to yourself.  Sometimes we see a movie and are highly inspired by it or we read a story about someone and get influenced, we get inspired in numerous ways.  BUT the big question is, “FOR HOW LONG DO WE KEEP OURSELF INSPIRED OR MOVING FORWARD?”

            I think to keep ourselves inspired we have to undergo the process of reflection regularly or have a co-investigation with our inner self. We have to find out meaning in our actions, not just to satisfy us but to give us the pleasure or energy or an internal boost to face the challenges that occur in our day to day life and to keep ourselves motivated to work for our BIG GOAL.  During the past couple of years I have learned to thank each and every person or  thing around me, that I am related to or sometimes not. In October I met Geet  Sethi (Billiard Champion), he is an incredible man. He shared something, that I would like to share today. He told me that after every match he plays he thanks to each and every person related to him from the man who has made the billiard table to the man who has designed the stick for him and that too no matter what is the result of the game.(Thanks giving doesn't actually mean searching for that person and then saying Thankyou, it is often internal). His wife Kiran Sethi (runs a school RIVERSIDE) told us that after the construction of their school building they hosted a party for the workers and each and every person involved in building that school. Think how many of us would do so. So, these little things inspire us and show us the right way of approaching the life.

            I would like to share my greatest inspiration after which I thought to give back to the society in whatever way I could. It was an incident that has changed me a lot. During my first year of college I was a very arrogant, over confident guy. People called me “NETA” and my friends gave me a title “SARKAR”.  I had some quality of inspiring people around me but never actually realized this before this incident.  One day I was sitting with my friends and then a guy came he was a bit irritating and showy and I was an arrogant guy, so,  suggested my friends to do something against him and came up with a horrible idea of stealing his mobile, just like that without thinking anything I suggested this to my friends. I was mature enough to think that this is not right but I don’t know what happened I suggested this. But I was not pretty serious about it that we will do it because we were talking in a funny atmosphere. After sometime I went to a friend’s room on another floor and slept there. After a couple of hours news broke in the hostel that a mobile has been stolen. As it came to my ears I was shocked and went to my friends and found that it was true, they did this. For a moment I felt as if what to do. But again I ignored it and without taking the responsibility of the act just passed it away.

            But that incident had left an impression in my mind that I was responsible for it because I was the one who suggested them, it doesn’t matter whether I was serious at that time or not but the truth was that I have suggested them to steal. I was not having the courage to take the responsibility of the act. But my mind was unstable for many days after that and I went under constant  internal reflection and finally realized that if I have good leadership skills and can motivate anyone around me then why not do something good for society or my college. And here began the change in me. In the coming years I tried to develop myself as a humble person and learnt humility, which I think is the most important value for a good leader. I tried to become a very good listener, observer and respect others feelings. By the end of college life I think I was a totally different person, there were people around who were with me and lastly I was pleased with whatever I did in the last couple of years of college. I had a way to convince even the toughest person and had patience to tolerate the most difficult situation.

Today on the occasion of my 25^th birthday, I am relieved sharing it openly with all because it has caused a lot of pain in my heart. I learnt a lesson from this act which has changed not only me but has affected many persons connected to me and I promise you all that it will change many more lives in coming years. So, this is a small story of “How Change Begins” or “How One Can Be Inspired” by small incidents. I don’t know what you all must be thinking after reading this. But in a way I am thankful to that guy and all my friends who did that and without them I would have not changed a bit. Thanks a lot, I owe you all. Thanks for supporting me for whatever I did and suggested.

                                 

                        “Be the Change you want to see in the world” --  Bapu

--
With Love 

Prakhar Bhartiya

"Service Before Self"

Letter to My Friends-7 " Don't be a leader, be a ladder"

Hello Friends,

How are you all? It’s long since I have written my last letter. There were two reasons for the delay, firstly I pretended to be very busy to myself and hence follows the second that I did so because currently  I am working on a project.

You all will feel very happy as you go down the page. To start with I would like to tell about the project I am working on (I am very eager to share with all my friends). Together with two TFI fellows, I am working on to establish a model school for low- income community. It would be a family school and will address all the problems of low income community. In the morning it would be a learning centre for kids and later in the afternoon it would be a Community Learning Centre where we would conduct various workshops and training such as Nutrition, health, sanitation, child abuse, alcoholism, ways to augment their income and literacy training for elders. During our recent exposure to slums we figured out few reasons of why kids lack behind despite of our tremendous efforts in the classroom. One of them is that they are with us for 6 hrs. and for remaining 18 hrs. they are either with their family or community which completes their whole world. So, we felt important to change their world outside the classroom and hence came up with the idea of model school. Our future plan is to replicate the model in other cities of country, if it is successful.

So, regarding our project we were meeting many educators, social workers and visiting best schools throughout the country to get an insight of what is learning. As a part of this process we reached Ahemdabad- The City of Gandhi. We met Kiran Sethi of Riverside School, Sunil Handa of Eklavya, Amitabh of Yuva, Madhusudan of Mammovies etc. and the most inspiring one Jayesh Bhai of Manav Sadhna & Anar Behen of Gramshree.

For me Jayesh Bhai is today’s Gandhi, he operates his NGO from Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati, keeping alive the principles of Truth and Ahimsa. It was Christmas Day and the best Christmas of my life. We worked with 70 leprosy patients.  We accompanied them to Akshardham in the morning and there took place an incredible incident which moved me from head to toe, the patients who were mostly beggars took out 10 -15 Rs. from their pocket and gave them as offering in the temple. I was startled seeing this and their belief in God, inspite of their sufferings. Then we served lunch to the patients, after the lunch we sat down to have a discussion. They were so happy and all were saying that it is their happiest moment of life. After that we went to Science City in Ahemdabad, saw a 3-D movie at IMAX with them, it was a great exp.  for me also . In a scene stone was falling down and it felt that it will fall on us, at that moment I have also closed my eyes. After movie we ate ice-cream, shared some happy and sad moments with them. They were so relieved and happiness was visible in their eyes.

Jayesh Bhai says, “Don’t be a leader, be a ladder”, which speaks a lot of his personality. His humility and passion to help poor’s works as an inspiration not only to me but to many. He works with more than 6000 kids and women and the best thing is that he knows most of them by name.

Once again I would urge all my friends to come forward and share their part of responsibilities. At the end I would leave a question, which I have read somewhere, “Why to wait for a Sunami or earthquake or flood to happen, when half the nation lives in disaster every day ???”

Will soon get my next letter... about “What inspired me to became a part of CHANGE?”  

My Journey TFI

If I think back on my decision to join Teach For India, I would say that it’s the wisest decision of my life. I think that I am at the right place at right time. I feel myself to be privileged to get an opportunity to feel such wonderful experience at a mere age of 24, working with such dedicated and highly professional group is a respect for me.

I feel a great change in my mindset, skills, personality etc. during past 5 months. Now I dare to think large and work on it to execute it. It  feels amazing when you can see measurable growth for what you have been working 24*7 i.e. the kids with whom you are working. Now my life revolves between the 50 kids of my class, my all lows & highs are part of my class. I would like to describe the two scenes of my class now and then:

15 June 2009 :  My first day in Class

I entered the class, a bit tensed, a bit excited, it was my first day in class. As the strength was low so, I shared my class with my fellow teacher Aniket, both of us were excited. It gave us a clear picture of what we are into. The kids were violent, abusing, fighting, playing here and there and not at all listening to us. So, the challenge was clear. The first thing that came to my mind was how to make them a better human being and make my class a group of civilized students. Academically they were years back of their grade level. For the first few days I tried to figure out the different groups in my class, like the violent kids, academically sound kids etc. then decided to focus on them. I tried to make a bond with them loved them, played with them tried to know them better, consulted about their background from different teachers and it helped. After a struggle of few weeks things were changing in the class.

Now, 31 October 2009

Today my kids consider me as a guide, as a elder brother, as a friend, as role model, as a mentor and I try to appear in front of them in the way they want me to. I am happy to switch my roles if they are comfortable with me in any of the roles at different times. My class, which I consider to be a class of gentlemen is a team of SUPERSTARS. They have changed drastically since June, now they remain quite and do their work even if I am not in class.

Keertana who has never spelled a word for months now tries to speak in English, she talks to me like a friend. Sandesh’s mother complains me about the fact that he writes diary at home for hours and has filled two copies writing dairy. Now he has the confidence to speak in front of anyone without hesitation. Saniya wants to come to school even if she is sick. Shahid who was considered to be mentally retarded by the school administration spells the longest word of English language before anyone in the class. There are many more such incidences. But the challenges are not over, we have to travel a long way. Imtiyaaz is still violent, Hitesh never opens the book at home, Sonali keeps smiling but never studies. So, challenges are still there but we will overcome all as the time passes.

I consider these small happiness’s as a landmark and enjoy them all. At times I get very upset and it becomes very difficult to bear the pressure and I am thankful to everyone around me for supporting me during these lows. It was not possible to come so far without the support of my principal, teachers at school,  Aniket( other fellow from TFI in my school), Sapan (my Program Manager) & staff from TFI, other fellows at TFI, my friend who always support me from outside, my family and always being with me my 50 kids.

I have to go a long way with my kids and want to see each of my kid at the top. Sometimes I feel that I am not teaching them but they are teaching me different ways of life and I feel that it’s true in a sense because they have seen a lot more than me, the struggle that they face in their daily life has made them stronger than me. The way I used to think about different issues has changed a lot. When I go to a kids house and see the conditions in which he is living, I feel as if its not his fault if he is scoring less or is abusing or is violent and its true. After seeing all this I have to change my way of talking to kids, now I treat them differently, I apply differentiation even in the way I talk to my kids during 1 -1 conversation and it is helpful.

It’s a incredible journey till now and hope so coming days.

Letter to My friends- 5

Dear Friends,

I miss you all a lot, I have learned a lot from all of you and now being so far away, I remember the time when we were connected in some way or other. Sorry for being late again, during the last week I was busy in Joy of Giving Week. I & my Superstars took part in it by running a Plantation Drive at our school which was a barren land before it and now there are more than 26 plants in our campus. On October 2, I took part in an event “Be the change- COME ALIVE”, in this I was the facilitator of the group  “Talk to People”. In my group I was with 6 other persons (Age Group 23- 47 years) and we all were stranger for each other, except one of my seniors from college Rahul Gupta. He came all the way from Baroda to take part in the event. It was a different experience; we shared experiences of different persons on road. Then I was a part of a Free Hug Campaign, which gave a unique feeling and it was rocking.

   So due to planning and executing these events, I was bit busy during last couple of weeks. Once again I am with a piece of letter which is the continued part of the last one. Please recall that one before you go through it.

In the previous one I was sharing about what I saw on the eve of Ganesh Visarjan and then the sight of gambling.

     As I was crossing the lane and moving forward to take an auto, I was struck by a totally different scene, something that I have heard many times but never seen it. The sound of dhol’s  of Ganesh Visarjan could still be heard but the sight was not the normal one, I was in a Red Light area and shocked at the sight. Three different situations in a diameter of 200m. Hundreds of prostitutes standing in a line with a misery on their face, compelled into a job that is considered to be the most hated one. They seemed like a parrot in the cage, who wants to fly away but the owner has cut the wings. I keenly observed the sight from the auto and what I figured out was that it is not a profession by choice, they are forced in it. It seemed to me as a profession made by us but still abused by us. But the greatest misery was the Police Station at the end of that lane.

     When I tried to get more information about the situation over there, I came to know that most of the girls there are transported from Bangladesh, China and North- East India. There are more than 1000 of prostitute’s in that region and major portion of the customers are students. This means that our present generation is getting into such obsessions, which are bad not only for them but also for the nation. In my regard if not controlled then the situation can be similar to the one Britisher’s created by the growth and sale of opium at least for the city of Pune.

  I was quite disturbed by these thoughts and in fact I am still.....

We need an effort to change these conditions. It’s our nation and we have to take the charge. Our young blood is capable of making a new developed and prosperous India, the only thing we need is a push and that we have to generate in ourselves. Our culture ( Sanskriti) will protect us until we keep our culture in built in us.

At last I would urge:

                                       BE THE CHANGE – COME ALIVE

Letter to My friends- 4

Hello Friends,

I pray to God that this letter finds you in best of your health. It’s long since I have mailed the last letter. The days are hectic here but it is still full of joy, learning and happiness. My class is progressing at a good pace , kids are learning new things and teaching me more than what I teach them. It feels great to be with them, the day finishes as if a couple of hour have passed.

    Today I would talk about a different thing not about kids, nor about the leadership forums, nor about my experiences at Teach For India, but I will share something that many of us must have felt at different modes of our life.

It was the celebration of Ganesh Visarjan, which is celebrated with full enthusiasm in Maharashtra and my first year at Maharashtra. So, I was out on roads to watch the culture forgetting Swine Flu, without a mask I was with a crowd nearly 10,000 people. Roads were blocked for kms. everywhere just one sound “Ganapati Bappa Morya...” It was first time I have seen such a massive and dedicated crowd gathered not to see a politician or a celebrity but to sing and pray together. Everything was fine but all of a sudden I found that the sound of “Ganapati Bappa Morya...” was lowering down in my ears, though I was standing right there, my soul was there but my mind was somewhere else. There was all together a different thought going in my mind and the question was:  Why is the man mad in the rat race of money, when real happiness lies somewhere else?

I messaged the question to few of my friends but no one replied, it might be no one knew the answer or everyone is after money. I also don’t know why was I thinking so, but that question still annoys me a lot. Over there I was seeing people dancing, singing, enjoying forgetting all their sorrows and misery they were enjoying life, I too was very engaged until this question crept in my mind. All these thoughts were floating in my mind but then also the scene over there was mesmerizing and at last after a long time I decided to go back home. It was a wonderful evening.

     But there was a lot to see today. As I was leaving from there, in the very next lane there was a lottery shop, wide open and people drinking and gambling there. You can understand the adversity of the two tremendously different situations. Once again it portrayed the diversity of our society, how different the conditions are for people from different strata’s of our society, one side it is Lord Ganesha and the other side is the gambling corner. These conditions often disturbs my mind but trying to change the things around him man starts living in those conditions and becomes a part of it.

  It was not the end, I saw something and that sight was new to me, the scene was like a hammer on my mind. I realized that real scene and  something read in a book are quite different and they have different impact also.....

              Its long for now and I know that many of us avoid such long mails.... So, will continue in the next and this time very soon.

Till then reflect and suggest me the answers.... !!!

All the Best