Team
Udayan continues to expand as we have welcomed new members to strengthen our
work.
· Ms. Subha
Banerjee, has joined Udayan as Head Human Resource. She is an MBA in HR from
reputed institution, having overall 20+ years working experience at various
organizations.
· Partha Sanyal,
Bachelors in Commerce and having diploma in Finance Accounting from NIIT,
Kolkata, joined Udayan as Accountant. He is having 17 years of working
experience in accounts & finance, at reputed organisations.
On 1st week of November a crew of Professionals landed Udayan, supported by SBI Life to shoot a short film with a theme ‘Bade ho ke kya Banoge’ on our children. The film got released on 14th November 2022 at social media platforms. The short film reflects Udayan’s endeavor for a holistic development in children’s life. Our children enjoyed their participation in the film and with their smiling faces they won the hearts of our visitors. Udayan is thankful to SBI Life Insurance for taking the initiative of the project. sharing the link- https://youtu.be/0cCM2sjoQGM
October was
a month full of festivities in West Bengal! Children enjoyed their short stay at
home with their parents during Durga Puja vacation, which is celebrated with
great gusto across the state and country.
After their
return to Udayan, all Children along with core residential staff celebrated
Diwali (the festivals of lights) with pomp & grandeur. Children decorated
Udayan with colourful rangolis, led lights and earthen lamps (diyas). There was
an arrangement of music, dance and plates full of delicious diwali sweets like
gujiya, mithai, ladoo for children. The atmosphere at Udayan was filled with
happiness and glory. The smiling faces reflected the ardent hopes of children.
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Udayan’s
leadership team, Director Dipak Sahu and Assistant Director, Adrija Mitra,
attended two consecutive programmes, facilitated by Wipro Foundation.
The on-campus training in Wipro, Bangalore held from 15th – 18th September 2022 focussing on key strategies to promote a healthy, vibrant and thriving team environment among NGOs, along with techniques to optimize the overall well-being of the organization through micro shift strategy planning. The training helped to strengthen Udayan’s approaches in promoting optimal work environment for staff members and the collaboration further strengthened the long term ties between Udayan and Wipro.
An another 3-day program at Pune, Maharashtra for 20th Wipro Foundation Partners’ Forum. The program ran from 5th December to 7th December 2022 with an aim to Strengthen Indian Education. More than 150 Partner organizations have attended the program to share their valuable knowledge on the same.
Wipro
Foundation supported our Udayan Vidyalaya teachers to avail four-days training
workshop in August 2022. The training was based on Foundational literacy and
Numeracy training at Indian Institute of Training & Development, Thakurpukur,
Kolkata.
The major
learning purpose is to provide multigrade education to children at their early
age. Teachers updated themselves with new and advanced methods to make class
rooms rich in child &activity centric. Concepts on ways to develop oral
& writing language skills, mathematics and calculation through toys &
play pedagogy were trained there.
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The KPMG
team and SBI team reviewed our programmatic as well as financial progress. Their
valuable suggestions and pieces of advice strengthen the path to achieve our
goal.
During
the visit they interacted with the children and staff members.
We feel proud to have the continued
support of the Vijay Amritraj Foundation, founded by Padmashri Vijay Amritraj,
the former tennis superstar from India.
Having been connected to Udayan via Shamlu
Dudeja and The Calcutta Foundation, the Vijay Amritaj Foundation continued
their support of Udayan children this year with a donation of Rupees 7lakhs
ninety thousand. The organisation supported us for Humanitarian Assistance for children with leprosy or belonging to leprosy affected families.
Founded in 2006, the
Foundation brings hope, help and healing to the defence less and innocent victims
of disease, tragedy and circumstance in India. Driven by their firm belief that 'in giving we receive', the Foundation pledges to make a real difference for
those who are most in need of the helping hand of humanity.
Going into Financial Year 2022-2023, India
based organisation, Mukul Madhav Foundation has renewed its corporate
sponsorship to Udayan by doubling its financial support to 10 children.
Mukul Madhav Foundation has committed to support 6 more children this year for their entire holistic
development, providing a key boost to help Udayan children complete their education
in the safe and supportive environment of Udayan.
“We are very grateful for Mukul Madhav Foundation and their ongoing support of our work,” said Dipak Sahu, Director of Udayan.
“To have local supporters, who
have a long standing trust and commitment to the children of Udayan, makes a big
difference in our efforts to take leprosy affected youth from childhood to
livelihood.” He said.
Udayan’s Annual General Meeting was held
on Saturday 19th November at 3pm, via Google Meet. The AGM was a great opportunity for all
members to come together and elect their Governing Body, and to hear key updates
on the year.
The AGM also saw the unveiling of Udayan’s
Annual Report – an important document which transparently outlines the key
highlights and successes of the organisation, along with financials.
A meeting of the Governing Body was
directly held afterwards with the GB unanimously electing to retain the positions
of Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer to maintain
consistency and stability at governance level.
Members of Udayan, unanimously elected
members of the Governing Body:
Steve Waugh Foundation, Australia has been
supporting leprosy affected youth at Udayan for many years now, but is now scaling its
reach! In Year 2 of the Steve Waugh Foundation Scholarship Program, supporting youth from the
Leprosy Colonies, 16 youth were enrolled this quarter, in various fields of
Vocational Training as per their eligibility and choice.
5 young adults enrolled in a Diploma in
Medical Laboratory Technology, 4 youths will be enrolled for Hotel Management,
4 youth in General Nursing and Midwifery & 3 youngsters will undergo a
Diploma in Beautician course.
Additionally, 17 Udayan children who passed
Higher Secondary Examination in 2022 took admission in Vocational Training, and
have completed their registration for Nursing at MAKAUT University and the Chattisgarh
Nursing Council under the support of SBI Life Insurance.
Vocational & Professional courses such
act as the bridge between Udayan and a dignified livelihood – enabling leprosy
affected youths to lift their families out of poverty.
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Udayan’s Chair, Director & Secretary – Emily R Menon, Dipak Sahu and Dr Sue John, attended the World Leprosy Congress in Hyderabad held in the month of November, 2022.
The congress, held every 3 years, sees over 1500 delegates from around the world meet on the subject of Leprosy, with the ‘who’s who’ from the Leprosy world present at the event.
It presented a great networking
opportunity for Udayan and a chance to increase the visibility of the
organisation among key agencies within the Leprosy sector.
“It
became very clear, from the many papers presented at the conference, that
children from leprosy affected families are very
vulnerable and ‘overlooked’ in this space, and that the need for education and
vocational training is also a neglected area.” Emily Menon said.
“We hope to champion this cause and the
work we are doing, so that more people see the importance of investing in this
space.” She said.
“The event was very worthwhile, and I feel that we have made some significant connections, both within India and abroad, with key people from the leprosy space. I hope that we can continue attending the congress and promoting the important work that we are doing at Udayan.” said Emily R Menon.
The Governing Body of Udayan, along with
leadership team, attended a 2-day strategic planning retreat on 10th &
11th of October 2022 at the Taj Bengal in Kolkata.
Facilitated by non-profit consultant, Nandita Dalal, the retreat was the culmination of a 4-month strategy planning process to chart the net 5 years of Udayan’s journey.
Post the retreat, a strategy document has been drawn up outlining 3 strategic goals for the coming years, along with detailed action plan to achieve them.
STRATEGIC GOALS FOR 2023-2025
1. Launch of Pilot Community Program - Launch pilot Early Childhood Education Program in Monipur & Kankardanga Leprosy Colonies - Kankardanga by mid 2023 and Monipur by mid 2024.
2. Documentation of Programs & Development of a Monitoring & Evaluation System
3. Expansion of Nivedita Bhavan Girls Wing (to take capacity from 100 to 200 girls) at Udayan Campus by the end of 2025.
In order to capture data on the situation in Leprosy Colonies, Udayan commissioned a Needs Assessment Study by Institute of Development Studies Kolkata which will be used to inform the Udayan strategy going forward.
For the past 6months, professors at the Institute of Development Studies Kolkata have been undertaking the in-depth research study and spent 21 days in the field interviewing leprosy affected families from 7 Leprosy Colonies.
A formal report has been developed which will be used as a baseline to develop in-community
programs going forward, and to underpin the Udayan Strategy which will be
developed over the coming months.
o Case for Support
Udayan has developed its very own Case for Support – a crucial document for donors which walks them through every aspect of why Udayan exists, the problems we are addressing and our approach to helping children rise above leprosy.
A case for support is one of the most important documents a non profit will create. It explains what the NGO does, why it’s important and, most importantly, why people should support it.
To read the Case for Support click HERE
o Stigma – the Hidden Scars of Leprosy
Udayan Chair, Emily R Menon, has captured the incredible stories and images of 20 leprosy affected people who live in the Leprosy Colonies of West Bengal, in the form of a Coffee Table Book. ‘Stigma – The Hidden Scars of Leprosy’ will be harnessed as an awareness and fundraising tool, with 50 copies being printed and sent to key donors, supporters and prospects in the coming month.
To request an e-copy, write to emilyrmenon@gmail.com
o Udayan Video
Thanks to support from SBI Life Insurance, a short video has been made which outlines why Udayan exists. Scripted by Emily R Menon, and shot by Udayan’s Swapan Naiya, the film was created on a shoestring budget and will be used as a key tool in fundraising for Udayan.
The first draft cut of the film is HERE
Reason to Smile – Dental Camp
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| Dentist examining teeth |
Healthy teeth are a great reason for Udayan children to smile and to ensure this, Udayan conducts a Dental check up camp every year on its premises. On 14thMarch 2022, a team of dentists examined the teeth of all children and advised treatment as required – with 37 children being referred for IOPA test (Intraoral per apical) and prescribed medicines. The program included demonstration of correct tooth brushing and information on the maintenance of oral hygiene Medicated toothbrushes and mouth freshener were distributed to each child.
Eyes are Precious – Eye Check Up
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| Eye being checked up |
Eyes are the most important sensory organ, so with the objective ensure the proper care of children’s vision and detect early eye ailments, vision disorder and refractive errors, every year Udayan organizes an Eye Check –up Camp on its premises. In the month of March, a team of renowned ophthalmologists screened all children, identifying 7 children who were given spectacles
Skin Check-up Camp
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| Skin screening camp |
Regular
skin check up camps are organized at Udayan for all children, to identify
patches of leprosy. This year a skin camp was organized with total 22 children suspected
of leprosy and kept under observation, and leprosy identified in 3 children who
were prescribed with medication and care by the doctor.
Orientation on Reproductive Health
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| Orientation to children on reproductive health |
Orientation on Reproductive Health is essential to help adolescent children to learn about the biological, psychological and social-cultural perspectives of changes happening in the body during adolescence. Udayan conducted orientation sessions with a renowned gynaecologist to educate girls (aged- 12-18 years)on reproductive health, hygiene & self-awareness through interaction. Additionally,65 adolescent girls of Udayan prescribed with supplementary Iron Folic Acid tablets for 15 consecutive days, twice in a year.
City of Joy Aid, UK has once again supported Udayan, this time for the installation of Wooden Windows, Perspex & Grill Painting of Udayan Vidyalaya. This will make a significant difference to children as they have been studying at the school for many years now with open windows – battling mosquitoes and the rains as they try to learn. City of Joy Aid, UK has also supported for the installation of solar panels in the Fred Kahl Health Centre which will help reduce electricity costs of running the centre.
In the Financial year 2021-22, Udayan
got generous support from Constantia Creative Polypack Private Ltd of INR
2,00,000/- for the holistic development of our children. Since
long years Constantia has been supporting us and we are grateful for
their commitment to our cause and children.
Thanks to Wipro Foundation for providing 3 years of committed support to Udayan. Each year approximately 20 lakhs will be supported by Wipro Foundation for the holistic development of our children.
Sponsorship for an integrated
development of 10 children of Udayan by Mukul Madhav Foundation is also in
motion. Mukul Madhav has been a supporter of our children for years and all
sponsored children are from vulnerable and leprosy affected family.
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| Director of Udayan with Higher secondary aspirants |
In March 2022, 16 children appeared for their Secondary Board Examinations under West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and 8 children appeared for Higher Secondary Board Examination under West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Examination. All the children are from leprosy affected families, who aspire to build a career that they are passionate about. We wish them all the very best to achieve success.
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| Blessings to Board appearing children |
Udayan has been taking great strides to strengthen and expand the Employability Program, to ensure that every child at Udayan is settled in a strong and dignified job.
This program has received a huge boost with a
commitment by the Steve Waugh Foundation to support 210 youth in undergoing
training – 50 last financial year, with additional students selected each subsequent year for the
following 4 years. Additionally, SBI
Life Insurance is supporting a further 28 youth to pursue vocational and
professional training.
This year, 41 youth from leprosy affected backgrounds are
pursuing General Nursing Midwifery Training (GNM) from reputed Nursing
institute of Chhattisgarh, 21 youth are pursuing Bachelors of Business
Administration (BBA) in Hotel Management; and 14 youth in Diploma in Medical
Laboratory Technician (DMLT). Total 76 children from various leprosy colonies
are pursuing vocational training under the guidance and umbrella of
Udayan.
Udayan team have just returned from the field to select the second round of candidates for the Steve Waugh Vocational Training Scholarship, with 66 youth turning out to fill just 12 spots - highlighting the desperate need for vocational training in the leprosy colonies today.
Final Year
Hospitality Students Earn Rs20,000 per month on Internship
Four youth, who took admission to
undertake a three years Bachelor Degree (Business Administration in Hotel
Management) in FY 2019, are now in their 3rd year of their course
and all of them have been placed in a paid internship in the well-known brands
- hotel chain ‘Royal Orchids Golden Suites’, Pune, Maharashtra, and Haldiram Foods International
Pvt. Ltd. After completion of
final semester in December 2022, they will be absorbed by the companies.
An orientation session on Human Resources was conducted by Udayan’s HR Advisor, for all the staff members of Udayan – walking staff through Udayan’s new HR Manual & Policy which was distributed to everyone on the day. Through participatory methodology, staff members were made aware of various HR policies and benefits along with the importance of Human Resource Policy of Udayan. During the session, the Udayan Code of Conduct, leave allowances, ethics, values and decorum were discussed with all the staff members.
The new HR Policy & Manual is the result of a great deal of work by GB Members and Udayan’s Director Dipak Sahu, who drafted multiple versions with inputs by our HR Advisor. A strong HR Policy helps staff feel supported and clear about their work with any organization and is the backbone of any HR function.
The Manual also outlined a list of the core values of the organization – values which were carefully defined by Udayan staff in an interactive workshop back in 2019.
Values
that guide our actions, decisions and relationships:
•
Integrity: The quality of being honest and
having strong moral principles.
Integrity
is at the heart of everything we do at Udayan.
Our honest, transparent approach helps us foster trust – among the
families whose children we care for, and the donors who have invested with us.
•
Learning: The process of acquiring new, or
modifying existing, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences.
We
embrace a culture of learning at Udayan.
A willingness to learn is integral to the education, skill and
personality development of our children, and our staff and board members also
learn and evolve on their Udayan journey.
•
Productive: The act of working hard to achieve
a significant result.
We
are productive in our work and days, and take a ‘results & goal’ oriented approach
to generating outcomes at Udayan.
•
Discipline: Abiding by rules, routines and
displaying self-discipline
Discipline
is essential to life at Udayan.
Following organization rules and being self-disciplined in our day to
day activities helps us live and work in an effective way.
•
Love: Affection for one another.
Love
and kindness lie at the heart of Udayan.
We love and care for children from difficult, leprosy affected
backgrounds, and exhibit kindness to one another in our service to them.
•
Unity: The state of being united or joined as
a whole.
We
are a special family at Udayan, and we act with unity and solidarity as a
result.
