We Are The World Blogfest

/ March 31, 2017

A few days back I came across this great initiative started by a fellow-blogger, Damyanti and her Co-hosts, where they try to bring some positivity, humanity and brightness into this dark period of human history, which has known evrything from death due to natural disaters, to war and terrorism. Each day when we read the news, we are flooded by cases of violence, depravity or meanness. The Blogfest attempts to bring a ray of light into out sour hearts by sharing stories that tell us – we are still human.

This is a link to her introductory post to the Blogfest.

As part of the Blogfest, participants are required to post, on the last Friday of the Month,  their thoughts on a story in the news which involves love, humanity, and brotherhood, and restores our faith in human kindness.

If you would like to join in the initiative, and I would encourage you to, click this link and sign up for the initiative by using the Blog Hop given in Damyanti’s blog.

And without further ado, here are my thoughts on the selfless acts of this gentleman from India, as part of this humanitarian Blogfest :

 

I have always been one to appreciate the efforts of those who try to educate others, and when I mean educate, I don’t mean to say educate in the formal sense, that is through schools or universities or coaching classes, but educate people about life and the little lessons we can learn therefrom.

“A better educated world is a better world…”

is my belief.

That’s why the story of this humble, retired Police Officer from remote Bhind District in Madhya Pradesh, India, who started the ‘Angootha Saaf‘ campaign, touched my heart. Angootha Chaap in colloquial Hindi means illiterate. There is a practice in India attached to the phrase, that of affixing one’s thumbprint instead of using one’s signature, obviously because the ‘angootha chaap’, doesn’t know how to write. Conversely, Angootha Saaf would mean no thumbprint (saaf meaning clean), thus connoting that the person is literate enough to at least write his own name.

Mr. Ashok Singh Bhadoria is the man who started this campaign to eductae not only children and adolescents from backward regions, but also to ensure that the children in turn educate others around them. Talk about a role reversal, but why not? Why should only adults be teachers?

He also aims at educating adolescents and youths of the region in the use of technology, thus broadening their horizons. Mr. Bhadoria wants, for now, to keep things very straight and achievable. Here is the link to this small-budgeted but big-hearted campaign. Do check it out.

The sad condition of India is that while we have great schools and universities, and our citizens are renowned doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs, there’s a LARGE population in India that still does not know how to even write their names, or for that matter, tell the time, OR doesnot know anything beyond that. I wrote about this problem a few months back, taking the example of my House-Help who, though being schooled till the 7th grade, has now lost all use of her education, because she had to marry, drop out of school and eventually fall out of the habit of using her education for no more than recognizing numbers or signing her name on bank slips. She is, what I call, an ‘Educated Angootha Chaap’.

That is why initiatives and campaigns like these are important because we, I mean us educated folks, have to make an effort, no matter how small, to educate others, even if it means only educating one person. That one can multiply your teachings to several others, and they to yet others, which is what Mr. Bhadoria wants to achieve. Power and prayers for you, Mr. Bhadoria!

There are some who have the power and abuse it; there are some who have it but don’t know how to use it for the greater good. But people like Mr. Bhadoria are those who have put their power and knowledge to good use, thus restoring my faith in humanity.

I really do hope you participate in this inititative. Join up through Damyanti’s blog links. Use the  #WATWB hashtag wherever you can and promote this blogfest.

Love,

Pradita

Copyright ©2017 by Pradita Kapahi.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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