Priyanka Ghosh from The Heritage School-Kolkata shares 'The Himalayan Journey' to Manebhanjang

On the 16^th of December we from The Heritage School, Kolkata set forth on a trekking trip, as a part of the International Award for Young People Programme, to a small hamlet in the Himalayas. We were two teachers- Ms. Priyanka Ghosh and Mr. D.N. Dubey,   twenty-five students and our trekking instructor Mr. Joydeep Ghosal and two more trekkers comprised the group of thirty. All of us at The Heritage School were thrilled and energized and looking forward with anticipation to this expedition. For some of us it was our first step in trekking which was at the same time interesting and something new. We were all eager to see what was awaiting us.

On 16th we boarded the Darjeeling Mail and reached New Jalpaiguri Station on 17th at around 9.00 am. From there we set forth for our destination to Manebhanjang, which was a four hours drive from Siliguri. At Siliguri we got a feel of the chill and I was a bit apprehensive about the weather farther north. The bus journey was enjoyable and pleasant and we were thoroughly excited about the whole experience. On our way we stopped at Mirik, which was a beautiful, quiet picturesque place. The foggy weather made it more appealing. The short break there made me want more of this exquisitely beautiful place. I was getting used to the chill and the sleepy foggy weather and loved it every moment. On our way was Pashupati in Nepal; from now on started our journey which would criss-cross the terrains of India and Nepal.

We reached Manebhanjang and were greeted to a wonderful place and delicious lunch. Here I got the feel of the cold and the peaceful style of life. We then went for a short acclimatization trek which was just a forerunner to the trek the next day. Food glorious food didn't leave our path. The people were wonderful. The roads were rocky, a few shops, everybody inside their homes by 6.30pm. What a wonderful experience and a different way of looking at life. The silent evening, the dark streets, the buzzing of an isolated television but feeling comfortably at home, this was indeed a realization.

After an appetizing breakfast we set forth for our trek from Manebhanjang to Tumling which was of 10.5kms. This was the start of many new experiences which would be a treasure for the rest of our lives. The rocky and steep road made us gasping for breath and the short-cut roads which saved on time consumed a lot more energy. On this trek we went on walking and we were happy to reach Chitre our stop for some energizing tea and biscuits. Next on we went to a place called Lamey Dhura. The place had a secret beauty of its own, with the rhododendrons, the pine trees and deep valley and the high mountains beckoning us. Trekking was indeed adventurous and fun, once you start enjoying it you would hate to give it a miss. We trekked some fast, some not so fast and some slow, but we reached the land covered with clouds, Meghma. We could see the clouds covering the entire mountain and the tiny huts. We had biscuits to energize us and warm water to heat within, and we left for our final destination Tumling.

The trek was fun, sporty and breath- taking. The thought that we were so near to Tumling was helping us to walk. With little stops on the Himalayan foot-hills and no sign of habitation the sight of a single white-washed bench brought a twinkle to my eye. I dragged my leg and I reached Shikher Lodge at Tumling in Nepal. We had indeed completed the first phase of the trek.  Again great lunch was served and we gorged on it. The evening was great in front of the fire, with a lot of quizzing and brain storming, then an early dinner and then off to sleep.

Next day we were treated to Tibetan bread for breakfast and with that lingering taste in the mouth we set forth for our view of the majestic Kanchenjunga. I had seen the Kanchenjunga in photos, screen savers and in other people's thought. Now I was elated to see it with my own eyes and experience it. Inhale the moment with every breath I took and preserve the view with my eyes in the memory card of my heart and mind. The Sleeping Buddha posture of the Kanchenjunga was exquisite and elevated the mind to a surreal level. Another thing which excited us was that we could get connectivity from here and we felt great sharing and boasting about our unique experiences. This day our trek was to Tonglu and back. In between we learnt the art of tent-pitching. We had breakfast at Nepal, tea in India and again lunch at Nepal, political barriers meant nothing to geography and people Going back to our lodge waiting for some lip-smacking lunch we basked under the rays of the sun. The sun doesn't elude any corner and here it was warm, cozy and bright too. More surprise was awaiting us, and that was the self-cooking session. Here the children cooked a wonder meal which smelt and tasted good.

Next day our trek was to Jowbari on the way we caught a glimpse of Mt. Everest which was indeed breathtaking. We made our way through the Singalila forest reserve and saw various plant species. Trekking to all these places was enjoyable and learning experience. We were enriched with the experience of trekking, coming so close to the Himalayas and having the scope of our own interpretations. It was indeed a superb experience to imbibe this wonderful dream. Waiting for us back at the lodge was steaming hot chicken momos and soup. Oh how fascinating, having momos in the Himalayas, a perfect blending.  The winter nights were restless but the morning sunrise in the Kanchenjunga and the first flush of snow made us forget the tiny hardships. The students spent the afternoon learning survival tactics. In the evening surrounding the bonfire we sand, danced and amused ourselves and vouched to come back on another memorable trek. 


This fascinating experience came to a close with the trek back to Maneybhanjang. The memories were indelible in our minds. On the way as we crossed Ghum, Sonada, Darjeeling and Kurseong old memories of family trip crossed my mind. My mind pointing out how lucky I was to experience the tourist and the holiday makers side with my family and the expedition and the adventurous side with my students.

It was a marvelous and an everlasting experience. The student’s learnt to stay in harmony and enjoy themselves away from the luxuries of city life. They showed their stamina and strength. It was an experience were students with different level of motivation, stamina and mindset came together and were successful in their endeavour. Staying and living together for many days brought all of us very close and the various sessions made us better, confident and useful human beings.  That evening we boarded the Darjeeling Mail, the night was sleepy and Kolkata city of joy was welcoming us. A new experience came my way and I grasped it with both my hands.

I would like to sincerely thank the Board of Trustees and Mrs. Seema Sapru, the Principal of The Heritage School for this wonderful opportunity, Ms.Bishakha Banerjee for her support, The East Zone Award Authority and the International Award For Young People for their everlasting endeavor and Juniper Travels for organizing a pleasant trek.

Ms. Priyanka Ghosh, Award Leader- The Heritage School, Kolkata 

Youthful Nation

Power of Sports for Development (S4D) 

The nation is always young and has many of us in transition. The young aspire for a better world the nations must evolve and keep up with the needs and aspirations of the youth. Youth development is really the crux of nation building, the country that takes care of the young people develops and goes on to become not only rich in wealth and culture but evolves as a real welfare state. There is thus the necessity of having a healthy and more fit young populace. The core of the youthful nation will only be strengthened by promoting physical recreation in the life of the young people.

Education many a times is touted and promoted as literacy; promotes the need to read and write for a better future, this is not enough. We need thinking and understanding and that is really the bottom line for a better future. There is the growing need for mentors to help the young, empower them to live in harmony with nature, encourage them to serve the community and more so be physically fit and better skilled than simply educated in the read and write way. We all have to work to equip for life the young, challenge them to achieve their true potential and keep the nation young, dynamic and on the growth path always.

India's rise in economic terms is closely linked to the youth power, and all investments in building youth capital will help the young equip for life. Yes, inclusive growth the mantra of governments is enshrined on building up the quality of life for the young people, and we all need to partner to help the young achieve their true potential. How do we do this? Let us invest in our youth and help them all live a healthy life. The best investment in youth will be in the form of pushing sports, not necessarily at the professional level, but for better health and wellbeing, we have endless research to show that poor health will not give us the desired academic results. India today needs to give same regard to sports as it does to any of the key economic activity that generates the millions for the states exchequer.

What does industry mean? Wikipedia refers industry as an activity that brings about the production of an economic good or service within an economy. An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area. An economy may also be described as a spatially limited and social network where goods and services are exchanged according to demand and supply between participants by barter or a medium of exchange with a credit or debit value accepted within the network. Sport very much fulfils this criterion, and for the youthful nation must thus be regarded as an industry and a major service that adds to the GDP of a nation. Any nation that uses sport as a development plank not only has a healthy lifestyle, is a youthful nation in itself. These nations today are major economic powers and believe in their young people.

Physical recreation with its emphasis on both individual sport and team games is designed to build the sinews as well as team spirit. Learning to function together with other to build a team is an invaluable art. Beyond just being an industrious activity, sport is the biggest catalyst in nation building, and is the best way for social inclusion and economic development. A nation must stay young to lead in the world, and the best way is to use sport as a key development initiative. Many developed nations have even used a term of military / services training as a compulsory activity for the youth, they thus work to build on achieving the goal of inculcating patriotic sentiment, but more is done to encourage physical fitness and the love for the outdoor. All this helps the young people to be equipped for life, and this again is the only way to build a better citizenry.

The International Award for Young People (IAYP), is a tool to ‘equip for life’ young people in India and a major components of the programme are targeted at using sport and outward bound activity as key enablers. The Award Programme is the most adaptable and successful youth empowerment program. We have no religious, political or strategic affiliations. We have an established capacity for identifying hard issues and challenges associated with youth. Schools, youth organisations, community groups, correctional services, employers and government departments nationwide use the Programme framework. Around the world, over 130 countries use this model for positive youth empowerment. We draw together and connect people, institutions and generations with the common purpose of youth development and inclusion. IAYP is the Programme of choice for over 9 million people in the world today.

The prescription for a youthful nation is only one, challenge young people everywhere. The vision of any sport for development initiative should be to equip for life all young Indians and to help achieve their full potential. We see the possibility of a nation where every school offers young Indian the opportunity to be rewarded for challenging themselves, rewarded for engaging with adult mentors, rewarded when finishing school, and rewarded for giving back to their communities. This really is the spirit for a youthful nation. We all need to ensure that we work to create best ecosystem to enable our youth, and there is no better way to do this than making sport for development a key agenda in all our initiatives.

Award Interns Dhruv Bahl and Ridhima Oberoi share the experiences from the International Youth Camp in Lombok, Indonesia

The Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Indonesia in collaboration with ASEAN Secretariat are hosting the ASEAN +6 International Youth Camp 2011 under the theme “OptimizingThe Potential of Marine in South East Asia Region” from July 9th to July 13th, 2011 in Lombok, Nusa Tenggara Barat province, Indonesia.

Authority will be represent by Mr. Dhruv Bahl and Ms. Ridhima Oberoi, both from the required 18-25 years age category.

Appreciation to the Programme Team and the two young leaders for accepting the challenge to be prepared in the tight timeline.

Dhruv and Ridhima represented the 18-25 age category from IAYP India at short notice. Award Interns for about a year, they share the the action from tree-planting, discussions on climate change and climate preservation, cultural night and the fun they had engaging with peers from across the Asia Pacific during the International Youth Camp (IYC) from the 9th July to 13th July 2011. 

Day 1, 9th July: We arrived in Lombok, a little tired and relaxed at your hotel.  

Day 2, 10th July : We interacted with delegates from different countries and had an 'ice breaker' session. Post the session, we left for Gili Tarwangan islands on a ferry. The area is known for its mangroves; treest crucial in preventing soil erosion and curbing drastic  effects of tsunamis. Here we got an opportunity not only to observe how to plant mangroves but also to plant them on our own. After having planted the mangroves we boarded our boats again to another island. After lunch we learnt how to transplant corals using media( a mixture of sand and cement) which was followed by scuba diving and snorkeling to view the beautiful corals and marine bio diversity around the area.

Day 3, 11th July: After waking up early in the morning, we headed for the opening ceremony of FIBOP, a watersporting event . The event was declared open by the Vice President of Indonesia. The ceremony show cased a lot of traditional dance and music performances of Indonesia. After the inauguration we headed to a village of the ‘sasak’ people –traditionals of the Mataram district.  In the evening all delegates presented their country reports and we got an insight on how every country is trying to protect their marine bio diversity.

Day 4, 12th July: A workshop was conducted by Mr. Rob Oliphant on International Award for Young People. After this we went to a village to learn how to make media for coral reefs. After lunch we headed for shopping.Since it was our last day we had a farewell party in the evening where each country made a cultural presentation. 

Dhruv believes that "The trip was one that gave me experiences that i shall remember for life. Being a part of the award gave me a lot which i could pass on to my fellow participants in ways more than one. The sheer joy of meeting so many people coming from different diversities , backgrounds , cultures, organised into one team engaging in funfilled activities to keep the marine biodiversity thriving is an experience that can never be repeated." 

Ridhima says that "Í got a wonderful opportunity not only to be a part of the conference but also to interact with so many people. I got an opportunity to contribute my bit for a social cause. Iayp is a platform to be a part of social causes and has helped me to see the world from a different perspective thereby, helping me to develop into a person the world needs today!"


Photo Courtesy: Ridhima Oberoi for NAA India, Lombok, Indonesia 2011