“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention”-Oscar Wilde


                                         PraYaaS. A gesture. An act. An extra effort. This is all what it takes to make a difference in the world we live in. People around us are battling with poverty, illiteracy and health threats. The worst hit are the people living in the slums and their kids. They need the help of those of us who have been lucky enough to have a better quality of life. Helping is not only about monetary help, it is about connecting with the less privileged with greater hope, opportunity and compassion.
                                         Motivated by Fr. Uvary Tony, we, a small team of ten, have started our small initiative called PraYaas.Having started as a group. We were directed towards the common purpose of education, specifically, Primary education. Enjoying the Facilities and Expertise of the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, we felt that we should contribute in some way to education to the place which was such a fertile ground for our own education. With the co operation of the Ruchika Social Service Organization, we have started on this journey. Stay tuned here to find out the progress. And if possible, do contribute. Every little bit helps!

The following are the developments that we plan to carry out in the school:

1. Medical health camp for the residents.

2. Infrastructure development of the school(repair of the toilet and water harvesting system).

3. Providing sports and educational materials for the children studying there (globes, maps, charts, indoor games, football, cricket bat).

4. Cultural activities(painting competition , dance events and other fun activities) for the children.

5. An outing for the kids to the science park.

                                        Any noble cause always faces the problem of cash crunch and we are no different in this case. The cost of completing all these activities is around 25,00/- and we would request your generous contribution (or any leads you can provide) for the same.

                                        No matter how much, every contribution counts and every effort made will lead to the ultimate greater good.

Do help us with open hearts.

Team PraYaaS

After the fruitful first visit, we divided ourselves into teams and started with our plan of actions.
The two main area of focus as of now were to provide a better infrastructure for the school so that the children can focus on the education.



We also planned a painting competition for the children to showcase their talent and creativity.
The two teams started working in tandem, one was looking after the infrastructure and other started the painting competition for the children.

We started with cleaning the tank that they used for rain water harvesting. It was in very bad shape and cleaning it was a daunting task.



We decided it to do ourselves to show the community people that if we as outsiders can do it for them, then why they can’t take care of their own school. We had to drain out the garbage inside it
along with the muddy water. After putting in efforts for 4 hours we were able to clean both the tanks.







We also started working on the damaged rain water harvesting system. Encouragement for us came in the form of help that we started getting from the people of that area.



At the same time the other team started with the painting competetion for the children.

We dint give them any topic as we wanted to see their creativity and talent without any boundaries.

We asked them to draw anything they wish to, we got amazed to see the talent they possesed.
They only lag a helping hand to provide them some oportunities which can bring them at par or infact above the proviledged section of our society.
We have collected all the paintings and will be selecting the best out of it, the best painting will be awarded.
At the end of the day we all were exhausted but we all had a sense of accomplishment. An accomplishment of bringing smile to the bright future of our country. An accomplishment of providing a chance to bringout their hidden talent, an accomplishment to provide them better infrastructure to concentrate on studies. An accomplishment of providing them a ray of hope to enlighten their future.

The first visit to the Ruchika alternative school was really an exhilarating experience for all of us. The day began with a slight drizzle and we all were speculative about whether we would be able to go, but thankfully the skies cleared up at around 8:30 a.m. and we all set out.

During the journey,while enjoying the scenic beauty around us,we began discussing about what to expect when we reach there. Soon we were within sight of the school. The calm ambience and the resplendent nature of the place was appealing to us.

The children and their teacher greeted us with enthusiasm and after a brief introduction we had some fun activities with them. During the course of these activities we all realised that these children are as talented as anyone of us and it is only due to the lack of amenities and proper growth opportunities that their talents go unrecognized. It is these children who are the future of our country and if we don't think about them then who will??

Each child is unique in his/her own way and it is the duty of the society to nurture their talents.

Education doesn't only depend on studies but on infrastructure as well and it is through this facet that we aim to develop the society there. The damaged toilet and the defunct rain water harvesting system were of immediate concern and we promised to deal with them A.S.A.P.

Finally, we bid farewell to the kids and set off to return to XIMB with some fond memories and a firm resolve to build a long standing relationship with the school.

This blog is to document the progress and highlight the work done by us, Team PraYaas at the Ruchika Alternative School at Bharatpur. Having started as a group. We were directed towards the common purpose of education, specifically, Primary education. Enjoying the Facilities and Expertise of the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, we felt that we should contribute in some way to education to the place which was such a fertile ground for our own education. With the co operation of the Ruchika Foundation, we have started on this journey. Stay tuned here to find out the progress. And if possible, do contribute. Every little bit helps!