Newsletter-cum-magazine of Oasis Movement YEAR 8  I ISSUE 7  I Apr 1, 2015

International Women's Day Celebrations at Oasis Valleys

Children's Camps at Oasis Valleys - Photo News

Love Camp for Students of D.D. Girls High School, Navsari

In above photo-collage, Girls interacting with facilitator Purvi Naik (top left & bottom left photos), Sharing at Camp-fire (top right), the happy group after the camp (bottom right).

18 girls from D.D. Girls High School, Navsari, participated in Oasis Love Camp at Oasis Valleys organized on 5-7 March during the festival of Holi. Camp was facilitated by Purvi Naik (Photo in the center of the collage).

Leadership Camp for Selected Students

Children learn about Qualities needed to be a Great Leader

Children are seen in a session with their facilitator (top left photo), Pallavi Raulji explaining them the process (top right photo) & Happy group (bottom photos).

22 chosen children who displayed leadership qualities in various Oasis camps were invited to Leadership Camp organized at Oasis Valleys on 15 & 16 February. Sanjiv Shah & Pallavi Raulji facilitated the camp.

ASHA Project News

ASHA-Ahmedabad Make a Good Beginning, Mark the First Year

આશા ક્લાસ વિશે બાળકો કહે છે...

“આશા ક્લાસમાં અમને નાટક અને વાર્તાથી આપણા શરીરનાં મહત્વ અને
સ્વચ્છતા વિશે શીખવે છે એ બહુ ગમ્યું”

Recent activities of ASHA-Ahmedabad is seen in the above collage. Children are seen Enacting a skit on the subject related to Health Education- Worm Infestation (top row photos), Demonstrating Oral Care and Hand Wash (middle row), Taking oath to take care of their precious body & Happy group with their kits (lower row).

Hygiene Kit distribution events were organized under ASHA Project in the month of February & March in various schools run by Jilla Panchayat Prathmik Shikshan Dept., Ahmedabad.

{ASHA - Adolescent Students’ Health Alternative is a Health Education Program under the aegis of Oasis Trust to make significant difference in the health of underprivileged children & youths, by facilitating cultivation of good habits that help them to become healthier citizens. The project was founded at Bangalore by Dr. Neha Vakharia (Trustee Secretary, OASIS) in 2004.

Ahmedabad Chapter of ASHA Project was initiated by Dr. Maya Soni (Founder Trustee of OASIS) last year. Since then it has flourished under her leadership with a young team of women.}

Dr. Maya Soni

Summary of Activities by ASHA-Ahmedabad in last one year

No. of Students benefited

480

No. of Regular ASHA Batches/Classes

10

Total No. of Health Sessions taken in 2014-15**

250

No. of Schools associated

5

No. of Oasis Camps organized for children

4 (3 Life Camps & 1 Dream India Camp)

** ASHA Teachers take health sessions (1 hour each) once a week for a batch/class of students for the whole year. The health education course is spread over a year.

“With ASHA, I am also growing as a Person, as a Human-being
and also as an Educator”

“જો આપણે શરીરથી સ્વસ્થ નહીં હોઈએ તો સારા સમાજની રચના નહીં કરી શકીએ”

Team-mates of ASHA-Ahmedabad reflect on their journey so far...

I have grown up in village and have studied in government school. Before ASHA work, I missed out to look for beauty and strength of these children. I am so thankful to OASIS for giving me this opportunity.

Among these kids, there are many who are helping their family in routine work as well as financially. But they are happy with that. Their strength is their confidence in their dreams and faith in their efforts.

Children are having big dreams for the future and are not crying for the existing situation because they believe that with their efforts they will create the future they want; the confidence and faith which I was lacking as a grown up person. These children strengthen my weak faith in my efforts to create my future.

I love kids. And also the idea of helping & shaping future generation of India fascinates me.

But here, though I go to them to give something, the way they welcome me and give me love, makes me feel that I am poorer than them in giving.

I am so thankful to my ASHA children for making me more happy & confident person.

Shraddha Vyas

Dy. Manager (Finance),
Electrotherm (I) Ltd., Ahmedabad

આશા ક્લાસમાં કામ કરવાનું આમંત્રણ મને માયાદીદીએ આપ્યું ત્યારે મને આ સંસ્થા વિશે જરાય ખબર નહોતી. I am very happy to know about Oasis Trust. મને આ સંસ્થાએ સેવા કરવાનો મોકો આપ્યો અને હું પણ જીવનમાં બીજાને કોઈ રીતે મદદ કરી શકું એ મારી ઇચ્છા પૂરી કરી. હવે આ સંસ્થા સાથે આગળ કામ કરવાની મારી ઇચ્છા છે.

આ સંસ્થામાં કામ કરી મારામાં પણ પરિવર્તન આવ્યું છે. હું પણ મારા સ્વાસ્થ્ય વિશે જાગૃત થઈ છું. જો આપણે શરીરથી સ્વસ્થ નહીં હોઈએ તો સારા સમાજની રચના નહીં કરી શકીએ. આ સંસ્થામાં કામ કરીને મને ખાસું જાણવા મળ્યું. નાના બાળકો સાથે કામ કરવાની બહુ મજા આવી. નાના બાળકો જ આપણને ઘણું શિખવાડીને જાય છે.

જે અમે શિખવાડ્યું તે બાળકો પોતાના જીવનમાં ઉતારતા થયાં તે જાણીને આનંદ થયો. I am very very happy to be a part of Oasis Trust.

Dr. Megha Chauhan

Physiotherapist, Ahmedabad

Oasis gave me a big platform to love and educate underprivileged children. I always wanted to do something for children, something which can stay with them forever.

Initially, I was little scared that children may not accept me and cooperate with me. But I saw that if you do anything with love, they would be ready to cooperate. As ASHA teacher, I explained them about precious body, teeth care, about food, water and air, about hand-feet care, about worm infestation, changes during adolescence and such things.

I am very happy that children started brushing teeth twice a day.

Dream India Camp and Life Camp changed many students’ life. I saw everybody who been to camp was one level up. Their confidence was boosted. Oasis – ASHA is like a blessing for children and for those who work for them.

With ASHA class, I am also growing as a person, as a human-being and also as an educator. At the same time, I get to know so many health related information that sometimes as adult we do not practice.

ASHA class helped me to connect with child psychology and it is helping me as mother so much.

Children gave me so much love. To love and to be loved is, I think, the greatest happiness of life.

I want to thank Oasis and Mayadidi for making me a part of such good work.

Ankita Gandhi

Co-ordinator, ASHA Ahmedabad

સૌથી પહેલાં જ્યારે હું સ્કૂલમાં પહેલો સેશન લેવા ગઈ ત્યારે એક સ્કૂલના ક્લાસની જેમ શિખવાડવાનો પ્રયત્ન કર્યો. પછી ઓએસિસના માયાબેને સમજાવ્યું કે ખાલી પ્રેમ આપશો તો પણ ચાલશે. પછી મને ધીરેધીરે બાળકો સાથે મજા આવવા લાગી અને જવું પણ ગમવા લાગ્યું. પછી તો બાળકો પણ મારી રાહ જોવા લાગ્યા. દર વખતે મારો પ્રયત્ન રહેતો કે બાળકોને કંઇક આપીને જાઉં.

જ્યારે હું ડ્રીમ ઇન્ડિયા કૅમ્પના બાળકોને લેવા ગઈ ત્યારે બધા રડતા હતાં તે જોઈ મને થયું કે આ બાળકોને એવું શું મળ્યું છે કે આટલા બધા રડે છે? ત્યાં મને સમજાયું કે આ બાળકોને સૌથી વધુ હૂંફ જોઈએ છે, બીજું કશું જ નહીં. આ બધામાંથી મને જે મળ્યું છે તે એ છે કે મારો આત્મવિશ્વાસ વધ્યો અને એ સાથે મને સંતોષની લાગણી થાય છે કે હું કોઈ સારું કામ કરવા માટે પ્રયત્ન કરું છું.

આશાના આ કામમાં મારા પતિ અને બાળક તથા ઘરના બધા જ સભ્યોએ સાથ આપ્યો છે. તેઓ મારા કામના વખાણ કરે છે અને મને મજા આવે છે.

Renu Dave

Supervisor,
Coaching Class,
Ahmedabad

It was great and memorable experience throughout the last year as ASHA teacher. I feel very special when I am with kids. Through this health education classes I could see changes in the habits of kids like, they regularly brush their teeth twice, regularly wash their hands, cut their nails, etc.

Children enjoyed their freedom and tried to open up during the sessions and it was very good thing that happened.

I have become more loving towards children; not only ASHA children but also towards all surrounding children. I learnt how to give more and more love to the children. Initially I found it difficult

but gradually I learnt that. Now I can easily connect with children.

Also, I have started to give time to think about myself.

Dr. Birva Dave

Physiotherapist,
Sanjivani Multispe. Hospital, Ahmedabad

ASHA Team conducts Life Camps for Bangalore Students

Students of Cannan Public School, Bangalore seen busy in activities (above two photos) and
(bottom photo) the happy group with their facilitator Dr. Neha Vakharia.

49 students of Std. 7 & 8, Cannan Public School, Bangalore, participated in Oasis Life Camp organized by ASHA-Bangalore from 24-26th February. The camp was facilitated by ASHA Founder Dr. Neha Vakharia.

Crux of reflections from students:

We learnt that to remove fear we should face it. If we won’t face it we may not overcome it. By sharing painful experience we can increase our confidence... We learn that we should never lose hope in the difficulties... Painful sharing touched my heart deeply because we have not shared our pain with others and we have shared it in this camp… I had stage fear and was very shy. After attending Life camp I gained self-confidence and it would help me very much in my life… Now, If anybody ask me to speak in front of everyone, I can speak confidently... We learnt definition of hard work…

I would like to thank Nehadi because she said so many imp things which would help in my life. I request Nehadi that she should go to each & every school and build confidence of children... Nehadidi is awesome. She encouraged us very nicely... She took care like a mother...

Students of Gekay Convent English School, Bangalore enjoying Life Camp (top two photos) &
the group with their facilitators (bottom photo) - Neeta Sanghvi (Photo embedded bottom-center)
& Nirali Dhum (bottom-right).

Oasis Life Camp was organized for 45 students of std. 7 to 10 of Gekay Convent English School, Bangalore from 24 to 26 February. ASHA-Bangalore Team Leader Neeta Sanghvi facilitated the camp and she was assisted by Nirali Dhum, IT Professional & Youth member of Oasis.

Crux of reflections from students -

I like the environment of this camp, filled with Happiness and enjoyment... On the first day I was feeling very shy to speak in front of everyone but at the end of the day I am very confident and I can speak, now, in front of many people... This will be very useful in my life… Imagination, Goal, Thinking, Feelings, and Self-Confidence – I learnt all the beautiful things in this life camp… I learnt to take challenge in my life to achieve the goal… In this life camp, Imagination and Visualization of goals and achievement touched my heart deeply. We can see our future. I understand the value of life, now... I learnt importance of positive thinking and self-confidence. Nothing is impossible if we work hard with goal in our mind… This is the best youth camp and it should be necessary for every youth...

It was nice to have friend like Neetadidi. She is polite and always encouraging. She never scolds anyone... She is always motivating and encouraging... Neetadidi and Niralididi were always smiling and cheerful. They helped us to understand everything very clearly...

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