Tuesday, 31 December 2019

New Year New Beginnings!!

Every day is a chance to begin again. Don’t focus on the failures of yesterday, start today with positive thoughts and expectations. ~ CatherinePulsifer


2020 is literally knocking on the door.I am sure most of you must have started to think about what your New Year's resolutions will be for the upcoming year. While you might have already started filling your resolution list there is one more choice you might want to include at the top of your list.
Yes, you guessed it right. I am talking about volunteering in your community.


If you are thinking of making a change in your life this year and you’re looking for motivation, we’ve got your back.

Here are the Reasons to Have Volunteering as a New Year's Resolution:
·         Destress - There can be nothing more satiating than the joy of giving.Yes, it’s a secret barter where you give something that you have and receive happiness without asking for it. It is the best way to destress yourself.Volunteering has been linked with increased levels of happiness and decreased depression.
·         Meet great people -One of the best parts of volunteering is meeting other great people like yourself who share similar interest.Volunteers help create and support healthy communities.
·         Learn new skills – Volunteering can help you learn new skills.It is a good start to finding an opportunity that's right for you.Through volunteering you can challenge yourself to try something different and explore your latent potential.

The next question which might come to your mind is how and where do I start.
Starting over can be challenging, but also it can be a great opportunity to do things differently.

Here are a few steps you will want to take:

#1.Think about the causes that you are passionate about devoting your time to.
For example- You might want to support a child’s education or you might want to work towards a cleaner environment
#2.Make a list of the opportunities you are interested in filling and the skills you can provide as a volunteer.
For example - You might like to teach kids or provideassistance in coordinating workshops, and seminars.
#3.Look for volunteer opportunities in your local community.To make things fairly easy for you I would like to mention about the wonderful volunteering opportunities available at HEEALS.
For example- You can work either as an online volunteer or as an intern or simply as a social worker.
To know more visit - http://heeals.org/volunteer-zone-

I would like to end with the words of Martin Luther Jr. -
Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year from the entire HEEALS Community.


Contributed by – Priyanka Dalmia.



Monday, 25 November 2019

Say No To Child Labour !


“Only the worst thief can steal someone’s   childhood”.  They call it best phase of life. They call it childhood for the rest it is just chide hood. The pain behind the statement can be felt by every child found working in homes,hotels,factories and all possible places where they can be exploited.

A school boy once complained “If child labour is a crime then why does our teacher gives us homework?”. What about those who will never get a chance to see the face of a school in their entire lifetime, who are sold into the hands of their masters even before they understand the ways of the world. These young soldiers are sent to war even without proper equipment.

Sitting in our well-furnished houses we often complain that child labour exists, no strict laws are implemented by government to curb this crime and at the next moment we walk into a local restaurant where a small boy comes to clean our table. What do we do then? Crib about government not implementing ban and we continue eating. Imagine what can happen if we refuse to eat at such places. Change should start from us. 

It is however important to realize that child labour cannot be fully abolished in page of India where one child is the sole breadwinner of his page of family. Although it is most undesirable where a child has to work rather than go to school, denying option of working to him would be even more disastrous and might force the child into illegal activities for survival. A child activist correctly remarked “Teach him to chop an onion before he learns to chop a head.” Next time when you happen to find any child labour case prevailing in your area try to find out the reason. Help them get back the most beautiful phase of their life – childhood.


Written By – Priyanka Dalmia

Tuesday, 19 November 2019

World Toilet Day ! 19th November 2019

World Toilet Day, celebrated on 19th November every year, is about inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and help achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which promises sanitation for all by 2030.
Theme of World Toilet Day -2019 is Leaving no one behind.

A toilet is not just a toilet. It’s a life-saver, dignity-protector and opportunity-maker.
Whoever you are, wherever you are, sanitation is your human right. And yet, today, 4.2 billion people live without safely managed sanitation.
How can anyone lift themselves out of poverty without sanitation? We must expand access to safe toilets and leave no one behind.

Key Facts !
4.2 billion people live without safely managed sanitation – more than half the global population.
673 million people still practise open defecation worldwide.
Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.
Inadequate sanitation is estimated to cause 432,000 diarrhoeal deaths every year and is a major factor in diseases such as intestinal worms and trachoma.
Children under the age of five living in countries affected by protracted conflict are, on average, nearly 20 times more likely to die from diarrhoeal diseases caused by a lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene than by direct violence. (UNICEF )



Thursday, 31 October 2019

IMPORTANCE OF VOLUNTEERING




Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” - Elizabeth Andrew

Volunteering is one of the most effective ways to gain meaningful, hands-on experience in the social work field.Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?” Last month, I started working as an online volunteer for HEEALS.I have realized that it has enormous benefits. Volunteering helps bring a difference as it feels good to help other people and enact changeand give back to the community. Volunteering helps us make friends, learn new skills, advance our career, and even feel happier and healthier.The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others is the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.

Benefits of volunteering:
·         Volunteering connects you to others and helps to gain new insights.
·         Volunteering is good for your mind and body
·         Volunteering can advance your career
·         Volunteering brings a sense of accomplishment to your life

There are wonderfulVolunteering opportunities available at HEEALShttp://heeals.org/volunteer-zone-

Internship:
Experience as an intern is an incredible way to discover India and to work for an NGO. As an intern you will be treated as an employee so it could be the way for you to have a job experience abroad and to practice the skills you’ve learnt in your studies.

Online Volunteering:
As an online volunteer with us, you could do a variety of things in the comfort of your home or office.

Volunteers:
HEEALS is a growing organization which offers volunteers the unique ability & mechanism to have a truly significant role in organizational and program development.
During a volunteer program, you become deeply involved with local community, immersed in a new culture and a different way of life.

Gap Year:
During your Gap year volunteering with HEEALS allows you to do something a bit more constructive with your time. This will hone your skills, help you learn a language, immerse in another culture, build long lasting bonds, and provide vital services to a local community. Your gap year is a chance, where you can utilize your existing skills in excellent practice.



I would like to end this with the words of Mahatma Gandhi - “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Written by – Priyanka Dalmia


Wednesday, 30 October 2019

A short documentary on the dowry system in india

Despite being illegal in India, dowry continues to affect thousands of families, contributing to financial stress, gender discrimination, do...