Save your family from Dengue

Tags

causes to champion, dengue

Dengue the very word scares me. I have had Dengue once last year, I remember I was in Hyderabad on a consulting project and suddenly felt drained and had this terrible pain in the back of my eyes. I decided to go to the hotel room and rest for a while, only to wake up to raging fever of 104, upon doing a blood test next day dengue was confirmed. I remember the killing 15 days that followed, the body pain and the platelet count dropping, the test everyday and in the end when I was fine, I still remember being tired and drained for months. Immunity down and catching cold at the drop of a hat.

I know of people who have lost their lives to Dengue and a friend’s son got dengue second time and was so critically ill. Few people know that second and third episodes of dengue could be worst. In the words of my friend Suman

“If you have ever suffered from dengue in the past (even if it was many yearsago), the second episode can be much worse and extremely dangerous. If you have had dengue previously, you MUST take any fever very seriously, and inform the doctors immediately that you have suffered a previous episode. In a second episode, blood pressure drops dramatically because blood vessels burst, and all organs become inflamed due to the excess fluid. Without very strong antibiotic treatment, this fluid has a high risk of becoming infected – leading to often-fatal septicaemia or pneumonia. You could also go into shock (dengue shock syndrome), for which the mortality rate is very high. The progression from platelet drop to death happens with stunning speed – a matter of hours. This happens because the antibodies developed during the first episode actually enhance the entry and replication of the virus – a phenomenon called Antibody-Dependent Enhancement, or ADE. The antibodies in your system from a first dengue attack can remain in your system for up to 20 years.”

It is important for all of us to take dengue seriously and that is why I think this initiative from SC Johnson is noteworthy. The site talks about Payal, a 12 year old from Jaipur who wants to become a doctor and fight dengue. Lets all come together to encourage kids like Payal and make sure we are soon a dengue free country. Check the website for details on what you can do at your home to prevent and call at 1800180181818 to show your support.

You can check out this video as well for more details : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbTa4IG9Nww

prevent and call at 1800180181818 to show your support.

You can check out this video as well for more details :

55 word fiction : They said he died because they wouldn’t accept him

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55 word fiction, 55-er, 55-err, causes to champion, fiction, LBGT, Marathon Bloggers

They said he died because they wouldn’t accept him.

They said he died because they got him married hoping it would cure him.

They said he died because he stopped loving.

They said he died because they could not find him smiling anymore.

They said he died because just breathing isn’t living after all

———————

And with this we have finished a week of 55 word fiction on Marathon Bloggers. A week of fiction in Jan. I am happy with myself and my fellow bloggers. Here’s to more such challenges

55 word fiction : She looked deep into her eyes

Tags

55 word fiction, 55-err, causes to champion, child sexual abuse, CSSAM, Marathon Bloggers

She looked deep into her eyes not able to bear the emptiness in them, searching for the innocence they had held in them, the dreams they dreamt.

She looked deep into her eyes and promised her 2.5 yrs old girl that she will kill the monster who had touched her, the monster who snatched those dreams.

He grit his teeth and bore the pain…

Tags

55-er, cause to champion, fiction, gender issues, Marathon Bloggers, prompt, theme blogging

As he immersed the little white bundle in water, As he immersed someone who could have been his daughter, as he immersed someone who could have been his joy. He grit his teeth and bore the pain because if didn’t then the sarpanch will pull trigger of the gun on his head…

 So he grit his teeth and bore the pain…        

This is written as a part of Marathon Blogger theme based blogging. My attempt to yet another 55-er, I am slowly realising the only fiction I can may be do 🙂

 

She had always wanted a daughter but now : A 55 word story

Tags

55-er, fiction, Marathon Bloggers, semi fiction, theme blogging

She was cuddling with her new born. She had always wanted a daughter but now that she had a son she wondered whether the secret disappointment would count as cheating, now that she had a son she also let a huge sigh of relief thinking about the nights she would actually sleep.

She had always wanted a daughter but now…

Finding “Ability” in Disability : Diya Foundation

Tags

blogging, contest

I first heard about Diya Foundation about an year ago from a friend who works very closely with them. With their motto being “FROM DISABILITY TO DIFFERENT ABILITIES” ,Diya Foundation is a Vocational Training Center in Bangalore providing training and employment to intellectually challenged individuals. Founded in 1999, DIYA is a registered charitable trust. After being told about it and thinking I must do something, I promptly forgot about it until I met Sarah, the force behind Diya in the GS-ISB 10K women program.

Sara, started her career at the age of 18 as stenographer after completing BA(Eng) but somewhere she wanted to do more and after seven years of work she felt the need to do something more worthwhile with my life, after strong resistance from her family she joined Convent of Jesus and Mary, Special School as a volunteer. She says “The initial reaction of nervousness and fear when I first met these special children of whether I would be able to work and understand them dissolved into love and a strong determination to do something  when I saw how loving, trusting and affectionate they were. What really called to me was the challenge in making the difference in their lives, in not giving up and in the firm belief that each and everyone of them is trainable”.  After a year of volunteering she was sure this was her calling and did  B.Ed. in Special Education from SNDT Women’s University, Bombay and continued with Jesus & Mary. Over time she realized that once a special child reaches between the age of 14 to 18, schools ask them to leave. She says “As special educators in schools we focus on teaching them functional academics and not on work skills which would help them get jobs so once they leave the school program there is nothing available and nowhere to go. This where the dream of Diya Foundation began. At Diya the focus is on training in work skills and employment”

 She adds “ Diya was started in March 1999 on a initial contribution of Rs.1000/- each from the 3 board members. The challenge was in getting materials for pre-voc training and the trainees were initially charged a fee of Rs.150 per month. “

 

She says the journey of Diya has been amazing, From 3 trainees to 60 trainees; from the initial  Rs.3000/- to Rs. 35,00,000/- is where Diya has reached in 14 years. From searching for trainees to having a waiting list. Diya today has made a difference in many families, bringing their lives back to them in some ways.  At diya, Each trainee’s program is planned according to his/her strengths and daily goals and targets are set accordingly, they flourish and learn to draw from their strengths and weakness in their own ways

When asked about some of her favorite memories she says “Memories that will always remain are the ‘eureka’ moments in my trainees’ lives : that first eye contact, the first conversation initiated, the first time a work task was initiated or when they learned to tie the cords on a bag and hammer in the rivets. It reinforces all my beliefs that you do not have to go out into the world and do great things and make great changes. It all begins with every small mile-stone that my students achieve in their lives “

While recalling the challenges she faced she says “The initial challenges were in getting in trainees, trainers, funding to run. Then as Diya began to grow the challenge was in finding a permanent  place. Once Diya began training students on vocational skills and started making recycled paper products, candles, we stopped charging them a fee and then the challenge was in marketing products and paying them a stipend to give them a sense of working and earning. Today the biggest challenge is still in finding a permanent place. Diya has moved for the seventh time in 14 years. Another challenge is finding job opportunities for our trained special adults. Corporates are wary of hiring the mentally challenged as they are afraid that they will not be able to fire them if they do not perform”

Sarah has many dreams for Diya, she wants to Diya to have their own employment options wherein the trainees will be placed after training. She wants Diya to be in a place where they would never to have to say ‘no’ to a specially abled individual looking for training and work opportunities. She says “Today we have started two such work options: one is Diya Innovations Pvt Ltd – a gifting company – the marketing and employment arm of Diya Foundation and the sustainability model of Diya Foundation. The second work option is EKTA – our Self-help Group started with parents of our special adults and underprivileged women”

Sara for me is true woman of independence and however cliché it might sound, the women of substance who wants to bring independence in not just her life but in everyone around hers too and if you would want to make Sara’s dream true you can donate here, I have pledged that if I win I will add that to Diya’s kitty and this season that is where I will volunteer too. Come join in making the world a better place, making Sara’s dream come true

For more information on Diya and  their products, check out their websiste http://www.diyafoundation-india.org/ and view this brilliant and touching video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKq0sKanqWo

This post Written for the Indiblogeshwaris Ladies Independence Special Contest in association with http://womenentrepreneursinindia.com/

C is for Child Sexual Abuse

Tags

AtoZChallenge, child sexual abuse, CSA, csa awareness month, CSAAM

This year I have been wondering what to write on CSA, I have already written about how its important to protect your sons too, I have already written my own survivor story and while giving it a thought and doing some work for CSA FB page, I came across this poster

Pic Courtesy – http://www.parentsprotect.co.uk/

Truly shocking and scary isn’t it? Unfortunately now that I have worked with CSA so much I know its true and that scares me even more, 75% of the kids don’t tell you I wonder why, in think the answers lies right around in us, in the way we behave, in the way we try to shoo this topic under wraps and want to turn a blind eye to it, like it never happened, it never happens and it most certainly can’t happen to us

So if a child doesn’t tell you how does a parent/care giver figure out… according to the internet and various manuals I have read, some warnings to watch out would be

• Acting out in an inappropriate sexual way with toys or objects
• Nightmares, sleeping problems
• Becoming withdrawn or very clingy
• Becoming unusually secretive
• Sudden unexplained personality changes, mood swings and seeming insecure
• Regressing to younger behaviours, e.g. bedwetting
• Unaccountable fear of particular places or people
• Outburst of anger
• Changes in eating habits
• New adult words for body parts and no obvious source
• Talk of a new, older friend and unexplained money or gifts
• Self-mutilation (cutting or burning) in adolescents
• Physical signs, such as, unexplained soreness or bruises around genitals or mouth, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy
• Running away
• Not wanting to be alone with a particular child or young person

In this I would pay particular attention to the last one, if u child says he doesnt like XYZ and doesn’t want to play with him/her . please please please listen to him. Kids are more intutive then adults are and sometimes just going with their intuitions could help a lot

Apart from watching out for warning signs, another very important thing to do in my opinion is encourage your child, build trust in them so that they come back and talk to u – Open lines of communication with them in all possible ways.

Another important thing to do will be to keep all members of the family educated, it really doesn’t help if you tell your child to be aware and alert and the granny/father comes and tells no u have to trust everyone. Kids can get confused often so make sure the message passed to them is consistent

Keep your child safe, don’t shove CSA under the carpet. Talk about it, act on it NOW c

A Day of Remembrance

Tags

causes to champion

 Dear Friends, fellow bloggers

I am one of the blogger who is taking part in observing silence for the innocent victims who lost their lives on Friday’s shooting rampage at Connecticut.  Like you we cried as the news reports come in. As a mother of two, it is really hard for me to imagine about how somebody can hurt those innocent 6 and 7 years old. Who supposed to be laughing at their Christmas gifts wrapped under the Christmas tree and long waited holidays? In the time of happiness we are mourning for the loss of these tiny angels.

Their life was cut short, their dreams were crushed. Those late night kisses and wonderful smiles when you pick them and light sadness when you drop them in the school is going to be missed forever to that little angel’s parents. Also to those moms, wife, grandmas, friends who lost their lives doing their duties as teachers and staff of Sandy Hook Elementary school.

We know that no words, no gifts, no act of service will ever take away the pain, but we, as bloggers and also parents collectively want those affected by this to know how close to our hearts they are

We love you; we pray for you, we are so heartbroken for your loss.

To honor the memory of the lives cut short, we choose to step away from our blogs and computers today to celebrate the gift of life and those we love the most, our children, families, good friends and community. We’re holding our kids little tightly, reaching out to neighbors and giving thanks for the moments we have together. Thank you for stopping by today, we hope you will join us in remembering, praying and gathering close. We wish you and your families a safe and blessed holiday.

Thank you Swathi for doing this.

April is here – CSA 2012

Tags

causes, causes to champion, child sexual abuse, CSA, CSAAM

Remember April 2011 on Twitter, Facebook and blogs? We talked about Child Sexual Abuse – the hows, the wheres and the whens. We were overwhelmed by the response it generated, humbled by the weight of the personal stories of despair and courage.

It’s that time of the year again and we’re going ahead with Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Month – April 2012.

Do you have a story to tell? Tips to share? A video, a link, an ebook? As a parent, as an adult, as a child? As before, we honour all requests for anonymity.

Bring your experience and your expertise to this awareness initiative via

Blog posts with the logo (you can copy the image above), linkback to our blog, with the words “CSAAM April 2012” in the title
Twitter posts or links to @CSAawareness, tagged “#CSAAM”
FB notes linking to our Facebook page
Emails to csa.awareness.april@gmail.com
Or just simply show support by displaying the Picsquare badge on your site/page/profile

This year, we hope to increase our focus and reach with our new CSAAM App and our sensitisation workshops. You’ll find both in our blog come April 2012.

Stay tuned

A Calendar Too Crowded

Tags

a calendar too crowded, book, book review, causes to champion, Feminism, Sagarika Chakraborty, womans day, women, womens issues

My state right now and a book review too… I MUST begin this post by profusely apologizing to Sags and Harish… Sags because she is such a good friend and whose book I loved that I should have posted this review eons ago and Harish because damn, I think this is the record number of follow ups he would have done for a review with anyone I think… Unless Swaram hasnt still posted it 😉 But guys truly my state these days is just as the title of the book in a different manner that’s it… (but what I am upto is a topic of different post altogether and hopefully after this post, I will try to be regular :P)

Now Coming to the book itself, it was a book I was really looking forward too and not just because its been written by a very very dear friend but also because its on a topic very dear to my heart (surprise surprise? I can see the regular readers of my blog, smiling wide enough on this)

For those who don’t know what the book is about, here is the excerpt

Sagarika Chakraborty is a lawyer and student at ISB. Her début book is “a collection of stories and poems woven around the theme of womanhood”. Throughout the year there are a few dozen days set apart for women and issues surrounding gender. As is usual, we hear a lot about these issues on the special days and then go back to routine stories for the rest of the year.

In her introduction Sags goes ahead to explain the intent behind choosing the unique concept for the stories in the book

“The attempt is to delve deeper and analyse whether it is merely enough to rely on statistics and be complacent in the knowledge that the numbers indicate a better society in the making, or whether there is an urgent need to look beneath the covers and realise that despite all such dedicated days, there are 300 odd days when there is nothing special that life has to offer. Where each day is still an unending drudgery and where womanhood is cursed and trampled upon.”

I love the way the stories have been threaded in, the unique approach of picking up dates and how very true it is that its not just dates that matter, its all year through that we have to suffer, does a woman’s day make a difference to me if I see my maid coming home beaten blue by her drunk husband a day after 8th March? Does it hold any significance at that point of time? Standing for woman and improving there plight is a task that has to be done every single day through the year, through the life and that is what the book attempts by bringing to front the numerous stories

that touch you deep inside somewhere.

When I started reading the book, I was heart broken and the eyes were wet, the feelings becoming numb as I moved forward and somewhere in the middle of the book I realised that these are not the stories she wrote, these are the stories so unfortunately we see all around us 😦 Yes I know there are a lot of people which will say… “oh well the book is too depressing”, “naa you women aren’t so deprived these days” to those people I just have one answer… if the ostrich ducks her head, the problems don’t go away. Just look around yourself, the women in your life, the one that cleans your utensils? the one you have hired as a nanny to take care of your child? May be a distant (and god forbid a close one) who has gone through a divorce and had to listen to taunts from all and sundry, a woman who doesnt want a child or god help her if as a couple they can’t have a child… These are the stories of woman around us that touch you deep inside. Yes its depressing, yes its heartbreaking and that is exactly why its important to read it. To be aware, to be shaken out of our comfort zone and to be able to do something.

The book stands up and questions many things that will trouble us and its amazing to note how the author has gone under the skin of many many women so effortlessly.Another thing which I loved about the book is the how lucid the language is in the book, its hard to believe that its her first book.

The thing that may be could been improved in the book? The names, the names, the names… None of the characters in her books have names and when I started reading it, I found it very disturbing, we are used to of relating to people my name, then why leave such an important thing aside? May be she wanted to shake us out of our comfort zone while reading the book? But yes initially it did disturb me but slowly as I read more, I think it kind of stopped making a difference.

Final Word : A must read book for people in this generation, people who think that the problems of womanhood existed only in the era gone or these problems exist only in remote villages. It opens your eyes wide and clear. And yeah my fav three would be – Naked, Can you Hear me ma?, An equal friendship.. Do share which are yours?

Author : Sagarika Chakraborty

Publisher : Niyogi Books

Rating : 3.5/5

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

PS: do u like the new look of the blog?