Jeevantirth Newsletter – April 2025

‘Active’ April!

The first month of the financial year 2025-26 was highly active;  hence, we named it “Active April’!
Children and our BalMitras were relieved from exams! Equipping themselves through 4-5 days training, planning, and material development 7 procuring other materials; they were ready for the show! 

‘Vacation Shala’ – Summer Camps!
Summer camps offer numerous benefits for children, fostering personal growth, developing life skills, and creating lasting memories. They provide opportunities for children to learn new skills, explore their interests, build confidence, and make new friends in a supportive and structured environment. For last many years, we are celebrating Pre-Vacation Program: Vacation Shala for fun-learning; once annual exams are over and children go to their vacation in home villages, for family functions and gatherings, and spending leisure time at homes.

‘Vacation Shala’s in Urban Slum Areas:

No.	Date	Area	Children’s Strength
			Kalarav (Age 4-5)	BalVatika (Up to Std. 2)	BSK (Std. 3 to 8)	Total
1	16/4	SabarNagar	18	20	26	64
2	17/4	Kashmira	18	21	26	65
3	18/4	ChandraBhaga	22	30	39	91
4	19/4	HanumanPura	21	22	24	67
5	22/4	BalolNagar	28	40	28	96
6	23/4	RevaAvas	25	21	25	71
7	24/4	LaxmanGAdh1	24	22	35	81
8	25/4	LaxmanGadh2	11	13	39	63
9	26/4	RamBaug	08	12	27	47
10	28/4	KolsiNo Tekro	14	12	26	52
11	29/4	Ranip	14	15	25	54
12	30/4	ChandraBhaga Housing	10	16	40	66
TOTAL			213	244	360	817

The Summer Camp activities for children across all three groups enhanced creativity through art and craft tasks like origami, rangoli, and design-based activities. Games such as rope play, ball pass, and relay improved physical coordination and motor skills. Team-based activities like human chain and network games fostered teamwork, communication, and social bonding. Dance sessions added joy and boosted confidence, while fun challenges like pencil balancing and ring games sharpened focus and patience. Overall, the camp provided a joyful learning environment that supported holistic development in an engaging way.

‘Vacation Shala’ at The Serenity: II Creativity is rooted in lines II

Today, most people cannot even draw a straight line. When you draw this way and that way according to your will without lifting your pen; If you look at the picture with concentration, you start seeing something new! In “Scribbling”, practice of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines as well as curved lines is also necessary.

Today’s “Doodle” has its roots in the art of drawing: by drawing curved, thin lines or lines – creating something unique – this ‘modern creation’ makes you feel relaxed/stress-free! Drawing pictures play a very important role in the development of children. It helps in developing their imagination, creativity, and cognitive skills. “Observational drawing” is when a person sits down and draws exactly what they see in front of them. Simple and easy! It’s a great way to focus on your surroundings and immerse yourself in your creativity at the same time.

The theme of the ‘Vacation Shala’ at The Serenity this year was to ‘Draw natural Objects’, ‘landscape Drawing’ and ‘Collage through Natural Objects!’  500+ Children enjoyed their day with The Mother Nature and became Natural Artist through Nature Observation.

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The beautiful Ambient of the ‘Serenity Library and Botanical Garden’

Engrossed in Making ‘Natural Object Drawing’ and ‘Collage with Natural Objects’

Vacation Shala’ at Anand:

‘Anand Lok Seva Kendra’ is throbbing with just two full-timers and few volunteers doing many activities! They have planned 20 day “Summer Camp” from 25^th April to 15^th May 25. The camp started with Temple Visit and followed by gamest, art & craft activities and other activities. Many more to come!

Statutory Annual Audit is over in April!

Hello! We are happy to inform that this year our annual audit is over before 30^th April. Credit goes to our finance team for rigorous work and timely internal audit; we also say big thank you to our Auditors’ Team for honoring our request to come for an audit as early as possible. Once ‘Audit Report’ is received, we will be ready with ‘Annual Narrative report’ also.  The work is in Progress!  

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One of our Trustees and Director of Urban Initiative Kamlesh Dabhani is a person of action! When we request him for brief report, he sends one-liners with a photograph! That is great, is not it!

Find here one-liners with photos. 

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Mother Earth Day & World Book Day!

The children of Ahan Learning Centres at ChandraBhaga and SabarNagar celebrated the day with paintings and awareness program to re-connect with the Mother Earth on 22nd April. The theme of the year was focused on ‘Our Power, Our Planet’ and message of ‘Save Energy’ use ‘Renewable Energy’ was well communicated to the young minds. Their beautiful paintings and wonderful small skit on the importance of Greening the Blue; the Mother Earth with make a day! Kudos to the team and our beloved children.

The international observance, designated by UNESCO as World Book and Copyright Day, is celebrated annually on April 23. This date marks the death anniversaries of literary giants William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, making it a symbolic day to honour literature. This year’s theme for World Book and Copyright Day was “The role of literature in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.

Programs at Abhivyakti:
Abhivyakti is a Camp Site at Juna Koba developed by Jeevantirth to inculcate life-oriented education in the lap of the Nature. We conduct various training workshops there.

Story Telling Workshop:
In the beginning of the month, we organized a workshop on ‘Importance of Story Telling in Early-Childhood Education.’ Our long-time associate resource person started her carrier as an Anganwadi Worker, then become supervisor, and by developing self, became State Level Expert and Trainer in the field of Early Childhood Education!

She charged the atmosphere by asking to sing in chorus ‘Life is harmonious, it plays its own music; every moment brings new hope’ and subsequently played games of rhythms, demonstrated and trained how to play different musical instruments using voice modulation, how to use bodily gestures to communicate nonverbally, how picture books and puppets can be used for effective story telling etc. followed in such a lucid way that our team was charged to become story effective teller. We are indebted for her training support.

OD Process with GM!
We boast to be a Learning Organization! Since Covid 19 Period, we are constantly evolving our team members by various organizational development process. Our friend, strong supporter and mentor, Mr. Gaurav Mashruwala and his team work towards transforming financial lives of individuals and families. Because of him we formed ‘Jeevantirth Credit Cooperative Society’ for rag-pickers and daily wedge earners women. He spent three days with Jeevantirth team and discussed about ‘Individual and Institutional Financial Planning,’ ‘Team Building’ and ‘How to Strengthen our Project Support Unit.’  It was also fascinating to learn from his own experiences of Early Childhood Care and Education. On the first day we were also having special guests from Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, formerly Allahabad Agricultural Institute, Prof. Teruo Miura, Dean Makino School of Continuing and Non-formal Education and Jothi Zavier from ‘Green the Blue.’

Obituary:

Pope Francis, a leader known for his outspoken advocacy for the poor and his vision of a more welcoming and inclusive Catholic Church, passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. His passing has triggered an outpouring of grief and tributes from around the world. 

He taught us to live the values of fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalized. We express our immense gratitude for his example as a true humanitarian.

Mourning Prayer:

On the serene paths of Pahalgam, where the Lidder River whispers through the valley and the mountains stand in silent grace, a day meant for peace was shattered by an act of senseless violence. On April 22, 2025, lives were lost in a brutal terror attack that has left families broken, communities grieving, and a nation mourning. The members of the UN Security Council also condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam – Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April, during which at least 26 people were killed and many more injured.

Jeevantirth Family also mourns and expresses its anguish with deepest sympathy and condolences with prayerful heart to the families of the victims. We wish a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured. ‘Let the Peace Prevail on the Mother Earth!’

In the end, we express our Gratitude to all, who supported and gave us an opportunity to serve our fellow-beings!