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2022-10_vrdc_activity_photos.pdf

• 2021-2022_activity_report.pdf
• 2021-2022_annual_report.pdf

• 2020-2021_activity_report.pdf
• 2020-2021_annual_report.pdf

We had informed last year about the award instituted for exemplary work, in education or any important socially relevant field with ability to impact many lives, in memory of Dear Nirmala tai. This is a joint initiative of VRDC and Purandare family,i.e. Nirmala’s family. This year was the second year and we were very happy to confer it to Mr. Rajesh Thombare, Chalisgaon,an interior region, north east Maharashtra. Belonging to an economically very weak background,himself having suffered from a life threatening King Cobra bite, having been abandoned for dead but luckily saved and finally losing only a finger to the incident, he vouched to work relentlessly to save lives lost to snake bites and to work to avoid human encroachment into forest areas and wild animals entering human settlements and the hazards created by both.He risks his life to challenge wild life trafficking and also trains the local youth and tribals who are more in danger, in First aid Practices to minimalise deaths due to such reasons. A lot more needs to be said about his work and not possible in this manner. It was the committee’s unanimous decision about his selection. 5th of January being Nirmala’s birthday ,the function was held yesterday with very limited gathering of people close to her and our work.

The cinema of Ris Orangis (Essonne, France) kindly welcomed us for a homage to Nirmala, our friend deceased last July (see below). Entr'Inde offered some Indian tea and snacks prepared by the members. Then some members read some testimonies about her before the projection of « Queen » (Vikas Bahl).
There was also a small exhibition in the hall.

Read the homages and souvenirs : nirmala_homages_and_souvenirs.pdf

See pictures of this event .

The benefice of this evening will contribute to support the actions of Vanasthali Rural Developpment Centre of which Nirmala was president.

Please, click on this link activities_2018-2019.pdf to read the activity report.

Our friend Nirmala passed away on Saturday, July 20th. She was a great lady. She was the one who motivated us all along these years, who accomplished enormous work for the rural developpment while trusting the women, empowering them, giving them responsibilities they had no idea before, in allowing thousands of children to be educated.

She has also developped all sorts of exchanges with France, with us and others. We shall miss her a lot. I think that we owe to her to continue in her footsteps in our modest scale.

Marie-Noël FRAYSSE, president of Entr'Inde

Annual Report for the period 2017-2018

2017-2018_annual_report.pdf

From February 17th to March 5th, a group of Entr'Inde was in Maharastra ; they visited the school of Jejuri ; they met the responsible team of Vanasthai in Pune office, the Vanasthali teachers of Lasalgaon, and also the farmers who came to France in 1992 and have been making their wine since, in Nashik Valley.

Click here for the photo album

Please, click on this link activities_2016-2017.pdf to read the activity report.

Please, click on this link activities_2015-2016.pdf to read the activity report.

In 35th year of ‘Vanasthali Rural Development Centre’, the 48th five-days camp was organized from 7th June 2016 to 11th June 2016 at ‘Vidyarthi Sahayyak samiti’s’(Students’ Welfare Association) ‘Lajpat Bhavan Hostel’. It was aimed to provide equipment for making participants rich while studying, reading or trying handicrafts. 240 women from 9 districts of Maharashtra where Vanasthali is active participated in this camp. Following sessions were held during this camp. There were administrators, deputy administrators, teachers and students.

• Camp was inaugurated on 7th June 2016 by Ushaprabha Page (Director, Pune Radio Broadcasting Centre) with her introduction by Bharati Bhide. Page, a well known mountaineer too, inform about ‘Nadi Bachao’ (Save River) project in detail as well as environment.
• Shailaja Deshpande & Shital Chopade demonstrated how to make domestic cleaning material at home.
• SNDT (women’s) University is completing its 100th year; as a part of its celebration, a survey is being conducted regarding imbalanced gender proportion. The participants were asked to fill the questionnaire of this survey by Dr. Madhavi Kulkarni, Vice-Principal, SNDT College, Pune. This provoked them to think deeply about the issue.
• under the supervision of Manik Kotwal, Kishori Mahalingpurkar and Ranjana Deshmukh taught students the standards for ‘Balwadi (pre-school class) Training Program’ followed by revision by Manik Kotwal. Some Balwadi administers conducted classes to show how ideal lessons can be delivered.
• Dr. Sonali Shinde informed about ‘Pani Panchayat’ (a body to tackle Issues about water) organization and expressed the need to save water by using it carefully. She also made participants aware to be alert about healthcare through observing healthy diet, especially Ayurvedic and doing enough and proper exercises.
• Prof. Bhakti Hubalikar, SNDT College, Pune, did counselling about behaviour, before and after marriage. The following ‘Question N Answer’ session made it playful.
• Varsha Gajendragadkar screened a film regarding the environment and the deterioration of natural resources.
• Painter Ravi Mukul talked about the method / route to the making of front cover page of any book along with the slide show interestingly. He articulated the importance of reading book carefully before starting front cover page as it is equally important as the book.
• Nature Walk organization’s Vilas Kane shoed a film about ‘Devrai’ (a typical forest) and sea shore life of aquatics animals and wild life of India.
• Seema Bhakare of ‘Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, Pune’ informed the propos of the consumer movement. In her talk, she covered salient points concerning consumers such as investments, buying activities, registering complaints at different levels.
• the participants shared their experiences and opinions about the book ‘Lihawe Netake’ (write properly/neatly) with its writer Madhuri Purandare, a well known writer and the artist.
• Sandhya Taksale from ‘Pratham’ group described how to tell story with the help of internet.
• Abhay Karade made participants acquainted with making artefacts out of corrugated paper. Under his guidance women made files on their own.
• Sandhya Lele exhibited the art of ‘rangoli’ (a typical powder), making paper garlands and paper quelling with the informative commentary.
• five organizations, namely, ‘Swadhar’, ‘Doorstep School’, ‘Kshitij’, ‘Snehdeep’, ‘Vanasthali’ arranged an exhibition on the subject of ‘Reading Culture’ to enhance reading habit with the help of educational instruments like picture reading, puppets, songs, stories, charts etc.
• Rangsheela’s Bhairawi Purandare presented a children drama ‘C-11”, based on Dr. Jayant Naralikar’s science fiction asserting the fact that progress of human beings is for world-peace.
• Students exhibited their talent through different arts. A group from Mahabaleshwar performed a street play on waste management. Lonand group did a farmer dance. Pushpa Ninhali and her group presented an art form, ‘Jogawa’ on ‘Balashikshan’ – child education.
• an entertaining program was ‘Chala Shibir Yeu Dya’ (let camps happen) based on Aparna Sabale’s concept. It was comprised of questions asked to the trustees of Vanasthali.
• the camp was concluded on 11th June 2016 by the councillor of PMC, Madhuri Sahastrabuddhe, an entrepreneur. She told that there is always a sweet fruit out of sincere work. She also talked about waste management, need of women’s toilet, sweepers counselling and public relation.

Sharmila Salunkhe, Bharati Jachak, Shalaka Thakur, Bhargavi Kulkarni, Manali Nadkarni, Pravin Pendhare, Kanta Dhawale and all trustees of Vanasthali contributed the success of the camp. Manager of Lajpat Bhavan Hostel, Bhawate Sir and the student Mrugesh Math helped the cause. All participants enjoyed the camp and got enriched their personality. Everybody wanted such camps get repeated.
LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST NIRMALA PURANDARE ATTENED CAMP FOR FEW HOURS. IT WAS A GREAT PLEASURE FOR ALL OF US. SHE ALSO ENJOYED THE MOMENT WITH SUPERVISORS AND TEACHERS.

Please, click on this link 2014-2015_vrdc_activities.pdf to read the activity report.

In Sangamner, Satral, Hannmangon, Tisgoanwadi area, 23 teachers conducted hobby classes in 12 schools which benefited 1475 school children.

At Sangamner child guidance centre a teacher conducted hobby as well as study classes which benefited 30 children approx.

One teacher carried out the hobby class activities in the Ashram school (Residential school for deprived section) and benefited to 150 children of the school.

One teacher held reading sessions for the 40 women who are busy in rolling cigarettes but are free to listen to various types of books, news papers, etc.

During summer holiday months of April-May 2014 special activity camps were held at 4 places and about 2000 children participated in the camp. They were taken for a visit to sugar factory and nature excursion to Pengiri fort along with craft, drawing, music, games, dramatics, reading activities etc.

The winter (Diwali Holidays) camps for children were held at 2 places in which 850 children participated in various indoor-outdoor activities conducted for them.

October 2014 – Sangamner centre’s work completed 30 years and thus a celebrating special camp for VRDC women was arranged and 325 women from the 9 districts participated with great enthusiasm. Pushpa Nihrali  and Sunanda Kate the supervisors and their co-worker Meena Pardesi organised it very appreciably with lot of local support participation – A very commendable effort. A special issue of Vanasthali bi-monthly was published to commemorate this occasion.

It is a proud moment every now and then, when VRDC trained teachers are invited by other organizations to import training for their beneficiaries.

To improve and strengthen their own knowledge, information base, vision and to benefit their own personalities a friends reading group has been started where our teachers participate, read and discuss various issues.

Some pictures
1. Rahata near Sangamner winter camp
2. Loni : Preparation of teaching aids
3. Sangamner Balbhavan
4. Exhibition in Sangamner
5. Mrs Aasha Gade reading among the Cigarette workers
6. Outdoor games

Diwali holiday is over and now “au travail !”. From 29th October to November 2nd Winter camp was organized in Sangamner. Puspha and other teachers worked very hard for the success of the camp.
Around 320 women from 9 districts in Maharashtra (Supervisors, Balwadi Teachers, Hobby class Teachers, Primary school Teachers from Jejuri) attended the camp.

• Literature for children ;
• Story telling ;
• Women empowerment ;
• Trafficking of women and children and preventive measures taken ;
• Environment – climate change etc.  

• Puppets ;
• Handicrafts : paper bags, purses etc.
• Diwali lamps etc
• Science experiments.

Exhibition of various educative materials was exhibited artistically.
One of the activity was the write an imaginary news papers.
Role plays were presented every night group by group. This was appreciated by all of them.
In this camp Local doctor Mr. Saraf arranged a health camp for our women.
You will be happy to know that Pushpa and her group of teachers and her remand home  teachers worked very impressively that local people helped the camp by providing almost free of cost residence. VRDC has to spend on food, travelling and administration.
This activity of regularly organized personality camps proved to be a very very effective since enthusiasm, activeness and many other aspects of life. Thousands of women and children are befitted.
Dear friends, this Vanasthali reputation of providing effective education has become possible because of your support. Vanasthali is always grateful for your prompt and timely assistance. It would have been impossible otherwise.
We all wish, you were among us in the camp.
Please make a plan next year and in the meantime.
Please accept our sincere thanks.
Affectively yours,

Nirmala Purandare and Trustees of Vanasthali.

Supervisors meeting was held on 29th & 30th May 2014 in PUNE. 32 supervisors participated. From 15th June 2014 our new academic year has started. So we had organized our Pune meeting in the last week of May 2014. We discussed about the New Year planning and strategy to be applied by us.
Meeting details as follows :

• Last year work – Reporting by our supervisors.
• Problems faced during the work by our supervisors.
• After discussion on problem solution was given by experts and staff.
• New year planning (2014-2015): Plans for the current academic year.
• New ideas regarding the work.
• Strategy applied for the year (2014-2015). i.e. Focus on science experiments in the hobby classes. Work programme for adolescent girls i.e. sanitization of the sexuality/safety etc.
• An expert, Rohini Dange, physiotherapist from Pune’s well-known hospital guided our supervisors and gave demonstration especially for basic preventive steps to maintain physical health of women about forty. It received enthusiastic response from our supervisors because it is a daily life issue for everybody.
• Waste management : discussed by  Meenatai Pawar.
• Finance literacy introduction lecture i.e Bank transactions, finance management, sources of Investments: discussed by Prof. Madhavi Kulkarni.

With the help of M.G. Paranjpe Trust our supervisors were enjoyed their excursions in April / May 2014. Superviosrs shared their experience amongst us. All of us enjoyed their experience. We think for our women this is the part of their personality development. Mrs. Smitatai and Nehatai from Paranjpe Trust  attended the meeting.
We were very happy to see Nirmalatai in the meeting. Her guidance will definitely help to our supervisors in their work.
Trustees, office staff and some well-wishers were present in the meeting.
Our routine work has now started and our supervisors will share the above mentioned subjects with local teachers.

Vanasthali family

Please, click on this link 2013-2014_vrdc_activities_.pdf to read the activity report.

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