Celebrate 50 years of The Award in India by Engaging in the 2nd Gold Solar Project with Ecosphere, Spiti from 9th to 25th June, 2012

The 1st Gold Solar Group after successful completion of the Bath Project with The King of Spiti and nuns of Morang 

Calling GOLD AWARD HOLDERS AND GOLD AWARD PARTICIPANTS to Celebrate the 50 years of The International Award in India through Active Engagement in a Sustainable Project in Northern Himalayas.

To highlight the need for sustainable development and engage young people in projects to witness first hand the positive outcomes of Societal Engagement, with focus on other valuable and crucial aspects/issues closely related like Environmental Consciousness, adaptation to a Multicultural Environment, and Social Networking.

The Spiti Gold Solar Project presented by the International Award for Young People, India; the Gold Award Holders' Society of India in collaboration with Award Social Partner- Ecosphere is a unique opportunity to Gold Level Participants and Gold Holders to undertake an international adventurous journey and engage in a residential project in Himalayas in June 2012. This project will provide an interesting insight into Spitian life, culture and Buddhist heritage and provide an opportunity to be a part of the environment preservation initiative taken by the community.

Through the Spiti Solar Project, Ecosphere aims to showcase the fragile environment in the highest mountain range of the world while encouraging young people to have a positive transformative experience through:   

Participants with monks during visit to Key Monastery, June 2011

• Exchange of cultures not only with the Buddhist locals in the area but also with the other participants in the Project coming from a different areas and cultural backgrounds, and thus boosting up Social Networking.
• Instilling Environmental Consciousness and emboldening the students/youth to engage in a sustainable development project that will ensure long-term significant Social Impact in the community through the construction of a solar facility in the area. 
• A chance to visit and enjoy the picturesque beauty of the highest mountain range in the world, and simultaneously become successful in making a positive change towards the community, as a Global Citizen.

ABOUT ECOSPHERE: Award Social Partner

Ishita in her office in Kaza, Spiti

Ecosphere founded by Ashoka Fellow, Gold Holder and Gold Award Holders’ Society of India President- Ms. Ishita Khanna; is a social enterprise dedicated to sustainable development through collaborations with the local community of Spiti and professionals from diverse backgrounds. 

There is a vast array of subtle complexities that bind together the various facets of the Himalayas. These are amply manifest in the ecology, people, culture, religion and geology of this extremely fragile and complex eco-system. Ecosphere Spiti are consciously striving towards ensuring that your visits to these pristine lands have minimum impact on the region and in turn directly contribute to conservation and development.

With focus to creating sustainable livelihoods that are linked to nature and culture conservation, Ecosphere addresses the triple bottom-line of conservation, development and economies. To know more about Spiti and Ecosphere, visit www.spitiecosphere.com.

At Key Monastery

ABOUT SPITI: The Spiti Valley is a desert mountain valley located high in the Himalaya mountains in the north-eastern part of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Spiti - ‘a world within a world' as described by Rudyard Kipling (of ‘Kim' fame) - is a relatively unknown world, tucked away in the Trans-Himalayan belt of Himachal Pradesh.

Reaching for the skies at average (valley floor) altitudes of 3600 mts, this peculiar geo-climatic cold desert region borders Tibet in the east and Ladakh in the north. Spanning an area of approximately 8000 sq km Spiti is home to a purely homogenous Buddhist Society of just over 10,000, who bear stark cultural similarities with their neighbours in Tibet & Ladakh.

Lying in the rain shadow of the mighty Himalayas, Spiti receives scanty rainfall. A cold desert at an average altitude of 4000mts, the valley experiences extremes of climate and temperature variations ranging from -25 degree to +30 degrees centigrade. For more than 4 months of the year the Spiti valley remains obscured by harsh winters.

SIGNIFICANCE OF SOLAR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS:

Greening Spiti Project  is of special significance in

Spiti since the region is devoid of green vegetables. 

Most of the supply comes from the neighbouring cities of Shimla and Manali which takes 2 days. This excessive transportation makes the vegetables both expensive as well as high in their carbon footprint. Moreover in the 6 month long winters there is no availability of green vegetables as access to the neighbouring regions is cut off. 

The greenhouses developed by Ecosphere enable locals to cultivate vegetables not only in the summers but also in the winters at temperatures as low as -25 degrees centigrade. These green houses contribute to better health for the locals, reduction in emissions and also in providing them with an additional source of income.

1st Gold Solar Bath project, Morang Nunnery, June 201

Climate Solution Project through the construction of a solar facilities is of great significance in this region as great amounts of fuel wood, coal and wood is burnt for heating water that contributes to CO2 and black carbon emissions. The latter having far more damaging affects on the melting of glaciers and snow on a local level. 

Through the set up of a solar bath that includes both a passive solar structure as well as a solar water heating system, we enable the people to cut down on emissions (especially reducing black carbon) as well as enable them to have better hygiene through regular availability of hot water.

1st GOLD SOLAR PROJECT, JUNE 2011: BUILDING A SOLAR BATH

2011 Participants with Chomo Choden-Head, Morang Nunnery

In June 2011,a group of Award Participants spent two weeks successfully building a Solar Passive Bath in the remote Buddhist nunnery of Morang Village, Spiti. This project will allow the nuns to save over 3.5 tons of fuel wood per annum and provide ready access to hot water in the winters when temperatures dip to minus 35 degrees centigrade.

 “Our project will enable the local people to cut down on emissions and also to have better hygiene through regular availability of hot water.” – stated Arnav Saxena, a Gold Award participant of he 2011 Project. “Moreover, getting dirty in the mud and having fun working amidst the beautiful Himalayas- the highest mountain range in the world, the calm and pure winds at an average altitude of 4000metres above sea level, the simple yet sumptuous meals with the local Spitians in their cozy mud homes… all of these would just have been a mere desire if I had not applied for the Gold Spiti Project.” – he added enthusiastically. Hear more about the Trip

See the photos on our Facebook page.

2012 GOLDEN JUBILEE SOLAR PROJECT

Dates: 9^th to 25^th June 2012

Open to all Gold Holders and Gold Award participants worldwide

Qualifies for Gold Level Residential Project and Adventurous Journey (Exploration)

Cost (Excluding Taxes): Indian Rupees 31,000.00 (Thirty One Thousand) per participant from New Delhi to Spiti and back. Does not include travel fare of transit from/to participant’s country and back.


You can pay through The Award Store at http://iayp.in/awardshop.htm

LAST DATE OF APPLICATION is 31st MARCH 2012

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM today!

For more details, contact Nivedita at nivedita@dofe.in

Gold completion in Welham Girls' School the largest in India: a peek into their Residential Project with HESCO

Welham Girls' School (WGS), among the Top 5 best schools for Girls in India, makes headlines for the committed, talented, energetic and driven young women that graduate every year. WGS has a very robust, extensive and rigorous Award Programme and 20 Gold Level completions have happened in the last three years, making it the largest number of Gold Award completions in one Award Operating Unit in India. 

Gold Award participants engage in exciting and innovative activities that range from learning traditional India dance forms from Gurus such as Birju Maharaj, to learning digital media, exploring different art forms, foreign language, sport including leading in basketball, athletics, badminton, karate, etc, to making their presence felt in the communities in Dehradun with their Service. 

The 'sulabh shauchalay’ project, with partnership with Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation or  HESCO (http://www.hesco.in/) at Donkwala village is a recent Residential Project completed by the Gold Awardees at Welham this year. The HESCO-Welham partnership, operational since over five years has transformed lives of villagers in the Uttarkhand region and of the young Gold Award participants. 

The school students and teachers undertook construction work from 21 September at the village. While Welham Girls provided the financial input for raw material and the labour to complete the project, HESCO empowered the girls with their technical input. Toilets are built with bathrooms- an essential hygiene empowerment tool. Identified beneficaries say that through this initiative by HESCO and WGS, Welhamites learn about the need for and the importance of sanitation in villages, and the local people are encouraged to work for better living conditions. 

The 5 day project was attended by Kunwar Singh Rana and Jaipal Singh Chauhan from HESCO, WGS teachers Sonia Bawa, Sapna Sharma, Sudhir Kailthola, Vishal Rawat and 20 Gold Award participants from WGS.  At the concluding ceremony, the founder of HESCO, Dr Anil Joshi, praised the work done by the students. He pointed out that the poor faced a range of difficulties in obtaining a better life, which is why it was important to work in the rural environment. One needed to use one’s resources for the good of others.


It is important to note that Alumni and Award Holders from WGS have been active in Volunteering and Exploring Opportunities with The International Award Programme in India. Since the set up of the National Office in Delhi, Gold Holders and Welhamites have spearheaded the Open Awards Centre campaign, provided invaluable support in Digital and Print media for the Communications team and in operations and monitoring of the Award Programme in India. 

- Excerpts from The Garhwal Post (26/09/2011) and from National Office Archives and NAA team feedback

Take the Lead-Israel Youth Conference 2011: Meet the India delegation and hear the experiences

ABOUT THE ISRAEL YOUTH CONFERENCE 

Organised by the Youth and Society Administration at the Ministry of Education of the State of Israel,  as part of the 2011 UNESCO International Year of Youth, The International Youth Conference with the theme "Take the Lead" was held from 20th to 23rd November 2011 in the Hotel Leonardo Inn, Jerusalem, Israel. 

The theme of the conference was based on Janusz Korczak's quote: "Children are not the people oftomorrow, but people today. They are entitled to be taken seriously. They have a right to be treated by adults with tenderness and respect, as equals. They should be allowed to grow into whoever they were meant to be - The unknown person inside each of them is the hope for the future."

The focus of the conference was on promoting youth leadership and volunteer activities; establishing of the platform for dialogue between youth as the potential future leaders and preparing them to act as good will ambassadors of their countries, providing a meeting point for youth from culturally diverse communities, living in harmony and peaceful coexistence.

There was representatives from 13 countries round the world- India, Thailand, Singapore, Russia, The Netherlands, USA, UK, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Italy, Kazakhstan and Israel. The Israelis who formed bulk of the representatives were mostly 17-18 years old and the participants from the rest of the countries were slightly older than them-most being around 19. 

Lectures and more:

The 

was declared open by the education minister of Israel. Anwesha Gosh 

gave a speech introducing the Award Programme in India and discussed the Indian leadership aspect. 

Anwesha is convinced that doing The Award helped her speak at the Opening Night. She says that she was '

a little apprehensive' before her speech as she did not have a speech ready. But at the back of her mind, she knew that she would do well. 'I had so much to share, so much to speak about from all the experiences through the Award- my difficulties, successes, failures and how the Award gave me an opportunity and confidence to carry on despite the failures.' 

The delegates attended panel discussions and lectures by Mr.Yacov and Dr.Yassi Harel. 

These lectures proved that each idea and its implementation could be beneficial for the society.

On the second day, all the participants were divided into 4 groups. India was in the first group with Germany, Thailand and Israel. Everyone participated in a round table discussion to understand policies and issues concerning youth leadership. Through discussion they found out the kind of leadership activities that everyone was a part of and also tried to understand what more we could do to make the world a better place. 

The first lecture was on leadership as a basic skill and quality, and the problems faced by young leaders who are trying to bring a positive change in the society. Conducted by Dr. Yassi Harel- 

the head of the study team conducting research of child and adolescent behaviour.He shared his experience with us and explained the methods of study.He also throw light on the risk factors  concerning the youth.It was interesting to know why and how behaviour of the youth of today is changing.He told us what we could possibly do to give others a better life.

The second lecture was on an initiative taken by 

Mr.Yacov- the founder of the first Democratic school in Hadera (read more about them http://www.democratic.co.il/en/schools/democrats/),

 to encourage learning and creativity in the society through his “Democratic schools”.

Says Anshuman, "Through the discussions I learnt a great deal about the diverse culture and more importantly the different views and approaches of people to the common social problems. The conference also made me realize the similarities between the youth around the world. Most of the delegates took up projects and worked in synchronization with the government. Most of the youth involved had taken up leadership responsibilities through the youth councils formed in their respective countries. I also felt that any such initiative lacked in our country and was only possible at school level because of India’s large size and other social problems." 

On the third day, our groups were further divided into sub-groups to formulate  the declaration for the conference at the end all the points were taken in for the general statement. T

he declaration defined the goals of the conference and what the delegates pledge to do

. Everyone contributed their ideas and shared their opinion of the declaration. The final copy of the declaration was ready after a lot of debate. However much we fought over the points of the declaration-everyones concern for the world and the society was clear. It become obvious that every participant of the conference wanted to do their bit for the betterment of the world.

Onkar says that the cultural night was a fun experience in which all the delegates showcased different traditional dance performances and spoke about their country and showed video clips. 'Team India did 'bhangra' (a dance from Punjab), spoke about our country and showed a short video clip of incredible India. It was great to witness all the performances and 'bhangra' was enjoyed by everyone and every body joined in!'

Team India's impressions about Jerusalem and Israel:

Known as 'The Holy Sanctuary', Jerusalem is the centre for three major Abrahamic religions- Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Although Jerusalem is known primarily for its religious significance, the city is also home to many artistic and cultural venues. The houses here are made up of similar kind of brown rock-which gives the city a calm and uniform look. The beauty of the country is mesmerizing. The city is connected by broad roads and trams. What was surprising was the tram which is also called the ''train'' in Jerusalem is free of cost.There was no police supervision anywhere on the roads but still the traffic ran perfectly-something very impressive.

Onkar enthusiastically shares that "Israel, Jerusalem was quite different from what we see in our daily lives on the newspaper or on the news. The youth body is very very active in israel, each district is represented by a student leader and the chairperson of the israel youth association represents them in the parliament."

Adds Anwesha, "While touring the land of Jerusalem and Israel, we saw the rich culture and history of the land. Jerusalem was destroyed three times and all the three times that it was rebuilt, it opened it doors to new cultures and practices. We visited the Knesset - the Israeli parliament, the Museum which is called Yad Vashem , the City of David, the Western Wall- I realized how close the people were to their history.Their knowledge of the past was astonishing. What was more astonishing was the amount of effort they had put in to preserve their past. All documents from the Second world war, from during the rule of King David and every other piece of history that was available was there for public viewing and explanation." 

Experiences unplugged: 

Award India team enjoyed meeting so many young people from diverse cultures,different religions, representing their countries. They realised that in spite of the differences, all delegates shared same concerns about youth policies, youth leadership and more.

Says Anwesha, "Although we were different, we realised we were the same. We had similar concerns. We could all connect to each other on similar issues or points. We all agreed that is it easier solving problems through discussions than by violence. Just hearing each other out helped us sort out issues. The International Youth Conference was an amazing platform to share my experience and opinions with the rest of the world.I learned a lot in the process and made friends from different countries. I could like to take this opportunity to thank the Award for providing me with such an unique opportunity."

The delegates agree that participating in conferences as The International Youth Conference in Israel, young people get a chance to share their experiences and opinions with the rest of the world in addition to making friends. 

Anshuman agrees, "we came back with a lot of learnings and ideas to think about. It was an opportunity for us to learn about the levels people from other countries were working for the betterment of the society. It has allowed me to think about some of the global issues and critically evaluate the work been done in such areas."

Onkar agrees and adds on that, "we realised the importance of good leadership and learnt how to be better and effictive leaders instead of only being active leaders. We also learnt how to respect the ideas of every individual even if it is different from ours." He added passionately that The Award Programme is the best platform for young people to lead in what they believe in.

We still wait to hear from Rashmi who has just returned to her office. 

MEET THE INDIA DELEGATES SELECTED FOR ISRAEL

Anshuman Bhargava- Gold Holder 2011

A student of The Doon School, Dehradun, Anshuman is passionate about basketball and art. He is a member of the Trophy Squad in his school as part of his Service. 

Anshuman believes that participating in social projects has allowed him to see the true problems in India. 

He wanted to attend the Israel Youth Conference to become a leader, make new friends and contribute to The Award in India. Ass an Ambassador at the Israel Conference, Anshuman looked forward to presenting his views as a potential youth leader, represent the country’s spirit and interact with culturally diverse youth. 

Anwesha Ghosh- Gold Holder 2011

A first year College student and a resident of Kolkata, Anwesha enjoys oil-painting and sketching, her Skill for the Award. She is also a Football player and knows Karate. A dedicated Volunteer in  awareness about the importance of literacy, she  is also a mentor and supervisor for young people. 

Anwesha believes that the Award Programme has helped her understand the needs of others. 

She strongly feels that being as an Award India ambassador, she will get to know how different communities work better and work towards a common goal.

Onkar Singh- Gold Award participant

A student of the Assam Valley School-Tezpur, Onkar is skilled in Electronics media and is also regularly involved in Horse Riding. Apart from his hobby and physical exercises, he also loves the mountains and trekking up to Sandakphu, the highest point in Bengal, has been one of his memorable Adventurous Journeys. 

Working with and helping the residents of the Moran Blind School is a passion of his which is a part of his Residential Project.

Onkar believes that the sharing of ideas during the Conference in Israel is really crucial for him because with the new ideas and experience, he would be able to deliver better services and results in his school as well as to the Award Programme itself.

Rashmi Rajamanickam- Gold Holder 2010

Rashmi currently works in Chennai. A skilled dancer in Latin American Dance style,  a  State Level Yoga Contest winner, a Table Tennis player and also a Track & Field enthusiast in  Shot-put and Discuss Throwing, Rashmi wears many hats really well. 

She is active in Community Service that include helping run an Orphanage and organizing regular Blood-donation Camps. She also loves exploring Caves! As part of her Residential Project, Rashmi conducted a survey on the single mothers in a few villages.

As an Award Ambassador to Israel, Rashmi wants the world to get a right perspective of India, and meet young people from all over the world at an international platform.

Shraddha Jain- Gold Holder and IAYP India AV Intern shares her Award journey

My Award journey was very enjoyable! 

I started my Bronze Award in 2006 and received my Gold Award in 2011 from the Welham Girls' School, Dehradun. During this period, I experienced and participated in numerous activities, I’d never have otherwise done. I used to visit an Old-Age home regularly as a part of the Service Component of My Award. Social service moved me so much, I’m now actively involved with a group that raises funds for NGOs. 

Through my journey, or should I say, because of the Award, I discovered the skills I never knew I had. I practised movie-making and editing as a Skill for the Award. I’m using the same skill today as an intern for Award India by producing digital media to reach out to the masses.

Somewhere along the lines, I shed my insecurity and gained enough confidence. The Award is certainly the most fun way for the youth to learn the value of community work and much more! I stayed for five nights in a village in Uttaranchal where I did everything, ranging from cooking to milking the cows and working in the fields! That is probably my most memorable trip.

I am happy to contribute as much as I can to the Award. As a first year Economics Honours student at Hindu College, University of Delhi, I look forward to introducing The Award to my peers, colleagues, friends and superiors at my college.. I’d like it if every member of the youth is a Gold Holder!


- Shraddha Jain, Photo

‘A mesmerizing fortnight’- Arnav Saxena shares his experiences from the First Spiti Gold Solar Project held in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh from June 11th to 25th, 2011

 Award Partner Ecosphere presented a unique opportunity to Award participants to complete their adventurous journey and their residential project (Gold Level) in Spiti this summer. Ecosphere founded by Gold Holder and Gold Award Holders’ Society of India President- Ms. Ishita Khanna is a social enterprise dedicated to sustainable development in the fragile cold desert of Spiti. In June 2011, a group of nine Award Participants from spent two weeks successfully building a Solar Passive Bath (as in the banner) in the remote Buddhist nunnery of Morang Village, Spiti. This project will allow the nuns to save over 3.5 tons of fuel wood/annum and provide ready access to hot water in the winters when temperatures dip to – 35 degrees centigrade. Arnav Saxena, one of the Project participants from The Scindia School, Gwalior shares his experiences!

Getting dirty in the mud and having fun working amidst the beautiful Himalayas- the highest mountain range in the world, the calm and pure winds at an average altitude of 4000metres above sea level, the simple yet sumptuous meals with the local Spitians in their cozy mud homes… all of these would just have been a mere desire if I had not applied for the Gold Spiti Project.

The much-awaited day arrived on 11th June, and we met the entire Spiti Group in Delhi. We met Daniel- an Award Participant from Hebron School Ooty, Olga- Volleyball coach and Award Holder from Russia, Tanushree- Award Participant from Open Awards Centre in Delhi and Nivedita- Communications Manager and Award Leader from National Office. We boarded the overnight bus to Shimla, where Angdui-Ecosphere Guide and our escort to take us to Kaza- the capital of Spiti, met us. Our arrival in Kaza was delayed by five hours due to a landslide! I faced high altitude sickness and could not go with the group to Key Monastery the next morning. Luckily, I overcame the sickness by taking Diamox and resting.

That afternoon, we were briefed about the Solar Passive Bath Project in the nunnery of Morang. The construction of a solar bath is of great significance in this region as burning great amounts of fuel wood contribute to black carbon emissions and rapid snowmelts of glaciers at a local level to CO2 and. Our project would enable the local people to cut down on emissions and also to have better hygiene through regular availability of hot water.

We left for Morang the next day, assembled all the tents and toilets and played volleyball. Our target was to build an 8 feet high room from just wet mud and rocks, a true challenge! After spending 4 days working really hard, getting really dirty and having a lot of fun with, we left the newly constructed walls to dry and left for our Exploration to the Langza, Komic (the highest village in Asia) and Demul-remote villages where we did home stays to experience the Spitian culture. We even hiked up Balari Top located at 5200 metres from Demul. This was the most challenging but scenic hike.

We returned to Moraang to complete the roof and install the solar heater with massive water capacity of 200 litres.  As we finished the project, we realized how far we had come from struggling to lift a spade in the high altitude, being shy to interact to becoming a strong, confident and well knit team. We watched the King of Spiti inaugurate the Structure with the nuns chanting prayers proudly! We were delighted to have completed the Project in record time. We realized that this was the end of a challenging yet amazing experience, the memories and friendships will last us our lifetimes! Thank you Ishita, Ecosphere and Award India teams. 

"My Summer was EPIC": Shubhda Hirawat-Gold Award Participant, Award Intern and University Student shares her experiences from the Summer

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I-I took the one less travelled by”

This Robert Frost quote very aptly summarizes my summer. Being a student of Business Studies in Delhi University, interning at larger-than-life corporates for the summer is a trend, the road taken on mostly. This time I decided to differ . Through Grassroutes (www.grassroutes.in) I took a road trip for social change to Avani in the Pithoragarh District of Uttarakhand for over 4 weeks and that has “made all the difference”

Since I started doing the Award , it has almost become like a valid excuse for doing things I wouldn’t have ever thought of doing or wouldn’t have been permitted to do ! Spending a month in the hills working on Community Health and Hygiene with a concentration on Maternal Health and Nutrition.Learning about rural health has been an experience for me whose lived all her life in the glam of the city Delhi.The closest hospital ,rather a small health centre is a minimum 2 hour trek through the hills and imagine a pregnant woman walking to this centre .I worked on the documentation of traditional practices and medicines whose need increases manifold given the harsh living arrangements . I think my biggest learning has been “People”.The graciousness and hospitality of Indians moved me. Inspite of living in dilapidated houses ,empty bowls for grains and tattered clothes and barefeet, the villagers never failed to offer the standard Indian guest serving of “Chai”.Not even once. Happy faces welcomed me like home.

Apart from this, I had the opportunity to learn hard skills like welding and drilling. I nearly mastered the art of drilling because of which I was the mechanic for drilling to eventually make a solar geyser and its panels. I also understood the chemistry of organic dyeing and pigment making . I accomplished my teenage fantasy of Beekeeping and when I say the bees don’t sting ,I am not lying !

I am now back in the heat with a sore back, dyed clothing,bruises and insect bites but it has been all worth it for the summer that it has been .This summer has been my best so far and its because of the Award ,which is always a push factor in following what you like doing .

"The Award taught me the essence of human life"- Bronze, Silver and Gold Holder Anwesha Ghosh candidly shares her experiences

Some day in June,2005

At the Modern High School for Girls, Kolkata- My Alma Mater.

Somebody from the other end of the third floor corridor, called out .

‘’Anwesha, today is the admission to IAYP.Wont you come?’’

Me: ‘’Admission? Huh? IAYP? What on earth is that?’’ was my first reaction on hearing about the Award.

A friend very enthusiastically explained that it was all about trips and camping. Being complete unaware that the Award programme is much more that just camping, I somewhat unwillingly joined in. Days passed and the only significance of DEAS was the meeting held every alternate Wednesday at school.

I still remember those early days when the meeting room was filled with ‘’enthusiastic Awardees’’ and I used to silently stand in a corner, rather bored. Time was flying away at its own pace. I had somewhat managed to squeeze in three additional activities into my already over packed routine. The sense of it was still hazy in my mind when one day I suddenly saw a notice saying ‘Camp to Talsari, Orissa. A sudden desire sprung up and I knew I had to be a part of it.

Talsari, a sea coast in Orissa was just the place to be in. With breath-taking scenery and crushing waves hitting the shore, I first got the feel of the Award- the need to be equipped for life. The early morning treks, the coconut water, singing, dancing, with winds blowing my hair at all directions- I completed my bronze preliminary trek successfully. From there I came to know Mr.Bivujit Mukhoty, popularly known as Chandansir-my mentor, guide, assessor, my Sir.

With the next camp at Kaushani, near Nainital I qualified for my Bronze Award. The diary came back from office. It said ‘’qualified for Bronze, signed Mr.Mukhoty.’’ The sense of Achievement overpowered me. Just within six months, I had learned karate, took drawing lessons, proved myself at the high mountains and roaring sea and worked several hours at the hospital looking after newborn children.

The Silver Award was not far away. By this time I had realized what the Award could offer to the young people. I had felt the change myself. A programme which is non-competitive, which challenges you to better than just one person-Yourself! A programme that motivated you to utilize your leisure time fruitfully-a programme meant to ‘’equip’’ every young person ‘’for life’’.

While working toward my Gold Award, many opportunities came up. From attending camps with the ‘’special projects units’’ to making videos with them, accompanying introductory sessions at various schools and colleges to being a part of the Indo-Mauritius exchange programme, I did it all.

The content of serving the society, the joy of learning, the pat on the back, inspiring lectures, and few words of appreciation -the Award offered me more than I could want from life. It taught me to ‘’Cherish Service and Relationship’’.

While receiving my Gold Award on the 12^th of May, 2011 all the memories came rushing back. The images ran in my mind like a slide show. Am I quite the same person anymore? I wonder if there is any similarity between the Anwesha sitting in the hall at Talsari with Chandan sir explaining the Award and the Anwesha who is considered capable of being an Assessor today. Maybe without the Award I could just be another student pursuing her honours , fighting with the competition, racing to come first –completely unaware of the learn meaning of human life. Who knows?

- Anwesha Ghosh, Award Holder, Mentor, Assessor, unedited shared her experiences with Communications Team on the way back from College.