This is how we cebrate Deepavali 2009

Family members, neighbours, and kids involved in celebrating (Deepavali) ದೀಪಾವಳಿ ೨೦೦೯ at our native place, Hebbkavadi. Few pics from here.

Trip to Jogfalls and Devirammana Betta (Chikmagaluru)

We have been to Chikkamagalur and Shimoga (Jogfalls). See pics from here

Oracle-Volunteers project - 2009 (Career guidance to high School Rural students)

In our Oracle company, every year there will be an event called "Oracle Volunteer". This will usually held during September to November. This activity will be conducted across many countries (where ever oracle offices located) to make a difference to the Society (and getting popular itself). Similarly, Oracle established in a big chunk in India/Bengalooru. With this occasion, there will be many projects operated in Bengalooru also. Usually all projects will be executed within Bangalore premises and rarely go out from Bengalooru. Few of us (my colleagues and friends) thought that why can't we move this project out of Bengalooru. Eventually, we decided to execute a social activity somewhere outside Bengalooru. Since most of us are coming form rural background and I am basically from Hebbakavadi village/Mandya and it's very near to capital of Karnataka, I/We proposed a project to conduct in Mandya. The project title is "Career guidance to high School students". We decided to execute this project in four schools. Namely, Hebbakavadi (main location), Mangala, Thimmana Hosooru, and Dodda Mulagoodu villages.

The project got approved from Ora-Volunteer group. We performed the event and it was a grand successful.
Here is the summary about the project:-
The project consists of 18 volunteers. Most of them (95%) are knows Kannada read/write/spoke and it's one of the main criteria to register to this project.
We grouped into four teams. Each group visited different schools (mentioned above). We covered approximately 400 students. The activity took one and half hour of interactive discussion/presentation in the morning and ~2 hours in the evening session to conduct Quiz (At Hebbakavadi).

The project activities:-
1. project is about teaching/guiding govt high schools students for their career. The career plan includes what can be done after SSLC (10th standard) class, like different streams (science, arts, professional courses, job oriented courses, music, sports, etc). Apart from this, providing pointers/contacts or educate them to know scholarships available (to name few Prathammysore, Infosys foundation, NTSE, KVPY, etc.).
Materials that we handover to Schools/Students:-
a) Bigger chart given to each Schools. This is displayed at the school
premises and it is useful for upcoming students
b) Booklet distributed to students/teachers for future reference which will
have "Mind Tree" representation of the content covered in the
presentation.
Also, it contains scholarship and job-oriented details and distributed them
to students/teachers for future reference.

2. Conducted "Quiz competition": The quiz intends to educate /create awareness among the students about general knowledge, career options. etc. The Quiz held b/w four team (formed from all four schools). Other than Hebbakavadi school team, everyone assembled at our Village (Hebbakavadi). Though it was Saturday and has got morning classes, our (project prime location) High school Head mistress arranged full day classes so that students can involve in getting the aware of such programs. After the quiz, we distributed the prizes to Winner and Runner team.

It was my privilege to execute Ora-Volunteer-2009 project in our native place and helped little to our rural students.

Are you interested to watch the pictures? If yes, click here And if anybody wanted share the materials that we prepared and wanted to give to your own schools/children, let me know I can share the same. My email-id 'nandisha@gmail.com'.

Thanks and Regards,
Nandisha