#WATWB – Meera Sharma

“In a night full of pain and darkness, be a candle spreading light until dawn.” Rumi

Meera Sharma, a Chennai born and a graduate from Women’s Christian College, in one of her service oriented clubs in the college chose Rotaract as she knew that something good could come out of a project, wherein she was a Project Secretary. Her seniors from the Rotaract club thought about the idea of making human hair wigs for cancer patients.  The idea evolved as she saw a YouTube video on human hair wigs.

She realized that not many people are aware of these things. Hence she researched and along with a team met doctors to understand; how cancer patients lose a lot of hair from not just head but all over the body including eyebrows.  This impacts their self esteem, especially women and kids, due to which it becomes difficult for these patients to move around freely.

Meera found out that the real hair wigs for cancer patients were expensive ranging over Rs 30,000 and the synthetic wigs were not comfortable.  As a chairperson of the Rotaract club of Women’s Christian College, Chennai, she decided to do something about this.  Hence with the help of her team she started donating her own hair for the cause and partnered with salon chain, Green Trends and wig maker, Raj Hair International Pvt. Ltd who agreed to make natural wigs at a lesser price. These wigs are distributed for free for the under privileged cancer patients of the Cancer Institute. She found sponsors whose contributions made it possible to take forward this initiative. Today Tangled is working across India to provide free, organic wigs to cancer patients and boost their self esteem.

Meera Sharma is an inspiration to all the young girls in our country; at such an young age she attempted and explored possibilities of bringing light into darkness. She’s definitely a beautiful example of what a young person can do when they are mentored and guided …. I am glad to make this post today… for further readings here’s the link:

 https://www.wonderfulwoman.in/boosting-confidence-cancer-patients-tangled-meera-sharma/

 https://www.thebetterindia.com/73389/inspiring-young-indian-women-making-difference/

https://www.paisawapas.com/student-stories/tag/meera-sharma-tangled/

https://wowkhabar.wordpress.com/stories-of-young-indian-women-who-started-changing-lives-while-still-in-their-teens/

The co hosts for this month are: Damyanti Biswas.  Susan Scot Lizbeth Hartz, Shilpa Garg, Mary J. Giese.

 You are most welcome to participate in this, here are the guidelines:

 

Make a post below 500 words.

 

Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity and     brotherhood, telling us why it touched you. Its important to link as it helps the reader look through the news to find positives ones to post.

 

No story is too big or small, as long as it goes beyond religion and politics, into the core of   humanity

 

Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your sidebar

 

Help us spread the word on social media, tweet, share using the #WATB hastag to help us trend.

 

May this post inspire us to spread light in darkness !!

 

Be Blessed & Be Happy !!

#WATWB –ECO FRIENDLY TEACUPS

“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”

In Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India a Tea shop vendor has creatively designed a tea cup made of biscuits which will hold the hot tea for 10 minutes. After drinking the Tea, the cup can also be eaten. Hygiene and Eco friendly solution. He says he did some validation exercises on the volume, verses material verses heat verses time etc. 

He has adopted a zero waste and Eco friendly philosophy. The cups which are chocolate flavored can hold 60 ml of hot tea according to Vivek Sabapathy, the owner of “RS PATHY &CO”. The tea is priced at Rs 20, and as per the reports the shop sells a minimum of 500 edible cups every day.

R S PATHY &CO was initiated in 1909 by grandfather of Vivek – R Sabapathy has traditionally manufactured ayurvedic products such as balms and oils. When Vivek, a mechanical engineer took over the reins of the company in 2013, he decided that he wanted to do things differently, introduce new products and expand their customer base. One such product was “RS PATHY NILGIRI TEA POWDER.

According to Vivek their business was dependent on farms in Ooty and Kodaikanal for eucalyptus oil, and other medical herbs. Hence he found ways to get some more land in Ooty and hired experts to grow special brand of tea leaves.

He says that initially this was sold at the family owned ayurvedic shop in Madurai. When this became popular he got the idea to open a tea kiosk next to the outlet and started selling tea along with the snacks that were outsourced.

There was a time when there was a country wide ban on single use plastic in 2019 and this impacted the shop as tea was served to customers in plastic cup. It was then that Vivek thought about an alternative that was Eco friendly, low cost, hygiene and user-friendly.  

He did not want to try steel as maintenance would be an issue, then he thought about tea being sold in clay cups and tried experiments contacting a local potter, but still he was not satisfied until he came across another manufacturer of wafer based products and they launched new product – biscuit cups. Vivek spoke to the manufacturer and ordered a few cups from him for a trial, it was successful and that is how he placed more order for the cups. For further reading you may read these links below:

https://www.thebetterindia.com/231980/madurai-tea-shop-edible-teacup-eco-friendly-innovation-low-cost-india-ros174/

https://curlytales.com/madurai-kiosk-serves-chai-in-edible-biscuit-cups/

https://www.whatshot.in/bangalore/eco-friendly-madurai-tea-stall-tea-edible-biscuit-cups-c-23493

https://www.nimonews.live/take-a-bite-out-of-your-teacup-at-this-madurai-kiosk/

https://www.idiva.com/lifestyle/food/madurai-tea-stall-serves-chai-in-edible-biscuit-cups/18011453

I am impressed with Vivek and the way he has  evolved a tea shop that is Eco friendly and Low cost. 

At a  time when we are battling so many issues with the pandemic, this  news is so comforting and encouraging that there is still hope to create a better world.

The co hosts for this month are: 

The co hosts for this month are :

Eric Lahti - https://ericlahti.wordpress.com

Susan Scott - http://www.gardenofedenblog.com/

Inderpreet Kaur Uppal - http://inderpreetuppal.com/

Shilpa Garg - https://shilpaagarg.com/

Peter Nena - https://drkillpatient01.wordpress.com/

 You are most welcome to participate in this, here are the guidelines:

Make a post below 500 words.

Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity and     brotherhood, telling us why it touched you. Its important to link as it helps the reader look through the news to find positives ones to post.

No story is too big or small, as long as it goes beyond religion and politics, into the core of   humanity

Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your sidebar

Help us spread the word on social media, tweet, share using the #WATB hastag to help us trend.

May this post inspire us to spread light in darkness!!

Be Blessed & Be Happy !!  

#WATWB – Eric Lobo & Merlin Tuscano

“I have found that amongst the other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the other” Maya Angelou

Eric Lobo and Merlin Tuscano from Mumbai decided to get married after having dated for 8 years. They decided to get married with 2000 guests, and then the pandemic struck and everything changed. The got married on 22^nd June, 2020 in simple ceremony in Gonsalo Gracia Church, Vasai with only 22 guests that includes their family and close friends.

It is said that after the wedding ceremony they went straight to the isolation centre where they donated 50 beds with mattresses and pillows and oxygen cylinders. With pandemic raging a covid care centre is the need of the hour; Eric states that they are glad for the money being used for good cause. 

This couple who are partners in an event management company brought down all the expenses drastically and cut down on all the pre wedding functions. They also did not accept any gifts. Merlin – the bride’s dress was also taken for rent. Bringing down the expenses was not difficult to them as they were already involved in voluntary work in terms of working in the community kitchen and arranging travel for the migrant workers.

I am inspired and motivated by this beautiful gesture of both Eric Lobo and Merlin as to how they responded to the current pandemic and reached out to their community in palghar, Maharastra.

Their generous contributions and the way they planned about cancelling their pre wedding celebrations to focus on what is relevant and important during this pandemic is note worthy. I am glad to read about this catholic couple and for the initiave they have taken, as Maharashtra hs been worst hit. This gives me comfort and happiness that there is still so much of goodness left in the world. This couple has lightened up the darkness in their own local area. Its time that we too do our part and bring in some light to dispel darkness.

I am sharing the links for further readings:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/maharashtra-newly-weds-donate-50-beds-to-covid-centre/articleshow/76501174.cms

https://www.ndtv.com/cities/coronavirus-maharashtra-newly-wed-couple-donates-50-beds-to-covid-19-care-centre-2250955

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_T4iTKTqhc

https://www.news18.com/news/india/bride-and-groom-donate-50-beds-to-covid-19-centre-in-maharashtras-palghar-2681559.html

http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/maharashtra-catholic-couple-forgo-wedding-reception-to-help-covid-19-patients/54090/2

The co hosts for this month are: Damyanti Biswas.  Susan Scot Lizbeth Hartz, Shilpa Garg, Mary J. Giese.

 You are most welcome to participate in this, here are the guidelines:

Make a post below 500 words.

Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity and     brotherhood, telling us why it touched you. Its important to link as it helps the reader look through the news to find positives ones to post.

No story is too big or small, as long as it goes beyond religion and politics, into the core of   humanity

Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your sidebar

Help us spread the word on social media, tweet, share using the #WATB hastag to help us trend.

May this post inspire us to spread light in darkness !!

Be Blessed & Be Happy !! 

#WATWB – Roti Bank Community

“If you knew what I know about the POWER OF GIVING, you would not let a single meal pass without SHARING it in some way” Buddha

I came across a wonderful initiative taken by women from the residential community of Surat, India.  The last two months lock down, the worst affected are the migrant workers who are poor and live on daily wages. With the lock down they are not only stranded with no transport to get back to their homes, but also deprived of employment and daily wages and food. There were even women and small children along with them.

In response to this situation, a Non Governmental Organisation by name Surat, Manav Seva Sanh “Chhanyado” has taken initiative involving women from the residential community of Surat, India cooking five extra rotis (flat bread made of wheat) thus becoming a lifeline for the migrant workers who are suffering due to COVID 19 lock down in our country. It is said that roti‘s are being provided for over 1, 50,000 for the needy per day.

According to the newspaper reports 20,000 women from the city of Surat, Gujarat are building a “roti bank” It is said that Chhanydo is running a community kitchen in the city, where about 16 women make vegetable curry and chilly pickle and that rotis are collected and added to the massive food reserve by the organisation.

These rotis are packed neatly and sent to 35,000 people in different parts of the city. The founder Shri Bharat Shah of the NGO had been quoted saying that he had posted a video that went viral on the social media platforms and the response was overwhelming from the housing societies.

They prepare food packets each consisting five rotis, sabji (vegetables) and chilli pickle. Majority of the packets are being distributed among the migrant population in the industrial areas, and some food packets are also sent to the villages.

I watched one of the popular journalist Barkha Dutt interviewing these women and its so nice to hear their response. They were stating that this way they feel they are able to contribute and participate for a good cause, despite being at home.

https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/world/coronavirus-india-women-in-surat-contributing-to-a-roti-revolution-that-helps-feed-migrant-workers/ar-BB13VmuZ’

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/coronavirus-india-women-in-surat-contributing-to-a-roti-revolution-that-helps-feed-migrant-workers-

The Co hosts for this month are :Susan Scott, Lizbeth Hartz, Shilpa Garg, Mary J. Giese and Damyanti Biswas.  

 You are most welcome to participate in this, here are the guidelines:

Make a post below 500 words.

Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity and     brotherhood, telling us why it touched you. Its important to link as it helps the reader look through the news to find positives ones to post.

No story is too big or small, as long as it goes beyond religion and politics, into the core of   humanity

Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your sidebar

Help us spread the word on social media, tweet, share using the #WATB hastag to help us trend.

May this post inspire us to spread light in darkness !!

Be Blessed & Be Happy !!

#WATWB -Ultimate Timely Intervention

 April - A-Z 2020 Challenge  

For this post I am joining #WATWB . I have taken an inspiring story of Ms Shailaja  who was a teacher turned politician making a difference in the lives of people. Her Ultimate and timely interventions has saved the state of Kerala to bring down the curve in fighting the COVID 19. 

“There is no higher religion than human service; To work for the common good is the greatest creed” Woodrow Wilson

K K Shailaja, the Health Minister of Kerala state in India  is one woman who is taking charge of many of the toughest emergencies of Corona virus. She has a history of dealing with the deadly Nipah Virus outbreak in 2018 and she is back again now and her work with Corona virus efforts  are commendable.  Kerala was on alert as soon as reports of a Corona Virus in Wuhan surfaced and the state established a control room as early as January 24, 2020 reveals  K K Shailaja. She further stated that it was the state’s experience with other infectious diseases like Nepah and Ebola that helped Kerala prepare better for COVID 19 pandemic.

According to her each district was asked to be alert to convene a meeting and be ready to set up control room and plan interventions. Three of the people who returned from Wuhan were screened and turned out to be positive and she says not a single person who was in contact with the three people caught the infection.

K K Shailaja hails from Kannur district holds a bachelor’s degree in science and prior to joining politics full time in 2004; she used to be a high school teacher. The three times Member of the Legislative Assembly and first time minister assumed her duty as Kerala’s Health Minister in 2016. In more than 30 year of communist rule, the state has invested heavily in public education and universal health care. Kerala has the highest literacy rate and benefits from the best performing public health system in the country. It tops India’s rankings on neonatal mortality, birth immunizations and availability of specialists at primary care facilities.

According to K K Shailaja “Fighting an epidemic like Corona requires scientific temper, humanism and a spirit of inquiry and reform.  Kerala Launched a mass campaign to encourage hand hygiene among citizens which will help break the chain. She began the campaign even before the lock down and lead by example cleaning her hands with alcohol based sanitiser and said that Kerala was able to minimize the spread of deadly virus with early surveillance and people’s support. Read more for further information below:

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/health-minister-KK-Shailaja

https://www.shethepeople.tv/coronavirus/keralas-rockstarz-health-minister-kk-shailaja-fighting-corona-head-on 

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/in-kerala-we-have-kept-over-1-2-lakh-beds-ready-kk-shailaja-state-health- minister/articleshow/74986706.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

She is a true warrior with great commitment, smart strategy  and foresight she was able to fight the COVID 19 pandemic in the state of Kerala. She shines brightly in darkness making a difference in a huge way. I salute this dynamic lady for her courage, determination and passion.

The co hosts for this month are : Eric Lahti, Susan Scott, Dan Antion, Damyanti Biswas, Inderpreet Kaur Uppal.

You are most welcome to participate in this, here are the guidelines:

Make a post below 500 words.

Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity and     brotherhood, telling us why it touched you. Its important to link as it helps the reader look through the news to find positives ones to post.

No story is too big or small, as long as it goes beyond religion and politics, into the core of   humanity

Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your sidebar

Help us spread the word on social media, tweet, share using the #WATB hastag to help us trend.

May this post inspire us to spread light in darkness !!

A Big thanks to all those who are working and serving in various capacities while we are indoors, fighting the COVID 19 battle. Every service provider is a risk at this time, despite all odds we see them working, let us  recognize and  be grateful and pray for their safety and good health.

Be Blessed & Be Happy !!

#WATWB - GANGADHARA TILAK

 “Only a life lived in the service of others is worth living” Albert Einstein

I found this story about a person by name Gangadhara who has retired from the Railways. He has taken upon himself as a mission to repair the pot holes on the road in our city, Hyderabad. It is said that he used to carry gunny bags full of tar mixed gravel which he collects from road sides. He began with 5 bags and now increased to double, all these bags in his car at the back seat. 

When he was unable to find the gravel he started purchasing with his money, spending his pension money to repair the pot holes in Hyderabad. It is said that he has managed to fill up more than 1000 pot holes in the city exhausting his pension. Gangadhar has taken this has his personal responsibility, of taking his car out every day to identify pot holes and ensure that it gets filled up.

He explains that one day when he took the car out, the car hit a pot hole and the muddy water splashed on few kids surrounding in that area, and he says he felt so ashamed that he spent rupees 5000/- to get that repaired, on another occasion he recalls witnessing accident of a person on the bike where he lost both his limbs because of pot holes, and an auto rickshaw that collided with a bus due to the pot hole causing injuries to passengers.  

This motivated him to work tirelessly and thus he committed himself to focus on closing the potholes on the road. Gangadhara Tilak  is an inspiration to all those around him, when people started noticing him filling up the pot holes. They volunteered to join him in this work. Looking at his commitment and devotion the (GHMC) Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation  supplied him with BT Mix materials.

He continues filling up 500 rupees petrol every day to go around the city looking for the pot holes, his family was not happy as they felt that after retirement he could take a break and rest but his determination motivated enabled his son to support him in this venture, an later his son developed an app which can help people send locations to Gangadhaar.

In the current scenario wherein nobody bothers to take responsibility for such things, and instead of doing good work, are ready to criticize the government for not functioning as it should. Gangadhaar is light in the darkness bringing brightness in a world spreading light by taking that extra effort to ensure that people who commute on our roads are safe and save themselves from major mishaps. For further reading given below is the link.

https://www.thebetterindia.com/24115/67-year-old-man-used-his-pension-to-fill-dangerous-potholes-of-hyderabad-roads/

The co hosts for this month are :Belinda Witzenhausen, Eric Lahti, Inderpreet Uppal, Mary Giese, Lizbeth Hartz, Peter Nena, Roshan Radhakrishnan, Simon Falk, Susan Scott, Sylvia McGrath, Sylvia Stein, Peter Nena, Dan Antion, Shilpa Garg

You are most welcome to participate in this, here are the guidelines:

Make a post below 500 words.

Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity and     brotherhood, telling us why it touched you. Its important to link as it helps the reader look through the news to find positives ones to post.

No story is too big or small, as long as it goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of   humanity

Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your sidebar

Help us spread the word on social media, tweet, share using the #WATB hastag to help us trend.

May this post inspire us to spread light in darkness!!  

#WATWB Prashant Gade

 “Passion is Energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you” Oprah Winfrey

I got a video forward from one of my friends on whatsapp which spoke about a youngster by name Prashant Gade who is making a huge difference in the lives of those who have lost their arms.  He recalled how he met a lady and fixed a prosthetic arm and he saw her smiling and saying that now she can comb her hair. This incident touched him to the core, and he states that when we do something good for someone – it’s worth watching their face, he continues and says that the lady was looking at him as though he was God.

He narrates another experiences in his life wherein for the first time he met a 7 years old girl who are living without arms, he felt that he must do something for this child and decided to gift two prosthetic arms so he approached a company to purchase her two prosthetic arms and it shocked him to know the cost was 24 lakhs for two arms. He came to find out that there were nearly 40,000 people every year who lose their arms and currently there are 5 lakh people living without arms in India, which was an eye opener for him.

Hence Prashant decided to give up his studies and create an affordable electronic prosthetic arm. He researched and found solutions to reach out to those who need it and created an affordable arm which could be given free through support from NGO’s or well wishers. He realized that the poor cannot afford to buy and getting an arm could change their life and help them to get back to the society.
For further readings given below is the link:  https://newzhook.com/story/21661/
https://milaap.org/fundraisers/support-prashant-gade-  tps://www.thebetterindia.com/180132/madhya-pradesh-dropout-innovation-low-cost-prosthetic-arm-india/

The co hosts for this month are :Belinda Witzenhausen, Eric Lahti, Inderpreet Uppal, Mary Giese, Lizbeth Hartz, Peter Nena, Roshan Radhakrishnan, Simon Falk, Susan Scott, Sylvia McGrath, Sylvia Stein, Peter Nena, Dan Antion, Shilpa Garg

You are most welcome to participate in this, here are the guidelines:

Make a post below 500 words.
Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity and     brotherhood, telling us why it touched you. Its important to link as it helps the reader look through the news to find positives ones to post.
No story is too big or small, as long as it goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of   humanity
Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your sidebar
Help us spread the word on social media, tweet, share using the #WATB hastag to help us trend.

May this post inspire us to spread light in darkness!!  

#WATWB – Doctor Couple Making a Difference !

“Even the single Lamp dispels the deepest darkness” Mahatma Gandhi

I am very happy to introduce Dr Prakash who was a colleague, years ago while we were worked for an Organisation that focused on Community health and Wholistic Health. He was a warm person, very friendly and helpful.  I got the opportunity to connect with him recently and was inspired to know that he and his wife Dr Kameshwari, a gynecologist who have been working tirelessly for almost a decade in reaching out to thousands of women in the villages, spreading awareness on the importance of the uterus. They have been acknowledged and awarded at different forums

The doctor couple is part of the unique ‘Save Uterus’ initiative of the state government to sensitize women about the importance of womb, an organ that is pivotal to the overall well-being of women. To save rural women from falling prey to the greed of unscrupulous doctors, Dr Prakash and Dr Kameshwari makes them aware as how to assess symptoms like a harmless white discharge, the organ’s importance and the medical conditions that necessitate hysterectomy, or womb removal surgery. 

Together they have conducted lecture sessions campaigning in the districts of Telengana telling them about what medical conditions and warrant a hysterectomy and when the removal of the uterus is unnecessary.

They have been awarded for their services at various forums.

Thrice a week, Dr Kameshwari Vinjamuri rides into villages in Telangana's Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district and speaks to local women, urging them to protect their uteruses from scalpels. They are targeting to reach all the districts estimated 200,000 women of reproductive age.

Their campaign, supported by the Telengana state health department, is aimed at curbing what many doctors believe is a nationwide trend of needless hysterectomies on young women.
The suspicion is that the expanded reach of health insurance, among other factors, is driving such practices by doctors for financial gains. "For all of us, the uterus is our first home; we should protect it. That's how Dr Kameshwari begins her talks, but there are many medical reasons why unnecessary hysterectomies should never be done," says Dr Kameshwari. Given below are the links for further reading:

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/couple-battle-to-save-wombs/cid/1349778

https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2018/apr/15/doctor-couple-from-hyderabad-has-made-saving-the-womb-a-mission-1801678.html

https://www.civilsocietyonline.com/mega-hall-of-fame/health-educators-prakash-vinjamuri-sv-kameshwari/

The Doctor couple are also experimenting on one concept called ‘Andari Illu’, a house for all, and popular in Hyderabad as the Open House in Kothapet. The Open House runs on some simple rules. Come, cook, eat and go. Stay if you want. No questions asked. There are no bills. The rice will be there in the kitchen. So will be a few vegetables, oil, a gas stove and water.

https://telanganatoday.com/house-everyone

While looking at everything the doctor couple have been doing and still doing – they have been spreading light in the darkness. In a world where everyone is busy accumulating wealth, buying the latest gadgets and caught up in a race trying to prove themselves that they are superior. Dr Prakash and Dr Kameshwari are beautiful role models of selflessness, simplicity, humility responding to their hearts call in reaching to so many women and making a difference in their lives. 
It’s a privilege to have known and interacted with Dr Prakash Vinjamuri who despite all personal and professional challenges he has risen above not only dealing with problems but also inspiring those around him  by his life.

The co hosts for this month are :Belinda Witzenhausen, Eric Lahti, Inderpreet Uppal, Mary Giese, Lizbeth Hartz, Peter Nena, Roshan Radhakrishnan, Simon Falk, Susan Scott, Sylvia McGrath, Sylvia Stein, Peter Nena, Dan Antion, Shilpa Garg

You are most welcome to participate in this, here are the guidelines:

Make a post below 500 words.

Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity and     brotherhood, telling us why it touched you. Its important to link as it helps the reader look through the news to find positives ones to post.

No story is too big or small, as long as it goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of   humanity

Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your sidebar

Help us spread the word on social media, tweet, share using the #WATB hastag to help us trend.

May this post inspire us to spread light in darkness!!