Thursday, August 27, 2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
Wondering what to do with your old school items?.Don't call OLX. Donate.
Always inspiring to see teenagers show sensitivity and a sense of social responsibility. Here’s how an 8th grader in Bengaluru shows the way to other school children.
Part of the excitement of moving to a higher grade in school every year is buying new books, bags, water bottles and other supplies. Or so it is, for some privileged children at least. Many others make do with what they already have, struggling to just about buy the bare necessities like books and uniforms.
When 13-year-old Nikhiya Shamsher, a student of Greenwood High School, Bangalore, donated her school bag to her housemaid’s daughter, she received a thank you note in return. This note, written by Roja, a 4th grade student, inspired Nikhiya to look at the world differently.
Roja, whose happiness on receiving the bag knew no bounds, wrote in her note that up until now, she had never owned a school bag. She had always carried her books and stationary in a poly bag.
“This incident got me thinking that there would be many more people like her [Roja], and my friends and I should donate our bags to them. So I called some of my friends and together we donated some of our bags and books to people who needed them. After this, I thought, why not include my entire school in this,” says Nikhiya.
And this is how the project Bags, Books and Blessings came into existence. Nikhiya’s school principal, Mr. D’Mello, helped her get started by sending out emails to parents, allowing her to put posters around her school, and by writing to different organizations to help spread the word. All her teachers were very supportive as well.
She made sure that each donated item was carefully checked to ensure a good condition; everything was counted, cleaned, arranged in packets, and was finally ready to go. Out went Nikhiya with some of her best friends and volunteers to spread joy in a school and an orphanage in Bangalore.
Her day concluded with joy on the faces of the kids receiving books, bags, blessings, and more – it was a day full of smiles, fun and even some exciting magic shows.
-Recording to her website dedicated to this project, “Bags, Books and Blessings aims to collect re-usable bags, books and school supplies and donate them to less privileged school children. Every year thousands of needy children go back to school without basic supplies. It is natural as their parents struggle to even put food on the table. But together we can change this. We can pool our re-usable school stuff and donate them to needy children. It will give them the much needed equipment and the confidence to go to school.”
What would be the next logical step for a project such as this? Says Nikhiya – “I am trying to include other schools by encouraging them to participate in the project. I am also trying to expand this in a way that I am able to create chemistry, physics and biology labs in schools that don’t have them.”
“I am entering my 8th grade. I just finished my 7th grade exam.” During my conversation with her, before I knew how old she is, this sentence came as a wonderful surprise. Thinking back, I do not remember myself worrying about the world at all when I entered my teens. Nikhiya, who at such a young age also wants to start her own NGO, is an inspiration to say the least. She has a world of opportunities before her, and she plans to utilize them in the best possible way.
- See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/27180/books-bags-and-blessings-in-bangalore/#sthash.98qcszoD.dpuf See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/27180/books-bags-and-blessings-in-bangalore/#sthash.98qcszoD.dpuf- See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/27180/books-bags-and-blessings-in-bangalore/#sthash.98qcszoD.dpuf See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/27180/books-bags-and-blessings-in-bangalore/#sthash.98qcszoD.dpuf
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Back in the day, Stallone was a struggling actor in every definition. At some point, he got so broke that he stole his wife’s jewelry and sold it. Things got so bad that he even ended up homeless. Yes, he slept at the New York bus station for 3 days. Unable to pay rent or afford food. His lowest point came when he tried to sell his dog at the liquor store to any stranger. He didn’t have money to feed the dog anymore. He sold it at $25 only. He says he walked away crying.
Two weeks later, he saw a boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Chuck Wepner and that match gave him the inspiration to write the script for the famous movie, ROCKY. He wrote the script for 20 hours! He tried to sell it and got an offer for $125,000 for the script. But he had just ONE REQUEST. He wanted to STAR in the movie. He wanted to be the MAIN ACTOR, Rocky himself. But the studio said NO. They wanted a REAL STAR.
They said he “Looked funny and talked funny”. He left with his script. A few weeks later, the studio offered him $250,000 for the script. He refused. They even offered $350,000. He still refused. They wanted his movie, but NOT him. He said NO. He had to be IN THAT MOVIE.
After a while, the studio agreed, gave him $35,000 for the script and let him star in it! The rest is history! The movie won Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing at the prestigious Oscar Awards. He was even nominated for BEST ACTOR! The Movie ROCKY was even inducted into the American National Film Registry as one of the greatest movies ever!
And do you know the first thing he bought with the $35,000? THE DOG HE SOLD. Yes, Stallone LOVED HIS DOG SO MUCH that he stood at the liquor store for 3 days waiting for the man he sold his dog to. And on the 3rd day, he saw the man coming with the dog. Stallone explained why he sold the dog and begged for the dog back. The man refused. Stallone offered him $100. The man refused. He offered him $500. And the guy refused. Yes, he refused even $1000. And, Believe it or Not, Stallone had to pay $15,000 for the same dog he sold at $25 only! And he finally got his dog back!
And today, the same Stallone who slept in the streets and sold his dog JUST BECAUSE he couldn’t even feed it anymore, is one of the GREATEST Movie Stars who ever walked the Earth!
Being broke is BAD. Really BAD. Have you ever had a dream? A wonderful dream? But You are too broke to implement it? Too tiny to do it? Too small to accomplish it?
Life is tough. Opportunities will pass you by, just because you are a NOBODY. People will want your products but NOT YOU. Its a tough world. If you ain’t already famous or rich or “connected”, you will find it rough.
Doors will be shut on you. People will steal your glory and crash your hopes. You will push and push. And yet NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.
And then your hopes will be crashed. You will be broke. Damn broke. You will do odd jobs for survival. You will be unable to feed yourself. And yes, you may end up sleeping in the streets. It happens. Yes, it does.
BUT NEVER LET THEM CRUSH THAT DREAM. Whatever happens to You, Keep Dreaming. Even when they crush your hopes, Keep Dreaming. Even when they turn you away, Keep Dreaming. Even when they shut you down, Keep Dreaming.
NO ONE KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF EXCEPT YOURSELF! People will judge you by HOW you look. And by WHAT you have. But Fight on! Fight for Your place in history. Fight for your glory. NEVER EVER GIVE UP!
Even if it means selling all your clothes and sleeping with the dogs, IT’S OKAY! But AS LONG AS YOU ARE STILL ALIVE, Your STORY IS NOT OVER.
Keep Up the Fight. Keep your dreams and hope alive. Go get it !!!
Thursday, June 18, 2015
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