Salt Lake's Ujaan Welfare Society

The Road to Success - Long, Never-Ending, and Winding!

2011-02-26T08:43:00.000+05:30

There's a road - long and winding 
The lights are blindin' - but it gets there
Don't give up - don't look back 
There's a silver linin' - it's out there
somewhere 
Everybody wants an answer - everybody needs a
friend 
We all need a shinin' star on which we can depend

N' so tonight we're gonna wish upon a star 
We never wished upon before - (to find what
you're 
looking for) 
There'll be times - in your life
Ya when you' be dancin' n' sh*t - but you ain't
gettin it
But don't get disillusioned - no, don't expect
too much 
Cuz if what you have is all you can get - just
keep on 
tryin' - it just ain't happened yet 
Everybody wants ta be winner - everybody has a
dream 
We all need a shinin' star when things ain't what
they seem 
So tonight we're gonna wish upon a star 
We never wished upon before - (gotta get where
you're 
headed for) 

Everybody wants some kindness - everybody needs a
break 
We all need a shinin' star when things get hard
to take 
So tonight we're gonna wish upon a star 
We never wished upon before

--- Bryan Adams

Happy New Year

2010-01-07T11:17:00.000+05:30

The New Year has started with a chilly winter, and every one of us are trying to cope with it. And as usual, Ujaan has some projects lined up and plans for the months of January and February.

First of all, Ujaan has planned a day out with the young children we are working with. It will be an exciting day, a picnic with some competitions and sports. And of course, there is going to be a yummy lunch for every one.

After all, every child wants to get out of the boring and dull routine of life every once in while! And adults are no exception!!!

And then …

The Calcutta BookFair is coming up soon! And we are ready for it as well, with some surprises on the way!

December 2009.

Ujaan’s young team performed at Subhash Sorobor Medical Club on Sunday, the 6th of December. They played a few popular Bengali songs, and also an English number. The message was quite clear -

even though there are so many things that our hearts want to achieve, it is not possible for every one of us to see our dreams being realized …

However that is the challenge that Ujaan has taken up, isn’t it? To make everyone’s dreams come true?

Join hands, against Child sexual abuse!

2009-12-17T19:01:00.002+05:30

Children cry and demand everything. They shout for a chocolate, for something they need but when they are abused, or are under pressure, they are the most worried and silent ones around. They are not mentally so matured to express their feelings, frustration, fear, joy or anything as such, with anyone. This all remains the same unless they are mature enough, or are trained to do freely express their feelings when needed.

The main focus on this is because children, the innocent kids, irrespective of how old or young they are, are being the victims of child sexual abuse all around the world. These children usually don’t express all this in front of their parents, and live their life of pain silently, trying to carry on with what’s happening with them. They are unaware whether its good/bad, whether it has some ill effects, whether the society is against it, whether its a common practice all around. It is us who should teach them what’s right and what’s wrong.

If that’s the condition with children, parents too are mostly unaware of all this. Most of the times girl child parents are too cautious and parents of boys think they are safe. But they never realize that child sexual abuse is shared almost equally by both boys and girls.

DDGang members are joining hands with ARPAN, an NGO from Mumbai which creates awareness against child sexual abuse, amongst parents so that they can try to prevent any act going on, and go against it. The initiative from the gang is taken by Harish Iyer (@hiyer ) and we all gang members are supporting it.
Harish has been one of the survivors of Child Sexual Abuse and says -

“All my childhood I lived a dual life—the life when I was being abused, and the life when I wasn’t. It dictated my very being. It was years of continuous abuse, years of pain, years of breach with not a single soul to reach out to. I bled from my anus often, and once did gather the courage to tell mom. And she thought it was because of the summer heat. I don’t blame her now. She was completely ignorant about the fact that male children are susceptible to sexual abuse and need to be protected.”

We always would salute Harish for the courage he gathered to share this and join forces against any sexual abuse activities going around. Harish is running for ARPAN in the Mumbai Marathon on 17th January, 2010 to support Arpan’s work on preventing child sexual abuse and healing it’s ill effects.
And the group is collecting funds to teach children and parents the skills to protect against the sexual abuse, and help the victims recover mentally.

You can help DDGang by spreading the news about it, or donate funds to ARPAN.
You can donate by going here = DONATE

Or you can pay via cheque, please send cheque in the name of ‘United Way of Mumbai’ to
ARPAN
Unit 24, 2nd flr, 105, Apollo Street, Mumbai Samachar Marg, Mumbai – 23.

Resources -

ARPAN
Hope Runs Blog
Hoperuns facebook page
UnitedWayMumbai (Charity Partner for Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2010)
Hoperuns on Twitter
Rohini’s post
Chetan’s post
Gautham’s post

Chetan Bhawani, From Desi Dilwale

Winter Plans

2009-12-05T19:50:00.000+05:30

Winter is almost here … well it is here … and we have quite a lot coming on.

Ujaan’s official band is in the making, and are looking to perform for the first time ever on stage tomorrow!

Ujaan is on its way on hosting another cultural program in the latter part of December, along with all the children and the other members on our team.

Even though everything is still in the planning phase, things are looking good. We have quite a number of people who have successfully joined the team as volunteers towards the noble cause for which Ujaan was originally formed as an Indian NGO.

Stay tuned! More news on the children welfare and educational plans are on the way.

Thank you for your support!

Life Through Reel By Guest Photographer Subhabrata Maity

2009-10-24T18:45:00.007+05:30

Under The Age of Reason

N.B. We like to thank Subhabrata Maity for all the beautiful contributions.

Midnight's Children

2009-10-13T19:35:00.006+05:30

Have you seen them
Who in the dread night's darkness
Fades away?
Have you seen those
Who move from one corner to another
For embraces?

Have you thought about them
Who curves for attention at some street corner,
Those who don't have home
But life's one desire
To live, live and live..

They dance in the rain
Play with the mud,
Makes the rotten their mate
And loves things which we neglect?

They are midnight's children
Who are truly themselves,
When the whole world rests,
When they don't have to worry,
Of running from greenery,
For black Earth is where,
They can hide themselves
And silently balm
Their restless hearts.

For they are midnight's children

And they cannot be found

So easily.

"Nox erat et caelo fulgebat Bambini sereno Inter minora sidera..."

"It was night and in a cloudless sky the child was shinning amid the lesser lights..."

From Horace's Epode...Bambini is used instead of Luna which means Moon...

We are on Wordpress as well!!!

2009-08-27T23:28:00.000+05:30

www.ujaanwelfare.wordpress.com

check out out new blog!

15th August with Ms Shikha Das

2009-08-18T07:28:00.001+05:30

Ujaan worked closely with Probortok, another NGO like ourselves, on this day and celebrated the Indian Independence Day with mentally challenged members of our country.

It was a great thing to see these people so enthusiastic about the value this day has in Indian history, especially when most of us treat this day merely as a holiday!

The flag hoisting ceremony and a small gathering saw many highly excited faces. Our Treasurer Ms Shikha Das was present at the venue, and told us all about the success and happiness one can get while working for such a noble cause.

We convey our regards for her efforts and hope to see more of us doing something similar every time we get the opportunity ...

Our new project ...

2009-08-13T09:20:00.002+05:30

We are looking at these young members of our society...

Ujaan is in planning to start a bi-weekly education camp with these children, teaching them in various fields, like ...

Culture
Personality Development
Creative Arts
Basic Education

While these children, or their parents, don't have the ability to provide for their education, Ujaan is seriously planning to do something related to this matter at present. Since we have just started, and the economic factors are a matter of concern for us at the moment, we are trying to figure out the best way to appraoch this mission, asap.

We hope to start with our project very soon, may be in the first week of Septmeber, 2009.

There are around 20 little children who can do very well if they received a little support from us. Thanks to the generous contributions from our small team, we have been able to come this far. But the distance we want to travel is much, much more than this ....

Your good wishes and a little bit of support is all we require to make these dreams come true ...

We Are On Facebook ...

2009-08-13T09:18:00.000+05:30

Check out this link on Facebook ....

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Salt-Lakes-Ujaan-Welfare-Society/129055518872?ref=ss

Our Inauguration Concert!

2009-08-13T08:01:00.000+05:30

Saturday, 8 August, was special for Ujaan.

Not only did the greatest Bengali poet ever, Shree Rabindranath Tagore, left this world for his heavenly abode on this very day many years ago, but Ujaan saw its birth on this very day. 8 August, 2009, is the day when Ujaan came into existence in this world, and the day when Ujaan tried to make a few faces smile with its very beginning.

New Clothes For The Pujas!

Even though we have been registered with the Government of West Bengal for quite some time now, we started on our way to make the dreams of our fellow countrymen come true on this day. There were around 15 little kids who we presented with new clothes for the upcoming Pujas.

If you were present on this day at the venue of our inauguration concert, you would have seen, like the 60 odd participants and patrons, that these small children, ranging from a couple of years to 14 years of age, very happy beyond our expectations. We knew they may have never seen such new clothes for themselves, but the same situation was what we felt too. We had never seen so much happiness before this! And that was not only from them, but from the others present as well!

Notebooks and Stationery

We had ten other children who were presented with notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, drawing books and crayons on this day. As our main aim is to spread awareness about culture and education amongst the underprivileged, we were able to achieve much more than we ever thought we will be able to, that too on the very first day of our coming into existence in the society.

Apart from all this, the cultural items we managed to host with the help of some very talented children and individuals were beyond any doubt fabulous, and people got to see how creative they can be on this day. While there were a host of other activities including a musical skit by small kids and an inauguration song "Aaguner Poroshmoni" by the senior members, the show stopper seemed to be the "Shaotaali Dance" by 6 shaotal performers. The appreciation they received was overwhelming, and one of the main reasons for the success of the show.

In Conclusion

Ujaan has tried their best in bringing forward some talents on this day that often go unnoticed. Also Ujaan has tried to provide a little bit of happiness to 25 underprivileged children on this day, promoting education and culture. The end result was much more encouraging, and we are already planning heaps to work with the children and provide them free education and other basic amenities.

Let us see how far we can go ... but our dreams will be always with us, with theirs as well. And with everyone's good wishes and a little support, Ujaan WILL make this society a better place for everyone...

2009-08-11T19:33:00.000+05:30

Ujaan's New Innings

From Grass-Root Level

Prisoner-In-Junput

2009-08-06T20:09:00.000+05:30

One month before hand I didn't realise that it would turn out to be a self imposed exile. The most hostile place mankind. Its not that people don't stay there, it's just people has lost its battle fighting with nature and the supreme - MAN, himself.

It was a rough ride but an excited one, asking myself every now and then, is it really what people say? Is the place really worth going? Even when I got on the bus to Junput, I wasn't sure what was I doing; may be I was driven away by excitement. Nevertheless, till stepping foot on the place, inside our rooms, I was like a relaxed bird but as soon as the curtains were drawn I was BLANK!

The place is nothing better than the rain-forests of Malaysia where the team of Is Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao are shooting. Its a breeding ground of insects, mosquitoes, smelly fishes etc. No sooner we had entered, we felt like when we will leave this place. We were attacked by all sorts of things, smaller things of nature, as if telling us and hurting us for entering their zone, as if we were INTRUDERS!

The first day went like hell, we trying and searching every way to tackle the small beasts, sometimes searching ways to fly away from this unknown, yet untainted land. But it played a mysterious role, disturbing us but made us stay till end.

The place as the habitats there said was once a beauty but the war of HUMANS destroyed it and I guess it was taking its revenge on us. Politics didn't leave this small place also. Even in that place there was beauty, reminiscences of past, places of the owner's dream to make a place they never saw before.

Junput is said to be a beside sea but the sea is far far away from it. Yes, once it use to be beside the resort where we resided. The resort is an wonderful place but it is not at all looked after and maintened. What we heard is that after election when the party hold got changed, the TMC didn't let the CPI(M) supporters work there. The owner said either the old people will work or the resort will get shut! Don't know what the truth is really but we did felt. The roads are as bad as the infrastructure of the place.

Junput is 1hour 10mins away from Digha and 1hour away from Mandarmoni. Whoever goes to this place should once visit all the neighbouring place. However Junput isn't anymore a place to stay for more than 1 day.

However after spending three days there, I'll say, I enjoyed atleast 20percent coz I went with a huge group. I even got drenched on the last day at the beach, the tides were present as it was full moon day. Anyways do experience all type of fun guys. I hope the place gets what it needs, roads, infrastructure, support and people, true-spirited.

From our contributor::Su'Shanty

Where are we heading towards?

2009-07-24T19:20:00.000+05:30

Calcutta has lost everything. From measures to save itself from a cyclone to unity among ourselves. People go on complaining about situations they live in which actually has been created by them over the years. Complaining about inundated roads to less security measures. Calcutta itself is not sure actually what is its problem? Not only Calcutta but India is said to be a nation without discrimination but look around. You get discriminated starting from the education areas till your death.

Everything is left for later. Politicians go on talking but nowhere not even once are they seen working on points they promise to us before elections rather they go on working on nuclear deals or car plant projects about which they didn’t manifest before elections. No, they are doing well but at least do your “home” works first and then extra curricular projects! After all charity begins at home.

The oppositions are also wonderful. They are there to make sure government doesn’t misuse its powers and point to the citizens the faults of the government. They are also there to offer support on certain issues, like the BJD (Biju Janata Dal) has said but nobody knows how much they will. But let us take a view of what actually oppositions do-

L.K. Advani – He said during the famous no-confidence vote about the Indo-US nuclear deal that he is voting against the government because they are in the oppositions sit but if they would had been in the power they would had gone with it also.
Mamata Banerjee – One of world’s most reported politicians in the year 2008-09. She is the opposition leader in her state, but her opposing went so far that her opposition lead to cancellation of lucrative deals of modernization out of the state’s pocket. Her protests lead to trouble in everyday life of thousand of people all over Bengal.

These two politicians, oops, opposition party leaders show what the main work of the opposition is, opposing till the lives of people get messed up.

People are so selfish what to tell. All they work for is to dominate and stay in the power. The money people spend in preaching their party, holding processions or meetings, both the opposition and government, had they used in working like the NGOs, automatically the best party to go on working would achieve what they aspire to but they are so busy pointing fingers.

Has anybody ever thought why there is so much discrimination always? Why a manager who works lesser than a clerk gets paid more? Why we need to be of a respective class or section to get seats or jobs? Why Muslims are minorities? Just for once remove all banners - WE ARE HUMANS! People have forgotten that. Until this discrimination, self-loathing and hunger to dominate over each other ends, problems will never end, never. We are so selfish because there is so much of discrimination and everyone is worried whether he or she will achieve anything ever thanks to the basic problems that are always overlooked. Answer Mr. Gandhi Mr. Prime Minister if you can. Nothing is compulsion, it’s because of your oneself that you are in the mud that you complain or talk about.

There will be problems always unless we co-operate and honestly remove all the barriers and work just work for everything.

From Su'Shanty, our contributor - [http://sudattamukherjee.blogspot.com]

2009-07-24T19:10:00.000+05:30

I'm For Humanity

Support Gay Rights

Against People Who Discriminate

They are here to preach Love

They are Humans

Just Like Us

IF YOU SUPPORT THIS NOBLE DECISION THEN PLEASE PUT THIS BADGE UP IN YOUR SITE.

Get the code

From Su'Shanty, our contributor - [http://sudattamukherjee.blogspot.com]

Our Inaugaration Concert @ Salt Lake City, Kolkata

2009-07-24T08:27:00.000+05:30

Our concert is on the way ... 8th August!

Anyone interested to visit or participate - please contact me on susmit-ujaan@in.com ASAP! It will be held in Salt Lake City - the community hall already been booked for the 8th of August! Anyone with any talent, please get in touch soon for an audition :) before the slots run out!

Let us start on our new path!

Thank you all!
Regards,
Susmit Mukherjee
Chief Informations Management
Salt Lake's Ujaan Welfare Society
Kolkata, India
susmit-ujaan@in.com
www.dreamz2fly.hd1.in
www.esnips.com/user/ujaan

Waiting on the World to Change

2009-07-23T07:45:00.001+05:30

Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing and
There's no way we ever could

Now we see everything that's going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it

So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

It's hard to beat the system
When we're standing at a distance
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change

Now if we had the power
To bring our neighbors home from war
They would have never missed a Christmas
No more ribbons on their door
And when you trust your television
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information, oh
They can bend it all they want

That's why we're waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

It's not that we don't care,
We just know that the fight ain't fair
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

And we're still waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
One day our generation
Is gonna rule the population
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

- John Mayer

2009-07-23T07:07:00.000+05:30

Hi Everyone,

We are officially in to existence from yesterday ... :)

We are now registered as Salt Lake's Ujaan Welfare Society (with the West Bengal Government)!
Lot of work to be done, and we are on to it already! We are about to arrange a concert very soon, sometime during the first weeks of August.

I will let all of you know about it.

Cheers to Ujaan and the team ... keep your posts coming in and stay do in touch.
People who are willing to join our team as patrons or volunteers are requested to contact me on susmit-ujaan@in.com please.

Thank you all!
Regards,
Susmit Mukherjee
Chief Informations Management
Salt Lake's Ujaan Welfare Society
Kolkata, India
www.dreamz2fly.hd1.in

2009-07-20T10:04:00.000+05:30

Hello Everyone,

As you all know by now, we are Ujaan Wellfare Society of Salt Lake, located in Kolkata, India.

We are a not profit NGO. We started our operations quite a while ago, but are now trying to join up, network and establish an online presence so that more and more people come to know about us.

We have a fair number of patrons and followers, and are constantly looking to help the poor and the under-priviledged. We organize concerts, various environment awareness programs, and even have a list of personality and educational programs offered at a very low cost for the poor and the needy children of Kolkata.

We are also looking to help cottage and small scale rural industries. It has been just a while that we have started to increase the base for our operations, and show ourselves on a larger scale. We welcome each and every person, group or entity to join us and/or assist us for our ventures.

Also check:

www.dreamz2fly.hd1.in

www.esnips.com/user/ujaan

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=103343023735 on Facebook!

Contact Details:

susmit-ujaan@in.com

OH! These Blood Sucking Insects

2009-07-20T09:34:00.000+05:30

The land that once was,
Royalty at its peak.
There was no word as loss,
‘Cause it had accepted no defeat.

Bengal? How beautiful a sight,
But you have started a dreadful scenario – a war, a fight!
Terror at its peak, despondent many a lives;
Vibrancy has begun to sink; innocent farmers have lost their wives. . .

But what is cause of all this dogmatism?
- The educated influencing people to fanaticism.
They are responsible for this mess,
Who, in turn, hope to wipe people off Earth’s face.

They call it POLITICS,
No more service, but a game.
Now hear my definition, ‘POLY-TICKS’;
Very many blood sucking insects that make the world go lame!

-RRIVU BANDYOPADHYAY

[About Maoist n Nandigram Issue!]

Our Motto ...

2009-07-17T08:52:00.000+05:30

Development should be all-round & for everyone ...

We believe that every individual has the right to a meaningful and complete life and that is what we strive for. Although it is not a simple task to go on all by ourselves to achieve this motto that we have, taking a step towards it means a lot. It is a long way to where we see our country and this world. We dream and use our humble efforts to make our dreams come true - which is helping others to be strong enough to dream and realize them.

While we are on our way, we see so many others who would want to see this world as a great place to live in. We welcome each and every individual and group who would want to walk the distance with us and make the dreams of the millions of billions of people come true, some of whom cannot even afford a proper meal for a day!

Our sole aim is to make this world a better place ... for everyone.

There are various ways to go for this. The most important points that haunt almost everyone today are food, shelter, clothing, education, security and of course a stable and secured financial condition. Yes it is true that most people still struggle with the first three points mentioned. Poverty is one of the major problems in our country.

We hope to show our fellow countrymen a way to get over these problems, and are constantly planning to make it happen. Although we are pretty young, we have dreams that are very very ancient - a happy and contented life to live. We can do it, if only we can get our message all around, and get more and more people to understand and walk towards making this cause successful.

Let us make this state, this country, and this world a better place to live in!

(www.dreamz2fly.hd1.in)