Indian association for the blind (IAB) in Madurai Dec1 & 2.2015
I was interested to see how visually challenged people do their daily actives in life. As I entered the (I A B) school, I saw many of them doing their work with a smile. I also learned and understood how they use different alternative methods in their studies.
I was happy to see the way they were holding each other’s hands and walking. I was also surprised to note that the students there were able to work in [BPO] call centers. I understood that nothing can stop us from going forward with our goals and dreams.
I learned how to maintain a strong desire to achieve in spite of challenges in life. When I saw the way that they lived with such verve, I thought that I can achieve my goals and do anything in spite of my HIV status. I learned many lessons from them to remember in my daily life, that I scribbled down in the following words:
I’m the best. I can do anything. God is always with me. I’m a winner. Today is my day. Be sweet as honey. Be as fresh as rose. Be as regular as clock, and be as soft as tissue. Do anything always with a smile. This is my experience, and I am learning for my life.
By: Meena
NACO conference held for HIV infected:- on 9th December 2015.
Sukesh and I went to attend the NACO Conference on the 9th of November, 2015. The event was held in Kerala, and Fr. Mathew accompanied us. I went to share our life experiences at Snehagram. The meeting was held in a hotel, with approximately 160 people in attendance.
I shared the challenges that we face, in terms of health and education. I also shared information about my personal history, especially the difficulties I faced in my childhood. I shared this rather confidently and free expressing these complex feelings. I received some appreciation from the audience and an award. I felt happy to receive the award. I enjoyed staying in the hotel, which was a wonderful place. I also loved walking on the beach. I met so many people and got a chance to speak to them. I hope the schemes and plans the meeting brought forth will really work out. It was a meaningful meeting to me.
By: Mala
NACO conference:- On 9th December
On 9th December there was surprise call and I was asked to join for a National conference with Fr. Mathew and my friend mala based on HIV social protection organization by the NACO team. It took place in Trivandrum Kerala in a hotel. It was my first time that I got a chance to attend a national conference for society well being. It was my first visit to Kerala also.
I shared my life experiences in the conference and also came to know various social protection schemes provided for an HIV person. I was wanted to go around the city but I was fully involved in the conference for whole two days.
So I couldn’t enjoy seeing the beauty of Kerala. However, I was happy to go and present my life story besides coming to know new things that I was ignorant about.
By: Sukesh
Starry night:-13 December
Starry night is an annual celebration that was celebrated on the 13th of December this year. We had a fun time with the Sneha Care Home children and other visitors. There were many programmed events going on. I liked the songs played on the flute by renowned flutist, Rajesh from Kerala. I loved the singing by the Swathana children, because even though they are mentally challenged, they still gave their best performance in front of many people- this is no easy task. From this, I learned to never give up on any challenging task in our lives. Upon leaving, I wished everyone a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.
By: Gauthami
Mr. Biju a Former Coordinator visit to Snehagram:- 15th of December 2015
Mr. Biju visited Snehagram on the 15th of December 2015. I was very excited to see him after a long time, even though his visit was short. His purpose in visiting was to see Snehagram and see how the students were adjusting and growing in the new campus. He also refreshed our understanding of the 12 foundational values of Sneha Care Home, such as respect, responsibility, honesty, unity, happens , love, freedom, obedient, hope, peace, simplicity and co-operation.
He was also pleased to see Snehagram looking as beautiful as it did. He appreciated us for our hard work and said to keep working hard. I had a nice time with him, sharing information about our school and our life at Snehagram.
By: Manik Prabhu
Personality Development Workshop:- On 17th December
As December arrived, all of my friends had a busy schedule, as every day we had different workshop. On the 17th of December we had Ivey Akka’s workshop. She was inspired by seeing us involved in various programs, which made her eager to come and to teach a workshop in personality development. My friends and I were not that excited, because we thought it would be a lecture workshop. But on the day Ivey came to us, we were filled with a special energy, and she engaged us in different activities. She began with the first activity. As it came to a close, my friends and I were refreshed and excited. We were very eager to participate in the next activity. She took us to the 100 wonders of the world. We learned more specifically about the 7 main wonders of the world through an interesting video. After watching the video, we completed some exercises that helped reinforce our understanding of the material. None of us bothered to see the time, as we were having so much fun. At the end of the day, we came away more knowledgeable than I thought possible. Our minds were full of fascinating information and useful values. All of us were also given some small Christmas gifts. I felt very happy throughout the day. I also was happy that my friends were full of energy. It was one of the best learning experiences that I have ever had.
By: Babu
Child parliament workshop:-19 /20 /December 2015
The students of Snehagram established a child parliament on the 19th of December, 2015. Children from other institutions also came to Snehagram to observe how our system worked. They were divided into different groups. They shared information about how their child parliament systems worked. Later on we shared about our lives at Snehagram, and how we conducted the cabinet and parliament meetings. It was an informative time interacting with them and a good experience in coming to know about them and their backgrounds. I learned to pay attention to what they were saying and to help them understand our perspectives.
By: Pooja
REPUBLIC DAY:- On 26th January
On the 26th of January, we celebrated republic day, which was a special event in Snehagram. India established its constitution in 1950. We celebrated this day by hoisting the nation’s flag and by remembering and praying for our country. Today the present prime ministers encourage us to follow the Indian constitution and lead India by being a good role model to others. On this day, we also had some delicious food and played fun games to commemorate the country’s rich culture. It was a really good experience, as some of our students also showed their talents in a program. One lesson that I learned was that we get comfort from those who agree with us, but we grow by interacting with those who disagree with us. Our constitution was written by D, R, and Baedeker, and we strive to follow those words in hopes that we seek equality for everybody.
By: Shruthi
Nutrition Food and Healthy Life:
Nutrition is of great importance to us. We eat three full course meals besides the tea and snacks. We eat different and tasty food that is still full of vitamins, carbohydrates and protein; these are all things that help us have energy every day. We have vegetarian and Non- vegetarian on our menu. Most of the vegetables we use come from our farm. We make it a point to eat on a regular schedule, and we always see to it that we do not waste any food. These are all aspects of living a healthy lifestyle.
By: Shivananada