KAUSHAL VARTA June’24: Learning Through Challenges

KAUSHAL VARTA June’24: Learning Through Challenges

This June 2024 edition of "KAUSHAL VARTA" is dedicated to the theme of Learning Through Challenges, highlighting how every obstacle surmounted and lesson learned furthers our mission. Team members of Lend A Hand India from across the nation have contributed insightful articles, sharing their experiences and reinforcing our commitment to growth and resilience. In addition to these inspiring stories, this newsletter brings you updates from our diverse teams on recent events, drives, and other notable happenings.


Overcoming obstacles to enhance the quality of Vocational Training

Dibyashree Toppo

In the rapidly evolving landscape of vocational education, the continuous professional development of trainers is paramount. Recognising this necessity, a comprehensive five-day Residential In-service Training Programme for Vocational Trainers was initiated under Samagra Shiksha – Vocational Education. This initiative, centred around the theme "Learning through Challenges," exemplifies the dedication to overcoming obstacles to enhance the quality of vocational training in Odisha.

Preparatory Plan

The journey began with meticulous planning and coordination to finalise the training institutes. Outreach efforts to various institutes such as QUAT, ITIs, WSC, and CTTC ensured a comprehensive approach to arranging training plans and logistics for the vocational trainers within the PAB-approved cost. After thorough evaluations, two institutes were selected to meet the approved norms: Centurian University and World Skill Centre.

The goal was clear: to refresh the training of 2,120 vocational trainers across 1,060 schools. Detailed discussions with Centurian University and World Skill Centre were crucial in assessing their capability to conduct quality training programs and provide reasonable accommodations. Engaging with the management in charge ensured qualified resource persons would conduct trade-wise sessions.

Structured Training Programme

The training was planned to be conducted in 14 batches at three different zonal levels of Centurian University, located in Jatni, Khorda, and Parlakhemundi in Gajapati District, as well as at the World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar. Each batch would accommodate a minimum of 45 participants, tailored to the number of vocational trainers in each specific sector. The training schedule was designed to accommodate the convenience of participants from different districts. At the World Skill Centre, the training program was scheduled from June 24, 2024, to August 9, 2024, focusing on three trades: Plumbing, Electronics, and Beauty & Wellness. At Centurian University, the training was scheduled from June 24, 2024, to August 2, 2024, covering ten trades: Agriculture, Apparel, Automotive, Construction, Food Processing, IT/ITeS, Retail, Electronics, Telecom, and Tourism & Hospitality.

Comprehensive Cost Analysis

A comprehensive cost analysis ensured efficient resource utilization. The cost structure included:

  • Training Hall Charges: Detailed expenses for the use of training halls at each venue.
  • Vocational Labs: Advanced labs are available for practical classes in the mentioned trades.
  • Accommodation Costs: Per day charges for each participant's stay, ensuring comfort and convenience.
  • Food Expenses: Costs for providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner to all participants.
  • Resource Person Fees: Compensation for experts conducting the training sessions.

Diverse and Relevant Training Modules

The training program's content was meticulously designed to cover a wide array of sectors and trades, ensuring its relevance to the diverse needs of vocational trainers. The initial batch included 222 trainers specializing in Agriculture, Automotive, Electronics, Telecom, and IT/ITeS. The training modules encompassed:

  • Teaching Methodology: Advanced techniques to enhance teaching effectiveness.
  • Student-Classroom Management: Strategies for effective classroom management.
  • Academic Activities: Engaging academic activities to enrich the learning experience.
  • Career Counselling: Guidance on career development for students.
  • Industry Trends: Insights into current industry trends to keep trainers updated.
  • Exit Survey & Light House: Evaluation and feedback mechanisms to ensure continuous improvement.

Logistic Arrangements

To ensure a smooth training experience, meticulous logistical arrangements to be made. Key aspects included:

  1. Training Halls: Well-equipped halls designed to support interactive and dynamic training sessions, equipped with modern teaching aids and technological infrastructure.
  2. Accommodation: Comfortable and well-maintained accommodations for participants traveling from other districts.
  3. Food Facilities: Nutritious and balanced meals provided, catering to the dietary needs of all participants.

Leveraging Expertise: Resource Persons

Identifying and engaging resource persons with substantial expertise was a crucial component of the program. These experts provided invaluable insights, shared practical knowledge, and facilitated interactive sessions, enriching the learning experience for all participants.

The First Batch: A Promising Start

The first batch of the training program set a positive precedent. The 222 vocational trainers who participated expressed high satisfaction with the training's quality and relevance. The sessions successfully imparted advanced teaching methodologies, enhanced classroom management skills, and provided a comprehensive understanding of industry trends.

Embracing Challenges for Continuous Improvement

The Residential In-service Training Programme for Vocational Trainers in Odisha exemplifies the theme of "Learning through Challenges." By addressing logistical complexities, diversifying training content, engaging expert resource persons, and maintaining financial transparency, the program has significantly elevated the standard of vocational training in the state. This initiative not only equips trainers with the necessary skills and knowledge but also inspires them to continually adapt and excel in their roles, ultimately benefiting the students they teach.

Conclusion: Building on Success

As we look forward, the successes and lessons learned from this program will serve as a foundation for future training initiatives, fostering a culture of excellence and resilience in vocational education. The commitment to continuous improvement and embracing challenges will undoubtedly drive the advancement of vocational training, ensuring a brighter future for vocational trainers and their students in Odisha.


Building Resilience: Learning and Growing at Lend A Hand India

Vijay Boda

Lend A Hand India (LAHI) symbolises the LGD system: Learn, Develop, and Grow. This framework allows us, as employees, to follow a well-defined pattern to achieve effectiveness and growth. Our journey at LAHI involves continuous learning and developing, which has proven crucial in overcoming various challenges.

One of our primary responsibilities is visiting schools to monitor their adopted multi-skill programs’ progress and ensure the smooth implementation of our programs, such as pre-vocational, multi-skilling and internships. At an organization, we have more than five officers dedicated to this task, including myself. The major challenge we faced was grading the schools—I mean grading the program with different criteria. Each officer evaluated the schools based on their individual understanding, leading to inconsistent assessments and a lack of a unified grading system.

To address this issue, we recognized the need to come together on a common platform. As we meet every three months to discuss and update each other on the program's progress. These meetings became a cornerstone for our collective learning and growth. By sharing insights and experiences, we were able to develop a standardized grading system that all officers could follow. We know that it is very necessary to grade the program for effectiveness and replication. The system has the criteria of workshop with specification and scoring, documentation, human resource and documentation criteria, total meetings and visits criteria, assessment and project sustainability criteria, there is a score for grade conversion.?

This collaborative approach not only enhanced our program's effectiveness but also fostered a sense of unity and purpose among the officers. We learned that overcoming challenges requires both individual effort and collective action. By learning from each other and developing a common strategy, we grew more effective in our roles.

In conclusion, the LGD system at LAHI has been instrumental in turning challenges into opportunities for learning and development. It is also an integral part of our journey. Our regular meetings and collaborative efforts have ensured that we grow not just as individuals but as a cohesive team dedicated to making a meaningful impact.


Learning Through Challenges Every Step of The Way: Ensuring Quality Internships

Anant Kumar

When discussing the quality of internships, several key elements need to be included during their implementation. These include offline orientations for Vocational Trainers, Vocational Coordinators, and all stakeholders, using a monitoring platform (like the Pathways Portal), student and VT booklets, maintaining an appropriate employer-student ratio, field visits, and providing constructive feedback.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, internships were implemented across 11 states. Additionally, direct implementation project internships were launched in Pune DI, Plan 100, and the Swadheen internship. Despite these achievements, maintaining the quality of internships at a high pace posed a significant challenge.

The team introduced the concept of an Internship Representative (IR) for each state. Each member of the central internship team was assigned to a few states to foster continuous dialogue, establish processes, and support the initiation and maintenance of quality internships. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our state office members, we expanded internships to a substantial number of states in 2023-2024. Throughout this process, we consistently discussed quality parameters and checked off each item on the quality internship checklist.

One key realization from this experience was that, while we addressed all quality parameters for internships, we didn't sufficiently emphasize prioritizing the most critical items on our checklist. This oversight posed a challenge in achieving the desired quality standards. Learning from this, we have now prioritized essential elements such as the internship student booklet, the monitoring platform (Pathways Portal), offline orientations, employer-student ratio, and field visits.

Cover Page: Internship-Student booklet-Nagaland-This is one of our priority for 2024-25 internships

With these insights, we are stepping into the 2024-2025 academic year with a renewed focus on achieving quality internships, one step at a time.


Mistake Myth!

Sharmila Govande

What if I say, “there is nothing called mistakes”. There are just favorable or unfavorable consequences of your actions.?

The word ‘mistake’ brings out memories of red coloured cross marks on my school notebook. A mistake was an error that couldn’t be rectified and stayed on the notebook forever. I was reminded of my mistakes, every time, I casually flipped through the notebook or used it for studying.? The need to hide my notebook from other classmates and to cover up for my mistakes often led me to feign an uncaring attitude, lie and blame the teacher. The red marks created a block in my head, and I never really got into decoding what had gone wrong. In short, it hindered my learning. It lowered my confidence and stopped me from looking beyond the red marks. It deterred me from overcoming my challenges and mastering excellence.?

Childhood memories have a deep impact on what we are unconscious about. The biggest impact this detrimental practice had was on my decision-making skills, how I easily shrugged off responsibility and blamed the circumstances or some other person. My locus of control shifted to extrinsic factors and deterred me from having a balanced view of the happenings around me. .

A few years back, while I was reading some articles on ‘unschooling’, I came across this phrase - “There is nothing called mistakes - only favourable or unfavourable consequences of your actions.”? This statement brought to light a different meaning, a different perspective to the word ‘mistake’. It opened my eyes to thinking about the decisions that led to actions and the consequences around it.?

Recently, my actions while trying to resolve an uncomfortable situation did not yield favourable consequences. My intentions were right, and what seemed apparent to my eyes wasn’t for the concerned person. This person was upset. As I reflected on the happenings, I thought of what had happened and how the interaction hadn’t yielded a favourable result. I realised that I wouldn't understand unless I empathise. My reflection helped me see how I could have handled the situation differently and gave me valuable insights and learning. Had I considered this experience a ‘mistake’, I probably would have come up with a hundred points to justify my actions and blame the person involved. I would have probably carried on the grouse and found it difficult to let go.?

There are many occasions when one takes a well-thought-out decision, yet things don’t go as planned. Long ago, I worked for an organisation working on rescuing minors from prostitution. Advocacy work resulted in abolishing an entire locality known for prostitution and converting it into a tourist spot. The problem that appeared to be solved turned into a graver one that no one envisaged. Prostitution now spread to smaller hubs that were difficult to locate, making rescue operations more challenging. Many times, things aren’t in one’s control, and however good the intentions are, things move in unperceived directions.

Being part of the Karigar team, we face challenges every day. We recently decided to postpone the Skills and Repair Mela from 26th May to 9th June due to urgent repair work. The evening before the 9th - there were heavy rains. The team and the summer school students were drenched and tired when they reached home much later than usual. When some of us arrived at Karigar the following morning, the campus was quite a site - it was wet and mucky with broken branches and twigs all over. The housekeeping staff looked lost - they didn’t know where to start. The tables had yet to arrive, and it was almost 10 am. We had to set up the space and prepare for the mela in an hour. 9th June was the new government's oath-taking ceremony and an India Pakistan cricket match. Most people were caught in the rain and the traffic the earlier day and had no intentions of going out on a Sunday (the only weekly holiday they get). The weather forecast projected afternoon rains.?

We decided to keep our fears at bay and enthusiastically got everything ready. Upon observing that there were no entrants at Karigar until noon, we shared a live reel and a “waiting for you all” message with our WhatsApp groups. Slowly and steadily, the crowd started trickling in. Those who entered stayed on for more than two hours, experiencing activities in all labs, savouring the yummy treats and shopping from the array of products. The health section was a huge hit, with people getting their eyes and blood pressure tested. We closed the event at 6:30 so everyone could return home in time. We made a collection of over Rs16,000. The students returned home with a sense of achievement as they manned all the stalls, collection, learning desks and activities. And yes, it didn’t rain - Our decision to postpone resulted in favourable consequences.

Had it rained or had we panicked and worked with constant fear - our efforts would have resulted in unfavourable consequences. We took the risk and decided to meet the challenges head-on, and we went back home happy. Would I call it a mistake to postpone the event? Footfall would have been much more. However, the experience everyone had of battling unfavourable circumstances and emerging resilient and strong - wouldn’t have been there.


Enhancing the Learning Experience: Tailoring Ambience to Student Requirements

Mr. Keshav Sul

This article is about sustaining students' attention in learning, which has become increasingly challenging post-COVID-19. Their interests and aspirations have shifted, making traditional methods less effective.?

The past academic year we marked a significant shift in our approach to vocational education, emphasising the integration of practical sessions into the academic curriculum. This initiative, enhanced by industry exposure through field visits and guest lectures, aimed to provide students with a more comprehensive and relevant learning experience. However, we quickly realised that today's learners demand relevant educational content and an inspiring environment that fosters creativity, technical skills, and a love for learning.

Recognising this need, I teamed with Mr. Ramdas Lomate, and Mr. Sagar Vaishnav for the workshop setup, making them cleaner, more effective, and technologically advanced to enhance classroom engagement. We approached this task from the ground up, leveraging our combined experience, expertise, and energy to maximise available resources. The school provided invaluable support by supplying high-quality laminated display boards, contributing to the complete transformation of the MSFC workshop at Smt. Shantabai Balkrushna Dhole Patil High School, DP Road. This task proved to be an invaluable learning experience as we diligently worked to create technically advanced workshops across four schools: DSRP, Bopodi; YCMV, Bibavewadi; LBSMV, Mangalwar Peth; and SSBDPMV, DP Road.


The transformation continued beyond workshop upgrades. The primary goal was to create an engaging learning environment that would sustain students' attention and interest. Recognising the power of visual stimulation in learning, we utilised the summer holidays to collaborate with ConnectFor NGO on an "Artshala" event. This partnership allowed us to bring vibrant mural art to the walls of SRMAMV, Ramwadi, SSBDPMV, and DP Road schools.

We conducted “Artshala” events at both schools, beginning with expert artists creating educational wall art throughout the schools. Following this, we organised volunteering events with Amazon employees on May 17, 2024, for SSBDPMV, DP Road, and May 25, 2024, for SRMAMV, Ramwadi. Approximately 90 volunteers participated at each school, bringing these artistic visions to life through painting. This initiative beautified the learning spaces and created an environment that inspires creativity and fosters a love for learning.

In a slight deviation from our original plan, we successfully approved whitewash painting for three workshops in SSBDPMV, DP Road. However, due to logistical constraints, we redirected this budget to paint three classrooms in SRMAMV, Ramwadi, as volunteers preferred participating in schools near their offices. This change was well-received, with the headmaster appreciating the enhancement of the school's classrooms.

As we reflect on the past academic year, it's evident that our efforts to integrate vocational education more deeply into the curriculum and physical improvements to our learning spaces have set a new standard for educational experiences. This holistic approach prepares students for their future careers and creates an environment that nurtures creativity, technical skills, and a love for learning.

When writing this article, we have already facilitated the first session for 10th-grade students in both schools, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response to both the workshop facilities and the artistic murals. We are optimistic that this initial enthusiasm will persist throughout the academic year. Moving forward, we focus on developing innovative methods to provide students with a high-quality and joyful learning experience.


A Mother's Resolve: Learning Through Challenges

Madhura Kulkarni

When my son was in 10th grade, I was a working mother, often unable to give him my full attention. While I never pressured him about his grades, I took his 10th exams seriously. He was studying under the ICSE board, which was different from my education. Though I knew what he needed to study, I didn't sit with him during his sessions.?

When he failed his first preliminary exam, particularly in English, I was called to meet the headmistress. ICSE has a strict rule that failing English means failing 10th grade, regardless of other subject scores. As I rode home, I decided I wouldn't scold him. Instead, I knew I had to motivate him.

At home, I found him looking dejected. We went out for snacks, and I asked him why he couldn’t concentrate on his studies. He admitted he was trying but struggling. I knew he was hyperactive and often received feedback about his naughtiness. However, he expressed a desire to study harder.

Back home, my husband was furious and suggested he drop a year. I disagreed, believing it was essential for our son to face and overcome this challenge. We decided to give it our all in the remaining two months. I took a break from work to support him fully. We studied together, balancing it with entertainment to keep his spirits up.

To tackle English literature, specifically Julius Caesar, I found a movie adaptation. We watched it repeatedly, helping him grasp the play better. We also worked through old question papers, improving his writing skills. For geography, our home was plastered with charts, and we quizzed each other constantly.

In the last few weeks, I built his confidence, assuring him he could do well without stressing over specific marks. He appeared for the exams, and I refrained from pressuring him about how they went. After the exams, he attended a camp at Bhusla Military School but struggled and wanted to return. I reminded him of our hard work during those 60 days, encouraging him to stay.

The results came out while he was still at camp. Despite my confidence, I was nervous. He scored 72%, a testament to our joint effort. This challenge taught us resilience and the importance of facing difficulties head-on. It strengthened our bond and instilled a lasting sense of confidence and determination in both of us.


Student Stories

A Student’s Journey with Lend A Hand India

Deepika Kumari, Skill Mitra

My name is Deepika Kumari, and I am from a small village called Dantu in Bokaro, Jharkhand. Currently, I am pursuing a diploma in Electrical Electronic Engineering in Dumka. Today, I am going to share my internship journey with you.

I have been interning with "Lend a Hand India" for the past year.

What is Lend a Hand India? Lend a Hand India is an organization that promotes vocational education and teaches many things to children like us through internships. It also provides scholarships and other support.

What is Vocational Education? Vocational education includes both theoretical studies and practical training according to one’s skills, which increases the chances of getting a job in the future. Although the internship usually lasts for six months, seeing my good work, I was given another six-month internship, allowing me to continue working with Lend a Hand India. During this year, I learned many skills such as communication skills, software skills, Canva, ChatGPT, LinkedIn, and completed several courses on Great Learning. I also performed various tasks, such as employer visits, where I traveled 2-6-8-16 kilometers for these visits.

Now, let's talk about what an employer visits. As I mentioned earlier, Lend a Hand India promotes vocational education, which includes various trades like retail, electronics and hardware, automobile, agriculture, etc. Students start studying these trades in their schools from class 9th. To apply their practical knowledge, they need to visit industries or shops. Finding the right shop or industry involves investigation, which is what we do during employer visits.

Additionally, I also handled calling tasks, where I had to call and inquire about various things such as job fairs, feedback calling, and finishing among others. After that, I also worked on the Safe Circle task. Now, let’s understand what Safe Circle is.

Safe Circle is a part of the Skill Mitra program, where students are asked about their preferences, such as their favorite song, favorite food, favorite book, favorite color, and the most interesting question, what they are known as (apart from their name), etc. This work provided me with a lot of experience, and I really enjoyed interning with Skill Mitra (Lend a Hand India). I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Lend a Hand India, and I will continue to strive to contribute to Lend a Hand India in any way I can. This is a matter of great pride for me.

Thank you


Updates

What's Next After 10th Grade? A Vertical Mobility Drive

Amol Shinde

On June 11, 2024, "Lend a Hand India" conducted a series of impactful guidance sessions across 16 schools in Pune city, reaching out to students who have recently passed their 10th-grade exams. These sessions, part of the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) initiative, addressed the crucial question: "What's Next After 10th Grade?"

The sessions aimed to provide students with a comprehensive overview of their educational pathways. Information about nearby colleges, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and Polytechnics was shared, along with guidance on the courses available at these institutions and the long-term benefits of pursuing them. The entry processes for these colleges, ITIs, and Polytechnics were also explained.

Additionally, students were informed about private educational institutions in Pune that offer free education, accommodation, meals, and guaranteed job placements upon course completion. This was complemented by details about various scholarships available for further education after the 10th grade, easing the financial burden on students and their families.

A crucial part of the guidance included advice on the important documents required for admission after the 10th grade and the procedures for compiling and submitting them, ensuring students are well-prepared for their next steps.

The outreach was made possible by a dedicated team of 26 volunteers from Lend a Hand India team. These team members paired up and visited different schools simultaneously, managing to cover all 16 schools within 1.5 to 2 hours. Approximately 500-550 students were reached out to.

Following the sessions, the team members gathered to share their varied and insightful experiences. This debrief call allowed them to exchange ideas and feedback, contributing to the continuous improvement of future guidance efforts.

Overall, the initiative by "Lend a Hand India" proved to be an invaluable resource for 10th-grade graduates, equipping them with the necessary information and guidance to make informed decisions about their educational and career paths.


Summer School Event at Chhatrapati Shivaji Technical School, Shukrawarpeth

Prajakta Gophane

Objective:

  1. Effective utilization of student time during summer vacation.
  2. Inculcate vocational and life skills in adolescent students.

Program Overview

The Summer School-24 Program, held from May 2 to June 3, 2024, featured a variety of engaging activities on campus. With the theme "Skilling Up Youth for a Transformative Future," the program underscored the vital role trainers play in equipping students with the necessary skills for workforce readiness and active participation in their activities.

Click to watch the Closing Ceremony of Summer School

Participation and Schedule

A total of 31 students participated, with the daily schedule running from 11 am to 4 pm. The students were divided into three batches focused on Electrical Technology, Mechanical Technology, and Food Processing Techniques, rotating weekly with 10 students per batch.

Daily Activities

The day began with meditation and inspirational prayers. In the first week, students engaged in mechanical technology practicals, learning about tools and their uses, fabrication techniques, welding joints, carpentry skills, and plumbing joints.

During the second week, students gained hands-on experience with electrical technology skills. They explored basic electricity concepts, generation, transmission, distribution, and safety measures. Activities included working with electrical tools, wiring circuits, protection devices, calculating electricity bills, soldering, and understanding non-conventional energy sources like solar energy and the maintenance of home appliances.

The Food Processing section was particularly popular, with students preparing and serving delicious food items to staff and peers. They learned about the science behind food preparation, different cooking methods, preservation techniques, and bakery products, breaking stereotypes and enjoying the process.

Engagement Techniques

To keep students engaged, facilitators used energizer activities and various revision techniques to reinvigorate learning. Each day, post-prayer sessions included different games that promoted employability skills such as communication, leadership, critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and confidence building.

Project Week

In the final week, students prepared projects in their respective subjects, demonstrating the skills they had acquired. They learned about raw material purchasing, costing, packing, and labeling, enhancing their creativity through drawing and painting.

Closing Ceremony

The program concluded on June 3, 2024, with a closing ceremony attended by parents and Lend A Hand India staff. Parents were invited to appreciate and witness their children's achievements. The event featured alumni who participated in welcoming guests, orienting parents, and serving snacks.

Program Impact

The impressive participation of 30 parents, 15 alumni, 31 students, and 20 teachers highlighted the strong support from the school community. The event successfully promoted skill education, inspiring additional students to join.

The enthusiastic and sincere efforts of the team were recognized by senior staff from ITI, Technical School HM, parents, and senior staff from LAHI Office. The program set an exciting tone for the new academic year, fostering creativity and practical skills while raising awareness about skill education.

Conclusion

The Summer School 2024 festivities at Chhatrapati Shivaji Technical School were successful in shaping the future of younger generations, making a significant contribution through practical and soft skill development.


A Vibrant Showcase of Talent: Skills & Repair Mela ‘24

Chinmay Katke & Indrani Sinha

Even though that day was preceded by one of the heaviest downpours of the season, the Skills & Repair Mela on 9th June took place under the soft shine of the sun, the kind that adds an exquisite kind of vibrancy to the environment.?

The colorful premises of Karigar were made even more picturesque by the many decorations handmade by the students, volunteers, and trainers of the Summer School – from paper streamers to fabric wheels, all the decorations followed Karigar’s motto to reuse and recycle what would usually be considered waste.?

Click the image to watch the video of Skills & Repair Mela

What was truly the most colorful around, however, were the students of the Summer School themselves. Dressed to the nines, they put on their best show of salesmanship to sell their handmade products to the eager attendees of the Skills & Repair Mela.?

The classroom or main hall of the premises was packed to the brim with students managing the respective stalls of the electromechanical, electrical, and carpentry labs. Adjacent to the main hall, the attendees could get their blood pressure and eyesight checked for free in the counseling room. Moving outwards, the gardening lab demonstrated its abundant knowledge to curious visitors, while the engineering lab added a playful air to the event by housing a wide selection of mini-games. Attendees were delighted to find that their performances were rewarded with chocolates and other small treats.?

On the subjects of small treats, the cooking lab managed their food stalls admirably, selling cookies, cheeseballs, matki bhel, and similar quick bites. Their live cupcake stall was especially popular, and visitors couldn’t resist coming back for more.

Not only were the students successful in their endeavor to sell their products, they also answered questions about Karigar gracefully and showcased their love for the ‘learning by doing’ mindset.?

The various labs also conducted a selection of workshops during the event which was received well by the visitors, who subsequently practiced the hands-on approach to learning observed at Karigar.

Overall, the event was a mix of education and enjoyment that visitors of all ages and social backgrounds delighted in superbly.


Embracing Wellness: Nurturing Minds at Lend A Hand India

Dr. Revati Upadhye

In the dawn of 2024, Lend A Hand India embarked on a transformative journey toward holistic employee wellness, recognising that true well-being encompasses physical health and mental and social harmony. This initiative marks a profound commitment to nurturing every facet of our team's welfare, with a particular focus on mental health—an area increasingly pivotal in our fast-paced world.

Reflecting on the feedback from our engaging team members, it became evident that nurturing mental health was paramount. Thus, our partnership with AMAHA emerged as a pivotal stride forward. AMAHA, renowned for its comprehensive mental health tools, swiftly became integral to our employee wellness initiative. This partnership isn't just a collaboration; it's a commitment to providing accessible and practical mental health resources to every member of our diverse Lend a Hand India family.

Why the emphasis on mental health? Consider this: our mental well-being profoundly influences our daily attitudes, decisions, and interactions. A positive mindset fosters creativity, resilience, and effective teamwork—critical ingredients for success in any workplace.

Introducing the Amaha Employee Wellness Program

Bringing together decades of experience and the latest clinical science, Amaha’s solutions aim to drive real change by offering personalised support for your unique mental health needs.

Self-care: Each person's experience with mental health is unique. Drawing on the expertise and experience of our psychologists and psychiatrists, the Amaha app curates a highly personalized self-care journey just for you. The various features available include a variety of courses and programmes, a relief bot, a goal tracker and also a mood tracker.

Community: The Amaha Community is a safe space to connect with others. Here, you can share stories, talk about your mental health journey and get or give advice.

Therapy: Therapy is a safe space to discuss what's on your mind. Our team of therapists at Amaha strive to be by your side every step of the way. Each person gets 6 free session credits to avail of therapy sessions online. Offline therapy sessions are also available for free at the Bangalore Clinic

Crafting a solution that resonates across Lend a Hand India's rich diversity of languages and cultures posed a unique challenge. AMAHA is a versatile digital platform accessible to all via smartphone and laptop, offering over 600 meditation practices and self-care activities.

If you haven't already, I encourage you to register on the AMAHA platform and explore its wealth of resources. Let's seize this chance to prioritize our mental well-being and nurture a healthier and happier workplace together.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all for your unwavering support and enthusiastic participation. Let's continue to foster a culture where well-being thrives—one where every voice is heard and every mind is nurtured. Together, let's cultivate wellness at Lend A Hand India, ensuring that each day is not only productive but also fulfilling.

Here's to a brighter future, where our collective commitment to wellness sets the stage for continued growth and success. Thank you all for being the driving force behind this remarkable journey.


Chetan singh solanki

Senior Officer-Skill Training and Development

8 个月

The LAHI team is doing outstanding work toward achieving long-term goals in skilling. Implementing orientation programs with industries will be beneficial in boosting confidence among students and attracting them towards vocational courses. Collaborating with aligned industries can provide insight into current and future industry demands, enabling students to make informed decisions about their courses of interest and better prepare for the continually evolving industries.

Akash Patki

Managing Expectations !! Engage for disucssion on System Change | Convergence | Impact | Learning | Empathy And Jokes on anything !!

8 个月

Madhura Kulkarni i seriously feel that since you studied along with your son in grade 10th exam, you added enterntainment component in between studies ?? But on a serious note thanks for writing it down... And if I can summerise your efforts with your 10th going Son.. Reduce Pressure... Do it consistently... Empathetic support.... And offcourse Fun while learn.. Well Written

Deepika Goyal

Startup enthusiast | Youth Mentor | Educationist

8 个月

I am thrilled to see that even our Alumni (Skill Mitra) has also contributed to this newsletter sharing her experiences. <3

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