Newsletter-cum-magazine of Oasis Movement YEAR 8  I ISSUE 16  I Aug 16, 2015

Beyond Barriers of Language, Friendship Flourishes

In Dream India Camp at Oasis Valleys

Participants seen taking vows to create their Dream India

It was the Dream India Camp where South India met West India. In the camp 45 participants were from Bangalore, Karnataka & 11 from Gujarat. Majority of Karnataka youths were associated with Oasis ASHA Project, Bangalore. The camp was organized from 31st May to 7th June at Oasis Valleys.

The Camp was facilitated by Dr. Neha Vakharia, Founder, ASHA Project & Trustee, OASIS and Neeta Sanghvi, Chief Project Coordinator - ASHA, Bangalore. Kiran Gupta & Mrudula Sanghvi from ASHA Bangalore Team acted as Co-facilitators. They were assisted by Pooja N. & Prajwal as overall camp managers & Prakash assisted the managers (all the three are ASHA, Bangalore Team-mates).

Crux of reflections about Camp from participants:

હું આ ડ્રીમ ઇન્ડિયા કૅમ્પમાંથી શીખી કે શીખવાની કોઈ ઉંમર નથી હોતી. દરેક વ્યક્તિમાં કંઈક અલગતાભર્યું સરસ હોય છે જ. મિત્રો બનાવવાની કળા, દરેકના સુખ અને દુખમાં ભાગીદાર થવું, કોઈ પણ જાતના ભેદભાવ વિના વ્યક્તિને પૂરતો ન્યાય આપવો – એ બધું શીખી. ~ હેતવી

I have learnt a lot about how to speak confidently in front of seventy four people and learnt to settle in any situation. ~ Veedhishree Vankawala

I have attended many camps, but I have not attended this type of camp before. Here we are very much free to choose sessions - full freedom is given. This is my memorable camp. I can’t forget this camp in my life.  ~ Gayathri G.

I learnt to speak courageously /express my thoughts.  ~ Aastha Patel

The Camp gives us an opportunity to cultivate leadership, brotherhood and team work. We can think by ourselves, participate and give justice to needed one. ~ Dhwani N.

I felt happiest to make friends and I learnt many things from each and every member. I liked unity in this camp. Care taken by faculties and every one’s support to overcome mistakes were the most I enjoyed.  ~ Saraswathi Siddagangaiah

From this Dream India Camp I learnt how to speak truth as it is, to fight for our rights and justice and I’ll apply this throughout my life. ~ Thulasi S M

In Dream India Camp I have learnt so much which is helpful for my life. I came to know the qualities of a leader and I understood about friendship. I enjoyed every moment. ~ Kavya S.

I am from poor family. My dream is to become an actor but I was not knowing how to act and from where to learn. Dream India Camp gave me an opportunity to learn drama and it brought out all my hidden acting talent. I am very happy. ~ Syed Ali

A camp which teaches us to be responsible, to take initiative and many more things. ~ Saumya

The Facilitators

Facilitators of the camp: (left photo) Neeta Sanghvi, (right photo) Dr. Neha Vakharia

Children's Parliament

A Powerful System to Transform Hearts

The photo above shows ongoing case in the parliament

Children's Parliament - a system which increases Courage and Sensitivity for others, brings out Leadership Qualities, develops Honesty & Sense of Justice and most importantly, gives platform by which children solve their own problems with minimum interference from adults.

Reflections from Children -

“I thought this parliament, like our country’s parliament, will be partial; but here, there is no partiality & friendship doesn’t come in way while giving justice... This is my first experience of parliament where I learnt many things which will help me to lead my life. It was so excellent... We understood that How India's Parliament should work… આપણી પાર્લામેન્ટમાં બેઠેલી વ્યક્તિઓએ ઘણી જ સમજદારી રાખવી પડે, ખૂબ વિચાર કર્યા પછી જ નિર્ણય લેવાના હોય છે. આ પાર્લામેન્ટથી ખોટું કરનાર વ્યક્તિ વિચારીને પગલાં ભરે છે...”

Children Meet Their Own Better Selves in Star Assembly

The facilitator, Neeta Sanghvi, embraces kids while affirming their good qualities in morning Star Assembly

“Here, Learning Time is Fun Time; We love it!”

The photos above show glimpses of daily Learning Sessions...

In the camp children were offered many subjects & activities to learn on daily basis. The faculties and their respected subjects were: Dr. Neha Vakharia - Leadership Development; Neeta Sanghvi - Self-confidence; Kiran Gupta - Embroidery & Soft Toys; Mrudula Sanghvi - Quelling; Hasmukh Patel - Greeting Cards & Best out of Waste; Girish R. - Drama & Mime; Hasmita Parmar - I Can Dance; Prajwal & Prakash - Morning Jogging and Deshi Games; Veena - Morning and Evening Walk and Lokesh - Indoor Games.

Reflections from some of the faculties:

The real futuristic leaders are born here which are leading the camp towards a milestone. And the solutions which are found for all problems of children make the real inspiration for learning many things. ~ Girish R.

The process of children’s parliament is a process wherein the children realize what are their rights, which they have to bring out through their views and discuss them. It brings out lots of confidence in them. ~ Jayam Shah

I think if we go the way Dream India Camp is going, we will see a better India soon. ~ Kartik Patel

Crux of reflections from participants about their favorite session & what they learnt:

I learnt dance and mime. I also learnt how to create beautiful music without any musical instrument. Just by using things around we created very good music for our mime. ~ Prabhu Vardhan

My most favourite session from this whole camp was Leadership Development because I learnt how to be in front; now I don’t have any problem, I got courage and I learnt to support the justice. ~ Jaladhi Vankawala

In this camp my favourite session was ‘Being Assertive’. Because I learnt how to speak courageously. I came to know that if I try more I can speak more courageously and with confidence. ~ Thulasi

Sessions I like the most were Mime and dance. I was scared of mime by thinking people will laugh at me and feeling very shy but I don’t feel shy now. When I was dancing everyone was laughing at me; I was feeling very bad but I don’t feel anything now. I am very happy. ~ Lakshman

From drama I learnt acting and expression. I really felt very happy because in my life I have never attended such kind of sessions and it gave me an opportunity to show my talent. It is really very helpful. ~ Bharath Kumar H R

In dream India camp I learnt how to make greeting cards and I am really happy with it. ~ Mahesh N.

Sharing Special Knowledge in Guest Sessions

Above Photos: Guests enjoying their sessions with children who are equally happy to learn

Guest Faculties & their respected subjects were: Dr. Alka Sethi - First Aid; Jayam Shah - Power of Choice; Gopinath - Being Assertive; Kartik Patel - Clicking Pictures in the Right Way; Roopa Mahajan- Art of Story Telling and Gopal Patel - Fun with Colors.

Exercising in Morning & Playing in Evening to Keep Fit


(Above Photo) One of the morning exercises - Yoga; (Bottom Photo) Playing some Deshi Games in the evening

Duties - Keeping Their Country Neat, Clean & Organized

Photos above: Cleaning toilet & basin, as part of daily duties to keep their mini country, Oasis Valleys, adorable

Showing Their Learning on Last Evening in Talent Show

Photo above: Participants performing in a skit during their Talent Show on last evening

Time to Return Love to Faculties, Showered During the Camp

Children embracing their faculties with love on the last day when they depart

Community Living - An Experience They Never Forget

Eating together during a typical evening meal; No language barrier stops them from enjoying beautiful moments of togetherness

Children Choose Hard Work Over Luck
In Life Camp at Kachholi, Dist. Navsari

Photo Left: Happy group of children after the camp (Facilitator Purvi Naik's photo embedded)
Photo Right: Children seen engrossed in Life Camp activity

Life Camp was organized from 29th April to 1st May, at Gandhighar, Kachholi, Dist. Navsari for the students of Divine School & Sanskar Bharti School of Navsari. It was facilitator Purvi Naik's first Oasis Life Camp outside Oasis Valleys. 27 children took part in the 3-day residential camp and enjoyed it very much.

The crux of reflections from children:

શિબિરમાં મને એ બાબત સ્પર્શી ગઈ કે જીવનમાં નસીબ કરતાં મહેનત વધારે જરૂરી છે. જો જીવનમાં સતત મહેનત કરતા રહીએ તો જ સાચી સફળતા મળી શકે... આ શિબિરમાં શીખેલી મહેનત, સારી પસંદગી જેવી બાબતો જીવનમાં ઉપયોગી થશે. જો આપણે જીવનમાં કોઈ પણ સિદ્ધિ મેળવવી હોય તો મહેનત કરવી જરૂરી છે. તેને માટે આપણે સારી પસંદગી કરવી જરૂરી છે… I became a better person here. Initially, I was rude to everyone and thought no one cared, but now I realize that people do feel bad; I have stopped being rude… મને આ શિબિરમાં ડિબેટ અને યૂનીક આઇડી બહુ ગમ્યાં, કારણ કે, ડિબેટમાં અમને જાણવા મળ્યું કે મહેનતથી જ સફળતા પ્રાપ્ત થાય છે. નસીબથી બધું મળતું નથી... શિબિરમાં મને આર્ટિકલ્સની બાબત સૌથી વધુ સ્પર્શી ગઈ હતી, કારણ કે તેથી આપણને જીવનમાં શું કરવાનું છે અને કેવી રીતે આગળ વધવાનું છે તે ખબર પડે છે...

અમારા શિબિરનાં સંચાલક, પૂર્વીબેન, ખૂબ જ સરસ હતા. તેઓ અમારી બધી જ બાબત પર ધ્યાન આપતાં. અમારાથી કોઈ ભૂલ થઈ ગઈ હોય તો તેઓ અમને શાંતિથી સમજાવતાં તેઓ અમને ગમતી બધી જ બાબતો કરાવતાં. અમે ખોટું વિચારતા હોઈએ તો અમને સાચું શિખવાડતાં અને જીવનમાં સાચા રસ્તા પર ચાલવાનું શીખવતાં...

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