Recognising Priyank Kumar Gupta for his contributions to Award India's Digital Media

The Award Programme relies on dedicated support from Volunteers. Priyank has been the silent support for IAYP India since 2009. Solely responsible for all Digital Media resources from manning the website, to the blog, to developing the online database to the intranet system, Priyank's commitment to make the Award National Office a powerhouse in keeping up with the demands of daily communications is much appreciated. A true Volunteer, Priyank sits in The English Book Depot, Dehradun and offers complete voluntary support as he believes that young people are the future of tomorrow.
The designs of this e-weekly, the Award India Magazine and the Award Blog that links all communications, stories and feedback of Award participants, Award Leaders and Award Volunteers are all a result of Priyank's hard work. Thank you, Priyank for all that you do!

Rocksport partners with Award India

We welcome Great Rocksport India Private Limited (Rocksport) onboard as our new Award Partners. Rocksport's camp located in Tikkling, Gurgaon is roughly an hour from Delhi; an easy reach for University and School Award Participants in the National Capital Region (NCR). Bronze Awardees from the Delhi University enjoyed their Adventure Expedition at the Rocksport Tikkling Camp earlier this year.

Rocksport is an adventure-based research organization, involved in the process of finding innovative uses of adventure activities in the positive transformation of an individual. Through a plethora of workshops, services and events, Rocksport helps clients achieve what they want, with a promise that they would discover something new each time. Since 2001, Rocksport with their safe, reliant and professional team- dynamic and highly qualified, have undertaken an initiative to redefine the parameters of learning, entertainment & client servicing to a whole new level.

Award Training Centre (ATC) hosts first YES Training Workshop

The newly established ATC successfully equipped new Award Managers from YES Centre- Satpaul Mittal School,Ludhiana; Award Social Partner- B-Able and Award Adventure Partner- Rocksport about the operational and licensing principles of the Award Programme. The two day workshop allowed the Award Leaders to first get comfortable with thinking out of the box to ensure young people in their communities can be recognised for taking any initiative that targets their self development.

The Workshop with the theme 'Award beyond boundaries' allowed attendees to learn ways to assure a quality Programme. Much appreciation to Gopal Krishan, Anuj Pokhriyal, Vivek, Manjit Hamspal, Sangita Sharma their invaluable time, enthusiasm and their critical feedback.

WZAA Annual workshop - 2011

26^th August, 2011

All outstation Award Leaders reported to YMCA International House, Mumbai Central by evening.

27^th August, 2011
0830 Hrs Registration followed by:

West Zone Annual training workshop started at Christ Church School, Mumbai on a very rainy/wet note. Total of 36 Award Leaders from 28 Schools/Units attended from Maharashtra/Gujarat/Madhya Pradesh from which 11 units have joined the Award Programme for the first time. Inputs by Senior Award Leaders, Committee members and Gold Holders played a major role in making the workshop a grand success
Workshop was inaugurated by Mr. Carl Laurie, Chairperson WZAA and Mrs. Meera Isaacs, Ex-Chairperson IAYP –WZ followed by opening remarks and a session on Why did you all decide to be in the Programme
This session was followed by Ice breaking session by Ms Asif Basra – Theater and movie actor.
After a short Tea break Mr. Aloke Bajpai, Zonal Manager-WZ -Scope on the Award Scheme structure/History/Role of Award leaders. This session was followed by the Skills Section by Mrs. Rekha Joshi, Senior Award Leader in the Programme joined by Committee members on the Physical Recreation Section
After lunch Mr. Juzer Shaikhally, GAH and Committee Member spoke and discussed on the importance on the Residential Project at Gold Level. He strongly emphasis the need of this section and the manner it should be carried out with a project report to be submitted to the Zonal Office within a month if not carried out with approved Assessor. Also discussed was the recently concluded Residential Project at Spiti undertaken by the GAHS. Suggestion to have a joint RP at Karjat, Maharashtra will be undertaken
After a short tea break Mr Noshir Engineer, A Senior Award leader having more than 200 students undertaking the Award at 3 levels spoke on Award Leaders Perspective on the manner on how to manage the huge group of students which he is handling...He was joined later by Mr. Ashley Eates, Award Leader from Bishop school. This session ended up with Q & A session

28^th August, 2011

The day started with a Yoga Session by Dr Satish Tibrewala, a Committee members assisted by Ms Tibrewala. This was followed by a session by Mr. Juzer Shaikhally on Logs/Diary Books and Record Books, since most of the Award Leaders were attending for the first time and were new to the Award programme. He strongly emphasis that the Record Books to be filled up very carefully and no changes whatsoever to be made in any of the Section in the Record Book entry. If an assessment is done from private coaches, the name, Designation and Contact Number should be mentioned. Logs/Diary Books have to be submitted together with the Record Books when a participant is ready for the necessary Award to the Zonal Office
Practical session on Adventure Activities could not be undertaken, since it was raining heavily, hence team building exercise was undertake followed by Lunch

After lunch Adventurous Journey session was undertaken by Dr.Leon Pereira-Committee member. Followed by Q & A session...Adventurous journey being the most popular section in the Award programme .Dr. Pereira strongly emphasized that this section should be carried out by Trained experience and by approved personal. Discussion was also taken on the Exploration, Expedition and Other Adventurous journey
After an early tea Mr. Aloke Bajpai and Mr. Juzer Shaikhally conducted a Q& A session. Also discussion was on Handicap students on the manner that they could also undertake and complete the Award Programme. Feedback forms were distributed and received back from all participants, followed by Valedictory function and distributing of certificates by Mr. Suresh Peshwani, Principal Sahani Bavin Hind High School, Pune. He also attended the workshop in order to understand the Award Programme.
Thanks to Award participants from Christ Church School who were with the team for the past two days.

Doing the Award

My name is Jatindar Singh Kairon and am 18. I live in Kolkata, am a student of class 12 at Apeejay School,Park Street and a Bronze Award Holder of The International Award for Young People.

I started my life in with IAYP when I was in the 8th standard. Me along with my 6 other friends started it together and were very excited about being a part of it. Doing all sorts of activities and visiting different places was always my passion, and straight away I knew the Award was for me and became enthusiastic about getting started. So, the journey began…
I enrolled on my Bronze Award and began to experience the programme that so many people before me had participated in. I started with things in which I was good at. In my Service section, I did “Each One Teach One”. Providing education to those children who do not get the basic neccasity of life not only boosted my confidence but also gave me a great feeling that ''yes… we have done something''.
I was talented with instruments and I thought of pursuing that in the Skill section.I took up tabla playing.

I had a lot of option in the Physical Recreation section but I choose to play cricket.
Apart from these sections, both my Expeditions to Bolpur and Matha hills were also unforgettable.

I was ecstatic when I received my Bronze Certificate and badge.I realized that the hard work and commitment had been worth it. My achievements had been recognized.I had learned a great deal. On completion of this Award, I saw how proud my friends and family were. It felt right that the next step should be for my silver. I immediately decided to sign up for Silver and experienced the joys of knowledgeable and adventurous things. I am waiting to receive my Silver Award, so that I could start on with Gold.
By doing the Award I have learnt more than I would have thought possibly; I now have my own identity and more self confidence to push myself further”.

Korean Delegates visit India, participate in an Adventure Camp with Indian Award Participants in Uroli, organised by Adventure Partner-INME Learning

A group of 14 Award participants from Korea had visited India for an adventure camp in Uroli. A day before leaving for the camp they were shown around Delhi by our Award team.

Adventures in Delhi - Siddharth Bhuyan, Award Intern

The Koreans were picked up by Shubda Hirawat, Award Intern and Arun Deoli, Programme Development Manager, from the Youth hostel in Saket.The Koreans were then taken to the HOHO(Hop-on-Hop-Off) centre in Connaught Place by the Delhi Metro. Once we boarded the HOHO bus, we headed to our first destination- Feroz Shah Kotla.Our Korean friends were thrilled by the pristine polished sandstone pillar from the 3rd century B.C. 

After a while of taking some photos and talking about India’s rich cultural heritage, we took off for our next destination of the day. The next stop on our map was the famous National Gallery of Modern Art. The National Gallery of Modern Art is the leading Indian art gallery.It is the the best place to see Indian Contemporary Art. Our Korean delegates were fascinated to see the artworks of renowned artists, such as Rabindranath Tagore and Amrita Shergill. We then walked to India Gate- the national monument of India. The Korean team was really glad to have seen this very prominent landmark in Delhi,they enjoyed taking photos of the War memorial and the beautiful lawns encompassing India Gate. 

After a long and tiring first half, we wanted our Korean friends to taste some spicy Indian cuisine in the nearby Pandara road market. The Korean team along with the Award team had authentic Indian food in a restaurant called “Havemore”.The ‘tandoori chicken’ was relished by everyone! The post-lunch plan was to show the Korean team a couple of places more before heading back to the Youth Hostel. We boarded the last HOHO bus and got off near the Lotus Temple. En-route to the Lotus Temple, we enjoyed the majestic Humayun’s tomb . The Lotus temple is a must-see for all foreign tourists. As with all other Baha’i’ Houses Of Worship, The Lotus temple is open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction as emphasized in the Baha’i’ texts. We also participated in the silent prayer that happened in the central hall. 


We winded up our 1st shuttle of the Delhi tour by taking some pictures and interacting with the Koreans beside the beautiful ponds of The Lotus Temple. We then left for the Youth hostel by Metro. The Koreans had quite an experience travelling by metro. Once we got down in Saket, the Award team then escorted them to the Youth Hostel by local conveyance.As the day came to an end, the Koreans showed their gratitude to the Award team by presenting us with souvenirs from Korea.

Adventure Camp in Uroli, organized by INME Learning- Inputs from Arun Deoli, Adarsh Saraff

INME Learning are Award India's Adventure Partner. Founded by alumni of XLRI, INSEAD and IIM, team inme has people with professional experience and trainingin Education, Behavioural Science, Armed Forces, and Corporate Management to Outdoor learning, Adventure Sports, Theatre and Music. Key members have over a decade of experience in designing and delivering outdoor based learning for children. About inme programs inme is an outdoor and adventure based learning program in a wilderness setting for children owned and run by India’s most experienced team of outdoor educationists. inme programs help open young minds to explore their infinite potential and build essential life skills. Parents of children who have participated in INME programs have consistently reported higherself-confidence, adaptability and heightened self-awareness in their children. 

With a short notice they organised a Camp for our Award Participants from Korea and India in Uroli, Uttarkhand. Nestled in the midst of a pine and oak forest near the village Uroli this beautiful campus is a perfect getaway at around 6000ft in the Kumaon Himalayas. It provides immense opportunities for short hikes, overnight treks and rock climbing sites. The campus has its own natural water source and is off a motorable dirt road. The main camp house provides indoor backup.

The group left by train from Delhi at 6 am on 10th August and arrived at the Kathgodam Station around noon. After a quick lunch enroute, everyone arrived at the INME Camp in Uroli around 5 pm. There was a brief introduction session and everyone picked their tents, relaxed for a bit and called it an early night after dinner.

The 6 am Wake up call on 11th followed by morning tea was refreshing and the warm up exercise worked up an appetite for breakfast. Before breakfast we were told about the action points for the day. Post breakfast, we packed up and engaged in the rock climbing activity. This helped all of us come out of our shells and engage actively in learning about the equipment, bouldering, spotting, long face climbing, abseiling. Following lunch, we did the stream crossing as part of the low ropes course and the Burma Bridge Activity. The day of activities came to an end and we relaxed over tea and had a Q&A session about the day.

The next morning, we played a group game after breakfast and left for the a 20km trek. En route to the Camping Place, we halted at village to understand the daily lives of villagers there. We arrived at the Shiva and Vishnu Hindu Temple a little after noon and then to our lunch site an hour later. We continued our trek and finally arrived at the Camping site for the night, set our tents up, gathered firewood and made ourselves comfortable for the night. The highlight of the evening were Performances by Indian and Korean Groups. We all went to bed with glad hearts of making new friends and experiencing new cultures. The next morning after warm up and breakfast, we left for the Target Jump Activity. This was the most amazing activity we had to jump from a tree 60ft high and touch our target in the air. We ate lunch and then packed to hike to our next camping for the night. We pitched our tents, ate an early dinner and challenged ourselves to be self-motivated with a cool moon-lit walk. We returned to Camp to a Bonfire and enjoyed talking to each other. Although, we were all glad to go into our sleeping bags for some hard earned rest.

Next morning we engaged in a fun Leave no Trace activity as part of our breaking camp and returning to the main Uroli Camp. We ate some breakfast, did the Bubble Trouble Activity, took group photos and left the camp for the Kathgodam Train Station to return to Delhi.  

Testimonials

"The best part about the camp and the trip was the entire experience as a whole. One of my best camps ever. Amazing instructors, amazing campsite..brilliant activities..made new friends. I will really cherish my experience.The tents and the entire environment of the camp was just awesome. And the games we used to play in the free time were also very good and challenging. For me, the Moonlight walk and the long trek the most fun. In addition, the trek and the Target Jump was most challenging. 

The Award is a very good platform where one can really get to no oneself better and develop oneself mentally as well as physically for the world.  It encourages self-discovery and growth and via the award one can render useful service to the society which is really essential in today's world. The physical recreation,skills and camps enhances one's personality and physical strength as well as boosting one's mental capability." - Adarsh Saraff, Gold Award Participant

'Fun and Enjoyment' was the best part about the Adventure Camp and the trip.We all enjoyed to the fullest. For me 'Target Jump' was an unforgettable experience. Trekking  was most challenging as it was around 20km with full bags and stuff.The weather there was not stable as well and it was raining which was making the task more difficult. 'Youth Rules'..so always be Young.

- Arun Deoli, Development Manager

" The camp was the most unique and amazing experience I have had and I would first like to thank IAYP for the opportunity. The fact that the camp was a part of an international exchange program made it even better as I got to meet and learn from and about new people and their culture. Therefore, above all, the interaction with different people was one of the best parts of this camp.

The first leg of the Indo-Korean exchange program took place in Uroli (Uttarakhand) at the INME (Infinite Me) Campus. Ten Indians and fourteen Koreans met at the Delhi station at the Delhi station to start off. Despite the language barrier, we soon broke the ice and worked together in all the activities undertaken.

When we arrived at the Inme campus, I was completely surprised. I had never expected such an amazing campus. On the first evening, there was an orientation walk around the campus and we were briefed on the camp rules and norms. Kamaal sir, the camp chief spoke to us and briefly told us about a few of the activities that we were going to do. He made us all feel very comfortable. We also played a few unique games like hand football. The next day, we had rock climbing, bouldering and rope knot session. This was followed by a rope challenge course in the evening consisting Tarzan swing, zip line, multivine, etc. All the challenge courses were real fun and true to their name, they were challenging.

The third day was a test of our endurance. From our campsite, we trekked to a local village, where we saw what the lifestyle of the people was like. We even had the opportunity to see a village house. After about 12km, we stopped to cook lunch. We did this on an open fire. It was really difficult to keep the fire burning because of the weather. From this spot, we trekked about 7km back to our campsite. All the trekking was done with our rucksacks. During the trek we had to deal with problems like leeches, rain and of course, the slippery stones. That evening the indo-cultural took place with the Koreans performing a traditional fan dance and the Indians singing a classical song and introducing them to the world of bollywood.

One of the most unique and exciting activities took place on the fourth day. It was called Target Jumping(TJ)., where one basically jumped from a height of 45ft, hit a bottle(the target) and went into free fall till stopped by the harness. We also had a night out in the wilderness. The night out site was 1.5km away from the INME campus. This time our rucksacks also had tents. We set up our own tents at the site and cooked dinner. This was followed by the moonlight walk. In this we trekked about two kilometers at night, under the moonlight in complete and utter silence, without using torches. We got to see nature from a different perspective which opened our eyes to nature’s beauty. The peace and quiet I felt during the trek is something I have never felt anywhere else. It was a priceless experience.

It is simply the most brilliant experience I have had.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, so we were back on the train to Delhi, having had an adventurous and unique experience. The next leg of the exchange would involve the Indians going to Korea. We are really looking forward to that trip."
-Pranav Balakrishnan, Gold Award Participant

"The first leg of the indo-korea exchange programe was an amazing experience for me. I got to know so many new people and knowing and being friends with the koreans was the best part. They were very warm and helpful. The various activities which we did out of them some I have done before but bouldering and target jump was a new experience for me and maybe I will never get an opportunity to do it again. The best part of the camp was the last night-the night out. We were somewhere where we couldn't see anything except the beauty of the nature. The silent walk in which we walked by the help of moon light which actually kept me moved when it was over.This camp has made me a better person and I have learnt so many new things.Looking forward to the secong leg of this programe." 

- Pratibha Goel, Gold Award Participant

"The camp at uroli was an extremely enriching experience. the INME campus was beautiful and the camp chief Kamal sir was really sweet. the first day,we got to know the korean..veyr different from us,yet very similar because we were almost of the same age. the mixed with us immediately and made us comfortable on the train by introducing themselves to us in a very fun and lively manner. 

We used to have elastic limg sessions every morning with fun games and dances to warm up for the hectic activities of the day. The first day we did rock climbing and bouldering and learnt about knots. We then did a number of rope courses which were fun and daring. We used to play games every evening and i'm ,issing that alot!  The next day we went for a 19 km trek and stopped for lunch..we made pasta on our own. And that evening we had an indo korean cultutral night with a beautiful performance by the korean students. We even had a night out and a night trek at a quiet spot. We had camp fire and everyone sang songs.. the next morning we left for kathgodam and then delhi. :("
- Shreya Budhia, Gold Award Participant

ASOP Partner-The Naz Foundation

The Naz Foundation (India) Trust (NI) is a New Delhi based NGO working on HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health since 1994. Through the years, Naz India has evolved and implemented a holistic approach to combat HIV, focusing on prevention as well as treatment. Our focus is on reaching out to marginalized populations infected and affected by HIV. We also aim to sensitize the community to the prevalence of HIV, as well as highlight issues related to Sexuality and Sexual Health.

• We believe in providing quality care and support to people living with HIV
• We believe in providing unbiased factual information on sexual health and HIV to the public
• We believe in a rights-based approach

Naz Foundation runs 7 programs ranging from transgender issues, peer education,home care ,advocacy and others. As ASOP Partner , Naz has collaboparted with the Award with its sports program GOAL. GOAL uses netball and life skills education to transform the lives of young underprivileged girls in India, on and off the court.

Since 2006 Naz India is implementing the Goal Programme, a collaborative, multi-stakeholder initiative that links the private and NGO sectors and uses sports—in this case netball—as a vehicle for social inclusion. GOAL is a community programme with transformational impact; it builds self-confidence and gives adolescent girls a better chance at life. The programme funded by Standard Chartered Bank is a Standard Chartered Community Investment initiative, run in partnership with local and international NGOs.

Women’s empowerment is central to the values of Standard Chartered Bank and critical to economic development. Women represent a large customer and talent segment for the business. The Bank understands that women will drive economic growth in their communities in the future.

GOAL is offered twice a week; each session includes a mix of netball and education modules. The programme participants are between the ages of 14 and 19 and come from families that earn less than $2 a day. GOAL’s education is focused on four key life skills: promotion of self-confidence, communication skills, health and hygiene, and financial literacy. Once girls complete GOAL, those interested are invited to become GOAL Champions. The GOAL Champions are trained to deliver the programme themselves, allowing us to quickly scale and replicate the model.

The programme was expanded to Mumbai in 2008, reaching 360 girls in two cities and now has a planned expansion to Chennai in 2009.

GOAL’s impact is personal and transformational. “[Before GOAL, my family] said clean, cook, and that's your life. And there was this line that was drawn that we could never cross. But now the line is going backwards. And we are just, you know, coming out, we have crossed it. And now we have realised that our life is not just limited to washing clothes, washing utensils, or cooking.”

HIV/AIDS are complex issues that affect all our lives whatever the gender, class, caste, religion, sexuality and sexual orientation. Naz India is committed to raising awareness to prevent the spread of HIV and providing support to those living with the virus and those affected by it, with sensitivity and utmost confidentiality.

Award Participants in GD Goenka,"The Earth Sense" Project-Laburnum and Nirvana 2011

Taking IAYP to the community

Most electronic waste has toxins, and when disposed with household waste, contaminates the soil and water, degrades the environment and is harmful to people handling it without proper knowledge and protection.

Do you have e-waste at your home occupying your valuable space?? Then don't throw it elsewhere but safely recycle/dispose with Eco-Friendly Earth Sense. Ananya Vidyarthi, Surya Pahal and Srivattsan initiated parallel e-waste collection drives in their own townships (Laburnum and Nirvana) for the NGO “Earth Sense” that collects, sorts, recycles and disposes electronic waste in an environmentally safe manner. Rajit, Sakshi and Vardhini joined them to rock the cause on the 15th August celebration in their locality, Nirvana Country. Six big boxes of e-waste were collected in the first three drives and now these drives will be a regular feature both in the two localities and the school.

Calendar of Events

My trip to Mahadev

(Arif is a tenth standard student of Tyndale Biscoe School in Srinagar. He has done Mountaineering and adventurous course at Uttarkaashi, NIM(Nehru institute of mountaineering)

The trek to Mahadev mountains always fascinates the students of Tyndale Biscoe School. However, for some unavoidable reasons the trek could not be organized for the past few years. The year 2010 proved to be lucky for us as the management of the School decided to 9organise the trek this year.

The mountains of Mahadev is at an altitude of 13013 feet above the sea level and climbing it is a fascinating thing for the students and the teachers alike. Everyone was waiting eagerly for the day when the trekking would be conducted. The trekking began on 27^th May, 2010. The trekking Team compromised of nine students, five Teachers and two cooks. Usually the students of the Biscoe School are required to cook themselves but since the trek was an ice-breaker (since it was held after so many years), so we took two cooks alongside us.

It was a three-day trek. Our first halting station was at Dhara. The weather was sunny and pleasant n the way up to Dhara. Since the day was pleasant we decided to trek the mountains up to our second stop at Lidwas(11000 feet above sea Level). On the way up to Lidwas, it started raining heavily and later on a light snow was also falling. We reached Lidwas at 8.30 p.m in the evening. It was very dark already and the snow was falling relentlessly. We put up a herculean effort to erect the tent. Our teachers encouraged us that the adversity of the situation would make us stronger humans. The thunderstorms and the lightening were frightening. We later came to know that even in the home city of Srinagar (3300 feet above Sera level) the sound of thunder was deafening. We were frightened by the situation as a streak of lightening struck at a place in close proximity to our tent. We students recited verses from holy Quran as we thought it might be the end of our lives. Our strong-willed teachers however encouraged us to have faith in God as we would be saved. We kept on gazing at each others face and waited for the morning to dawn.

The morning came. A good two to three inch snow had accumulated on our tent. There was a ubiquitous whiteness all around. The Dal Lake looked like a small pond from the altitude where we were camping at. The whole of Srinagar city looked like a pygmy village from there. The teachers decided that the conditions were not conducive to climb the summit of the Mahadev Peak. Even our haver-sacks had grown profusely wet. We were in the tents all day singing and joking. As we decided to descend down, the brooks which were almost dry on our way up were now over-flowing because of incessant overnight rains and snowfall. The small ford-bridges built across the brooks and streams had been damaged and we hade to wade through the icy cold waters of the brook to cross them. The trek was even more slippery while descending than what it was while we were going upwards. Some of the students had to be carried on the backs of gujjar people across the other side of the brooks.

It was the most memorable camp of my life. I learnt the values of resilience from the expedition. I am feeling a much stronger and determined person after the Mahadev expedition.

Arif-Ur-Rehman

Tyndale Biscoe School

RELIEF AND FUND COMMITTEE OF LADHAK

The devastating cloud burst and the subsequent flash floods which came on the intervening night of the 4-5 August and changed Leh forever. It seems as if Ladhak had been plunged into darkness and some magician has hauled it back a decade.
I was in Leh that night and my aunt was jolted by the cloudbust. It was an eerie night. The night was cloaked in a strange scilence. My aunt preferred not to wake up as she thougt that the cloud bust would not cause flood of such a magnitude. The dawn arrived. I wake up at 8:7 AM. The people were making a lot of noise. Running helter shelter people were saying “many areas of Leh has been deluged due to cloudburst”. I went with my uncle to inspect the extenct of damage. The houses were shattered. We saw lot of destructied buildings, houses, offices and complexes. Which were compleately vanished. A pall of bloom had descanted in the area. The next day I along with my uncle went to the affected areas and distributed blankets and clothes amoung the affected people. We also destributed mineral waters amoung the affected people as the water available there was awfully contaminated. The people whole heartedly donated for the noble cause. The people were showing great cooperation and everyone gave a helping hand. This act of mine, I believe has learned that the pain of one human being is actually the pain of whole humanity.

Arif-Ur-Rehman
Tyndale Biscoe School

SKETCHES

It's a pleasure to have Arifur Rehman (Tyndale Biscoe School, Srinagar) share his Art Work with the Award Family.

Gold Holder and Regional Intern attends the UN High Meeting on Youth in New York

To celebrate the conclusion of the United Nations (UN) International Year of Youth (IYY), the UN hosted the “High Level Meeting on Youth” at their headquarters in New York. More than 500 youth delegates from organisations across the globe attended this historic event, alongside representatives from 193 member states, including various UN entities, governments and NGOs. Gold Award holder Dinesh Gajendran from India was invited to represent the IAA. He shares his experience and shares his thoughts on youth development.

The meeting was opened by the Secretary General H.E. Mr Ban ki Moon, who highlighted the plight of young people across the globe and called for governments to engage these youth in decision-making.

Speaking at the meeting, Ban ki Moon said: “Young people lack in education, freedom and opportunities they deserve. Unemployment rates for young people are three to six times the rate of adults, and informal, low-wage and insecure work is the norm.

“Young people are standing up for the rights of those who suffer discrimination based on gender, race and sexual orientation. This is especially true for young women, the disabled and indigenous youth. Failing to invest on our youth is a false economy.” Watch Ban ki Moon’s full address.

The opening session was followed by two consecutive informal interactive thematic panel discussions, which everyone was invited to take part in. The first panel discussion focused on strengthening international cooperation regarding youth and enhancing dialogue, mutual understanding and active youth participation as indispensable elements towards achieving social integration, full employment and the eradication of poverty.

The second discussion of the day explored the challenges to youth development and opportunities for poverty eradication, employment and sustainable development.

There was also a youth panel on "Giving it back, passing it on": Corporate Engagement and Youth Philanthropy as Pathways to Development, which was part of a series of youth events organised by the UN, NGOs and related UN agencies.

United Nations and the Award: A bridge for youth

I believe that youth engagement is key to the success of the Award. Youth delegates representing the Award at a global level often prove their mettle and showcase how positive youth engagement makes a difference. Attending the UN Meeting as a Gold Award holder gave me the opportunity to take part in an international debate on youth development, to make decisions alongside adult leaders, as well as to showcase how the Award is a key player in this sector.

Youth delegates also met H.E Vanugopala Menon, Ambassador of Singapore permanent commission to UN, which was organised by James Soh – Executive Director of the Award in Singapore & Hon Advisor for the Asia Pacific regional office. This gave us an insight into the UN working system and how the UN works and acts as a platform for youth.

Earlier in the year, I was also given opportunity to be a part of a consultation held with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), held in Bangkok in April. Here, I contributed to the formation of a concept paper on ‘The Network of Emerging Leaders in Asia and Pacific (NELAP)’ which will offer development opportunities for youth in our region. Through NELAP, hundreds of Award holders will be given the opportunity to become citizens for social development and become part of a global-decision making process.

Life after Gold

Representing youth is something I have been keen to do since completing my own Award. I have been a participant, a leader an assessor and an ambassador for the Programme, having represented the Award at several International conferences, including the Beyond Sport Summit in Chicago last year. The Award has given me many opportunities and I would like to pass on these opportunities to other young people. Currently, I am working as an intern for the Asia Pacific region, collecting transformative Award stories as part of the Peter Cruddas Initiative. I myself was long-listed for the Initiative in year one for The Audacious Academy for Sports and Social Development (AASSD), a sports initiative that encourages young boys to channel their time and energy into sport.

Having attended the UN Meeting in New York, I am determined to see that young people continue to be represented and that their rights are extended. I would like to launch series of campaigns to support and empower young people, including the establishment of more open Award centres, a health programme for young people, and sports for employment. We have already started a blood screening test for young people from rural areas in India.

As a region, we are also about to launch a Gold Award Holders’ Alumni with three country community projects. There are also plans to set up an Asia Pacific Advisory Group with key stakeholders under the age of 35, as well as the Network of Emerging Leaders, which will be piloted in India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

There are many ways for Award holders to stay connected to the Award way beyond Gold and, if governments are going to address the issues affecting youth, society needs to give us a chance to participate.

---Dinesh Gajendran, Gold Award Holder, IAYP, India.

(Peter Cruddas Regional Intern, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Asia Pacific Region)

Hundredth Issue of The Award Weekly

Ever wondered why the Award is often called ''Award World''?
Think about it.In a split second, you shall realise that IAYP is truly another World within this large world.Its an entire family. A family which has members from over 130 countries, a family with more than 8 million young members.Such a large union of people with diverse life-styles, belonging from different cultures, speaking different languages, having different view points necessarily have a very common aspiration. An aspiration to be Equipped for Life.
This World is run by the young- the YOUth is the policy former. The adults have let go but are always there to guide and help the Youth in decision making.
All of these big ideas are knit essentially by the thread of communication.
All young people around the world is like a mesh and communication fills the gap between them. We share our ideas with eachother. We inspire eachother. We are the teachers and we are the learners.
Awardees from different parts of the Our World remain in touch with one another.
E-weekly, the weekly newsletter is published by NAA,India every Wednesday.It connects all Awardees supplying them with essential information on upcoming events and workshops.It is also a means to encourage and appreciate the achievement of our Yound Leaders.
On this 100th issue of the e-weekly,I would like to congratulate the Communication team for doing an excellent job of publishing e-weekly round the year.
Cheers!
---Anwesha Ghosh, Gold Holder

Award India: Camp to Mandarmani

Award India: Camp to Mandarmani

Camp to Mandarmani

Camp to Mandarmani
Mandarmani, located in Midnapore district of West Bengal is a very popular trekking route for beginners. The coastline stretches from Purusottam Village on one side to Tajpur on the other.
A group of Bronze, Silver and Gold Awardees from La Martiniere for Girls, Kolkata accompanied by Dr.
Tapti Dasgupta, their Award Leader went for camp to Mandarmani. The camp began on 5th August, 2011.
The four days of camp included 48 km of trek along the coast, various sessions including rope knots,
tent pitching, survival strategies, map reading , first aid. Activities such as tri-lino traverse, ladder climbing added to the excitement of the camp.
The group members actively took part in all camp activities. Long stretches of walk were tiring and continuous rains added to their difficulties. But these Young People were ‘’Equipped for life’’. Every single Awardee completed the entire trek with great enthusiasm. Along the way, we enjoyed the beauty of nature- the roaring sea, the grey sky, the migratory birds, the hermit crabs. We were also fortunate enough to see a Nebula Hermit crab-commonly called the King Crab. It is an endangered species.
An occasional ice-cream lick, a sip of coconut milk or a bite on the crunchy ‘’papad’’ while taking a dip in the sea spiced up the camp.
Though fun and learning was always on the list, the primary focus of the camp was to conduct a medical camp. Mandarmani is surrounded by nearly 17 villages. Primary health care services are lacking. The team which was accompanied by a doctor, Dr. Dhiman Banerjee distributed basic medicines to the patients.
The medical camp got an overwhelming response with number of patients checked in two days was nearly 180.Most people in this region suffer from three types of problems-
1. gastrointestinal problem mostly due to contaminated drinking water
2. Gastritis and hyperacidity
3. Low back pain.
Counseling was given to patients regarding how to maintain hygiene, change in food habits to gastritis and acidity, physiotherapy exercise was demonstrated to avoid low back pain.
On attending the medical camp, the Awardees became aware of healthcare services in villages. They interacted very well with the villagers. They could very easily bridge the gap between them and the locals.
The camp was duly completed on 8th August, 2011 and was a very successful venture.

Anwesha Ghosh
Gold Award Holder, 2011
Assessor

Saanya Gupta- Gold Holder and Award Volunteer on why young people should Volunteer with the Award

The Award Programme is like a dish whose main ingredient is a ‘volunteer’. It is non-functional without a volunteer. It is because of the volunteer’s involvement that today the youth is so enthusiastic about the Award and does not hesitate to take up the challenge to do the Award. 

 

I started Volunteering for the Award when I was in first year of Hansraj College, University of Delhi in 2009. As a Bronze, Silver and Gold Holder, the Award has defined me and has helped me become the talented individual I am today. I wanted to learn more about the administration and operation of the Award, get more young people around me to participate; all in an effort to give back to the Award. Two years as an Award Volunteer with the National Office, I have seen a new youthful energy flow into the Award system. I have seen the National Office take its bearings and grow into a  professional setup, a setup that believes in young people like me. Today, the Award Brand that is purple in India speaks for young people, by young people. 

 

My key focus as a Volunteer has been to Promote and Provide for the Award Programme specially in the Delhi University. With my peer group of fellow Award Holders and Award Volunteers, I have shared my personal experiences, some of the best memories of my life in guiding and mentoring aspiring young participants to engage in and successfully complete the Award.  

 

The many training workshops that I participated in equipped me well to lead in the partnership with the Delhi University. As a student of economics, I have been able to gain knowledge outside textbooks and experience how economics works in daily life, something that goes beyond classrooms and offices.  

 

As I look forward to my final year of College, I am certain that the trans-formative experiences from my Award and my volunteering will define my professional life. 

Become a Volunteer today! Contact me at Saanya@dofe.in

 

- Saanya Gupta, Award Volunteer

Photo Courtsey- NAA India Archive, November 2010

Magic Bus- one of the five ASOP Partners

Since 1999, Magic Bus, a non profit organisation, has used a unique Sport for Development programme to empower children and youth in making effective life choices in areas of gender equality, education, health and leadership & livelihood. 

India has 22 per cent of the world's population but 46 per cent of the world's illiterates. Every sixth girl child's death in India is due to gender discrimination.7 out of 10 children on the Magic Bus Program will re-enroll and stay in school and 4 out of 10 children on the Magic Bus Program will be girls exercising their right to play and learn. 

Magic Bus' mission is 'to empower children, youth and communities in areas of education, gender, health, leadership and livelihood through sport for development'. Empowerment means 'enhancing an individual's or group's capacity to make choices and transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes'. 

Through the three degrees of empowerment i.e. 'knowledge of the presence of choice, use of the choice and the result/effectiveness of choice', Magic Bus truly empowers young poeple through Sport. By using the methods of sport and activity-based learning to achieve development goals, Magic Bus successfully creates opportunity structures for continued and sustainable development through partnership with Institutions, Government, Communities and Profit and Non Profit Organisations.

For the first 9 yrs Magic Bus was a Mumbai-based programme. The National outreach was launched in 2008 and by the end of 2012 we will be reaching out to 200,000 children and youth across India. By 2014 we aim to reach 1,000,000 children.

Magic Bus works with children and youth from vulnerable backgrounds such as urban slums, institutions and semi-urban as well as rural areas. Through engagement with parents and community members, they help build ownership and sustainability of the programme to make a wider and more sustainable difference.
 

A typical Magic Bus session held once a week, varies from 35-40 minutes to 2 hours where
25-30 children come together in an open space under the guidance of a mentor. Each community or institution is assured of 40 such sport-based learning sessions for the children per year.

Mentors in Magic Bus play a pivotal role. In addition to planning 'the developmental issue' to address based on the focus areas and feedback from community, the entire activiti session and review occurs  under the mentors supervision. These mentors also become role models for the children and youth.

As key partner to the Australian Sports Outreach Programme (ASOP), Magic Bus Sports Mentors will participate in the Award Programme in Year 1 of the ASOP-Award India partnership. A brilliant example of how young Mentors, looked upon as role models in their community/institution of operation can be recognized for their efforts for social inclusive development.

YES Centre Manager- Manish Chandel of Purkal Youth Development Society (PYDS) shares the impact of the Award Programme in PYDS Community

"As I was walking around our school on last Saturday. I saw different groups of students busy in various activities. As I passed our staffroom, I was able to smell some cookies being baked. I peeped inside and saw a group of 6 students, along with their mentor busy with newly bought Micro-wave oven, trying to bake some thing. Excitement on their faces was proving that they are going to gain a success. Actually it was the baking class for our IAYP students who opted cooking as a skill for their program. Another group of students was ready to move to nearby village ‘Jaspur’ carrying sacks in their hands with a mission to clean this village and its surroundings. They are also trying to make it completely plastic free in next 4 months. On every Sunday IAYP group can also be seen on our school’s playground trying to enhance their skills in various sports, under the guidance of our sports teacher.

All these students undergoing IAYP program are full of enthusiasm and passion to prove them. Their confidence has boomed after returning from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), made possible by the Award Programme Foundation Trustees' Support. Really now our center is looking ‘YES Centre’ (Youth Engaging Society Centre). Earlier students were in doubt, that how it would be possible for them to undergo expeditions or adventures as you already know that for our students even going to Dehradun is a big task, because of their limited resources .Even though they are getting wonderful opportunities and exposure because of our friends Like IAYP and many others who provides them a chance to challenge the mainstreams.

 Very soon number of IAYP students from our centre will be double. Also I would like to thank Swamy sir who has taken a keen interest in this program and has given us full liberty to ensure the success of this program. His valuable ideas are always there to guide us and also he is arranging professionals to guide our students in enhancing their various skills like photography, baking etc.

Even our teachers who are linked with this program have got chance to develop in various aspects of life and more important becoming a part of such youthful program is making us all feel like a teenager.

- Manish Chandel, PYDS YES Manager

Photo: PYDS Archives 

Lead the Gold Holders

Your GOLD chance!

We would like to have a Gold Award holder, work as the Executive Secretary of the Gold Award Holder’s Society. Age 23 – 30 years, previous experience not really necessary, as we believe in ‘dream it, build it!’

Location will be the IAYP India Office in Delhi, and will report to the Communications Manager.

Connect and build a network of 1000 Gold Holders in India by 2013, and make the Society sustainable.

Events, Exchanges, International connections, work with leading businesses and be a leader of the pack.

Your ability to lead and manage a network of Volunteers and potential Gold Holders will help you shine as our young achiever.

Connect with nivedita@dofe.in today, as the offer closes before September sets in .

Sandeep
---

Sandeep Dutt
National Director, The International Award for Young People
Award Programme Foundation
86 Shahpur Jat, Khel Gaon Marg, New Delhi 110049, India
Phone: +91 11 2649 7154, Fax: +91 11 2649 7165, Website: iayp.in
Registered Charity No. TR/27951
www.iayp.in

IAYP India - Calendar of Events 2011-12

Please note this is the proposed Events Calendar and the dates / events are subject to change without prior intimation, for participation and to plan your activities we recommend you connect with the Communications Manager (ai@iayp.in)