From The President’s Desk

On the road to greater growth & development

AFTER a long wait of 10 years, this month we laid concrete internal roads at our Marunji premises, thanks to a well-wisher.

Murtuza has been with us since 2009. Initially he was very indolent and adamant but slowly he did show signs of changing for the better. It was one more big win for us. Whenever there is a positive change in our Friends, it gives us all a sense of satisfaction and a sense of achievement. I am glad that at Marunji, we do not give up easily.

The internal roads at Navkshitij were in real bad condition, with potholes and uneven patches. This obviously meant that during the rainy season, there would be patches of muddy water. One of our Friends is wheel-chair bound, one has low vision and one with cerebral palsy. In fact, many of our wards have less coordination when it comes to walking. So you can imagine our constant concern.

And we had to wait patiently for the coffers to fill so that we could lay concrete roads. The expense was too high for us to execute it without financial support. Bajaj Finance, Viman Nagar, Pune, came to our rescue. We all are so happy now. Please read the attached feedback from some of our Friends. It will tell you more than I can hope to convey. We are truly grateful to Bajaj Finance.

On February 1, we hosted the Annual Parvati Hill Climbing Competition, which was sponsored by Nitor Infotech Pvt Ltd. Friends from 17 schools participated in the competition. Well-known writer Maharashtra Bhushan Dr. Babasaheb Purandare inaugurated the event. We thank Mr Purandare and Nitor Infotech for their support.

We had our Siblings Conference this month. We were happy to note that many attended the event. This year, cousins of Friends also attended the meeting this year. It gave a very nice feeling to know that the extended family too cares for the special friend. After sharing some special moments with our special friends, the siblings were satisfied that their brothers and sisters were indeed leading a happy life at Navkshitij. The siblings were very generous with their feedback.

I got an opportunity to conduct a full-day workshop for parents of special friends from Endrayani Matimand Vidyalaya, Akola. I dealt with the following topics at the workshop: Behavioural problems in special friends and how to handle them, and planning for a special friend’s future. I was shocked to realise that many parents did not have a clear vision regarding this. It has convinced me that regular workshops are necessary for parents to get a clear vision on this important aspect.

We have started the course for caregivers. This time, we have participants from Nasik, Badalapur, and Sangali. This course will educate caregivers on giving a good and happy environ to special friends.

Navkshitij is their first home:

By Rameshwar Fundipalle, Public Relations Officer, Navkshitij

ON February 18, we had the Annual Siblings Conference at our Marunji premises. The main objective of the conference is to enhance the bonding between Friends and all the siblings. Another objective is to let the siblings have a first-hand feel of the quality of life provided by Navkshitij and join in the happiness of our Friends. The idea is also to have a dialogue with the siblings regarding the progress of our Friends and various other issues. The conference which began at 2 p.m., continued till evening. Twenty-one siblings were present at the event.

After the Welcome, siblings of Friends who enrolled after March 2016 were introduced to the gathering. There was a screening of videos of the activities and events in the last twelve months. Later, Dr Neelima Desai addressed the visitors and gave them an overall picture of the positive and negative points in all the Friends. “Special friends are the responsibility of the sibling,” she reminded them.

Our staff members were very happy to hear that Navkshitij has helped significantly reduce stress in parents, siblings and other family members. As one sibling summarised, “Navkshitij has become the first home for our sibling.” We were touched to hear that. We made note of both positive feedback and suggestions from the siblings.

Our Friends put up a short cultural show. They played their favourite Musical Chairs with the siblings. Very importantly, our Friends enjoyed “showing off” their friends, peers and staff to their brothers and sisters.

Upcoming Happenings

• March 4: Monthly Trek to Kenjalgad (Additional Trek)
• March 12: Holi celebrations
• March 13: Rangpanchami
• March 25: Monthly Trek
• March 28: Gudi Padava

Month’s events

• February 1: Parvati Hill Climbing Competition
• February 15: Traffic Awareness Program at Chapekar Chowk
• February 18: Annual Siblings Conference
• February 24: Maha Shivratri
• February 27 to March 5: Course for Caregivers

Navkshitij now needs:

• 1 Four Wheeler (For Transportation) – Approximate cost Rs 7 lakh
• 2 Volleyball Nets – Approximate cost Rs 6,000
• 2-Seater Park Swings – Approximate cost Rs 20,000
• 1 Table Tennis set – Approximate cost Rs 20,000
• 3 Wall mounting fans – Approximate cost Rs 2,400
• 1 Hard Disk – Approximate cost Rs 4,500
• 1 CD player – Approximate cost Rs 4,500
• 6 Tabs (8”) – Approximate cost Rs 40,000

Thank you from Navkshitij to:

• Mr. Mahesh Manjrekar
• Ms. Medha Manjrekar
• BOM Retired Employees Welfare Organisation
• Mr. Abhay Khanapure
• Mr. Makarand Date
• Mr. Abhay Aphale
• Ms. Noopur Desai
• Mr. Makarand Date
• Ms. B.A. Kolah
• Seth Motilal Talera Memorial Trust
• Mr. Chandrashekhar Potnis
• M/S Sanghvi Movers Ltd.
• M/S Fiserv India Pvt. Ltd.
• M/S Nitor Infotech Pvt. Ltd.
• M/S Bajaj Finance Ltd.
• M/S Grind Master Pvt. Ltd. Aurangabad
• Mr. Nitin Patel
• M/S Flextronics Technologies pvt.ltd.
• M/S Malaka Spice

(A monthly newsletter published by Dr. Neelima Desai and edited by Kanaka Cadambi on behalf of Navkshitij)