Yesterday I started volunteering with Saksham Seva. I will be creating English audio books for the blind in India, being the voice, editing them and adding sound effects etc. Hopefully I can create some awesome audio books after my training is finished, the first book I am working on is a children’s story about a little Indian girl. There are quite a few Hindi words in it, so I have to work on my pronunciation for those (and find out what they mean!).
Saksham Seva not only has a audiobook creation centre, but also runs many projects to support the blind and partially sighted. The center is translating Marathi and Hindi books into braille, which has to be done manually unlike Latin script (our A B C’s) which can be generated in seconds, just by scanning the page. This work is carried out primarily by housewives and retired people.
The premise also holds a blind school, a hostel for blind women, a facility for squint correction and a cornea donation programme, giving people the gift of sight. It’s really a fantastic place with a happy environment.
If you saw my post yesterday, you would have read that I was a little disapointed that I didn’t witness Dahi Handi. Dahi Handi is the Maharashtrian tradition of making a human pyramid to break a clay pot full of buttermilk, reenacting some of Lord Krishna’s mischievous childhood behaviour.
Once I left the audio book center, I was so happy to see that the students of the blind school were dancing and playing Dahi Handi. I got to see it after all.
The boy’s smile on the bottom left, so adorable
The human pyramid fell several times, they were just perfecting their technique. Each time the pyramid fell, undefeated they’d brush themselves off and start dance to the music playing. Let’s just say, they danced often. Once they were danced out, the boys would then regroup and try again.
There were so many failed attempts that one of the teachers decided to lower the pot, another teacher didn’t want it lowered and kept sneeking away to pull it up higher again. Some more Lord Krishna mischief.
After many falls, they did it! Buttermilk went absolutely everywhere, one boy’s face was completely covered, and he wasn’t even in the pyramid! Everyone had a great time, all were laughing and dancing so joyously, even the boy with a mask of buttermilk had a huge grin on his face.
I am so happy to be able to be involved in such a great charity, go to http://sakshamseva.org/ to read more about their amazing work.
Fun! I think volunteering is amazing. Every time I have done it really has been fulfilling.
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Thanks, Mani!! Yes it is wonderful, more people should do it! xxx
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It is so great to hear that you have started volunteering! It really is life changing being able to serve others in whatever way you can and what a really nice opportunity with audio books. God bless you!
It was really interesting to read about their tradition as well and you managed to catch some really beautiful photos.
I remember in Nepal we visited a school for the deaf as they had put on a programme and invited baba. It was really an amazing sight seeing kids have such a zest for life. They had a few non deaf students who helped to lead the deaf students in dance shows and tae kwon do performances. There was something so special about all the children and schools I saw in Nepal. It was really beautiful and I would have loved to be more involved. So I am so happy that you are managing to volunteer!
Also, it is great that you feel so confident in India to be able to go out and volunteer. It is really nice to watch India becoming a home to you! Do you think over time you will go back to doing something pharmaceutical? Or volunteering in that field? Do you feel that a language barrier holds you back from these things?
Best wishes! xxx
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Hey Hanna,
Lovely to hear from you!! What a lovely experience at the deaf school in Nepal, great! These students at the blind school were similar, always guiding each other and getting involved with the festivities!
It has taken some time for me to gain the confidence but now I have taken ‘the leap’, I feel so much more at home here in India and so happy to be involved in a great charity. I hope to be able to do more with time :).
In India, many people have some degree of English because many schools are actually taught in English so it’s okay. I would only go back to pharmacy in a volunteer healthcare sense, I still have some knowledge up there :). Once we are settled in our new city (who knows when!) I will look for something long term.
I hope you are doing well back in London! I am excited to read more of your Nepalese tales ❤
Love xxx
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This is great news, Lauren. To become involved with something so interesting and worthwhile. I’m so pleased for you. xx
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Thank you so much, Nicola 🙂 xxx
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Lauren, I am so proud of you!! This is great for all– a win/win situation. How wonderful of you to do this! xx ellen
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Thank you so much, Ellen!!! Yes, a definitely win-win, very heart warming to see such amazing work being done in the other parts of the center as well 😀
I hope you are well xxx
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That is so great. I am so proud that you are doing some volunteer work. You’ll make lots of friends and also it will be great to be a part of a community by helping. Can’t wait to hear more.
xo
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Thank you, Alexandra 🙂
It’s an amazing experience, so happy I have finally found the confidence 🙂
Take care xxx
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This is so beautiful 🙂 And what you are doing is for greater goodness.
I have always wondered what goes in the pot they are supposed to hit and never bothered to look around and in our region it’s colored water. Sounds interesting to know they use dahi in it 🙂
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Thank you so much for your lovely comment!
It’s quite funny, today there is a huge dahi handi outside my house. Being sad I didn’t see any, then seeing two after the festival is over!
I hope you are well x
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That’s a beautiful cause to support, and I bet it will be a lot of fun (not to mention a wonderful experience) to record your voice in an audio book. ^_^
Dahi Handi looks like it would be really fun to watch. Ahaha – I’m glad you had the chance to see! 🙂
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Thanks, Crystal!
I even got to see it a second time as well! So alls well and ends well 😛
Lots of love xxx
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Wonderful opportunity to make a difference to the lives of the disabled.
I am sure this will also help you in learning HIndi, since you will have to interact with staff/students. ‘Immersion’ is the only/fastest way to learn the local language , even
the best of language learning tools cannot compare.
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Thank you so much, Ramesh.
You are right, it should help. Most people are speaking Marathi though and it does get confusing but one day soon it should be fine.
I hope you are well
Lauren
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I’d love to hear more about the audiobook project. I did a small voice project in Tokyo and loved it. I thought it would be fun to record audiobooks for the blind and hadn’t quite got around to investigating more. Good for you!
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Definitely look for a studio near you!! I will write more soon, I have been going 6 days a week for the training. It is really great and exciting!!
I hope you are well and everything is getting better xxx
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Fabulous work. Please share details of the audio books so we can also enjoy.
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