“SANTA”MAS

 It’s Christmas time

Looking for Jesus ?

Can’t find him no more

Safely locked away

In our temples and churches

To be dragged out on to streets

To prove a pointless point.

We have newly packaged

Santa in the best form

Wrapped in Red and white

With a well fed belly

That everyone can cuddle.

One fine winter evening

My rickshaw comes to a screeching halt

I look out for familiar life sign

Baby in the arms -forcefully handicapped

Meant to move your hearts

Tiny hands hurriedly cleaning the car windows

Cop confused about his own signals,

Hoardings announcing

The arrival of festive seasons

Everything is on “sale”!

To make the festive season complete

Children selling

A Santa cap!

For five rupees only!

Wear the red tailed cap

You can become a Santa

To look like a charming clown

Or, meet the man in our city malls

Receive the goodies for the well fed!

Who is Santa?

A man from the North pole?

Pink and bearded,

With a gunny bag

Filled with “pre-packed” gifts

Do they know what is this Santa Business?

Oh! Yes! He brings hope to the hopeless!

I too have a long list for Santa!

A world without wars,

Hunger –free Childhood ,

Home that shelters everyone’s rights

Violence-free womanhood……..

The list is too long

I better stop here

So Santa doesn’t reject mine.

I am forty plus

Been around too long to know

My letter won’t be delivered

To the address that’s nowhere

Nor will I get a reply through the smokeless chimney

Do I wait for the man who doesn’t exist?

Or do I become the man “herself”?

I buy the cap and put it on my head

I awaken the Santa in me

To keep hope alive,

I keep life alive!!!

-Lakshmi Kumar

December, 2006.

Directly Speaking,

Dear parents,

Wish you all a very Happy New year. May the year 2007 be peaceful, healthy and prosperous for each and everyone of you.

The samachaar is growing bigger in size, with new lay out and graphic work. Our publication team is working to be creative and more informative in every possible way. They need a big pat on the shoulder.

I have made a new year resolution – as all of you have done.

This would be the year of acknowledgement – the pledge that is easy to keep. Acknowledge everyone’s role in my life, in the organization , in my social environment, and other people who have touched my life.

We are truly blessed with privileges:

• Privilege of an extraordinary space that is designed with special care and eye for details.
• Privilege of the location that is in the new upcoming areas of Pune
• Privilege of a colourfully crafted and inner and outer landscape
• Privilege of the Board of trustees who value and understand what we are doing and sharing our vision
• Privilege of an extraordinary team of staff that takes great pride in the construct of this institution
• Privilege of parents who have put their trust and faith in an experiment with same enthusiasm and inspiration as our team has
• Privilege of children who give us an opportunity to serve and touch the future
• Privilege of the community that is proud of our presence

When I count all the privileges, the single most important thing that emerges from it again and again is “people-centric”. People come together, share an idea , turns into a vision and transforms into a reality. At its core, team working is discipline of practices designed, to get the people of a team thinking and acting together.

We are a group that is prepared to make connection – connections with each other, board members, community members, government officials, businessmen, clergy and other non-government organizations.

Before we embark on such a journey that is outside the realm of our institutions, we have to create mental models within our own space. This requires that the team takes a step back, has an essential objective distance from the centre of action 9 the school) and retreat for reflections.

That’s what we did during our staff retreat. The whole team went for a retreat to Surya shibir, a place far away from home and school where we had the time and space to reflect and ask the essential questions – which otherwise tend to get lost in the everyday hectic schedule. What is that we want from ourselves?

How do we see our organization?

Are we aware of our own resources – both material and human –given to the institution?

What is that we need to give in return? Why do we want to be part of such an organization? Where does each one see their role with reference to the whole picture? What do we learn from this collective experiences? Many more questions were raised and reflected- ably facilitated by Kirron and Prativa. They are also associated with the school as proud parents. Inclusion was our key concern and we addressed it by translating it in Marathi to our service staff. Fun was another binding element. We danced and sang our way to each other’s hearts. This time and space gave us an opportunity to the real person behind the role- listening to life stories of each of us created a mutually respectful community. People from many walks of life come together – may be due to cosmic design – for the common good of their commitments. They are genuinely interested in tapping deeper into their own commitments .

I bow to the collective strength and consider it as a privilege to serve this community.

Love.

Lakshmi