Let's Connect For A Cause

BMC school students at Santacruz East station with CACR

Art is something that brings a smile on my face and a pleasant sigh making me feel “Today is going to be a great day!” So, imagine my happiness when every step I took at the railway station I found a painting; especially when a Van Gogh’s “Starry Nights” played right in to my vision. I was standing there for a few minutes just looking at it, giddy with happiness hoping to stop everyone and say “This is a Van Gogh, even though it is not the original.”

As kids, we loved doodling; on our walls and in our notebook. Unfortunately the wall thing was banned both by school and parents as it was a risk to their sanity. But giving it an outlet through decorating your railway station is an exciting idea. It kills two birds with one stone; one’s fantasy of painting on walls, with the added benefit of beautifying one’s stations.

Mumbai First and Making A Difference (M.A.D) initiative in collaboration with the Western and Central Railways came up with the Beautification programme, called ‘Hamara Station Hamari Shaan’ as part of a Nationwide voluntary initiative called Daan Utsav, executed from 2nd to 8^th October 2016.

Citizen Association for Child Rights (CACR) decided to take this opportunity to the MCGM Children too, giving them a chance to explore the world of art and be a part of the Clean India movement. Not only did they get a chance to see their works on the wall being viewed by millions, but they also got chance to be meet other artists and support PM Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat dream.

CACR members Vidya Vaidya and Ar Deyasini Choudhury supervised the entire project. MCGM school students from both western and central side participated in this program for a day each. There are 21 stations in western suburb and 15 stations in central suburb. A total of 164 BMC school students from seven schools helped in coloring six railway stations (two in central suburb and four in western suburbs).

In order to understand this program, I went to Santacruz East Station on 8^th October, where Ar Deyasini Choudhary and Vinita Menon of CACR and Viren Shah of MAD were coordinating the project. A total of 60 MCGM school students from Juhu and Andheri were ready to give the walls of the station ticket counter area a much needed makeover. They all were eagerly awaiting instructions with paint brushes in one hand and paint in other. While some were painting the trains, others were painting flowers, butterflies, leaves and grass.

At Mulund

At Vile Parle

At Bandra

A few students from NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology – Vidhi Shethi, Daanish Gandhi and Vinay had also volunteered their help. Our graduates and under graduates have realised that to make a change, we have to be a part of the change and participate in such programs, stating “Where there is a will there is a way”.

CACR volunteers from NMIMS-MPET

Along the way I also met Allwyn Pereira, the R N Podar School Art Teacher with some of his student volunteers painting on the walls of the foot over bridges(FOB). It is great to have teachers going beyond the four walls and supporting such initiatives.

I also met the artist of Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’, Snehal Patil (an independent artist) who had beautified the outer walls of Station Master’s cabin, the Ticket Window and the FOBs.

Art is really underappreciated in our country, in spite of our vibrant cultural history and our living arts. So through this program, we are providing a medium to both art and artist to showcase their potential to the world, especially in a locale where the commuter otherwise would not have the time to go beyond his/her daily routine to view art.

Also, art plays a very big role in a city’s holistic development. A “smart city” that we talk about so much should have both art and technology going hand in hand.

It is also important for children to participate in such initiatives from an early age to respect public spaces, to understand the concept of ‘giving back’- especially for MCGM School children, who have very few avenues of participating in such events, giving them a sense of belonging and help inculcate in them a sound civic sense, of responsibility, and the most important the joy of creating beauty!

From tomorrow onwards, the people of Mumbai will have something exciting and interesting to see on the platforms, FOBs and ticket windows daily, rather than the dark and dirty drudgery they are accustomed to.

It just depends on how many are willing to pause for a second and appreciate these efforts.

Visit www.ngocacr.com to know more.

CACR- Project HandWash

Every day you wake hoping for a better today. There is a sprint in your step; there is a gleam in your eye; there is freshness in your soul. All these fantasies crash when you get out of your apartment and start walking. You realise that the possibility of enjoying the blue sky is zero, zilch, nil. Because every step is like being in a video game where an unknown enemy in the form of potholes, bodily fluids, faeces, garbage, spits, is in front of you.

So, it is great to have a Prime Minister who considers cleanliness an important part of the country’s policy portfolio. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan has helped to create awareness about hygiene and sanitation and small initiatives have been started by individuals, groups and corporations as part of this programme.

One such initiative started is by the NGO CACR (Citizen Association for Child Rights), ‘Project Hand Wash’ under the UNICEF guidelines. It was started in August by its Director Nitin Wadhwani, and Project Head Dr. Richa Singh. It is a 12 session program of 45 to 60 mins with one session per week.

CACR - Project Hand Wash

As a pilot project started in 14 BMC schools between Bandra and Andheri, it benefits approximately 545 students. As per the UNICEF guidelines the sessions have a mixture of theory and games to explain the hygienic and correct way of washing hands and other safe sanitation practices. Activities like the Hand wash song, catch the ball game, storytelling, are used to explain bacteria and germs, their effect on our immune system and the ways to prevent their proliferation in our body.

CACR - Project Hand Wash

This programme is a step towards bringing about behavioural changes in the children’s hygiene and sanitation practices. By educating students when to wash their hands, the correct way of washing hands, proper garbage disposal, safe sanitation practices, we hope to lessen the effects of common diseases like diarrhoea, viral flu, cold and cough on the immune system. These behavioural changes will help create awareness among others too, along the way.