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Namaste! It's been an exciting (and very hot!) summer so far at Khushi. We have started back for the new term and are excited to share some of recent activities with you.
New admissions: We have 50 new admissions including after school (grade 1-12). We also have new students for all our vocational and after school classes.
This year we will be introducing more vocational training courses. They are mobile phone repairing, advanced naturopathy and massage. We will also offer advanced courses in computer programming and networking as well as the Tally accounting course.
As we are an NGO that is funded 100% by donations and sponsors we are always on the lookout for more support. If you are interested in sponsoring a child please contact us - you will be helping to provide the much needed, very much appreciated support we need!
So if anybody wishes to offer any financial support for any of these courses and classes your help will be very much appreciated towards shaping the lives of Khushi children. It's through your kind help we have got this far, but we dream of going so much further!
I'm sure many of you already do support us or have supported us in the past and we can't thank you enough. It's through your support we continue to flourish. If you know of anyone who may be interested please let them know about us or share this newsletter. Lets spread the love!
Contact Kapil Dev Bist for more details on how to get involved:
khushiprojects@yahoo.com
Mobile : +91-9997714068
or click below to see our website. |
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Badminton Tournament
This is annual event is always a big favourite, with both staff and students getting involved and everyone else is cheering on from the sidelines too!
We had 45 knockout matches over 2 days with Priyanshu winning the junior section and Shubham winning the senior and staff combined section. Shiva Ji from Sivananda Ashram was our guest of honour.
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The picture above shows our project manager, many of our teachers and also volunteers assembled at the badminton tournament.
Also present in the picture are several of our senior boys, some now ex-students who continue to support us by returning to help run the after school programs and mentor the next generation of Khushi kids, as they themselves mature into successful young men.
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Temple visit
We took 200 students to the wonderful Madhuban Ashram and temple where they enjoyed chanting, dancing and food. They also received a spiritual teaching from the renowned Prabhu Ji about how to live a healthy and moral life too.
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Evening Meal at Khushi
Every evening we cook for 250 children and thanks to our wonderful cooks we have a delicious and nutritious hot meal for all.
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Before we eat the children chant the Gayatri and Bhojan mantras in thanks for the food. It’s a beautiful time of night for the children - and for the staff and volunteers too, where they can chat and share stories of the day over a cup of chai.
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Morning Yoga Class
Every morning we have classes here at Khushi, this time we went to the near by banks of the holy Ganges!
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Beautician Program
A big congratulations to our 3rd batch of confident and talented young girls and ladies who have just completed the Beauty Parlour program at our vocational centre. Our teacher Hema Dabral teaches them various techniques such as dressing the bride for a wedding, facials, manicures, pedicures and hair dressing. It is also possible then to choose higher education.
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Stitching, sewing and crafts
This key programme at Khushi also attempts to empower women, allowing some older students and even some of their mothers to learn vital skills that can be employed in bringing some independence and some extra family income too.
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Your kind donations help keep us going!
Thanks to our kind donor Vanessa we have given out more stationary.
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A very special delivery from the Netherlands!
The 345 students from Aloysius School in Amersfoort in the Netherlands have given special pens to all of the children, along with lovey notes and pictures too!
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Goodbye's.. and hello's!
We said goodbye to our very good friend, senior student and teaching assistant Arti (see picture below). We wish her the best in her new marriage and hope to see her soon. Our wonderful English teacher Salma left to get married too and we wish her the best as well.
It's not all goodbyes though; we also have a new addition. Our very own Manoj has retuned with his new wife. We will be having a big party here to celebrate this too!
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Oral Hygiene
We ensure that ever child cleans their teeth everyday after we say our afternoon prayers. We provide the toothbrushes and toothpaste too. Khushi actively encourages dental care, good sleep patterns and keeping well hydrated too. This way they can be healthy and happy - the best way to learn and be successful! This ensures great dental care, which can sometimes be lacking in those from poorer families, often due to the costs involved - that's why also provide regular dental check ups too!
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Meet our project manager here at Khushi Mr Kapil Dev Bist
Kapil recently made his first visit oversees to meet our founder Madelien Mishra-Broekman (see picture) and the Khushi board of directors in the Netherlands. Kapil visited primary schools to discover new teaching methods and ways of structuring education. Kapil taught two fundraising Yoga classes and delivered a talk about Khushi programmes and its success stories. The organisational planning of Khushi going forward in the next year was discussed with the board too.
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Success Story - Sheela Rajbhar.
Sheela graduated from Shri dev Suman University Uttarakhand and has now passed the 1st year of her diploma in hotel management from UIHMT with flying colours. She even received a letter of recommendation from the hotel manager where she completed her placement (Spectrum Hotel Group).
She is going to Kerala next, for another six months of job training. She will be provided a salary and accommodation at the world class 5 star Ramada Inn there!
Sheela says: "My mother played a big part in my success so far, as well as Khushi. After my father died, we didn’t have financial support and it became harder to get education.
To improve the situation my mother started collecting wood from the forest to sell so she could provide for us and our future. After I completed my 12th grade my mother wasn’t able to handle the load of my education for higher studies because of her ill health, she has cancer. That's when I met Khushi.
Thank you so much to the Khushi founder, manager, teachers and volunteers for supporting me".
Sheela already has her passport and wants to do "a world tour" using her talent, qualifications and training in hotel management to achieve this. These are big and yet achievable dreams for a student from a very poor background, but who now has the necessary means for a higher education, world class training and her own steely determination.
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Picture to the right is of our lovely and talented Pinky singing and playing harmonium during one of our daily after school classes.
We are always looking for more support in the form of donations, sponsoring a child and volunteers. Spread the word and keep letting the world know about Khushi.
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We also except internships, so if you know anyone who may be interested, please let them know. Contact our senior project manager Kapil Dev Bist: khushiprojects@yahoo.com
Our Volunteers come from all over the world to help us here at Khushi
Raj came from Canada with his considerable skills and taught English classes. He is going to work on generating donations and support when he goes back home before he returns again to us. He also intends to upgrade our computer suite and donate at least one Mac so we can edit film and audio easily and have more advanced classes. He will be sorely missed. We look forward to seeing you again Raj!
Shane came to see us once again bringing his skills to help with the digital side of Khushi helping with the website, newsletter and Facebook posts. He also taught one to one high level English language with two students. Apart from that he is always there to support us wherever we are in need - his kindness and loving character with the children is very much appreciated. His friendship with Khushi is highly valuable and we hope to see you soon Shane!!!
Nicole was here for the second time from Canada. She is a fashion designer who taught in the stitching class and brought vital supplies for the stitching programme. We look forward to her return!
All three of them intend to return in September for six months of volunteering.
If you or someone you know may be interested in volunteering, let our project manager know and he can discuss this with you.
Alternatively if you wish to speak to someone who has volunteered before and who can answer any questions or if you would like an informal chat, feel free to drop Natalie Merringer an email nataliemerringer@gmail.com
and she'll be happy to talk anything through with you.
Maybe you can’t come and volunteer but would like to support us? Look no further; we are looking for sponsors of individual children. We also gratefully receive any donation, no matter how small.
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Interested in volunteering? Click below for more details.
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Some of our Khushi kids enjoying a typical day at Khushi.
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Interested in donating? Click below.
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We want to extend an especially warm thank you to our Khushi friends and supporters, who over the past few months gave us the support we need.
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In particular a big thank you to the following:
Sattva Yoga Academy.
One of best Khushi friends Yvonne van der Donck.
Diana Alli D'souza from Canada
Kavita and her group from Germany for their contribution.
Keshava from Brahmavidya for their support.
Arturo Massaro from the Netherlands for his sponsorship of a child.
Mathew Asch from the USA for his donation.
Dr and Mrs Fischer from the USA for their donation.
Kay Kusumoto from the USA for promoting Khushi.
Claudia Van Zuiden from the Netherlands for promoting Khushi.
Veronica from Italy for helping with our social media, you’ve been such a great help.
Our long standing supporter, friend and sponsor of many children throughout the years, Raluca Gerghe also visited us again. Her continued financial support and help with planning our aims and objectives this year has been key to us moving forward as an organisation. So we thank you again Raluca!
We wish everyone who has ever visited us, donated, sponsored or supported us in any way the very best for the rest of the year.
Lots of love from Khushi.
Keep in touch with us on Facebook, Instagram and our website. Click below for links.
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