Ekatva Family Gathering :)

As the last leg of this beautiful journey takes its course, we gathered today, with our loving parents to discuss next year’s children’s education plans as well as the upcoming EKATVA tour to America and the UK. It has always been a blessing to have the parents so closely involved in the EKATVA journey. Even when we had our big Bombay show and tour, we brought the parents down to Bombay to be a part of the show and audience. And the pleasant surprise that we usually get in our Parents’ meetings is that most of the brothers and sisters show up as well. Almost 60 of us, one big family, got together, cleaned the Manav Sadhna prayer area, cooked food, did prayer together, ate together, cleaned dishes together, and then reflected on the past 2 year journey of our kids and discussed the upcoming EKATVA tour.

It’s all a blessing and all God’s work we are humbled to be a part of.

Love.

True Tests in Oneness...

The other day two of our Ekatva girls, Dipmala and Payal, got into a tiff during practice. They were not talking with each other and you could see the distance they were keeping from each other with negative vibrations. I asked Dipmala what was wrong and she said that Payal had been giving her dirty looks and speaking behind her back about her. Bringing both of them together, they had a heated back and forth and then we finally ended the conversation with a hug (which was kinda forced) and finished practice.

After practice I had individual talks with both Payal and Dipamala into the night. Though they were both upset and sad, it was beautiful to see their ability to accept feedback and share their thoughts openly. I left it at that for the night. I was definitely hurt and sad that two of our girls felt such negative energy towards each other. But a constant reminder from our kids, that as much as we try to share a positive spirit of ‘oneness’ we are still kids and human beings J

The next day, I saw Payal before practice and asked her how she was doing and feeling? She said the following: “nimesh sir, do you know what I did today. While Dipmala was sitting down in tuition class, I came behind her and put my hands over her eyes. Then I  placed a chocolate in her hand and opened her eyes. She saw me and started smiling and then we both hugged each other. She took a bite of the chocolate and gave me the other half. We are friends again.”

Ekatva, the spirit of Oneness, is not a space of perfect being and love. It is more about being tolerant and forgiving. That is love.

Tour of and Performance at a Pharmaceutical Company

In January we went to Marck Biosciences Pharmaceutical Compnay’s Annual Cultural Show program, to perform for the company’s 1000 staff and employees.

But, we arrived early to give the kids a tour of the Factory. 

Was a great learning experience. How products are Manufactured, Systems, Processes, Machines, Technology, Labor,  Production, Packaging, Distribution, Marketing, and Safety.

The kids observed with their safety outfits on and asked questions, observed and absorbed. A beautiful learning experience, that then led to a fantastic outdoor performance in the Gujarat cold winter weather. 

The Family Behind EKATVA - Part 2: Nilamben

Wonderful Big Sister - Nilamben

You can see the spirit of paying back to the community alive in her and being put into practice each day through her work. As a young child, she always dreamt of joining the army and serving her motherland. With her family not being supportive enough to her aspirations she took up teaching.

She has been a Teacher to 1st through 4th graders of the Balsanskar project and 5th to 7th graders of the Ashramshala Residential School based in the Gandhi Ashram for over 2 and half years. She has introduced creative methods of teaching and is currently designing the Value-based/Education curriculum for all Manav Sadhna education projects.

Being a constant learner, with a quest to recognize her inner potential, she always tries to grow through her involvement in various projects. Presently she is actively involved with ‘Swagyan’(self understanding) project, an experiment in alternative education initiated by Stanford University in collaboration with Manav Sadhna.

In EKATVA, her caring and consistent support has created a healthy developmental environment for the EKATVA kids. She understands the behavioral changes our kids are going through with the onset of puberty and sensibly handles issues related to it. She manages and supports all of their educational needs including having personal relationships with all of their teachers and principals. When on tour she personally prepares study schedules for all the kids wisely managing their time so their academics do not suffer.

She has proved to be an amazing, multi-tasking bask stage specialist as well as  'wardrobe supervisor’ maintaining all costumes and jewelry, ensuring their proper labeling, storage, laundry and dry cleaning between performances. Along with Naynaben, she is the main backstage support for the 8 girls in the show - A challenging task when 8 girls are changing costumes back and forth for a 90-minute non-stop show.

The Family Behind EKATVA - Part 1

Ekatva has been such an organic journey. Each day for the past few years, a family of 7 Staff Members from Gandhi Ashram-based NGO, Manav Sadhna, have made the EKATVA pilgrimage a reality for our 16 children.  Whether supporting and managing the children's health, education, emotional ups and downs, family relations and problems, and as important, the full creative production of the EKATVA show, the Manav Sadhna Staff and EKATVA Family members have been behind each day, each interaction, each step.

Now with the tour coming to fruition, and for children who have rarely ever left their homes, without such a family there is no way that such a journey can become a reality. For this we share and celebrate the love and journey of our EKATVA leaders and children's caretakers.

SHIRISHBHAI - a Real Coordinator - born and raised in Gandhi Ashram has been working with Manav Sadhna since its inception, mid 1990’s. Currently, he is working as All Project Coordinator, performing all administrative task: handling email correspondence, updating websites,scheduling team meetings and maintaining status reports. He manages all the essentials of local and international volunteer recruitment, right from assessing Manav Sadhna’s need to enrollment of volunteers, their residency, building rapport with them and maintaining their databases.

For Ekatva tour in particular, he has been managing Logistics, booking the show venues, arranging stays and travels, understanding and running the technical elements of sound and lights for the show. He has been helping with getting the passports for the kids and staff, applying for their visas and other administrative work involved therein. He efficiently understands the kid’s and their family’s mindset and need by organizing regular meetings with them at Gandhi Ashram and quite often visiting their homes. He has become an integral part of kid’s life, enjoying the ‘small yet beautiful everyday moments’.


JAGATBHAI - The Truest Big Brother - is an extremely creative person who believes in creating healthy community through Art!!! Since Past 13 years, he has been dedicatedly providing value based education to slum kids by giving lessons on arts and crafts through Earn and Learn Project (www.earnlearn.org). His distinctive rangolis, creative flower decorations and ingenious stage set up enhances the beauty and elegance of each of our Ekatva performances. His aesthetically designed hand props and masks for the performers make the show visually appealing.

He has been a big brother for all the kids. Having unplanned dinners together with kids family once in a while, celebrating occasions and festivals with each other’s family, comforting the kids in their difficult moments have created synergy and inter dependence in their relationship and helped to resolve a lot of children’s problems. He has been encouraging the kids, cheering them in their journeys and enabling them to maximize their potential through regular interactions and one on one counseling sessions.




NAYNABEN - Our Team MOM!

You meet her, observe her and can only marvel at what she does.
She has been overseeing the finances and serving as Chief Accountant and Financial Advisor at ManavSadhna since the beginning. Her valuable insight about foreign regulation acts, financial wisdom and management skills have helped to utilize the foreign contributions wisely. She closely monitors Ekatva’s day to day expenses and entire Ekatva tour budget. With her gratifying personality she has established beautiful interpersonal relations with local and international donors.
I had an opportunity to stay with her and know her better during the Ekatva tour for ‘Karjaat-Mumbai performances’

Her warmth is radiated in her each and every action. She understands how simple things mean so much to kids. She would wake up the kids gently, give them head massage, do their hair neatly, take care of their nutrition, talk about their family and pamper them so they don’t miss the love they get from their mom. At the same time she will frames rules for them and make sure they follow them, sees to it that they wash their clothes in spite of travelling and rehearsals, pray before they go to bed. She is quite firm and strict when they throw tantrums ;)
She is one of the 2 main back stage support who manages make-up, hair-styling, 5 Quick costume changes under 90 minutes for 8 girls. With all these chaos backstage, she will make sure that kids stay on the script and dance sequence throughout the show, carry their requisite masks and props and are fed in between with some glucose.

She will never let you miss your mom,when she is around 

My Name Is Sanjay. What Is Your Name?

After our trip to Mumbai, the kids have realized how important the English language is. They really wanted to learn more English! So Dipaliben has loving decided to volunteer her time to help the kids grow in their English skills :) 

Jagriti Yatra: 450 Social Leaders share the EKATVA Spirit

What happens when you take 450 social leaders, innovators and thinkers and put them on a train across India to interact, learn, inspire and involve themselves in the happenings of this beautiful country?...You feel a spirit very close to that of Oneness. Jagriti Yatra - People from all walks of life, all parts of the globe, ended their 3 week trip around India at the Gandhi Ashram today and spent their final hour of their pilgrimage with our EKATVA Family and Manav Sadhna.

Our little ambassadors shared parts of their EKATVA performance bringing about an energy and spirit beyond imaginable within the Harijan Sevak Sang Ashramshalla, that Gandhiji had started many years ago. We bow down to the Higher Power for giving us all these opportunities to give and receive, share and learn.

Love.

Full Circle: Gandhiji's Legacy Connects to our Kids

What a blessing it is to serve and grow and learn in Gandhiji's space. Yesterday, our EKATVA kids welcomed Gandhiji's grandson, Arun Manilal Gandhi, as he and his Global family made their annual visit to the Gandhi Ashram and Manav Sadhna.

Arunji, has spent a good portion of his life carrying his Grandfather's message forward in the modern day, in so many different ways. We were blessed to have a beautiful interaction between him, his son Tushar Gandhi, and a family of 30 other professors and students from around the USA. The interaction involved sharing about the life of service rooted from Manav Sadhna and the Gandhi Asrham, as well as the EKATVA journey.

Then the children performed a half hour show for the entire Arun Gandhi US Family.

Learning B-Boy Dancing!

Rohan, a friend from Houston, was teaching the kids b-boy dancing today. Man, all the kids were so into it!! Was amazing!
Love.

Ekatva Performance in Mumbai, Dec. 4th, 4-6pm @ Nehru Centre

EKATVA’s Mumbai performance at the Nehru Center AuditoriumJoin us for a special Sunday performance of EKATVA in Mumbai, India! 

December 4, 2011

Nehru Center Auditorium - Mumbai

4PM - 6PM | FREE - a gift from the children

http://www.nehru-centre.org/ 

Doors open at 330pm.
 
Dr. Annie Besant Road,
Worli, Mumbai - 400018
India
Google Map: http://g.co/maps/3pvh6
  
EKATVA comes to Mumbai! EKATVA is a 90 minute dance/drama musical performed by 16 slum children, hoping to share a message of 'oneness' and universal love, to the world. A Manav Sadhna experiment, EKATVA features Sixteen children from some of the largest slums of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. They were selected through a nine month audition process, and are being trained and developed, by two mentors from Manav Sadhna and teachers from Darpana Academy, to perform a 90-minute dance-drama production sharing Gandhiji’s message of ‘Oneness’. After one year of training and development, the children will tour the show across India, the US, and the UK.
 
 Choreography by Mallika Sarabhai (Darpana Academy).
 
 Learn More at www.ekatva.org and join us on Facebook (ekatva-oneness)

Nov. 26th, a Special Performance at a Special School, IFF

Ekatva begins its Mumbai trip to a very special school, who's focus is on the wholistic development of its children from a Global perspective, The India First Foundation. We are privileged to be invited to such a school and look forward to the interaction between the kids and the energy created.

This show will be very unique as we will be creatively involving and working with the IFF children days before to prepare an integrated performance of sorts. They have just sent us their music, script and ideas. We are blessed to have schools and leaders who are willing to take such initiative and embrace the creative experience and journey of our children.

Thank you Arvindbhai, Madam Kavita Karve, and the India First Foundation School for your heart warming support along our Ekatva journey.

In humble gratitude.

WWW.IFFSCHOOL.IN

Love and Peace

Ekatva Debut Performance on Gandhiji's Birthday

It was a blessing to kick off our Ekatva Tour on Gandhiji's birthday, Oct 2nd at Natrani Theatre, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The kids had rehearsed til' 3am for 2 consecutive nights before in order to pull off their first performance. Everything ended up being a first. Performing with full costumes, props, etc. Not to mention many times they only had 1 minute or so to change costumes back stage before the next performance item. The show was a blessing and an amalgamation of all the children's hard work, dedication and love throughout this journey. It was a show of love. And we are blessed by the opportunity to all share in this ongoing journey of family, children and growth. Love All Serve All.

Let the Shows Begin...Soon :)

We are happy to share a video with you all, helping introduce the EKATVA tour 2011-2012.
Love and Peace.

The New School Year, Ashramshalla, Education...

As we approach finishing the EKATVA show production over the next 3 months, we need to get prepared for the journey we will be taking this upcoming year with the kids: Performances, interactions and activities, practices and rehearsals, alongside the most important activities: School, Tution class and Education.

For this reason we have decided to bring all the EKATVA children living further away to come live at the Gandhi Ashram Hostel Ashramshall, with the other 120 kids that currently live there (6 of which are already our EKATVA kids). These kids are all from the so called ‘Untouchable’ community. Gandhiji started the Harijan Sevak Trust over 70 years ago to help in the upliftment of this community.

With most of the EKATVA kids at the Ashramshalla now, and going to Government School across the street, Gandhi Ashram School No. 1, we will be able to focus more attention and detail on their studies and with their teachers. On top of this, we will be having tution class for the kids everyday at the Ashramshalla, Gandhi Ashram from 2-5pm. And then finally we will have dance practice from 5 – 8pm.  In this new school year it has been very important for me to stress to the kids how important their education and studies will be this year. Because once the EKATVA journey and project is complete, Education and their values, will be the number one and only tools they have to reach their dreams. They seems to understand and accept that.

A pleasant surprise: Two of our kids, Bhavnik and Nikita were awarded 5000 Rupees each (about 2 months of their mom and dad’s salaries) for being top performers in their last school year. Three other of our EKATVA kids also received top 3 in their class. J

EKATVA Skype performance with Liecester UK - Indian Summer Festival



The groundbreaking Indian Summer festival in Leicester UK featured a live Skype linkage between the 16 children of EKATVA and kathak performers at the festival. The children interacted with Festival participants, artists and organizers, and learned about the Indian community that lives in the UK. Segments of the dance drama were performed and projected live at the Festival.

We all gathered around Gandhiji's bronze statue at the Gandhi Ashram at 6pm on Saturday, June 18, 2011 to first explain to the children what we were about to do. For most of the children, this was their exposure to Skype and its power to connect people through audio and video all over the world.

We talked about geography, explaining to them where Leicester UK was in the world, and what the festival was all about. The kids had many questions and were full of wonder once the camera came on and we were all interacting with the Festival moderator.

This first interactive linkage has set the stage for more exciting collaborations! For all of us, the experience affirmed the power of unity and EKATVA, and how music and dance can dissolve boundaries between cultures.

SLUMBER PARTY #2....YIPPEEEE!

I could only remember how exciting it was when we were younger to hold slumber parties with our friends.

Well we had our second slumber party with our 16 kids, at my apartment. It was…well....a slumber party!!!!

Taking showers, late night and getting ready as if we were gonna go out to a club or something....

...Then cooking...

...can't forget to watch a movie..."The Incredibles"!!!...

...of course, you need a little excercise, to balance your 20 people in a 2 bedroom apartment slumber party experience...

...and, can't forget to play with all the little dolls in the gift corner...

...at some point we went to sleep....

...and at some point we woke up....

...can't forget to feed the belly....

...and a be a goofball, while feeding it...

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST.........DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST MAKE ONE MUSIC VIDEO at every slumber party you go to :)

hAving the kIds ovEr is Always a BLEssinG. We eNjoy ComInG TogEthEr and FindIng Love in Life.

Love.

Our Harmless Friends

Day before yesterday while we were in a circle of prayer, Asha starts cringing, crying and saying in a squeamishy voice, "nimesh sir, there's a 'jivdo' (insect) on me, please, please, please get it off....please, help"...She was nearly in tears...I couldn't help but laugh...it was a tiny harmless bug smaller than the size of half her pinky nail.

After that experience I told her we're gonna have to do something about this fear of hers :)

Yesterday, after lunch we went on a little trip to go make friends with insects. It was more like test #1 in her path towards not being afraid of insects, or at least lessening her fear. So she was half reluctant, but trusted me enough to go along with it.

She was told not to make any noise, but she could squeeze my hand as hard as she wanted and just observe.

I picked up a mankoda (which are those big black ants) and shifted it from my hand to her hand...she was cringing tremendously, small tears swolled up in her eye as the black ant crawled on her hand, then after five seconds, we let the ant go back on the ground...and slowly Asha started to break her fearful face into a slight smile.

I know, it was kind of mean for me to force her, but i sensed a 5% shift in her confidence for the better after that. And plan on continuing these small 'insects are our friends' tests with her over the next month in different ways. And she has agreed to do it also. I'm sure it'll be fun and great way for us to connect with nature.

Love.

From on the Streets to a Loving Leader: Happy Birthday Bharat

About 17 years ago, Bharat was bootpolishing on the streets of Ahmedabad barefooted, raggedy clothed, trying to make a few cents to contribute to his family’s daily income. A family strapped with problems, he has grown a lot and has become a loving leader at Manav Sadhna and in our EKATVA journey. I will save his life story for a later post by our dear friend Pooja. But for now,  we celebrate his growth, his birthday and the potential that he represents in all of us, even the most underprivileged.

Day before yesterday the kids and I decided we’d pull off a surprise birthday celebration for Bharat’s 25^th birthday. When Bharat was not around we all split up tasks for what we were to bring early the next morning at 7am, to decorate and set up for Bharat’s surprise before he got to practice at 830am.

Chandani and Prinyanka balloons and confetti.

Devram and Sanjay, flowers.

Krishna, Payal, Bharti and Nikita, small gifts, lighted clock gift.

Nitesh , chocolates.

Dipmala, Asha, Bhavnik, Vicky, Dharmaji, Vishal, a Jesus Christ pendant.

He loves music and dance so I got him an ipod and speaker system.

We decorated the entrance of our practice area at the Gandhi Ashram and locked the door, and when he knocked, we bumped his favorite song “Dinka Chika Dinka Chika” (seriously that’s the title) and starting dancing and celebrating, a big party of dance and music that lasted about 45 minutes.

Twas’ beautiful to see how much love the kids have for him and how he has grown to become a loving leader for them.

Love.

"We have a Surprise for you"...

So everyday for the past year or so, I give our children rickshaw or bus money to get back home after practice. There are people like Sanjay and Devram, who live in Jamalpur, which is quite far from the Gandhi Ashram, but with the use of a Shuttle rickshaw (group rickshaw) and Bus, they are able to make a round trip in 30 rs. It may take them 45 minutes to an hour to go from home to practice.

Then there are our Shankarbhuvan Slum kids (Dipmala, Dharmaji, Vishal, Asha, Vicky and Bhavnik) who all squeeze into a rickshaw and get to Shankarbhuvan for a 30 rs. Rickshaw ride one-way. That’s a little distance away.

Chandani , Priyanka and Gaurang all have unique ride situations, for they all live even farther away.

But there are 4 girls, Payal, Bharti, Krishna and Nikita, who live closest to the Gandhi Ashram, in what is known as the biggest slum in Gujarat, Rama Pir No Tekro. Now these are four really tiny girls, who, when we started were afraid to walk to practice without an escort. Now they go back and forth by themselves.

But a fun interesting thing happened today:

Well, yesterday I gave them 20 rupees for their rickshaw ride back home.  They were supposed to take the 20 rs. rickshaw ride to the further entrance to the slum which is closer to their homes and then walk to practice in the morning. It’s 106 degree weather right now, I definitely don’t want any of them walking in the afternoon time in the sun.  So I suggest they take the rickshaw in the afternoon and walk in the morning, since they are close enough.  Basically I don’t want them to feel that we can just spend money whenever and wherever our comforts desire.

So anyways, today I had to come to practice late because of work I had to get done before reaching. When I came to join the kids for lunch, all four girls tell me they have a surprise for me after lunch. A surprise from our girls! Love it! And sometimes they get creative with their gifts to others.

After lunch and before practice ended, they say “Nimesh Sir, please wait, we want to give you your surprise”. Hah!! I’m cracking up. They’re too cute. For like 2 minutes, all four of them are shuffling in Bharti’s purse, searching for their surprise.

Finally…..(drum roll please)…They pull it out. It’s fifteen rupees. Then they look at my face for a reaction. I don’t give one. They ask, so do you know what the surprise is. I said, “No”…I was trying to think how they reached home yesterday and came to practice today on only five rupees. Something was not adding up.

The girls in an excited voice finally told me, they all hopped on a bus (India busses are rough and this was a highly unexpected maneuver by these girls!) to Vadaj, and then walked from there to home to save money and also try something new. And then they walked to practice this morning (8am, so not as hot then).

I was excited. They all truly broke out of their comfort zone and were happy and proud of it.  This group of 4 girls, tend to get scared the most and would never have gone on a bus by themselves and then walked from the big bus station to their homes. A beautiful suprise it was!!

Small things...Beautiful to see them grow.

Love.