July 18, 2017

Mr Vyankatesh Prabhudesai, an alumnus of IIT Mumbai and IISc, has been the driving force behind the Aryaan Study Circle in Goa. With the vision of directing the students potential to the optimum, the Aryaan Study Circle and The Mushtifund Saunstha joined hands and floated a new unique and unaided higher secondary school named The Mushtifund Aryaan Higher Secondary School, Panaji to provide a better ambiance to the students of Goa.  The school has shown an impressive track record over the past several years.

A couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to address about 100 students of Std XI aspiring to the best institutes in the country.

The first part of the talk was motivational :  thriving on the challenge, continuously raising the bar for oneself, self-confidence and self-discipline, and enjoying the journey.

We then segued to Road Safety. Shubhangi linked the two talks by urging the students to ensure that their hard work is not upset by lack of caution on the road. We trimmed our talk to address 5 key points :
* Protect yourself First : Wear a helmet / seatbelt
* Slow Down : A normal speed with get you where you want
* None for the Road : Drinking and Driving do not mix
* Say No to Distracted Driving : Hands Free is not Risk Free
* Mind the Gap : Keep the distance and be aware of blind spots

To tune the talk to the, we discussed with the help of Physics and Biology ( difficulties from skull and head injuries, effect of speed on stopping distance, field of vision and blind spots, effect of alcohol on our body, distance traveled when distracted for a couple of seconds). We also tried to inspire the would-be engineers with some examples of innovations in road safety ( the seat belt, intelligent braking )

The children were very receptive, and their response was very heartening to us. The boy who stood up to give the vote of thanks, tore off his prepared speech and spoke spontaneously, urging his classmates to take road safety seriously.  The faculty also joined in signing the pledge.

As always, our fervent hope is that our effort influences at least 1 person to take a positive step towards safety of self and others on the road.

We thank Mr. Vyankatesh Prabhudessai for giving us this opportunity to address the students at Mushtifund Aryaan, and we hope to make this a lasting partnership.

Here are some pictures from the event.

We are happy to report on the progress following the road safety audit.

First, the fallen no-entry signpost was rectified. Then, a CCTV was installed at the junction.
And now, Zebra crossings have been painted at the schools and at the junctions.

Here are a few pics to share.

Just goes to show that the citizens’ involvement makes a difference. We are thankful to the Bangalore traffic police who gave due attention to the recommendations of the road safety audit conducted by the students of St Meera’s.

Mar 13, 2017 : The Arundhati Foundation partnered with Qwikcilver Solutions Pvt Ltd in this unique experience with CSR. The Holi celebrations at Qwikcilver this year went beyond the filling of bellies to filling potholes in and around the city of Bangalore.

Besides the music, food and entertainment which were a part of the Holi festivities, the fundraising activities included a game of lotto and food stalls selling delicious snacks ranging from pani puris, bhel puris, kachoris, samosas, ice creams, gulab jamuns, lemonade. The funds raised were handed over to Prathaap B Rao “Pothole Raja” for his initiative in making the city of Bangalore pothole-free. [  Should one spot a pothole one could take a picture and ‘WhatsApp’ it to 814POTHOLE (the letters correspond with the numbers 7684653) and Pothole Raja would attempt to fix it ]

Prathaap spoke to the Qwikcilver team about his initiative (in the pic above), and the volunteers joined forces with him. The group, working in small teams, worked over the next few weekends to fix 8 potholes in the vicinity of the Koramangala office. See the pics below.

Thanks to Prathaap and Qwikcilver for this fantastic effort. A special thanks to Anu Mathew – head of HR at Qwikcilver – this idea was her brainchild.

This is a great way to get people involved in CSR related to road safety, and make a difference on the ground! Hope other organizations also take up similar initiatives.

From Sept 2016 to Feb 2017 we had the privilege of working  on the Safer Roads Safer India campaign, to create awareness and make a difference on road safety.  Today, there was a wrap-up ceremony marking the close of the program for this academic year.  Shubhangi’s work and contribution was recognised and appreciated, as you can see in the photograph.

Thanks to UL, YSA and TRAX for the support and opportunity.

And many thanks to our young student volunteers. It was your effort, and willingness to make the difference, that really drove us.

Here is a clip that summarises our journey in this campaign.

The third Sunday of November is marked worldwide as the Day of Remembrance for accident victims – those who lost their lives, or injured, or have been affected by road traffic accidents.

This year. the WDR was today, 20 November.
Tomorrow is Aru’s 26th birthday.
We decided to mark these days by holding a junction event near the Ulsoor Police Station on the busy Old Madras Road in Bangalore, to spread the message “Safer Roads, Safer India”.

Thirteen volunteers participated in this event. In the run up to the event, the volunteers made slogans, discussed the nuances of those slogans ( What does it mean to say “You are the key to your safety”, or “Safety Never Takes a Break” or “Safety First” ). Posters were designed around these slogans to get the safety messages across in an impactful manner. Do take a look at the posters below. They speak a lot for the work done by these young volunteers.

As advocates of safety, the children were cautioned not to do anything unsafe. The posters were to be displayed ONLY to the people who were halted at the junction, and not to distract any drivers in motion.

Bhumi and Ananya also made a card thanking the Traffic Police for their contribution to this cause. The activity was started off by presenting the card to the police of Ulsoor Traffic police.

The children displayed the slogans and educated the public on road safety. The people who followed traffic rules were rewarded with chocolates. The volunteers got a sense of the impact they were making when people stopped at the lights, or when people removed the helmet from their arm and strapped it on. They urged those not wearing helmets. They gently told people who were stopping on zebra crossing.

Our success story is that these young volunteers were able to make people promise to do their bit, and did so with confidence, humility, and poise.

The youngest participant, Atharv Faldessai, all of five years, designed and painted his own poster and stood along with the volunteers for an hour doing his bit. Another success story today is that five-year old Atharv knows the five cardinal road safety rules, and proudly told us that his father always stops the car to the side of the road when he uses the phone.

The foundation wishes to thank
* Ipsita Basu for participating and encouraging us.
* Anusha Chowdary from UL for joining our event.
* Mr Abhishek Goel, DCP (East) for prompt permission and encouragement.
* Tushar Kapila, fellow grantee joined our cause, and came to encourage us.
* Shriya, Gauri, Bhumi, Anoushka, Ananya, Abhishek, Raghav, Arya, Selvan, Ngancho,Prakash,Nitish and Vivek for their creativity, enthusiasm and effort to imbibe the values, and spread the message.

Thank you so very much! You have been our strength.
Also many thanks to all our friends and well wishers who have stood by us and the Foundation.

Sharing a few photographs of the event.