Green thumbs up!! SPACES Featured on the Hindu!!
Very proud to announce that SPACES has been featured on today’s newspaper -The Hindu > MetroPlus > Nxg !! Very happy that the hard work we put in has been recognized!! Please do read about us and share your views!!
This gallery contains 45 photos.
Mrs. Yamuna was one of the earliest clients we had and we were really thrilled to have created the perfect garden that she had desired. Even when we got busy, she still remained in touch. So it was really our … Continue reading
Our biggest take-away from the workshop – No matter how much you prepare, the kids shall outsmart you! 🙂
So, there we were unassumingly getting ready for what was going be our best experience so far interacting with children, checking and double-checking all the things to be taken to the school for the Environment Awareness Program scheduled on the 30th of November.
When we arrived, the children had already been assembled in the long hall, easily accommodating around 150-200 students at a time. There was an atmosphere of anticipation, as we tried to get comfortable and get on stage and on with the show. This was also our first time with such a big audience. So, understandably, we went in with some butterflies,but once we found our groove, we were all able to connect with the students.
Here are some of the pot-shots from the day:
The children, clearly amused by what they were hearing! 🙂
Eager to volunteer to answer.
Uma, passionately explaining about gardening.
Time for the next batch.
Driving a point or two about chemical abuse in the form of pesticides.
Students, rapt with attention.
Shainika, having a bit of fun with the audience.
She had the toughest job, handling the older kids. 🙂 Looks like she did pretty well.
And then our most favorite section, the career possibilities.
We ventured opinions, aims, dreams and aspirations. No prize for guessing, more doctors ,engineers and scientists in the making. 🙂
But amongst all of them, remained only one soul who wanted to become an agriculturist. But it did turn out her relative was in the same field.But hey, she at least knew it was an option.
The correspondent later told us that he was approached by a student, who had asked him, sir, all this information is incredible, but seriously, how will a kid from a government school know of so many possibilities that he/she could pursue?? we were baffled at the depth of insight , that this kid had, barely out of his high school.
Below are our favorite moments. Totally unplanned and came up with it at the nick-of-the moment. We made all the kids stand up, raise their hands and take an oath.
“To save the planet. to protect and to nurture it.”
Well, the day had just begun and we came bearing tree saplings , around 400 of them, to distribute it to the students. The school made it into a competition, an ingenious idea that, to make sure none of the tree saps were neglected.
And made all the students pose with their new-found treasure 🙂
I must stress at this point, the kids have a lot more pocket-money than we ever did, all of them flashing their high funda notes and asking for seeds worth 10 bucks. Our cashiers had a tough time sorting out the ‘change’-issues 🙂 Kudos to them though for handling all that pressure.
These two pretty ladies seemed to be deliberating for a long time, deciding which seeds to buy.
Us, getting ready for the next item on the agenda, the demo session, which included parents.And enough break time to take a few more group pics.
Uma, a force to reckon with during the demo session.
Parents , patiently hearing us out. A lot of them came and told us that they really enjoyed it and were eager to know more.
We made sure, they took a look at our posters explaining a lot of things, including, home composting, and essential herbal plants etc.
The stalls were a huge hit. We had throngs and throngs of kids and parents alike , wanting to buy us out. 🙂
Of course, at that point of time, i took over as the photographer, and it seemed, i was in demand too, of course scorned by my fellow mates, that i got the easier job. 😛 🙂 The boys and girls were more than happy to pose,proudly showing what they had bought.
And soon it was time for the bell to go off, and the school yard was absolutely teeming with children and their saps and their products. and I was in the middle of it all.
Hopefully, we had made some kind of impact on them. All we wanted them was to go home and do something worthwhile of the day spent getting so much of information and ideas.
But it seemed like , even after the last bell, the kids were still swarming the stalls. Some of our fast-moving products turned out to be the seeds and when we ran out, we got some extra packets and packed it on the spot and sold it to them. In fact it looked like, as one of our team member pointed out, “a chef barking out orders and the cook preparing them and bringing it out to the customer”. Our well-oiled team did a fine job, under the intense crowd and satisfying most of them.
The spearheads, during the stalls. and it happened to be a Navin’s first stall experience too, and what an experience that 🙂
So after a pretty long and satisfying day, things came to an end, our seeds box were next to empty and the last of the batch of kids had just emptied the school yard. Heaps of thanks to Mrs.Kalarani and Mr.Vidhyasagar (Correspondent of Vidhya school) for all their support and encouragement.
What would make it more interesting is if each and every one of our readers too would take an oath that the students took, SPACES included, to protect,nurture and preserve the environment and decided to follow through. That would be our biggest achievement and success and nothing else, none of these workshops,demos,presentations or awareness programs. Simple mechanism. Be the change you want to be.
There was an unusual amount of racket and looking closer, things appeared even more chaotic. It looked like lunch break. But really it was just the school kids looking and pointing, curiosity piqued , poring over the fence trying to glimpse before the others did. We were really stoked that the children were also equally excited!!
So finally, after all the delays in setting up a Herbal Garden at Jaigopal Garodia , IT IS FINALLY FINISHED!!! 🙂 yes, finished. That does sound really good.
Getting the first project off the ground was the major hurdle and now that it is complete, feeling very relieved.
Just to give you a glimpse at how things went, check out our behind-the-scene potshots!
Working on the sign boards!!
work, work , work!!
A lot of boards to go through!!
.Moving on to the field work as the sign boards were done.
and finally, introducing ‘The herbal garden’!!
The before and after effect!! 😛
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Stunning transformation!
Every herb plant with the sign board giving information about the scientific name, local name , the uses with the specific parts along with how to use!
We made sure each plant had been secured with a brick layer around it!
Fencing to make sure the kids don’t damage it on a spree.
Through the fence gap!!
Extremely proud and feeling accomplished after the results we’ve obtained.
So as promised , we will keep pushing through for more herbal gardens for corporation schools and funds for the same. But for now enjoying the completion of the mini garden and reveling in its success. 😀
SPACES 
