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Hobby class camps : in April, before the summer holidays, Hobby class camps (duration two to three days) are organized in schools by our teachers. Educational charts, Handicrafts and artwork is taught. Competitions i.e. for essay writing, poetry recitation and also some sports activities are arranged.
One of our teacher asked children to get different kinds of pulses to the class. She explained the food values about those. Children made colourful designs out of these pulses. Children enjoy the camps.

With the recent news about young girls being molested etc. our supervisor Varsha Durugkar from Talageon Dhamdhere felt the need to counsel the adolescent girls. She took a special counseling class for girls of Ashramshala school. She was happy that the girls opened up and talked freely about their fears and problems. She is used the two books specially written on the subject given by the Vanasthali. 

Dear  friends,
On the 22nd of March, Vanasthali had a supervisor meeting. Around 50 Supervisors from 9 districts of Maharashtra attended the meeting.
One by one all of them gave annual report about their activities. It is always heartening to listen to their account regarding the progress of the school children and women’s activities.This meeting enriches all of them as they share and discuss their experiences. Since they have to plan for the next year they try to use from each other’s experience and novel ideas. Even that helps them to draw a time-table for the school activities that brings discipline and structure to their work.
While listing to their reports we realized that our teachers do not restrict themselves only to the work they are supposed to do. They try to take initiative if they feel the people around them are in difficulty i.e. the whole region of Maharashtra is experiencing draught. Our supervisor suggested how to dig a bore well with the help of experts and fulfilled the requirement of water.
Even while travelling one of them came across two children eating tobacco based powder. When the teacher asked them what is it that they are eating they tried to hide it. Then very lovingly she took them into confidence and explained the harm it will do to them. And to her surprise after some time they threw away the powder and promised not to eat it again. Our teachers try to do counseling whenever it is required.

The teachers were very thankful to Nirmala and Vanasthal, which always encourage them in that way.
Nirmala couldn’t attend this meeting because she was not well (she is better now).
Overall we are very happy that our teachers behave responsibly as they have been trained to do that.

Vanasthali staff.

Dear Friends,
On 21st Dec 2012 VRDC completed 31 years. Our work has spread to 9 districts so far. We are proud to say that all our centers are doing excellent work.
A celebration was planned by Baramati centre to celebrate 25th anniversary of its center. Three days camp was organized and around 200 teachers from all over our centers participated.
Various activities were arranged by our Baramati workers. Around 150 children from our Nursery school enjoyed camel ride, bullock-cart ride. Some of our teachers dressed as joker and Santa clause mingled in the crowd making children laugh and dance with joy.
A very novel idea was thought of by our local supervisor Aparna. Different themes were given to students from various Hi-schools to depict through drawings their perception of the themes. i.e. environment, save girl child, effects of use of social networking etc.
Souvenir was published on this occasion. Guest speakers from Pune spoke on different subjects which everybody enjoyed. Local people took lot of interest and gave full support throughout . On the whole the entire programme was managed very well and went on very smoothly. That shows how much Vanasthali is successful in training all these women to become efficient and innovative.
Nirmala Purandare

On the 13th, 14th and 15th November, it is Diwali : Kalpana’s team (in Somatne) is making candles and Anita’s ( in Lasalgaon) is making pastries and sweets to sell for this occasion.

A French student, Lea Arson, has been in Pune since July 2012. She came to know Vanasthali and its members while she lived in the Pune office for a month, which has been a good experience for her.
In September, she followed a meeting of Vanasthali supervisors and visited several schools including a « balwadi » (nursery school) in Somatne and a « hobby class » in Sangvi.
Each time, Lea wrote an account and took pictures.

Read Lea's account

• 93 balwadies
• 529 hobby-classes
• 25000 chidren reached by the 7 mobile library vans runned by 15 teachers
• 9th and 10th batches of health workers (for 35 trainees), the 11th starting soon.

This is the occasion for our visitors to get a quick view of the magazine.

Vanasthali organises 13 hobby classes in Sangamner district schools with 18 teachers for 580 children under the risponsibility of Pushpa, supervisor. In the Ashram school and the remand home, 4 teachers have also run 3 hobby classes for 180 children with Farida Shaekh as a supervisor.

Supervisors and teachers have organised 2 summer camps in April and May as well as 12 personality camps that lasted 3 or 4 days in different villages (non residential, because of the lack of water). It offered activities like puppets, rangoli, open air games, collages, reading and writing.

Many teachers in this area are muslim. Two years ago, Vanasthali provided 5 sewing machines and 5 bicycles for them. They have been using bicycle to go to work since with the agreement of theirs families.

The mobile library have helped to create good conditions for the teaching. The vehicle is sponsored for 8 months by a donor.

Tailoring classes havebeen organised in a girl orphanage.

Some Vanasthali teachers read books or newpapers to 30 or 35 workers in a bidi factory, with the authorisation of the owner ; the women say that it help them to forget their problems.

Every year Govt of Maharashtra organizes scolarship exams on State level for 4th Std of Primary schools (age 9 years). Our Jejuri school participates every year.   This year 13 students ( 7 girls and 6 boys) appeared. All of them got very good marks and one student Atharv Kadam stood 1st getting 298 marks out of 300. All credit goes to Parents, Teachers and the school atmosphere which has a good reputation.   Credit also goes to Helmut and his group (Cologne) who helps the school. 

On 27th and 28th of March (2012) we had supervisors meeting.
We all discussed about :

• Last year’s performance of all centers.
• Refreshers summer camp in May 2012.
• Mobile vans and achievements from this activity.
• Relationship among teachers, supervisors, parents and Pune office.
• Utilization of Madhui’s Marathi Language books and its effects on students reading and writing skills.

  You will be happy to know that almost all points got very positive and spontaneous response. 

Summer camp will be organized in two groups. One group goes to Deogad, Dist Sindhudurg. Dates : May 3rd to 7th. Other group will organize small distance and small duration trips in their districts.

Summer Vacation for Schools will be from 1st week of May to June 15th.

PUNE : The ‘Punyabhushan Puraskar 2012’ will be bestowed upon social worker Nirmala Purandare for her outstanding contribution in the field of education for women and social reforms.

A selection committee headed by activist Mohan Dharia selected the awardees for the 24th edition, by the ‘Punyabhushan Foundation’ and the PMC.

The award carries a replica of ‘Balshivaji’ (child Shivaji) ploughing with a gold plough and Rs 1 lakh cash.

Purandare, the Founder President of Vanasthali Gramin Vikas Kendra, started her social work in 1957 in Vidyarthi Sahayyak Samiti.

She is a recipient of various awards including Savitribai Phule Puraskar, Baya Karve Puraskar, late B G Deshmukh Memorial Life Time Achievement Award and Yashwantrao Chavan Puraskar.

Punyabhushan Foundation will also honour five freedom fighters on the occasion - Narayan Shukla, Vishwanath Khangte, Vasant Joshi, Madhukar Nirpharake and Chandrakant Borate.

Vanasthali completed 31 years of activity. All centres organized a week of celebrations, with meetings and writing competitions. As thirty supervisors are going to meet in Pune next week to discuss of their practice in teaching Marathi language with Madhuri’s method. They will take this opportunity to say more about these celebrations.

This is just a brief information of Vanasthali revision camp organized in Pune for 253 women. Those women who had small children at home they did not come.
253  women participated into our winter camp. Balwadi teachers, Trainees, Trainers, Supervisors and Teachers who work through hobby classes in local municipal schools. It was  a mixed group.
From Nov 5th to Nov  9th. Residential arrangement was in our students welfare Association’s Hostel.
Programme :

• Lectures on various needful subjects.
• Demonstrations on warli painting, flower decoration, careful utilization of Gas, water ;
• Electricity, simple experiments in science, simple recipes in the kitchen for nutrition food, etc ;
•  Physical  exercise and games in open air ;
• Revision of songs, storey telling techniques ;
• Presentation of reports from all centers’ were conveyed in group meetings on 6 mobile book and toys, vehicles and on training courses etc.
  

On 9th evening all women went  back home after this enriched experience of being together and learning from each other etc. Friends, these camps bring women an enthusiastic experience which helps them to work with children.

Nirmala Purandare

This month (May 2011), teachers and supervisors are going for a trip. They make their own plans in small group and receive some help from Vanasthali (roupies 200) and from Panpoi book trust (roupies 200). These excursions contribute to their personal enrichment.

On June 9th and 10th will be held the general annual meeting of the supervisors of Vanasthali. They will elaborate the new annual report, the different reports of their trips in the country, and the plans for next year.

Hobby classes are extending in remote destitute places, thanks to the efforts of the supervisors. This is appreciated by the teachers and the children. Budget will have to increase...

Camille Bucher, a French young girl, accompanied Sunanda Nawale at a teacher training camp, a meeting of the supervisors in Pune and a summer camp in Shrirampur.

See the slideshow of Camille Bucher.

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