HERMIT INDIA FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
JUNE 2010
What’s inside the issue ?
Welcome Message
• Welcome message from
the Co Founder.
• Muskaan can be an in-
spiration.
• Dilip’s Fight for the
chair.
• CSR club of NIILM
Center for Manage-
ment Studies.
• Citizens Perspective
• Announcements
Lalit Singh
Co Founder
Welcome all of you to the
inaugural issue of Hermit
India’s newsletter.
We mark our first anniver-
sary with the publication of
the news letter.
Hermit India was founded
A smile can be an inspiration
Hermit India successfully
organizes Muskaan in asso-
ciation with Bal Mela an
Hermit India foundation annual festival at Prayaas-
orphanage and juvenile
newsletter published from
home, New Delhi.
New Delhi, India. Current
edition vol 1 Issue 1.Next
Edition due in July. Bal Mela is an annual event
of Prayaas to celebrate
Visit us at : childhood.
www.hermitindia.org Childhood is a gift which we
realize only after we grow
Editor:
up.
Ms Poulomi Chatterjee
It was an opportunity for us
with a vision, a That is when me and three of
vision to motivate my friends decided to estab-
and awaken young lish Hermit India.
India towards the
We wanted to be a
social development
of the country. way for “YOU” to
contribute.
We have firmly
Over the last one year
believed that civil
society has a huge Hermit India has garnered
role to play not tremendous support from the
only in the eco- youth across India.
nomic progress, but I take this opportunity on
also in the social behalf of my team to thank
progress of the country. our members and volunteers
It is imperative that now the for their sustained support.
youth stands up for what is
I hope you will find Hermit
right. India’s newsletter informa-
But the question is “How”? tive and it would help you to
know us more.
This question confounded me
several times as a young boy.
to relive our childhood. The
program was attended by 300
children and Teachers.
Hermit India organized sev-
eral workshops like," Play
with waste"," Poster design-
ing", Mask Making and
Photo frame making.
The workshops were organ-
ized around the broad theme
to conserve “Environment”.
All smiles at Hermit India’s
event Muskaan.
 Samvedna for the Society
NIILM Center for Management Studies' CSR initiative

NIILM Center for Management Studies is a premier B school for Busi-

ness Management. NIILM is one of the very few colleges which has
made CSR a part of its course curriculum. The current batch as part of
their business communication curriculum had to undertake social pro-
jects.

Various issues were taken up by the students like Orphan-

hood,women’s empowerment,Autisim ,Water Conservation, Save the
Yamuna, Child Labor, and children's education.

The students worked closely with some of the reputed organizations

like Smile SOS, and Bachpan Bachao Andolan.The Projects were pre-
sentated at the Social Summit organized at the NIILM Campus in New
Delhi, which was attended by some of the eminent personalities of the
social sector like Dr Bhawani Shankar Tripathy from UNICEF,Mr San-
jeev Rai from Save the Children,Ms Neha Simlai from Christian asso-
ciation,Ms Madhura Dutta from i-Land Informatics and Ms Shivdasani
Amin from Apeejay School of Management
Team NIILM volunteering for Hermit India
Apart from this some students also volunteered for “UMAANG” a
three day youth festival organized by Bangla Natak.com in association
with United Nations Population Fund.

NIILM has given persistent support to Hermit India since our first
awareness program ULAAS. It has been a prolific relationship since
then. Many students from NIILM and other universities like Delhi Uni-
versity and Jamia Milia have volunteered for Hermit India in the past
and we continue to have their support for our future endeavors too.

Salim a student of Jamia Millia volunteering to teach

students Painting
 Dilip’s Fight for the chair
A Case Study of a ten year old orphaned child who fights for his “Right to a dignified life”

It has been more than a decade that India has been a signatory
to the United Nations Convention to Child Right Violations.
There is still Child Labor, Gender based discrimination and
Malnutrition. Every conscious being on this planet has a right
to live with dignity. So does a child. Many children in India are
being physically or sexually abused. These cases get noticed.
But what is equally gruesome that leaves a large a dent on the
psychological well being of a child is “Emotional Abuse".
Every Child is prone to Emotional abuse.

Take the Case of two brothers Dilip and Akash whose Father
worked in a construction site near Delhi. The boys had recently
lost their Father in an accident. Their Mother died long back
while giving birth to Akash. Akash has never seen his mother.
All he had was his older brother Dilip who was both caring and
protective of his younger brother.
A little love made dilip smile, it can also make him sit on the
We met both boys at Prayaas during one of our programs. Both chair again
boys interacted less with other children, it was apparent that the
boys were new to Prayaas. What really made me take note of
these kids was their refusal to sit on the chair. These are violations which a child goes through everyday. These
incidents in a child’s life leads to diminutive mental growth.
When all the children of the shelter home took their lunch in
the mess. These children waited, till everyone finished, after A child with unhealthy thoughts has an unhealthy body.
which they quietly sneaked into the kitchen. After they were You can play a role in Dilip’s life by making him sit on the chair
served food they took their plates , sat and eat on the floor. again. By letting Akash know that he is a bonafide citizen of this
When I offered them to sit on the chair, they ran back to their country and he too has a right to live his life with dignity.
rooms. On questioning the Matron, I got the answer to why
these kids behaved so strangely. The children were once as- It does not require a great deal of effort to make a difference.
saulted terribly by a contractor for whom there father
“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but
worked—ONLY FOR SITTING ON THE CHAIR.
small opportunities surround us everyday”
That incident caused a profound damage on the children men-
tally. They ran away from the chair because they did not want -Sally Koch
to be beaten up again.
Citizens Perspective
Anil Kapoor works as a laborer at a commonwealth venue (Siri Fort) in Delhi ,he mi-
grated from his village Samastipur Bihar 15 years back. He couldn't continue his educa-
tion as he lost his father when he was 18.Since the age of 18 years he has been the sole
bread earner for his family.

His wife is a graduate, but family does not allow her to work. He says “ Bahut lajjit
hona padta hai samaj me hum shikshit na ho paye” (I am ashamed I am not educated).
According to him he was a very bright student wanted to be a lawyer. He regrets he had
to discontinue his education. But he has a dream, a dream for his younger brother to see
him as an IAS officer. Since the past four years his brother has been preparing for IAS
examinations. He has supported him financially, mentally and emotionally throughout.

His co workers call him” Is yug ka ram” he smiles and says “mene apni Zima Dari nib-
hayi hai” (I have fulfilled my responsibility). He includes a lot of anecdotes from the
readings of Ramyana and Mahabharat. in his talks.

He says “India is a great country, “mahapursho ka desh hai” (all great man lived here)
aur sare dhram mane jate hai (all religions are followed).

Anil practices yoga every morning and is also practitioner of ayurvedic medicine for
poor and needy back in his village. He is a real HERO.

Announcements
Hermit India in partnership with PATH announces “Street Food festival to be held
in the month of August. PATH has been involved in the upliftment of unorganized
urban sector especially rickshaw pullers since a long time.

Their campaign FORPI Federation of rickshaw pullers of India is presently active

in five states Bihar, Rajasthan ,Haryana,Uttar Pradesh and Delhi with members
numbering around 2000 with approximately 1000 in Delhi.

Street food festival is an effort to show people the brighter side of the life of a rick-
shaw puller as well as the street vendor, who serves us everyday but has a total
negative impression on us. Some are those who are exceptionally talented and are
searching for that one opportunity to share the colors of life with the whole world.
Our effort is to showcase this very beauty of unexposed talent of those who have
not bowed down to the perpetrator called poverty.

The fund collected will go for the rehabilitation work of the families of rickshaw
pullers.

“We did not inherit this earth from our fathers, we borrow it from our children”