KERNELS OF TRUTH

Ushering out of the home where a family was decaying in the clouds of alcohol addiction, Manpreet Kaur born on 20th and relentless effort acting as a pillar for her family toact timely with her guidance of her mother Rajwinder Kaur by focusing that she can pull out her family from poverty and alcohol abuse by taking strongsteps, to plan her future carefully by ensuring right direction and steps to be economically independent. It was with this motion and thought that she joined the Women Empowerment program offered by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib in which she was given free education and training to become a teacher with full background and knowledge keeping up with the needs and demand of 21st constant Century Educator.

Today when she looks back on how lucky she was as she not only was the part of first batch of this program at the AIRWE - Akal Institute of Rural Women Empowerment, but she ended well by scoring 70% in her finals and was given a title of top scholar of that batch. This program not only helped her earn a living for her family but gave her a strong base of values which was imbibed in her. She became a propelling factor to give her father Sukhbir Singh a track to come out of the shambles of alcoholism. Though she still finds herself in a situation where she needs to keep a constant watch over her father, she had to switch to a school in Amritsar; she is now working as a coordinator of Junior High School.

As she is been engrained to be a workaholic she finds herself each day striving to keep up with the daily living expenses which are put on her shoulders that she even after school hours takes out time for teaching English to the children living near in her vicinity. She is heavily indebted to the trust which has helped her to come up and be a ray of hope for her family and her sister Rajkanwalpreet by becoming a tireless advocate for all womento work with full passion and energy helping each one in the position to “OPT OUT” by pursuing one’s passions rather than to be “PUSHED OUT” in the daily ordeals of life in which one can easily loose one’s own identity.

The truth is that one needs to DREAM and then transform them into THOUGHTS and then thoughts resulting in ACTION otherwise there is a great degree of chance to be lost in the world full of challenges. In her voice there is full strength and confidence enabling her to have best track record of being a teacher who inspires and ignites imagination and love for learning to her students.

~Ramandeep Singh
~New Delhi, 30th Sep '13

Divinity's Unheralded Course for Mankind

We often hear our elders saying “God's ways are unforeseen and are good for one's own sake.“, which raises a doubt on our mind that what about when something tragic happens, how can that be for our own salutary ? Well, let’s try to construe that from young Suman’s life tale. Young Sumandeep Kaur,18, daughter of Sukhwinder Singh, a farmer & Maljeet Kaur, dwellers of village Sohain Khurd in Amritsar, Punjab infamous for its confinement towards women and their rights. 

Limited on their resources, parents often choose to institutionalize their male child, especially to conserve upon the costs & efforts involved in sending children to schools, which are often not located at a feasible distance. Suman’s was a family of five including a brother & grandmother but unfortunately her mother passed away while she was 16; leaving behind the entire burden of the house upon her father’s shoulders.. "I was very scared when my mother died. It really made me daunted because my mother's sudden demise made me lose my courage. My father's emotional state started deteriorating and he got addicted to alcohol and my family forgot  its faith in daily prayers to god as well" exclaimed Sumandeep with a deplorable face whilst boldly sharing the difficulties she faced in her life that turned upside down after losing her only support, her mother.

In spite of all odds, Sumandeep managed to complete her schooling though PSEB; she always remembered that it was her mother’s dearest wish that she studies well;  after schooling, understanding the financial constraints of the family she got herself enrolled for FREE Teachers Training Skill Development program at Akal Institute of Rural Women Empowerment Baru Sahib to further develop her intellect & start a career of her own. "The idea of getting a chance to receiving education for free, alongside food & accomodation was awe-inspiring. I learnt that the Kalgidhar trust was doing this easpecially for rural girls like me in villages where most people cannot afford education or avoid sending schooling for girls, fearing of wasting money.” , tells us wise Sumandeep Kaur. Having lived through phases of extreme situations, she is affirmed that the world out there is much by  its addiction to drugs or alcohol to realize the importance of imparting education to the youth, perhaps she embarked upon a mission to save & help as many as she can becoming a teacher.

Sumandeep’s family experienced her life changing right before their eyes; her alcoholic father foresweared   to give up drinking to be supportive & aspiring to. The family retroverted to its faith in god & prayer, the son too took baptism following the Sikh “a learner’s” way of life.

Today, Suman strongly believes that all that she aspires to be today was triggered from an act of destiny that once appeared only tragic & unnatural; with time she realized the mystical design the destiny was knitting for her whilst taking away her mother.

As humans, we face  situations where we lose something close to our heart & in no time we fall in limbo. Questioning & doubting God & his doings; failing only, to wait, to hold firm onto our faith in destiny as it eventually unfolds its craft; only to realize that the ways of almighty are far from being empathized by us 'belittled' humankind, that has no other option but patience, perhaps the only key to unravel the  mysteries of divinity.

Inspired? Sponsor a rural child for lifetime and give them a quality life!  - SPONSOR HERE.

~ Harshika Maakan, B.A. (hons.) Economics

~ Rajdhani College, Delhi University, 24th Sep '13

Sharing FREE Smiles… Transformation Story of Apoorva

Apoorva, from a rural village of Himachal, loved looking into mirror putting on her mother’s attire & make-up, who is now silent; traumatized by a fire mishap at her house, that burnt over 50% of her facial skin tissues. Now she does not want to remember her past, she instead tries to find life in her lifeless Barbie doll that looks pretty.

Her parents brought her to Akal Charitable Hospital, run by The Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib; upon hearing about the Free Surgical Treatment that was otherwise out of their reach elsewhere, both financially & in terms of distance.

Specialist surgeon’s team from Canada, during their Rainbow Mission organized a FREE camp through the Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib; reviewed Apoorva’s critical case carefully & promised the similar looks to her like her Barbie doll.

With the grace of God, wishes and generous support of volunteers & donors, not only Apoorva’s face was restructured through plastic surgery for Free, but also the team of philanthropic enthusiasts, the doctors, helped her gain the lost confidence in herself through counseling sessions, helping her to move out of post-traumatic stress.

“More than the treatment, at first place, it was the assurance of support, that she will be treated is what build up hope in Apoorva’s heart”, told a volunteer therapist who took her counseling session post the surgery.

Cure is certainly brought in by the doctors, but the hope came from the supporters, who played the subtle key role on the road to her recovery; there is a magical psychological recovery process which triggers in both brain & heart, driven by nature, that actually ensure that the treatments work & the patient will adapt to the cure being provided, added the expert.

Step forward now, because someone, somewhere, like Apoorva is waiting for your help & all they need is your little support, support that can spark life into them. 

Be a part of the India Giving Challenge! Donate Here & help the ones in need...

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 24th Sep '13

Daughter of Destiny, Smiles today

Being called “Katti”by her friends and school mates, Manisha was shy playing or being amongst other children, not because she did not wish to, but because she could not SMILE or Laugh!

Manisha of Lohar Tikri Village, Renuka (Himachal Pradesh) had spent most of her childhood indoor, not that there were not enough children to be friends with or there was no one playing outside. Life in the hills, especially childhood, in fact, is more close to nature, wherein children enjoy the beauty & colors of nature more closely than any of us in our wishes or dreams.

But this was not the case with innocent Manisha, she preferred to remain indoors, voluntarily serving & helping her Rural parents, keeping herself indulged into household works i.e. from gathering wood for fuelto doing utensils or other such activities that would keep her isolated from the rest of the world.

Unlike other kids of her age, she grew into prime years of her childhood, only to become more conscious & losing confidence in herself.

Her problem was not something that other kids or anyone else around could empathize about; her fault, her inability, was a gift that nature provided her at birth. Manisha was born with a congenital deformity on her face known as Cleft-Lip problem, caused by abnormal facial development during gestation, a defect that 1 in every 700 infants is born with.

Fortunately, the natural defect has a medical cure through surgery, but sadly majority of such cases remain at disadvantage either due to financial constraints of the parents or inaccessibility to treatment facilities or both.

Luckily, one such case, of Manisha was identified in one of the FREE Medical Camps at Akal Charitable Hospital, Baru Sahib that was being observed 85 kmsfrom her village, where the volunteers of theorganizing charitable institution, The Kalgidhar Trust learned about the young Manisha through other patients who visited the medical camp.

She, because of her problem, was widely known in her village, so, our team decided to find-visit her at her home to register case for Free Surgery Treatment under our special surgery camps that see volunteer medical specialists & experts from India & Abroad.

With God’s grace & generous efforts put in by the medical experts during the charitable drive, the Manisha’s surgery was successfully completed, for her graceful smile was restored for the rest of her life, bringing the joy of childhood to her life that she now only could begin to experience after 9 years of living in isolation.

Manisha is now able to look into mirrors, happily as she adores & smiles looking at the ‘new her’ she never knew before. They say smile is the only natural expression of hope one can realize by oneself whilst looking into a mirror.

Going by the given scientific estimate, several children across the globe are getting deprived not only from their childhood, but from leading a normal life, a life that has expression of Smile missing from it.

Like Manisha, you too can be a reason for someone’s smile for a lifetime, the most noble & lasting thing money can buy.

Be a part of the India Giving Challenge! Donate Here to help kids like Manisha, who are waiting for miracles to happen!

~ Ramandeep Singh
~ New Delhi, 24th Sep '13

Meditation & Yoga at Akal Academies

Food for Body & Soul for Healthy Well-Being

Body exercises play a pivotal role both for healthy well-being & spiritual uplift of the brain. Yoga & mediation lay a strong foundation developing focus, abilities & creativity, leading to perpetual growth & success.

Yoga alongside Meditation is an integral part of regular activities undertaken with Rural young students at all Akal Academies. Students not only practice alongside expert guidance but are also explicated about various forms of advance yoga techniques which helps in mind relaxation, which is much needed by the students, especially with ever-growing load of academics.

The teachers also join students during the sessions; the intent behind the practice is to imbibe the process into routine lives of the students & teachers to ensure they develop healthy lifestyles as they grow up with the ever-increasing complexities of life.

Development & healthy nurturing of brain is given special & equal importance as academics in the curriculum followed; it is believed that the techniques are supportive in subtle-development of overall moral & ethical values that only enhance if the mind remains in a peaceful state.

Pics of students during Yoga & Meditation Session at village Dhotian Akal Academy.

~ Deeksha Singh

~ New Delhi, 22nd Sep '13

Everything is Possible when we Defy the Limits of the Mind!

Success is the attained through hard work, loyalty, persistence and one’s ability to learn from his own failures, mistakes & weaknesses. True strength lies in an honest submission to one’s desires & dreams, which sets the premise for true devotion.

And this unrelenting devotion behind our efforts doesn’t let any task stay unaccomplished. We learnt this as we scrolled through Jasmeet Kaur’s life at Akal Institute of Rural Women Empowerment, Baru Sahib whilst she pursues Free Teacher Training & Skill Development program run by a charitable trust, The Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib. 

Inhabitant of Sidhwan village near Amritsar, Jasmeet strolls through life with a killing spirit & zeal. She left no stone unturned during her foundation course in the 1st year to achieve proficiency in spoken English. She developed an excellent knowledge of the subject & a natural instinct for correct pronunciations, even for the words she had not heard before, just by looking at them. Her fluency and great caliber to develop  herself so quick, astounded everyone around, so much so that she would often switch to English while expressing her ideas & thoughts as she could describe more effectively & swiftly.  

Leadership is action, not position, a challenge to be something more than the average; is what we have learnt from  observing into young Jasmeet’s life, who demonstrated an essence of a true leader, consistently pulling herself up the rope of growth with the grip of strong efforts & strength of will power. Coming from a lower-middle class background, “the knowledge hungry” Jassi’s appearance has a charisma, which is accorded with all flair at the Akal Academy where she is interning at the moment. 

She affirms the belief that virtues of patience & listening, once acquired, give birth to a world of learnings & knowledge. “Speech is a weapon that guides and connects us with the outer world, wherein patience & listening are the stone that sharpens it ” explains us the simpleton.

Besides her academic interests, she is a lover of gadgets, always keen to know more about the upcoming technologies & science breakthroughs. Techie Jasmeet also secretly covets blogging and is fixated with the Akaash Tablet that was part of the tools provided by the centre.. 

She not only aspires to be an educated personality but also harnesses to be a pillar of support and strength to her peers; her closest friend Sukhwinder at the training center lacked creation of thoughts and struggled in speech. She bequeathed the spirit of learning in her and also helped her to improve her speaking and writing skills. And with Jasmeet’s benign support and love, Sukhwinder has not only been able to gain confidence but also showed  significant improvements in the recent assessments. 

Jasmeet’s vision is to be a Professor, so she can spread knowledge and unlock the golden gate of freedom for many like her. She is one of those 9 students of the centre who have been selected to appear for their 12th CBSE in English medium. 

Work of AIRWE has not only given feathers to her aspirations but also boosted up her morale, giving her a backbone to work in an organized and structured environment. The institute  not only proposes to help children to perform well in their academics but also inculcates value based education in them fostering human values.

The aim of education is not knowledge but action. It cultivates the grace and politeness in a being and affords the ability to think. It is a liberating and democratizing force, which helps us overcome all the circumstances. And the person from Malaysia who helped fund Jasmeet’s education was one of the few ones to realize it. Salute philanthrophy!

~ Gurleen Vedi

B.A (Hons.) - English

Mata Sundri College For Women, New Delhi

EMBRACING THE SIMPLICITY…. MANIFESTING THE PLAINNESS!

Simplicity is the glory of expression and the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is the simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art!

Music is a refuge! Music doesn’t lie! After silence, that which comes nearest to the expressing the inexpressible…is music!

Amritpreet Kaur, Gurdaspur

‘Music is the greatest treasure in the world’- this saying is undeniably affirmed by Amritpreet Kaur of Gurdaspur, for whom, music is the movement of the sound to reach the soul.

Music is the shorthand of emotions and for her music was her religion, her passion and her beauty. She matriculated and passed her 12th grade from a Government school in Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur. She secured 70% in class 10th and 71% in her class 12th CBSE. In the 2008, she came to The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib with all her hopes and passion to excel in the stream of music. 

She polished her talent by imbibing the skills of ‘Prayag Sangeet in Instrumental’ at Baru Sahib for a year and currently she is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Music and proposes to be a musician in life. Not only she has made music her reverence, but she also wishes to spread these ‘surs and taals’ within the souls of other people too.Her sister too is a music admirer and teaches the harmony lovers in an Akal Academy at Amritsar. 

Aspirations and dreams have always resided within you but very few realize the importance of time and hit the masterstroke to achieve them. Amritpreet Kaur not only attained success with her best efforts and dedication but she is also an example for those who are still fixing up the wings to their dreams and trying to accomplish their goals.

Devout, thanks to Akal Academy, who not only endowed the instinct of courage in her, but also bestowed the benediction and blessed her soul with spirituality and eternal values. The value based education given by this Academy has raised her endeavor and spirit to work hard. 

It is said that ‘Music’ has a direct relation with the Almighty, so we assume that how well her spirit is attached to Babaji! We all have our inspirational models that make us move on our ambitions. Same way Amritpreet Kaur found the magnetic power of touching souls through Music. There is nothing in the world so much like prayer, as music is.

Therefore, let the strings of your Sitar hit your soul and let your fingers on the Surmandal experience the heavenly bliss. So play the music and not the instrument as music cleanses the understanding; inspires it and lift it into a realm.

~ Gurleen Vedi, BA (HONS) – English

~ Mata Sundri College For Women, New Delhi, 19th Sep '13