From the President’s desk

The 14-year journey of Navkshitij in 304 pages

The New Year began with the completion of my adventurous project, that of writing a book. Titled Praud Matimandanche Prem Va Jivhalyache Navkshitij was released by Mr Prataprao Pawar, Managing Director, Sakal newspaper, January 7. It was a memorable event. The auditorium was filled with our well-wishers, and our near and dear ones. Writing the book was a unique experience for me; I am touched by the positive response we are getting from the readers for the book. On January 20, we celebrated our 14th Foundation Day, with Dr. Ramchandra Dekhane, Prabodhankar, as the chief guest. Famous Marathi actress Sonalee Kulkarni was the special guest. Our Friends performed a dance item from one of her movies. She was so touched and overwhelmed by their performance that she stood up and applauded them. Then she sportingly went on the stage and danced with our Friends. This year, on January 26, we celebrated Republic Day with Bajaj Avenger Bikers group. Our Friends, especially the boys, were thrilled to see so many bikers at one place. We are grateful to Dr. Viraj Ketkar one of our oldest well-wishers, who coordinated this programme. We are now busy with the preparations for our 10th Annual Parvati Climbing Competition, which is to be held on February 7. Our next excitement is our Annual holiday, this time an outing in Karnataka, between February 24 and March 3. We’ll share our experiences with you in the next issue.

With the help of Avacayam, a Delhi-based organisation, we have started making organic colour from flowers collected from temples. It is a pleasant change for everyone in the workshop.

For my son, Navkshitij is not a second home; it is home

MY son Rachit has been at Navkshitij for more than eight years. He joined in 2009. In the beginning, we thought it was a home away from home for Rachit, but it was not long before we realised that in fact Navkshitij was his first home and family. The kind of care, understanding, nurturing, support, companions and encouragement that he receives here is not possible at home. We were initially skeptical, but we had trust and confidence in Dr Neelima Desai’s vision and passion. We live close by and were able to visit our son regularly to get the reassurance that he was doing fine. Day after day the assurance became stronger and stronger, and our regular visits turned to occasional visits. Dr Desai’s exemplary team worked hard to take care of the wards as well as the parents. I am sure some of us parents must be more difficult to handle than the Friends. And then, the magic happened, when the initial skepticism and stress turned into peace of mind. We knew that our son was in a wonderful place, receiving loving care. We knew that he was happy and wanted to be at Navkshitij with his companions and new family. With our son happily settled, we wanted to plan some travel for an extended period of eight weeks, visiting my daughter and her family who live overseas. We were worried about going away for so long. But Dr Desai and Rachit’s caretaker said, “Aap bilkul chinta mat karo. Hum hain, na. Aap jao. And have lots of fun.” They were extremely reassuring. So, we decided to go. No words can express the heartfelt gratitude that my family has for the Navkshitij team and their selfless contribution. Thank you, Navkshitij. We don’t know what we would have done without you! Navkshitij is a heaven for mentally challenged friends. - Ghanshyamdas Tandon, father of Friend Rachit Tandon

Upcoming Happenings

• February 2: Group Birthday Celebration
• February 7: 10th Interschool Parvati Climbing Competition sponsored By Nitor Infotech
• February 14: Traffic Awareness Programme
• February 24: Annual Trek to Mullayangiri, the highest peak in Karnataka

Month’s events

• January 7: Release of the book, Praud Matimandanche Prem Va Jivhalyache Navkshitij, written by Dr Neelima Desai
• January 14: Makar Sankrant
• January 20: 14th Foundation Day
• January 26: Republic Day and Vanbhojan at Kusgaon.
• January 27: Monthly Trek from Parvati to Taljai

Navkshitij now needs

• 1 Washing Machine – Approximate cost Rs 13,000
• 2 Garden pipes (100 feet) – Approximate cost Rs 1,400
• 1 Harmonium - Approximate cost Rs 12,000
• 5 Trekking rucksacks – Approximate cost Rs 1,800 each
• 5 Cane Hanging Chairs – Approximate cost Rs 4,500 each
• 6 Garden Beaches – Approximate cost Rs 8,000 each

Thank you from Navkshitij to

• WeKare Society, Capgemini India
• Mr. Yogesh V Dixit
• Mr. Ravindra Shreeniwas Kulkarni
• Mr. Chandrashekhar Potnis
• Mr. Anand Krishnaji Kulkarni
• Mr. Nachiketas Bhatkar
• Mr. SV Kanade
• Mr. Shailesh Dore
• Nitor Infotech Pvt Ltd.
• Hyster Yale Lift Trucks India Pvt Ltd
• Rotary Club of Pune
• Mr. Abhay Khanapure
• Ms Rekha Mahadik
• Mr. Manik Kavthkar
• Help Smile Trust
• Sanjeevani Ram Ranade
• Dr Surekha Kokane
• Mr. Suresh Kharpudikar
• Prism Society
• Late Manoj Bhagwat
• Flextronics Tech [India] Pvt Ltd
• Synergy Properties
• S Josephine

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