India

ONLINE STORYTELLING SESSION

Stories braiding through Nepal, India and Philippines

The online storytelling session is a collaborative project of GFF Helps Nepal and India since 2020. The former volunteer of GFF Helps Nepal introduced this project during the CoVID19 lockdown keeping in mind children’s mental health. Children from different places of India and Nepal attended the sessions. The 2nd season of the online storytelling session began in June 2021. Since then both the teams of India and Nepal has been conducting the sessions alternatively. The storytelling sessions include important lessons and activities apart from storytelling. In India a school counselor Ms. Prashanna Sherpa has volunteered to conduct the sessions. She mostly engages children with fun activities. Children look forward to her fun session every weekend.

“Gain knowledge through mindfulness and active learning”.

Counselor and and children during the session.

Ms. Prashanna conducting the online storytelling session.

Ms. Prashanna Sherpa interacting with the children during a session.

A group of children from India and Nepal team became a part of  group storytelling in the month of November. The session focused on enhancing children’s capacity speak in a second language (English). The storytelling session allows children to use their imagination and widen it’s scope. Children have been both avid listeners and fantastic storytellers’, as children from both countries meet and interact virtually on Saturdays’ a bond of friendship and connectedness has been another special thing about the storytelling sessions.

Group Storytelling Session

Young Storytellers

Widening the scope for imagination

Children from India and Nepal participate in a group storytelling. Using their creative imagination, they engage virtually but, connect through stories of their own.

GFF Helps Intern- Ms. Asbina Rai engages in the storytelling session with the children.

 

Joe FisherONLINE STORYTELLING SESSION
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GFF Helps India supporting, creating awareness and spreading joy

Workshop on healthcare by Dr. Sonali Vaid in Bong, Chibbo and Pudung villages

Covid 19 awareness and basic healthcare

Dr. Sonali interacting answering to the participants.

GFF Helps India Reps going to the field location for Dr. Sonali’s workshop in Chibbo village

Dr. Sonali Vaid, a Public Health specialist has been volunteering to spreadawareness and knowledge on CoVID19 and basic healthcare. During her visit to Kalimpong, GFF Helps India representatives met Dr. Sonali who volunteered to visit Bong, Chibbo and Pudung. It was a good opportunity for the India team to take her to the villages and educate people on basic healthcare and CoVID19.

Joe FisherGFF Helps India supporting, creating awareness and spreading joy
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TRAINING OF TRAINERS

Coach Ujjwal from Share FC interacting with participants during a session

GFF Helps India has been working in the area of sports for children and youths since its inception. Mr. Joe Fisher, the former GFF Helps India Representative during 2018 coached some young people of Chibbo village on Football. Last year when the pandemic hit the world and there were lockdowns everywhere, Joe came forward to encourage the children and young football enthusiasts of Kalimpong through online sessions.

Joe FisherTRAINING OF TRAINERS
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VACCINATION DRIVE WITH KALIMPONG NGO NETWORK (KANGON)

21ST JULY 2021 & 2nd AUGUST 2021

The Kalimpong NGO Network (KANGON) which is a consort of all the NGOs registered in Kalimpong, organized a private paid vaccination camp on the 21st of July and 2nd August 2021, for the concerned residents of Kalimpong town. This vaccination drive was organized by Kalimpong Covid 19 Support Team (of KANGON) in association with Medica North Bengal clinic. This camp was held in Rockvale Academy, 9th mile Kalimpong and was inaugurated by the Superintendent of Police Mr. Pai.

The superintendent of Police visiting the registration counter

The registrants noting down the required details

 

 

 

 

 

 

The drive commenced a week in advance with the registration process with the setting up of 4 registration counters. In order to provide ease, the first 300 registrants were given a subsidy of Rs. 180 by Kalimpong Covid 19 Support Team, while the rest had to pay the full amount of Rs. 780.

In total, 640 individuals from Kalimpong above 18 years were vaccinated by 10 professional nurses of Medica North Bengal Clinic. While majority of the individuals received their first jab of Covishield, there were few who had come for their second vaccination.

Elderly citizens were jabbed in their respective cars

After receiving the jab, the individuals were taken to an observation room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the NGOs took active part in the vaccination drive and were assigned duties, which ensured smooth implementation of the programme. GFF Helps India Representatives took the charge of the registration process while the members of SOGG Bong, Chibbo and Pudung villages actively volunteered in logistics and photo documentation.

Volunteers from SOGG Bong, Chibbo and Pudung taking the concerned individuals for the vaccination.

Several booths were set up to ensure the safety of everyone

 

Joe FisherVACCINATION DRIVE WITH KALIMPONG NGO NETWORK (KANGON)
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Vegetable Garden Project: Prize Distribution

Vegetable Garden Project: Prize Distribution
It’s been a year since the virus has blanketed the world. Covid-19 has affected individuals of every race, class, color, religion, gender and the like. While we await the development of an efficacious vaccine, it is important to boost the immune system- an important option to tackle the disease. Studies have shown that people who eat well balanced diet tend to be healthier. More than 2,500 years ago, Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Consuming fruits and vegetables that are loaded with vitamins, minerals and other compounds puts one at lower risk of chronic illness and infectious diseases. Maintaining good nutritional status can help fight against the virus. Immune health can be obtained and maintained by following a healthy diet as well as regular exercise.

Willyn CarrascalVegetable Garden Project: Prize Distribution
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Basic First-aid Training in India

The knowledge of basic first aid is crucial as it helps to save lives while promoting healthy, secure and safer environment. We never know when an injury may happen to us or the people around us. Knowledge about basic first aid is thus very helpful to take care of critical situations. This training session will be useful to not only the trainees but the society as well.

Willyn CarrascalBasic First-aid Training in India
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2020 END OF THE YEAR REVIEW – GFF HELPS India

2020 END OF THE YEAR REVIEW – GFF HELPS India

Warm greetings from GFF Helps India!

It gives us an immense pleasure to share with you an overview of the GFF Helps Project India in the year 2020. This year has been an unusual one for the entire world and I believe we are all being able to adapt the new normal. As Sir Owen wrote in one of the key mission statements “To give hope where there is despair”, we GFF HELPS India team, have been putting our best foot forward to help the individuals and communities at large in this time of turmoil we all have been in, with the pandemic taking its toll all around the world.

Willyn Carrascal2020 END OF THE YEAR REVIEW – GFF HELPS India
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Raising Awareness on Government Schemes in India

The Indian Government has provided numerous schemes for its citizens in the past and present. There are schemes that benefit all groups of people and categories especially the marginalised like the Women, Elderly, Children, and Persons with Disability, Schedule Casts and Schedule Tribes. Although there being many beneficial schemes, people of Kalimpong hills lack knowledge about it. Thus, they have not been availing those schemes which are meant for them and could be of a great help in their daily lives.

Willyn CarrascalRaising Awareness on Government Schemes in India
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Training and Sapling Distribution with Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) is an agricultural department of the government of India, the department is situated in various parts of the country which focuses on the rural agriculture. In Kalimpong the Kendra has been working since 1993 looking after the two districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong and is known as “Darjeeling Krishi Vigyan Kendra”.

Willyn CarrascalTraining and Sapling Distribution with Krishi Vigyan Kendra
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Joe’s Online Football Coaching

Joe’s Online Football Coaching
Like in many parts of the world, football is one of the most captivating sports in the hills of Kalimpong. Every child has played football once during their childhood but due to lack of proper guidance and motivation, many of them are unable to pursue their goal in the field of sports. Especially during the COVID19 lockdown the children were not able to go to school and play their loved sports with their friends.

Willyn CarrascalJoe’s Online Football Coaching
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