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Quarterly Report – December 2016 – The Joy of Giving

This quarter is a quarter full of festivals and good cheer in India. Of course the festivals of Durga Puja and Diwali are known internationally, but this quarter also sees the whole of India celebrate one full week as the “Joy of Giving Week” or “Daan Utsav” as it is called. It starts on Gandhiji’s birthday, 2^nd October. Millions of people, however rich or poor, do a charitable act to help someone who is needier  than them. It could be a millionaire writing a cheque for a few lakh rupees, or an under-privileged child teaching his old uncle a few sentences in English to get more business for his coffee cart.

OBLF is grateful to the 6 Corporates who put up Wish Trees, to fulfill not only some of the wishes of the Foundation, but also the wishes of each of our over 1000 rural kids spread over 25 villages. The sheer joy on the children’s faces when they received the toys of their choice makes the humungous logistics worth the while.  

Our rural Coordinators also did their bit by putting in a lot of effort in listing, segregating, labelling and distributing the gifts.

Apart from running the program for the benefit of the rural children by bringing about a change in the quality and methodology of the education they receive, OBLF also has another very strategic aim – to empower the rural community as a whole, by empowering its women.

So we at OBLF work with rural women not just as instruments of the above change, but also as one of our target beneficiaries. The over 30 rural women now form the core of OBLF, imparting English language and Computer skills to the children, after being trained by us.

Our very first Coordinator, Swapna, now is our Lead Coordinator and works in a supervisory capacity. She also acts as an office assistant to our Program Manager, and is confident enough to conduct kids’ assessments and also man our stalls at various events in the city. Swapna has this to say, “I lost my husband in 2008. I was teaching for a small amount of salary. Then after I joined OBLF I am able to stand on my leg and lead an independent life. After joining I have learnt English and basic computers. I have also learnt to drive a scooter. Before, I stayed within the four walls. Now I am able to live independently. First time I got Rs.1,200/- p.m. Now I am getting Rs.10,000/-. Financially I am satisfied. I enjoy my work. I am grateful to OBLF.”

We have many Swapnas around us, and we aim to bring joy, confidence, dignity and independence in as many lives as we can.