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Village Gurmat Drive – Restoring the Virtues of True Sikhi

With the help of experienced volunteer’s, Keertaniya’s & Katha Vaachak’s  from Cheema Sahib Gurudwara, Village Gurmat Drive organized by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib has been conducting Samagams at every small & remote rural village where people need to be enlightened. This Drive has moved forward understanding the need of the hour and addressing the problems hand in hand. Punjab, being a land of the pious, is ironically losing its ground over true Sikhi rampantly, which has lead the youth crippled at the hands of alcohol & drug abuse.

Unfortunately quite a small section amongst the society is able to see the subtle link between the Drugs and declining Sikhi values, due to illiteracy.

The Kalgidhar Trust identified & strongly felt the need to awaken spirit of Sikhism amongst the people of Punjab by restoring spirituality to built high moral character & social responsibility. Target zones to begin with, were the rural villages of Punjab, where most of the population is illiterate.

Come be a part of the Drive and help transforming lives!

~ Ramandeep Singh,
~ New Delhi, 9th Sep ’13

Pics from one such event held at village “Datewaas”

Making Reading – A Pleasurable Experience with ‘Reading Corners’

With a firm belief in the saying -“A child that reads is a successful child”; imparting education and encouraging reading habits in young children is the need of the hour.

In the wake of imparting quality education and inculcating reading habits among the students, Akal Academy has understood the importance of Reading Corners. Making reading a pleasurable experience for the kids, developing healthy psychology and interest amongst the kids, is the priority.

Learning is FunChildren who read every day at age of three, have a vocabulary at age five which is nearly two months more advanced than those who are not. A child taken to the library on a monthly basis from age three to five is two and a half months ahead of an equivalent child at age five who did not visit the library so regularly. Thus, the Reading Corner concept!

Witness how kids at Akal Academy, love to read at the Reading Corner. The concept is being followed across all 129 Akal Academies being run by The Kalgidhar Trust. We have put in a step forward to inspire kids to read in their free time and making them realize the importance of reading to be a learned person in the future.

Constant efforts are being put in to maintain & regularly update Reading Corners to not only provide the required inspiration but also to keep the children motivated through their vivid ambience with reading material that entices them to spend time reading.

Want to help us support Rural Education? Click here – www.DeedaDay.in

For donations, click here – www.BaruSahib.org

Charity at its Purest: Blood donation Camp at Akal Academy, Village Ellenabad

ISBTI together with Akal Academy,village Ellenabad, located in district Sirsa, Haryana, recently organized a Blood Donation Camp at the village wherein several of the staff members alongside volunteers from The Kalgidhar Trust, worked together to collect blood from donors.

Blood donation Camp at Akal Academy, Village EllenabadThese camps powered by ISBTI, a National organization on Blood Transfusion Medicine & Blood Banking, also play a pivotal role in motivating donors alongside educating them about measures to take up in case of emergencies, especially in rural/village regions. Sirsa, being a backward district, often faces the challenges of shortage of blood, hence Akal Academy and ISBTI tied hands together to motivate locals and their own members to donate blood.

Blood donation is observed as an essential & critical element of serving humanity, by The Kalgidhar Trust; such Blood donation camps are regularly organized at Akal Academy campuses of all 129 rural schools located in far-flung villages like Ellenabad across North India.

“Every year our nation requires about 4 crore units of blood, out of which only a meager 40 Lakh units of blood is available.” Kalgidhar Trust does its bit. Do you?

~ Karanpreet Singh
~ New Delhi, 12th Sep ’13

Rural “India’s Got Talent”: Lil’ ‘Spell-Bee’ champs at Akal Academy Ghugg

At age as young as 4, little rural kids of small village Ghugg in Jalandhar district demonstrated their English spelling abilityat try-outs held within the school.

In a spelling contest named ‘Spell-bee’, teams were setup into 4 houses i.e.  Ajay, Abhay, Amul & Atul House, two kids were paired in each house;they  were thrown a volley of words where the first one to correctly spell the given word would gain a point.

Spell Bee Competition at Akal Academy, GhuggTeam Abhay Houses weep the board in round one for Spell-Bee with a splendid 45 point score followed by Amul, Atulat 2nd& 3rd  with  decent 42 & 40 whilst Ajay House took the weak spot with only 30.

Round 2 saw an incredible comeback by Ajay House, moving 2 steps up from its last position to becoming the 2nd fastest Spell-beewith final score of 44, whilst House Amul won the title of be the Fastest Spell-bee of the Academy by maintaining its consistent scoring through the second round where House Abhay took all the bashing, crashing all the way from top to finish the last as House Atul managed to retain its 3rd position of round one by being quickest at the final two questions.

The winners alongside the participants were presented with different prizes; the event witnessed a great sportsmanship coming forth from these young rural kids who looked perfect future challengers for mainstream competitions.

~ Ramandeep Singh,
~ New Delhi, 11th Sep ’13

Akal Academy Ellenabad : Little Young Kids & their Big celebrations of Guru Granth Sahib’s Prakash Utsav.

Reports about massive celebrations across different Akal Academies on the occasion of Pratham Prakash Utsav of  Sri Guru Granth Sahib kept coming in all through the last week.

Akal Academy, Village Ellenabad, celebrated this day with full gusto, where young students coming from classes 2nd to 5th devoutly prepared and performed Kirtan, Kavitas, Dharmic Choreography, Dharmic Geets to contribute towards the celebrations at the school. Fifteen Akhand Path Sahibs were observed at the Academy and its Samapti Bhog happened on the same day. It’s incredible to find so much enthusiasm prevailing among the young rural kids of villages, which was unimaginable, thanks to the efforts of Principal Sukhjeet Kaur who was personally looking after all details.

Reverence for these young kids & their serene spirit!

~ Deeksha Singh,
~ New Delhi, 10th Sep ’13

Akal Academy, Ellanabad

Punjab & Sind Bank supports Akal Academies with Swiss made Ultra Filtration Water Treatment Plants under CSR initiative

In a measure to combat problem related to shortage & cleanliness of drinking water, which has become a major national concern countrywide, Akal Academies have started installing heavy-duty Swiss made Ultra-filtration water treatment plants in their rural schools.

Implementation of the Water Purification Systems The project implementation of these state-of-the-art purification systems is sponsored & supported by Punjab & Sind Bank, taken up as a measure under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). After PFC and SJVN, PSB has been quite sympathetic to the needs of rural India in their CSR spends by holding hands for The Kalgidhar Trust in their noble mission of ‘Rural Transformation’.

The current project is aimed at covering 4 Akal Academies viz. Chunni Kalan, Reethkheri, Balbehra and Baru Sahib.The first phase of the project saw its successful completion on 8th Sept when the first state-of-art Swiss Plant was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner, Mohali, Mr. T.P.S. Sidhu at Akal Academy, Chunni Kalan.

“Problem of pollution is affecting every aspect of our life & environment, because of which several deadly diseases are spreading. Water is most critical need of every being & since polluted water is contaminating clean drinking water, the water-borne diseases have grown deadly,” stated DC Mr.Sidhu, “I also appreciate Akal Academies’ system of providing higher-education blended with spirituality to the students.”

In our country, every year, an estimated 3.77 crore people fall prey to water-borne diseases, in which the count of children remains very high, stated Mr. Iqbal Singh Bhatia, GM Punjab & Sind Bank, who presided over the inauguration event.

~ Ramandeep Singh
~ New Delhi, 10th Sep ’13

Ajit

Card Making Workshop: Brushing craftsmanship of budding Rural artists

Pictures from a recent Card Making workshop organized at Akal Academy in village Uddat Saidewala
where children from class 5th & 6th got their chance to showcase their creative side.
Akal Academy, Uddat Saidewala
Did You Know ?
During the early stages of secondary level schooling a child’s brain has highest prospects of acquiring & developing artistic skills under its natural process of building up areas of interest for itself.Creative Card making is one of the key extra-curricular activities that are undertaken at post-primary class levels to inspire, encourage & identify budding artisans amongst kids.

~ Deeksha Singh

~ New Delhi, 8th Sep ’13

Akal Academy Nursery Girl shines at Fatehgarh Sahib Jodh Mela

At the yearly fair of Fatehgarh Sahib, popularly known as “Jodh Mela” of “Chote Sahibzade” amongst locals, Gurmannat Kaur, a nursery student from Majri Akal Academy stole the show; the carnival hosted a creative stage performance competition for young children where participants from across 129 Akal Academies competed amongst several children to showcase their creativity & talent.

Akal Academy, MajriThere were speeches, debates & several other stage performances signifying the spirit & caliber of young kids. The profound speech delivered by young Gurmannat Kaur professing the importance of hair was observed as the most exquisite. Along with highlighting references from ‘Gurbani,’ she surprised everyone with her strong & mature words of satire over the trending self-obsessive lifestyle that is keeping the youth at bay from the path of spirituality.

Although Akal Academy at Ambala (Majiri) is just a year old, the first prize in the competition be speaks well for the aptitude & competency, the school is fostering its children with.

Want to contribute for a cause? Share a smile with the rural kids here – www.DeedaDay.in

~ Ramandeep Singh
~ New Delhi, 7th Sep ’13

A year old and 400+ Students – Akal Academy Majri sets the pace

Just 12 kms through rural winding roads from the GT Road near Ambala, stands a modest yet proud institution at village Majri; that has turned many a heads. The Kalgidhar Trust’s Akal Academy Majri, Ambala has set a new benchmark by reaching strength of 400+ students within first year of its inception. Akal Academy, MajriThe Majri rural school is also one of the youngest & first amongst all 129 academies to have reached this record figure; having brought so many rural & under-privileged rural children to school in its debut year. The school runs on value-based education system which is unique & first of its kind in the rural education sector in India. The Trust has embarked upon an aggressive target of setting up 500 such schools, covering almost every remote village in North India by 2020.

The Akal Academygroup of Schools since its inception in 1986 until now, has grown from a single class room School to 129 rural Schools spread over five North Indian states andhas been a fore-runner to impart quality education that focuses on transforming a child’s personality, not only academically but also, spiritually.

The beaming Principal – Ms. Satinder Kaur, added “Such love shown by the parents and the trust imposed on us motivates us to step ahead and do the unsaid to bring a positive change in the lives of the rural kids.”

Want to do your bit? Pick a child and sponsor his/her study here – (www.DeedaDay.in)

~ Ramandeep Singh
~ New Delhi, 6th Sep ’13

Village Dhanal Kalan ‘Paints It Green’ with Akal Academy Students

Akal Academy, Dhanal Kalan

As a part of their learning, students of Akal Academy, Dhanal Kalan woke up to nature’s beckoningand celebrated Van-Mahostav in high spirits. To spread awareness and to do their bit in bring a positive change, students, teachers and the staff members of the rural school together planted more than a hundred saplings.

Van-Mahotsav, observed through the months of July-August across the Nation, helps spread awareness amongst people about the harm caused by the cutting down of trees whilst explicating the importance of trees through exhibiting demonstrations & planting of saplings.

The event was organized in association with volunteers from Rotary Club Jalandhar Central.

As a matter of fact; 79 students from Jalandhar city travel each day to study at AA DhanalKalan, situated in a village.

Reverse Brain Drain, eh!

~ Deeksha Singh,
~ New Delhi, 6th Sep ’13