From The President’s Desk

International Day of People with Disability

December 3 is observed as International Day of People with Disability. Many kindhearted people organize programs for handicapped persons. Some organize entertainment programmes. Corporates invite them to visit their corporate houses, arrange games for them, give them an opportunity to perform before an audience and invite them to lunch. We are grateful to these kindhearted persons and thankful that society is coming forward and taking one day off to do something for the less privileged. I am also wondering, arewe doing enough by giving them happiness on one day in the calendar? How many of us know what their family background is and what they do on the other days? Areall handicapped persons also economically handicapped? We are still stuck on the food-shelter-clothing syndrome.

Should we celebrate birthdays only by cutting a cake and sharing a meal with them? Or canwe do it differently? Can we identify the specific needs of the organizations working with different types of handicap? We need to step beyond feeling sorry for them and catering only to the basic necessities of life. Instead we can start thinking for them. We can start thinking not only about the handicapped persons but also their families, the organizations working for them, and the employees working in these organizations. Surely, the organizations working for them need financial help to give the handicapped people a life of happiness. But handicapped people need much more than just food, shelter and clothing. They too want to live a life of dignity; they certainly do not want to live on the mercy of society.

We, the abled people should give handicapped persons equal opportunity,equal chance to enjoy life. By doing this, our life will become so enriched. We can experience the tremendous satisfaction and pride that the new way of thinking will give us. We are extremely thankful to our many well-wishers and donors. However, there is always a need for more because giving happiness to the less privileged is a continuing process. I am sure that everyone who is reading this article will think about what I’ve said.

Selfless act

This month’s column From the President’s Desk is about doing something for handicapped persons. I know one person who is actually practicing it. He is doing it for Navkshitij time after time. He is Mr. Aniruddha Deshpande, Managing Director of City Group Corporation. We met him in 2008 and our association began as a patient-doctor relationship. In one of our meetings, my husband and I talked to him about Navkshitij and how tough it is to run organization on a scanty budget. He immediately got thinking and decided to step in and help us. He has organized five fund raising eventsfor the benefit of Navkshitij up to now. The best part of the whole exercise is that he and his team take total responsibility for organizing the shows. It has always been quality entertainment program for our donors and well-wishers, with celebrities from the Marathi film industry –singers, musicians, actors, directors – invited to the event. Ms. Bela Shendeand Mr. Sachin Khedekar have participated in the programmes. This year, well-known actor Mr. Pushkar Stotri, along with well-known singers like Mr. Ajit Parab, Ms. Sawani Swanad,Mr. Dhawal Chandwadkar and Ms. Anandi Joshi put up a good music show for thebenefit of Navkshitij. Mr. Mahesh Manjrekar was the special guest. It was agreat show, enhanced by the beautiful ambiance at the Amphitheatre of AmanoraPark Town.

Mr. Prasad Kamat, Mr. Prasad Wagh and Mr. Sunil Tarate from Amanora, the team of 16x64 and many more invisible persons worked tirelessly to make thisevent successful. We thank them all. Weare grateful to Mr. Deshpande and his team for their selfless act. Thanks to their selflessness, we are able to work without worrying too much aboutfinancial issues.

Upcoming Happenings:

• December 13: Navkshitij Foundation Day
• December 18: SETU meeting
• December 27: Trek to Torana
• December 31: New Year Party

Month’s events

• November 1: Navkshitij hostel reopens
• November 3-6: Participation in Weltwartz International Partners’ Conference 2014, at Nagpur, by President Dr. Neelima Desai and Trustee Kanaka Cadambi
• November 3: Visit to Sweekar, a residential facility for special friends in Nagpur
• November 12: Traffic Awareness Program
• November 19-20: Trip to Nagaon-Alibaug
• November 22: Cultural Programme at Amanora
• November 29: Clean India and Clean Marunji Abhiyan

Navkshitij now needs:

• Six Standing fans – Approximate cost Rs. 12,000
• Two wooden showcases – Approximate cost Rs. 15,000
• 24 Broomsticks– Approximate cost Rs. 1800
• 24 Thick Brooms (kharate) – Approximate cost Rs. 1200
• 12 Bathroom Mugs – Approximate cost Rs. 840
• 24 CFL Bulbs – Approximate cost Rs. 4,800
• 24 Night Lamps – Approximate cost Rs. 7200
• 3 Medium sized Mirrors – Approximate cost Rs. 5250
• 3 Big sized Mirrors – Approximate cost Rs. 6000
• 12 Toilet brushes – Approximate cost Rs. 2400
• 25 T-Shirts for Trekking – Approximate cost Rs. 1250
• 12 Tiles cleaning brush – Approximate cost Rs. 3600

• Mrs.Malini Bapat
• Mr.M. S. Kavthekar
• Mr.Vinay Vijay Kanchan
• Zoftechsystems and Solutions Pvt Ltd
• Mr.Shrikant M .Lavate
• Mr.B. Vinod Cadambi
• Mr.Padmakar Sharatchandra Khare
• Mr.Kulkarni Ravindra Shrinivas
• Mr.Ghanshyam Das Tandon
• Ms.Madhavi M .Gangapurkar
• Mr.Sharad Bhaskar Sathe
• Mrs.Meenal Sharad Sathe
• KaranAjay Chadha
• Mr.Ashok Shyamsundar Dixit
• RotaryClub of Pune Gandhibhavan
• Mr. JoshiAtul Suresh
• Mr.Ajay Sahni
• JaksonLimited Plc Ac
• Mr.Aseem Amrish Barkule
• Ms.Jayashree Y. Junnarkar
• Mr.Yashwant R. Junnarkar
• Mr.Sathe Vishwanth Gajanan
• Mr. S.Hari Balakrishnan
• Mr.Praful Kulkarni
• Ms.Snehal B. Dhekane
• Ms.Priya
• Dr.Vaishali Vinay Chaudhari
• Mr. Prakash Madhav Khaire
• Dr. P.K. Sharma
• Dr. VishwasYewale
• Mr.Bohari
• Ms.Richa Nitin Parashar

(A monthly newsletterpublished by Dr. Neelima Desai and edited by Kanaka Cadambi on behalf ofNavkshitij)