100 children from Akanksha’s Design classes embarked on a journey to learn about their country – learn about it in a way that they most passionately wanted to – through 14 arts and crafts. From watching videos on how to create Kalamkari, to reading books based on Madhubani art, from getting artists to teach us Lehariya and shadow puppetry, to hearing the real stories behind Phad painting. From gallery visits on Gond art to going into our communities to learn about Embroidery and Mehendi. From seeing images to recognizing the art when we saw it in a didi’s home or in a gallery – it’s been an experience that Mansi, 14 years old described best, ‘My heart is full of pride for my country – it is bursting!’

More than learning about art techniques, the history of the art form and its people, we walked away believing strongly that art can truly tell stories, it does transcend geography, language and classes. We felt our country’s art filling us with pride along with a longing to keep these dying art forms alive. This is the Akanksha way of preserving them – by making them our own.

We invite you to the launch of our collection on October 5, at The Akanksha Shop

Bags/Accessories: Hand-painted and printed bags, laptop bags and sleeves, ipad sleeves, bangles, umbrellas and hair clips

Home Products: Trays, mugs, coasters, mats, clocks, paintings, magnetic frames, small furniture

Tabletop Products: Diaries, calendars, magnetic bookmarks, cards, envelopes and mousepads

Children’s Products: Sketchbooks, kits on Indian art, jigsaw puzzles and clipboards

Diwali Specials: Cards, gift envelopes, diyas, diwali thaalis and katoris, lanterns, decorative strings, boxes in assorted sizes and gift bags

The Akanksha Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to impact the lives of children from low-income communities, enabling them to maximize their potential and change their lives. Akanksha works primarily in the field of education, addressing non-formal education through the Akanksha center and also formal education by initiating school reform through The School Project.

Date: October 5, Friday

Venue: The Akanksha Shop – Poonam Apartments, Dr. AB Road, Worli, Mumbai (10.30am to 6pm – closed on Sundays) Tel: 022-24918869

Contact: Sriparna at 9930599127 or  sriparna.sengupta@akanksha.org

The CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD) is offering a one-day certificate course on e-Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2011 in Mumbai on August 31, 2012.

The rapid development and increasing role of Technology in day-to-day business operations, complemented with augmented demand & supply of electronics and electrical products, after the completion of their lifecycle, is generating a separate stream of waste i.e. e-Waste.

On May 12, 2011, Ministry of Environment & Forests, has notified the e-Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2011 which have came into effect from May 1, 2012. The aforesaid rules shall apply to every Producer, Consumer/Bulk-Consumer involved in the manufacture, sale, purchase and processing of electrical and electronic equipment or components as specified in Schedule-I, Recyclers, Dismantlers & e-Waste collection centres.

This comprehensive training module offered by CII enables participants to better understand and address the regulatory requirements and subsequently strengthen their environment compliance status for e-Waste management, through appropriate implementation.

OBJECTIVES

The prime objective of this training programme would be:

• To generate awareness on e-Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2011.
• Appreciate the various legal requirements under e-Waste Rules 2011.
• Understand the responsibilities entrusted on industries with respect to legal compliance of the said rules.
• Enable participants to assess their organisations’ preparedness to comply with the forthcoming Rules.

Read this brochure providing information about the course, the course content and participation fee. To register for the course, kindly fill in the attached reply form and email it to us.

For more information, visit http://www.sustainabledevelopment.in/index.asp or email uma.joshi@cii.in

iVolunteer, in association with the Joy of Giving Week presents ‘Shoot for a cause’, a unique event designed to engage passionate volunteers to help showcase the work of NGOs through the medium of cinema.

What’s it all about: Shoot for Cause is a contest, for the Joy of Giving week aimed at NGOs working within any of iVolunteer’s 12 impact areas, to showcase their work to the world at large, through a film made by a Volunteer.

The film could be an overview of the work done by your organisation, or of the impact your organisation has made on a section of society, it could focus on a particular programme you wish to promote, the posibilities are endless.

If you choose to participate, a volunteer will work with you in the month of September to produce a film and send it in by the contest deadline. A jury will then elect a winner for the event, and there will also be a people’s choice award.

Our role: Through “Shoot for a cause”, iVolunteer aims to engage a high number of committed volunteers, to produce an impactful film that NGOs can use for a long period of time.

NGOs are encouraged to mobilise their own Volunteers. If they are unable to do so, iVolunteer will help connect to a volunteer.

All registered volunteers will be invited for a half day workshop with an expert on “how to create an impactful film”. We will then connect the volunteers and NGOs so that they can begin working together to produce the films in time for the submission deadline

iVolunteer will also promote all films made for the competition on the iVolunteer facebook page, thus promoting the organisation among a wider audience.

Your role: We urge you to promote the event within your network and connect with suitable volunteers.

Once connected with a volunteer, you would need to guide him/her through the filmmaking process, and providing him/her with all the necessary information about your organisation.

For details, visit www.ivolunteer.in or contact Ankita Luharia at mumbai@iVolunteer.in

On May 31, 2012, twenty-five residents of Sion Koliwada and Ambujwadi were arrested while peacefully resisting demolition of their homes.  Since then, the Koli community has been on a 24-hour vigil against further attacks. The community invites you to screenings of films about working-class Bombay. Come and watch them with us, amidst rubble, punctuated with songs of the andolan, from under blue plastic sheets, projected on the walls we call home.

Call Prathamesh on 9004060444 for details.

Date: June 6-12, 2012

Time: 7.30pm onwards

Place: Sion Koliwada, opposite Chroma

The Welfare Of Stray Dogs (WSD) announces fun-filled summer workshops for kids on various activities with a street dog theme:

1) Story Telling Workshop with Jerry Pinto, Journalist and Author on May 12, 2012  Saturday
11 am to 1 pm
Ages 5 to 10 years
Come spin some stories about street dogs

2) Painting Workshop with Art For Akanksha, A division of The Akanksha Foundation  on May 17, 2012, Thursday
11am to 1 pm
Ages 9 to 15 years
Learn how to draw pictures of street dogs in a creative and fun way.

3) Photography Workshop with Arko Datta, award-winning photojournalist and co-founder of Udaan – School Of Photography on May 19, 2012, Saturday
10 am to12 pm
Ages 9 to 15 years
Learn the art of photographing your favorite street animal – Participants to bring their own camera.

4) Origami Workshop with Sonya Shastri, WSD volunteer on May 24, 2012, Thursday,
11am to 1 pm
Ages – 5 to 10 years
Have fun learning to make origami animals

5) Writing Workshop with Lyla Bavadam, Journalist, Frontline magazine on May 26, 2012, Saturday
Ages 9 to 15 years
Be a street dog reporter
 
6) Street Dog Treasure hunt on June 2, 2012 , Saturday
9:00 am
Ages 5 to 10 and Ages 11 – 15.
Find street dogs as the treasure with given clues.
Call WSD for start point details. Kids to be accompanied by at least one adult.

Venue:
Workshops other than Photography and Street Dog Treasure Hunt will be conducted at Dream Catchers Hall, Greenfields Organic Shop, Army Navy Building (back-entrance), Opposite City Civil Court Post Office, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 23.
Ph: 22853784

Photography workshop will be conducted at the WSD kennels, Saat Rasta, near Dhobi Ghat, Mahalakshmi, Mumbai – 11

Workshop fee:
One workshop – Rs 200
Two workshops – Rs 300
Three and above – Rs 500
Limited seats so please register in advance.

Contact: 64222838 or 9819100808 or e-mail wsdindia@gmail.com or visit www.wsdindia.org

Gillo is performing the following 4 shows for children, in May, this summer in Mumbai:

May 11, Friday, 6.30 pm
SUAR CHALA SPACE KO in Hindi/ for 5-12 years age group
at EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE NCPA, Nariman Point

May 12, Saturday 6.30 pm
KYUN-KYUN LADKI in Hindi / for 5-12 years age group
at EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE NCPA, Nariman Point

May 23, Wednesday, 4 pm & 7 pm
KYUN-KYUN LADKI in Hindi / for 5-12 years age group
at PRITHVI THEATRE, Juhu

Suar Chala Space Ko is a hilarious play about a smelly pig and his friends who travel to outer space! Then a sudden encounter with aliens lands them in a big mess. The story touches upon friendship, adventure, owning up to your mistakes, taking responsibility and of course the “swine flu”!

Kyun-Kyun Ladki is based on Mahashweta Devi’s well known picture-storybook, Why-Why Girl and celebrates the thrill of ‘WHY?’ It is the story of Moyna and at the same time the story of so many children, all who always ask the question ‘Why?’ Performed through dance, movement and live music, the play shows glimpses of their lives and of their minds.

Gillo would like to offer children from NGOs in Mumbai the opportunity to visit the theatre and watch their plays. They can offer a maximum of 50 seats per show for children from NGOs. The children will also get a chance to interact with the actors after the show.

The NGO shall be charged a token amount of Rs 25 per ticket for children. (Actual price for public is between Rs 200 and Rs 300 per ticket)

Interested NGOs can send Gillo details of which show you are interested in and how many tickets are needed. They will then revert to you with a confirmation on the same.

Please also note that:

• This is offer is only for Registered NGOs within Mumbai city.
• Tickets for NGOs will be issued by GILLO. Please do not directly contact the Prithvi or NCPA Office.
• Allotment of tickets shall be on first come first served basis.
• The NGO must make its own arrangements to bring the children to the theatre and take them back to their homes.
• Adults accompanying the children shall need to purchase tickets at full rate.
• Payment of Rs 25 per child should be made at latest 2 days before the show, or else the discounted seats may be unavailable.

For further details about the play please visit at www.gillogilehri.blogspot.com

Kshana, an NGO that organises entertainment events for underprivileged and marginalised people, is having its next event, on Saturday, April 21.

It is a small event for ten residents of special care unit in Khar. It is a small old age home that needs people to come and spend time with them. Run by a doctor, the place has regular check-ups and medical facilities.

The Kshana team will be spending time with them by helping them make individual wall clocks for themselves. Games and snacks will follow.

If you’d like to spend some time with the senior citizens, please call Esha on 7666877077 for details. You can also visit www.kshana.org.

Date: April 21, 2012, Saturday

Time: 5pm to 7pm

Place: Special Care Unit, Khar West, Daanpada bus stop, Leela Ram Bhavan – First floor, near Hanuman mandir.

Also read Mumbai Action’s article on Kshana: Living in the ‘moment’

Next week, Mumbai will play host to the Seed Festival, which brings together groups from seven states across India, working for conservation and promotion of seed diversity. The aim of the festival is to celebrate the collective bio-cultural heritage of indigenous people and farming communities in India, and create public awareness and policy support to conserve seed diversity, which is under threat.

Being held on February 19-21, 2012, the festival will include a seed diversity exhibition, discussions, film screenings, cultural programmes and more. Seed savers across India will be attending this festival and will also be speaking at parallel events at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS); Indian Institute of Technology (IIT); Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).

See the event schedule and other details at http://www.gmfreein.org/sf-mum and www.facebook.com/events/359748717383521/

Also see the Seed Festival brochure and flyer for more information.

Date: February 19 to 21, 2012

Time: 9 am to 7 pm

Place: Janata Kendra, near Mumbai Central Station (W), Tulsiwadi, Tardeo (main venue for all three days)

Kshana, an NGO that organises entertainment events for underprivileged and marginalised people, is having its next event at an old age home, Jeevan Asha in Andheri, from 3.30-5.30pm on February 19, 2012.

Keeping in mind that the residents have restricted movements and a light diet, they will play Antakshari and Housie, followed by a light snack and some gifts for them.

The total cost of this event is Rs. 15,000. You could donate in any way you like. Kshana accepts cash or cheques in the name of ‘Kshana Charitable Trust’. You could donate in kind too.

The NGO needs a lot of volunteers for this event, so if you would like to contribute your time, please call Esha on 7666877077 or Roshni on 9820750480 for any more details. You can also visit www.kshana.org.

Date: February 19, 2012

Time: 3.30 pm – 5.30 pm

Place: Jeevan Asha, near Fun Republic, Andheri (W), Mumbai – 400 053. Ph: 26303076/ 26303065

Also read Mumbai Action’s article on Kshana: Living in the ‘moment’

‘Through the Eyes of Girls/ Kishori ki Aankhon se’ is an exhibition of photographs by girls, which will be displayed at the Kala Ghoda Festival on Rampart Row from February 4-12, 2012.

The exhibit will feature photographs girls aged 13-18 years, living in the bastis of Santacruz and Ambernath, who attended photography workshops conducted by the Photography Promotion Trust for Vacha Trust.

Armed with cameras, these girls no longer remain mere subjects but are now behind the camera calling the shots. It is an attempt to subvert the digital divide that excludes poor girls from speaking out through electronic mediums.

Vacha Trust works with girls as well as mixed youth in several poor neighbourhoods in and around Mumbai.  It also creates, collects and disseminates resources on relevant issues. Vacha documents and advocates girlhood issues at various levels. This exhibition is part of an ongoing project called ‘Bole Kishori/ Girls Speak Out’ in which girls from socio-economically disadvantaged communities are given training through various workshops and encouraged to tell their own stories through writing, drawing, posters, newsletters and photo and video essays. They choose to document their daily life to tell their own stories.

For more details, contact:

Amrita: 9820778330/ Medhavinee: 9833476857

Project Vacha, Tank Lane Municipal School, Near Seasons’ store, Santacruz (w). Mumbai -400054.

Email: vachamail@gmail.com

Website: www.vacha.org.in