She is one step away from realising her dream
T.V. Sivanandan
| Difficulties didn’t deter this aspiring doctor |
AGAINST ALL ODDS:Raheema Begum, daughter of Syed Chaush, a small farmer, had found it hard to pay fees for her PU course.
GULBARGA: Raheema Begum who almost discontinued her studies after her SSLC examination as she did not have Rs. 200 to pay as fees in the Government Pre-University College, is now on the verge of joining the medical course.
Hard work and perseverance paid rich dividends to this girl who against all odds is one step away from achieving her dream of becoming a doctor. In the family of two brothers and three sisters and aged parents, Raheema Begum is one bright spot and her father Syed Chaush, who owns one acre agriculture land, finds it difficult to meet both ends by growing vegetables.
Raheema Begum, who scored 68 per cent in the SSLC examination, could have easily got admission into a reputed college, but she did not have the resources to bear the expenses. She joined the Independent Government Pre University College at Jilanabad in Gulbarga. She almost gave up the idea of joining the Pre-University Course as her father could not provide Rs. 200 to pay the annual fee in the government college at that time.
“But for the timely help by one of my friends, I would not have managed to pay the fees of my daughter,” said Mr. Chaush.
Despite absence of teachers in key subjects she passed the PUC with a percentage of 57 and had given up all hopes of entering professional course. The month-long free coaching offered by the North Eastern Teachers Forum in Gulbarga for students appearing in the Common Entrance Test came as a flicker of hope for the girl. Raheema secured rank 3,230 in the medical stream of the CET has ensured that she would get a merit seat under reservation.
President of the North Eastern Teachers Forum M.B. Ambalagi told The Hindu that the forum would make all efforts to pool funds to pay the fees.
Reference Link: http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/30/stories/2010053050830600.htm
Courtesy : The Hindu
What the doctor ordered: new shoes
Happy feet:R.S. Umesh Sambaji measuring a woman’s feet to make customised Micro Cellular Rubber footwear for her in Shimoga.
SHIMOGA: It is common to find people frequenting medical shops with a doctor’s prescription to get medicines, but to find people flocking a footwear store, prescription in hand, is a rare sight.
Ever since the news about his medicated footwear appeared in a section of the press, R.S. Umesh Sambaji, the owner of Tourist Foot Wear on old Tirthahalli Road here, has become a much sought-after footwear manufacturer. He receives enquiries not just from Shimoga, but from other parts of the State as well.
The footwear manufactured at Mr. Sambaji’s company is said to have a therapeutic effect for several complaints including diabetes, arthritis, backache, knee joint pain, heel pain, elephantiasis and fungus.
The main material that the company uses in its footwear for the “cushioning effect” is Micro Cellular Rubber (MCR). The footwear is especially prepared for flat feet, unnatural or deformed feet.
Based on a doctor’s prescription, the company also manufactures footwear for polio patients and those who are weak or have twisted feet.
Mr. Sambaji, who has been in the business for the last 25 years, first heard of MCR footwear when an old doctor from Manipal visited his shop and asked for it. “As I had not heard of the medicated foot wear till then, my curiosity increased,” he said.
To double check that the MCR material he found in Kerala was indeed therapeutic, Mr. Sambaji got it substantiated by medical specialists in Shimoga and Manipal.
He then decided to manufacture footwear on an experimental basis. The venture was an instant hit and there was no looking back from there on.
Modest beginning
Mr. Sambaji started manufacturing footwear in a small cabin from in front of the Tourist Hotel in 1979 with a capital of Rs.2,000 that he borrowed from a bank. He now has a staff of 10.He says that he prepares customised footwear based on prescriptions from podiatrists.
“I am immensely pleased when I get feedback from customers saying the footwear was helpful,” he said.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/28/stories/2010052854420300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Success against all odds
Six out of seven students of Kaliyuva Mane pass SSLC exam
Many of them had dropped out of school and were child labourers
Next batch of children in the organisation will take up SSLC exam in 2012
Worth a mention: Kaliyuva Mane in Mysore takes care of underprivileged children and specialises in alternative mode of learning.
Mysore: Never mind the numbers. But the odds against which the results were achieved make it a success story worth emulating.
For, six out of seven students of Kaliyuva Mane (Home for Learning) cleared the SSLC examination. What makes their efforts spectacular is that the students are from the underprivileged section of society and had dropped out of schools and were also employed as child labourers.
But thanks to the intervention of Divya Deepa Charitable Trust, which runs the Kaliyuva Mane at Kenchalagudu village on the Manathavady Road, these students passed the examination. The school, which specialises in alternative mode of learning, is driven by a belief that each child learns things in which it is interested, at is own pace. So, the students who had dropped out without completing their high school had to start from a scratch but managed to squeeze in 10 years of conventional education within four years of learning. The school caters to the needs of the underprivileged children and those from below the poverty line families, and those who have not attended school.
The numbers may seem insignificant for those familiar with assembly line production of distinction holders in mainstream educational institutions.
But for these children who had no hope of education and had given up on learning, it is a major milestone and holds out hope for the millions like them.
M.R. Ananth Kumar of Divya Deepa Charitable Trust explained: “What makes this feat so special and satisfying is that each of them hailed from rural BPL family. Most of them are first generation school-goers. Some had dropped out from mainstream schools due to various reasons”.
So meet the young achievers some of whom will take up vocational course to rebuild their life. Prashanth (19 years) was studying in a local government school but compulsions of life made him quit the school in 2003 and he did not complete his seventh standard. He left school to work as a child labourer at Ooty, Coimbatore and Hassan at a tender age of 12 and help his mother who is a domestic maid. By a quirk of fate, he opted for a job in Kaliyuva Mane. But, the trustees of the organisation put him to their alternative learning school.
So is the case of Sachin who is 15 years old. His father is a mason and Sachin considered to be a slow learner, lost interest in studies by the time he could complete 5th standard. Eventually, his parents brought him to Kaliyuva Mane where he began his studies from a scratch.
Nanjunda Swamy (21 years) was studying in government higher primary school at Mellahalli. In the year 2000 when he was 11 years old, he lost interest in going to school and bid good bye to it without completing the 5th standard. But he was brought to Kaliyuva Mane where he continued his education after a gap of nearly 7 years by which time he had forgotten to recognise even Kannada alphabets and numbers.
Narayana (15) used to attend a local school in his village but was least interested in studies. But his brother, who was a beneficiary of the Kaliyuva Mane, brought him to the institution and today Narayana has completed his SSLC.
Similarly, Santosh had dropped out after 7th standard and was tending sheep. So was Mahesha (15) of Dhanagahalli whose father is a construction worker. Mahesha joined Kaliyuva Mane in 2006, and has passed the exams with a first class.
Mr. Ananth Kumar said this was the first batch which appeared for the SSLC and a few more students will appear for the examination in 2012.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/11/stories/2010051157310300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Rainwater harvesting has many benefits
It improves quantity and quality of groundwater, among other things
Those who have adopted the system are happy with the results
For St. Aloysius College, it has become a part
of their policy
RECHARGING:An infiltration pit being created around the casing pipe of a borewell on the premises of an automobile agency at Adyar in Mangalore.
MANGALORE: There is no need to go too far to see how rainwater harvesting (RWH) works. Mandovi Motors in Hampanakatta has tried this at its outlets in Adyar and Sullia, as also have St. Aloysius College and Lourdes Central School in Bejai, and all of them are reaping rich benefits.
In a region known for abundant rainfall, very few people would consider water harvesting, said Parshwanath, general manager of Mandovi Motors Pvt. Ltd. But necessity and high cost forced the establishment to consider sustainable options.
“We wash over a hundred vehicles on our premises every day. For a couple of years, we faced shortage of water during the summer and we had to buy water in tankers at high cost to meet our requirement of 30,000 litres a day.”
Objective
The objective of setting up a water harvesting system in 2002 was two-fold, Mr. Parshwanath explained. One, it resolved the water shortage and two, it improved the quality of water.
“Sinking deeper borewells will not solve the problem. We need to consider the environmental impact also. Water harvesting has improved the quality of water in the borewell. For some time before we began re-charging the borewell, we used to get hard water. Due to this, vehicles serviced began developing white patches on the paint and windshield, which could be potentially dangerous as it reduces visibility.” However, those patches have not appeared since. Now, he believes, even other borewells in the immediate surroundings are benefiting from the recharge by the automobile dealer.
Three years ago, the firm set up another workshop in Adyar with a water harvesting system built into the construction design. A year later, the same pattern was followed for the third workshop at Sullia, he said.
Taking inspiration from this example, he said, some customers and friends also approached him to set up similar systems. One such person is the managing director of the dealership, Kishore Rao, who set up the system a few months ago to recharge the open well at his residence. This monsoon will show whether the investment pays off, Mr. Parshwanath says.
Another institution that has incorporated this simple and sustainable water management system into its policy is St. Aloysius College, Mangalore. Principal Sweebert D’Silva said, “Over the last 10 years, we have systematically implemented water harvesting as a part of our policy. Almost all the buildings of the institution, with the exception of the old ones with tiled roof, have good water harvesting systems in place. The water collected from the roofs of these buildings recharges the wells that supply water to the college.”
The institution now meets over half of its water requirement through its own resources, which include wells and small pits dug in strategic places that recharge groundwater.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/05/stories/2010050559790300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Dalit cattle-grazer bucks the trend
Newly elected from Chamanal GP, Mahadevappa promises to discharge his duties
Mahadevappa
DHARSHANAPUR (YADGIR DISTRICT): “I never dreamt that I would become a gram panchayat member,” was 68-year-old Mahadevappa’s reaction when he was elected unopposed to the Chamanal Gram Panchayat in Dharshanapur village in Shahapur taluk in Yadgir district. Hailing from a poor Dalit family, Mr. Mahadevappa is a marginal farmer owning around three acres of dry land. While Mr. Mahadevappa grazes cattle, his wife Chandavva works as a labourer earning Rs. 50 a day. All his four sons have migrated to Mumbai and are working as construction labourers.
“My family leads a hand-to-mouth existence, and I had never thought of contesting in the gram panchayat, which requires money…. But thanks to the benevolence of the village elder Basavarajappa Gowda Dharshanapur, I am now elected as the gram panchayat member of Chamanal,” he said.
Three other candidates were also elected unopposed to fill up the remaining three seats in the Dharshanapur village.
Mr. Mahadevappa has decided that he will not give up being a cattle-grazer as he does not have any other source of income. “I will honestly discharge my duties as a gram panchayat member for providing all basic amenities in my village and continue to be loyal to Mr. Basavarajappa Dharshanapur,” he vowed.
Tradition maintained
The former Minister Sharanabasappa Dharshanapur who hails from Dharshanapur village, told The Hindu that it has been the tradition in the village to elect candidates unopposed and it has continued this year also.
He said Mr. Mahadevappa was a hard working and honest person and the right choice had been made by electing him unopposed to the gram panchayat.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/04/stories/2010050456860400.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
City musician creates record
Prodigious:Shailesh Kumar Sethiya on his mouth organ. —
BANGALORE: In a bid to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, a local musician continuously played the mouth organ for more than 30 hours beginning Saturday at Ambedkar Bhavan in the city.
A motley crowd of well-wishers and curious observers were among the audience assembled at the venue as 32-year-old Shailesh Kumar Sethiya played the tunes of songs from eight different languages belonging to various genres.
Mr. Sethiya, who claims to have earlier made it to the Limca Book of Records by playing the harmonica for 12 hours and 20 minutes, began playing the instrument at 11.40 a.m. on Saturday as part of his new attempt to enter the Guinness Book. He played on till 7.58 p.m. on Sunday, clocking a total of 30 hours and six minutes.
After the completion of every four hours of playing the musical instrument, a 20-minute break was taken by Mr. Sethiya in accordance with the guidelines of the Guinness Book of World Records. It allows “five minutes rest for every continuously completed hour of activity.”
Currently, the Guinness Record for playing the harmonica at a stretch is held by a Swiss, who played the instrument for 24 hours, according to Mr. Sethiya’s friend Sunil Bhafna.
Mr. Sethiya’s brother Mukesh told The Hindu that the video recording of the feat by two different cameras and other details would be sent to the Guinness authorities for verification.
Mr. Sethiya chose to begin his feat on May 1, which was also his parent’s wedding anniversary. “His father, who is no more, was very fond of music and has been his inspiration. This record is a gift to his parents on their anniversary and is also his way of making a contribution to art,” explained his maternal uncle Ravi Kumar Jain.
Mr. Sethiya has had 18 years of experience in playing the mouth organ and is also skilled at other musical instruments such as the flute and the keyboard.
According to the requirement of the Guinness Book of World Records, an aspirant will have to play an instrument for more than 24 hours, which he completed on Sunday evening.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/03/stories/2010050358960200.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Israel's community farming model turns inspirational
Farmers return from a visit eager to propagate the method in their villages
Taking the idea forward:Farmers who visited China and Israel interacting with poet and MLC Doddarange Gowda (extreme right) at Krishi Bhavan in Bangalore on Thursday.
BANGALORE: A group of farmers who just returned from a Government-sponsored study trip to Israel are so impressed by that country’s community farming that one of them has decided to convince farmers in his village, Muddebihal, in Bijapur district, to replicate the model.
This was clear during the media interaction on their return to Bangalore on Thursday from the six-day study tour.
Farmer Mahaveer B. Sagari of Muddebihal, who owns 80 acres of land, told presspersons that he would try to convince at least 100 farmers in his village to form a group for community farming. “I am confident that I will be able to ensure that community farming commences on a minimum of 500 acres, including his land,” he said.
“The main intention is to take up wheat cultivation on a large scale. Presently, on individual farms, we produce only 12 quintals of wheat per hectare. But we saw that Israel farmers were able to grow 60 quintals of wheat on the same extent of land through community farming,” he said.
According to the farmers, the community farming saves production cost and helps in management of pests as well as marketing.
However, they are hoping that the Government will help them get water from the Krishna and install drip-irrigation system.
Methods to follow
Farmer Bilekalli Narayan, who has a 30-acre mango orchard, said he was surprised to see Israel farmers growing a large number of mango trees per acre against the Indian method of growing only 40 to 70 plants. To prevent congestion, they prune the trees periodically and do not allow them to grow beyond 3 feet, he said, while expressing to follow suit. A majority of the farmers said the main lessons they learnt was the “water conservation model” which was demonstrated by their Israel counterparts through drip irrigation.
BJP MLC Doddarange Gowda, who also took the trip, said the tour was a memorable one. A few farmers, who returned from China, too, shared their experiences on the occasion.
The State Government commenced farmers’ study tours in 2008-09. So far in 2010-11, 79 farmers have visited China and 133 have visited Israel. The cost of a study tour to China for each farmer is Rs. 53,960, while the Israel trip costs Rs. 85,250.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/30/stories/2010043060780400.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Goodness Apple 
leave a comment