Ekal youth and STEMM create awareness of global environmental sustainability
- Ms Prajna Khisti
The pandemic has impacted our lives in an unprecedented way. It has significantly disrupted social life and the global economy. This in turn has effects on the physical world such as the environment and climate. We as human beings need to protect our earth, by uniting in our efforts for global environmental sustainability. The Urbana STEMM and EKAL youth want to create awareness among our peers and at the same time keep our common areas clean and safe. Some of us (Azhan Zafar, Reshma Ramesh, Anushka Tyagi, Niharika Kalkeri, and Dhruv Girish) took a lead and under the supervision of club leader Dr. Amit Kumar and other parents planned a spring cleaning event on April 3rd, 2021. The club leader contacted the Villages of Urbana (VOU) social committee and manager and presented our ideas that were well received and got their support for tools and other logistics. To gather support from the larger community we advertised on the VOU website and other local media platforms. We discussed the locations to clean and marked on our map. To involve young kids from the community we invited them to present the facts on environmental challenges we are facing today. Many elementary and middle school kids (Ayra, Rhea, Kanishka, Mihir, Ritika, Saanvi, Siddhardh, Ronith, and Rishi) presented the facts on plastic pollution and its effects on animals, coral reef, adverse effects of pollution, and the importance of separating recyclables from trash. We went around a few locations that required greater attention based on VOU manager input. It took us a few hours to complete the cleaning and we found many plastic bottles, plastic bags, pizza boxes, tennis balls, tape, papers, and surprisingly a twenty-dollar bill that we plan to donate to some non-profit organization. This project provided us the opportunity to learn more about the impact of pollution on the environment and at the same time allowed meeting new people in the community and working together as a team. The biggest lesson learned was to take ownership of our neighborhood to keep it clean and healthy.
Ekal’s POWER OF EDUCATION event rated as best by the audience
Ekal News is sharing the response of some of the audience -
- I have been involved for over twenty years with Ekal. This was the best program Ekal has ever organized!
- Watching the impact Ekal has created for children and women in the villages especially during COVID was heartening! I could see my donation working.
- The distinguished speakers were outstanding. I learned so much from MIT professor Dr. Sanjay Sarma on how children learn!
- The entertainment was unique and captivating. Ekal Gaatha by Boston Ekal Volunteers, LEAP presentation from Chennai, India and the Rap by the young Indian American A'Niche was brilliant!
PLEASE HELP OUR EKAL VILLAGES TIDE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC!
We are sorry to share that the Corona pandemic has now begun to infiltrate Ekal villages and the situation is becoming dire. Ekal villages are very remote and do not have equipment such as oximeters and digital thermometers, which are critical to identify the seriousness of the condition. The villagers also do not have easy access to doctors and medicines.
Ekal USA is gathering funds to send diagnostic equipment and medicines to the villages. Ekal, in conjunction with Intelehealth, our tele-health partner has established a health-line of 1000 Karyakartas to answer calls from the villages. The health-line provides instant connection to doctors of the National Medicos Organization so that expert help can be made available as needed. With these measures - hotline and addition of the diagnostic equipment and medicines we can help EKAL VILLAGES TIDE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW ! YOUR DONATION WILL HELP US
- Provide medical consultation to patients through tele-medicine apps through Smart Phones
- Provide diagnostic equipment including Oximeter and Digital Thermometer
- Provide over the counter medication like Paracetamol, Erythromycin, Zinc etc
- Make and distribute masks
- Provide immune-boosters for the well-patients including Vitamin-C and Ayurvedic immune-boosters (Kadas)
OUR FOCUS
Mobilize our ground team to provide information to villagers on immediate actions when they feel sick
- Boosting their immunity with immune-booster mechanism
- Countering misinformation
- Promoting acceptance of vaccination
- Mask making and distribution
- Provide tele-health consultations for sick patients in partnership with the National Medicos Association of India using the Intelehealth tele-health platform
- Distribute diagnostic tools and over the counter medication.
Together we shall overcome !
Please do give generously and if we all do our best we will soon overcome the crisis situation and save precious lives.
Success story
Dhansay Singh, a teacher of Ekal Vidyalaya, has been successful in joining the Chhattisgarh Armed Force. In the year 2013, Dhansay joined the Ekal Movement and became a teacher in Umeshpur village of Ramanuj Block in Surajpur District of Chhattisgarh.
Dhansay’s dedication to his work as an Ekal teacher soon took him ahead. Only after a few months work as a teacher, he was given a bigger responsibility and he became the head of Sanch’s (group of 30 Ekal Vidyalayas) activity.
In the year 2016 he was selected for the Chhattisgarh Armed Force. He is working in the Naxal effected area of the state. He fondly remembers his work in Ekal and says that he misses the company of other teachers and volunteers of the movement.
Smt Neeru Agarwal contributes to Ekal on her birthday
Bengaluru Mahila Chapter extends wholehearted thanks to its member Smt Neeru Agarwal (Sattva Group) for donating Rs. 10 lakh on her 50th birthday.
Story telling competition organized by Ekal Yuva
Ekal Yuva organised a story telling contest on the topic Hindu Puranik Kathas as part of the Shri Hari Satsang Samiti Rajat Jayanti. Over 100 people registered from across the country where little children recited stories of Ram, Krishna, Hanuman and so on. Winners were given certificates and story books as prizes. This was a small effort to create interest about our scriptures among children.
During the event Ekal Yuva also launched an APP called Ekal Culture Connect app that carries slokas, stories, hanuman chalisa, interesting facts about our culture and fun quizzes. The APP is currently available on android and soon coming on Apple too!
Here is the link for the App
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rudraum.ekal
Ekal Abhiyan chief's successful Karnataka tour
During the 4 day tour to Karnataka, Shri Bajrang Bagra and Shri Shyam Sundar Damani, inaugurated a sub-chapter of Bangalore FTS chapter where professionals like doctors, academicians, scientists and advocates joined as members. They also inaugurated Ekal on Wheels. They had a successful meeting with the Rajmata of the Vijayanagara Empire. She assured them that she would soon provide land for Ekal’s Shri Hari Satsang Kendra in Karnataka.
Another Computer Centre at Kishtwar Anchal
Ekal Abhiyan Bhag Chanderbhaga added another feather to its cap by dedicating one more Computer Center to people at Dadhpeth in Kishtwar Anchal. The center was inaugurated on 28.03.2021 by Shri Neeraj Thakur, incharge of Gramothan Youjna Pashchim Uttar Prabhag (North Western region). The Computer Centre has been established by Ekal Gramothan Foundation to provide free computer education to the deserving at their doorsteps.
