Neerabatara swara

This is a poem translated by me from original English to Odia.I don't have the copy right of the original poem which can be found at http://www.ndtv.com/ent/bookspoetrycorner.asp?id=1849 . There was no means for me to contact the author. I liked the poem.So I transleted even though without explicit permission. I am Sorry :))

Mora kabita - My Poem

Giving back in my own way

Knowledge and Welfare are worshipped in the forms of goddess Saraswati & Laxmi. Both are vital for growth of society.

Laxmi is the goddess of welfare. Most of us find ourselves understanding goddess Laxmi synonymous to Wealth.is Wealth is private whereas welfare signifies community wealth. Generate wealth for all is the true test of good business.

Wealth and knowledge must be shared with community as water in a village pond.

Being born to a humble family in a remote village in Southern Orissa and coming up the academic leading to the monetary success ladder, inspired by the ancient concept and a true believer of the same I am trying my best in whatever way possible within a budget of 1% of my annual salary .


Mission:
Giving back some thing to your society (mother land) in terms of time/money or labor. With the distance acting as hindrance the option of time and labor is restricted to the vacation trips to my village.

Objectives:
The first being: to spread education by providing the tools and amenities
The second (a more ambitious one): To open an old-age home (though looks a bit more ambitious)

Execution:

The initial idea was to provide books 8 to 10 children in each of the three classes (8th, 9th and 10th) in my high school which has shaped my career. Due to the changes in the school opening timings the idea failed .The syllabi for 4 subjects in class 8th have been changed .So it was decided that the new books would be distributed to 22 students of class 8th.

The process involved identifying the financially challenged students who have the desire to pursue studies.

Total of 88 (4 x 22) books were purchased and distributed among the selected students

Books not Scholarship

There was a conscious decision not to provide cash to avoid doubts about utilization. And again cash in term of scholarships will go to the individuals for a particular year only and the effect wouldn’t be passed to others. The good thing about distributing books is that books can be rolled over for next year bringing the multiplier effect into force. So if I spend the same amount of money next year the number of beneficiaries will be doubled (provided the syllabus doesn’t change).Next year it will be tripled……….

The amount may be minimal but the smiles on the faces of the student and teachers were noteworthy. I was not there in the occasion.


Other Forms.

Giving your old books
Paying for School fees.
If you /your parents are influential in the area requests can be made to the authorities of the concerned institutions to waive the school fees.

been there done that - though half way

Just came across this !!

When you have a passion and a reason to do something, you will surely excel. You may not be talented or gifted but if you have a strong enough reason to do something, you will be able to tap into your inner God given potential.

A tribute to the makers of "Mahendra"

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.
Charles Plumb, a US Naval Academy graduate, was a jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.
One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"
"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.
"I packed your parachute," the man replied.Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man grabbed his hand and said, "I guess it worked!"
Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb kept wondering what the man might have looked like in a Navy uniform. He wondered how many times he might have seen him and not even said good morning, how are you or anything, because you see, he was a fighter pilot and the man was just a sailor. Plumb thought of the many hours that sailor had spent in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he did not know.
Now Plumb asks his audience, "Who is packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day.
Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down. As you go through your week, month, and even New Year, recognize the people who have packed your parachute and enabled you to get where you are today!

Mahendra

Beauty of English

Yesterday I saw a client person working till 7 pm in the evening which is quite unusual considering the fact that everybody leaves by 5.30 pm.
I was just tempted to ask " Are u competing with Indians in staying late in office? " but somehow I didn't like the wording . So kept quiet for some time, Then I got a better word. And I was excited...
And I asked him " Are u inspired by the Indian colleagues to stay late in office ?......... Apt came the reply. "Hey thanks for reminding that it's late. I have an angry woman at home ... I have to keep her satisfied also."
I said "I won't comment on that"
And we had a hearty laugh ...........