Awareness Event 2019
WORLD AIDS DAY
This year the theme for World Aids Day was “Rock the Ribbon”, which encourages people to wear a red ribbon to show everyone – especially people living with HIV and their families – their support. With similar message in mind, PARAS INDIA organised awareness rallies across its regional centres. The day was an opportunity for people to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Children were asked to draw and speak on what they understood from AIDS and its consequences.Various efforts were made by the PARAS team to de-stigmatize the syndrome and put out facts, myths and the treatment for the virus. People were warned of the potential ways one could get in contact with the disease. Children were sensitized about the social impact on people suffering from the disease in addition to the physical pain one has to go through. It was widely shared in the communities that anyone who tests positive for HIV will be offered antiretroviral treatment immediately free of cost by the government. Once children had gathered enough knowledge on the subject, they went to their neighbourhood and explained them on why we celebrate the day. It is PARAS INDIA’S constant endeavour to raise children and
adults, with empathy and kindness, associated with them.
CHILDREN’S DAY CELEBRATION AT PARAS India
This Children’s Day was celebrated at PARAS’s regional center with reciting quotes from Shri Jawaharlal Nehru. Children immensely enjoyed the occasion making charts, painting pictures of “Chacha Nehru” , reciting poems, playing games and eating sweets. Children were told about the contribution made by our first former Prime Minister from building institutes of education to calling dams “the temples of modern India”. Children were asked to recollect their favourite memories from their school and share with others on the occasion. It was a fun-filled event that included decorating the centres with balloons, collective participation of children in cultural events like comedy act, speeches and various competitions. The event concluded with announcing winners and a thank you speech from one of our participants. The children went to home with sparkling smiles on their faces.
INTERNATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY CELEBRATIONS
PARAS India celebrated International Girl Child Day on this 11th of October 2019. The participants included children and teenagers, majorly girls. The event started with briefing the children about the need to celebrate girl child.
The theme for this year was “Girl Force: Unscripted and Unstoppable”. In lieu of the theme, we conducted an activity “Grow Courage” on the event. Paper chits were distributed among the participants. Each person wrote down a fear of theirs on the piece of paper and anonymously dropped into a hat. Each person was then called to choose one out of the hat, read it aloud, and say why it might be scary to someone. Then, as a group, children came out with a few options for navigating that fear and the solution henceforth. The common fear among the teenage girls was to go out of their homes by their own. They were scared of the dark, of being called out names and being harassed. We discussed the issue at large and instilled confidence in them.
Students made drawings and posters for the event. The day concluded with motivational speech from the team member. The day of the girl child was focused on encouraging them to give their best in fields of education, jobs and their personal lives to stand out.
GANDHI JAYANTI CELEBRATIONS (2nd October)
This 2nd of October PARAS India celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in all the regional centres. The event witnessed interesting activities and large scale participation from the communities.
Since the driving theme for this year was awareness on the harmful use of plastics, rallies and speeches were organised for the same. Children took away with them the message of “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”.
On this historic occasion, the ideals of truth, non-violence and satyagraha were imparted through speeches and skits. Children were told how under the leadership of Gandhi ji, freedom fighters used innovative methods of resistance for making India independent. Mimicry competitions were held imitating the historic messages from Gandhi ji. Recitation of poems and patriotic songs added to the spirit of the occasion.
TEACHER’S DAY (5th September)
On the 5th of September, PARAS India celebrated Teacher’s Day with much fun and love. On this day, children were told that it is celebrated on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the first vice-president and second president of India, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. It was told that Dr. Radhakrishnan was a staunch educationist and hence the importance of education in one’s life is inevitable for being good human beings. With much fervor, various programs were held like Poster Making and speeches by children for their favourite teachers.
Children were explained that teachers are the building blocks of this nation. A teacher’s guidance shapes their future. A teacher is a friend, philosopher, guide, mentor and their companion in good and bad times. To achieve one’s dream in life, support from teachers and parents was utmost important.
The program included a few students becoming teachers for the day. They dressed up as their teachers in sarees and formals. They enacted like their teachers and taught the classes. The atmosphere was filled with joy and happiness.
SCREENING OF SUPER 30 MOVIE AT NAND LAL BASTI, GOPALPUR, DELHI (31st August)
On this 31st of August at the PARAS India centre at Nand Lal Basti, there was a screening of the very inspiring and a super hit movie SUPER 30. The movie was a part of the awareness drive for the students under our Project Chetna. The movie was based on the life of a famous mathematician Anand Kumar, hailing from Bihar. The movie took with it the message of the importance of education, how one could achieve it despite adverse circumstances. The movie also portrayed how our teachers support us and are a part and parcel of our lives. The hardships and as a result our continuous hard work are important to do well in life and be a successful person.
The children thoroughly enjoyed the movie and were glued to the screen during the entire screening
LEGAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN (13th June 2019)
A legal awareness campaign to educate people about their legal rights and various related issues was organized on 13th July 2019 at Nand Lal Basti, Gopalpur in Delhi. The campaign was organized with the joint initiative of Paras India and Eunomia Law Associates, New Delhi. Experts like advocates, counselors & law students joined and shared their knowledge about rights and duties of an Indian citizen and their experience wrt to the violation of the same. Several activities like stage plays, talks about real life - stories and one to one sessions were organized to make them aware to demand justice, accountability and effective remedies at all levels. During one to one sessions the basti people asked their queries and discuss their concerns. A play on Domestic Violence fetched the attention of everyone, especially the way it concluded that they are not going to be victim anymore from their near and dear ones. Basically the experts focused on major issues like domestic violence, child marriage, child labor, female feticide, human trafficking, divorce law in India, girl education and care of senior citizens and their laws etc. The panel also encouraged them to question government authorities under “Right To Information Act” for their rights. At the end we took pledge to spread the legal awareness as much as possible and to help others to get the justice before it is delayed.
YOGA DAY CELEBRATION (21 st June 2019)
The 5 th International Yoga Day was celebrated by PARAS India at Community centers of Delhi, Uttar
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The theme for this year’s celebration was “YOGA FOR PEACE AND
HARMONY”.
At the early dawn of the day, students and community members gathered in nearby parks, playgrounds and community centers to celebrate this day. The word ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’, which means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. It signifies peace, tranquility, join or unite. As per Yogic scriptures, ‘Yoga’ indicates the combination of the mind and body, Man, Nature, and Soul. It is also based on science which helps in bringing harmony between mind and body. It is an art and science of healthy living and the art of giving peace to our souls.
It started with a little warm up exercises followed by various yoga poses. It included Tadasana (Mountain Pose), Vrikshasana (Tree Pose), Adho Mukho Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose), Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), Kursiasana (Chair Pose), Naukasana (Boat Pose), Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose),Paschimottanasana, etc. The event ended with a message to practice yoga daily for a better life.
WORLD EARTH DAY (22nd April 2019)
“World Earth Day “was adopted to reaffirm the agenda of sustainable development and also to acknowledge the role of the earth as a mother, who sustains and nurtures all the species, including humans, animals, and plants. Keeping this as a primary agenda, PARAS India conducted various activities to support sustainable development. One of the community member guided under PARAS planted small plants of fruits and vegetables in a rack-like space in his slum home. He has developed this model which can support the daily requirement of vegetables of his family. He has planted various vegetables like tomatoes, chillies, brinjal and many more. This Earth Day, all the community members were given this example to march towards sustainable development.
WORLD WATER DAY (22nd March 2019)
Water availability has far-reaching effects on our existence and overall well-being. This year’s theme –“LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND” adapts the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that as sustainable development progresses, everyone must benefit. Students at various centres of PARAS took out an awareness drive in the community and activities like speech, drama, and painting was done to make them socially viable and responsible. They were made to think of those few times when they went without water for a very long time feeling hot, thirsty and distraught and how difficult it is to make that extremity becoming an enduring reality. The alarming situation and the ways to cope up with the depleting water resources were depicted by some students in their art. It ended with a pledge- “SAVE WATER, SAVE LIFE”.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY (8th March 2019)
This year’s celebration was based on the theme “BALANCE FOR BETTER” took place at Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Various events were organised to sensitise society about gender equality and the empowerment of women in the areas of social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure. Rally of women was taken out in the community to bring the women to the forefront. It was followed by drawing and poster making competition whose winners were given gifts as a token of love. Meeting of women was taken where different issues concerning to women like their social, political and financial issues were discussed. The celebration provided a medium to interact with women and know their views over education, equality, health, and empowerment.
NATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY (24th January 2019)
National girl child day was celebrated this year at centres of PARAS at Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. This was done primarily to increase the awareness among the community about all the inequalities faced by the girl child like inequality in education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, honour, child marriage, etc and to aware the community about it. Our motto of “BETI BACHAO, BETI PADHAO” was strengthened with this year’s theme of "Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow". Different activities were conducted like drawing competition, extempore, and mono acts. The activities were based on subjects like education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, honour, child marriage, and women empowerment.