From The President’s Desk

What a blessing; water, at last

VERY HAPPY NEWS: We got water in our Aswali plot recently. This is very special news for us because after digging seven bore wells at different locations like Marunji, Kusgaon and Aswali, we finally struck gold and got access to good water supply. We no longer need to depend on water tankers for our daily need. Truly a blessing for us.

For the love of a child

We began preparations for our high altitude trekking in the Himalayan region, scheduled from June 19 to 27. In preparation for this, we climbed the Parvati Hill and from there we went to Taljai. It was a good jungle walk. Generally, during summer, we wrap up our treks by 10 a.m. This time, however, we invited parents to the Taljai temple for an orientation talk on the Kulu Trek Program. We had a meeting over breakfast and a cup of tea. Everyone is very excited about the upcoming Kulu trek. This is the eighth time that we are taking our Friends on a trek in the Himalayan region. Our Friends love to go to the Himalayan region and be one with the mighty mountain range. They eagerly wait for the trek to be announced.

In May, volunteers from different fields visited Navkshitij, much to the delight of our Friends. They really look forward to these interactions. This month, we were also busy planning for annual Shopping Event on June 3 and preparing for a meeting of trustees of residential homes on June 9, at Marunji. This is a one-day program. The objective is to share and discuss the challenges in running such residential homes. Trustees from different organisations can come together on one platform and be there for each other. June’s agenda has quite a few exciting activities. Eagerly awaiting these

Ripples of laughter

ON MAY 27, 2017, a team of volunteers from Sparsh – A Healing Touch, Infosys, Pune, DC CSR team visited Navkshitij. The aim of this visit was to spread joy, love, warmth and happiness to the Special Friends. And hence the event was called Ripples of Laughter. The team had arranged for a few fun-filled activities. It started with the introduction of Navkshitij by the NGO Manager, followed by a video on Navkshitij. Two special friends presented an awesome dance performance. This was followed by the video of Sparsh as a team. The first milestone of the event was Laugh with Charlie where Team CharlieGems played the best clips of Charlie Chaplin. This was followed by the second milestone, Colors in Bucket where 35 special friends were divided into four teams along with our volunteers: Gems, Muskaan, United and Sunshine to play a throw ball game. The game was organised by Team Tossing Smiles. This game brought cheer and laughter in the air. We, as a team, were happy to make our friends happy and excited. This was followed by a small selfie competition among the six participating teams. Though I organised and coordinated the event, I was efficiently assisted by Rohit Kusanale. Ishani Tambe, Arijit Patra and Iqra Rasheed who helped in doing the team groundwork. Sparsh Core committee members Vipin Mohit Shrivastava and Tina Elizabeth Titty also attended the event. It was a memorable evening for all of us- Satwik Dutta, I Volunteer, Infosys, Pune

Upcoming Happenings

• June 9: One day conference of trustees of residential homes in Maharashtra
• June 14 : Traffic Police Awareness Program Thank you from Navkshitij to:
• June 19 to 27: High altitude trekking in the Himalayan region (Himachal Pradesh)

Month’s events

• May 7 : Office reopens after summer vacation
• May 8 : Residential hostel reopens after summer vacation
• May 27: Monthly trek from Parvati to Taljai; Orientation Talk for Parents at Taljai

Navkshitij now needs:

• 1 Four Wheeler (For Transportation) – Approximate cost Rs 7 lakh
• 1 Vegetable Cutting Machine – Approximate cost Rs. 19,500 1 Garden Bench – Approximate cost Rs. 10,000
• Table Tennis set – Approximate cost Rs. 20,000
• 3 Wall Mounting Fans – Approximate cost Rs. 800 each
• 2-Seater Park Swing – Approximate cost Rs. 20,000
• 1 Weighing Machine (Capacity 150 Kg.) – Approximate cost Rs 5,000

Thank you from Navkshitij to:

• Mr. Abhay Khanapure
• Mr. Dattatray Jadhav
• Mr. Shirish Savanerkar
• M/s Akshay Enterprises
• Mr. Vidyadhar Kelkar
• Ms. Sujata Maske
• Mr. Amish Vibhakar
• Mr. Nitin Patel
• M/S Flextronics Technologies Pvt. Ltd
• M/S Raj Masale
• Mr. Sanjay Chaudhari
• Mr. Inamul Haque
• Sant Nirankari Mandal, Marunji.
• Indira School of Business Studies
• Mr. Mangesh Dande (ISBS)
• Mr. Vasant Sanghani

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