To promote mindful festivities, the NGO organized an eco-friendly idol-making workshop where families sculpted Ganpati Bappa idols from shaadu mati, a natural clay that dissolves easily in water, leaving behind no harm to the environment. The atmosphere was filled with laughter, music, and the joy of creating, as parents and children shaped their idols with their own hands.

“This was more than just an art activity,” shared Dimple Somji, Founder of With Love NGO. “It was about helping the younger generation understand that true devotion honors not just the deity, but also Mother Earth. Watching families connect through this was deeply moving.”

The workshop welcomed patients from Prakash Holistic Health Care Center, for whom the experience became a therapeutic way of engaging with both culture and nature. “It was a healing activity,” remarked Dr. Nidhi, “allowing participants to celebrate while embracing sustainability.”

But the celebration did not stop at clay and colors. For every idol created, one Joybag—a bundle filled with essential food grains- was gifted to families from marginalized communities. These Joybags reached children and parents from schools and neighborhoods struggling to make ends meet, ensuring that their festive season, too, was filled with dignity and cheer.

A school owner, whose students received the Joybags, expressed, “For many of these children, Ganesh Chaturthi would have passed without celebration. Now, thanks to this thoughtful initiative, their homes are filled with joy.”

“This initiative represents the true spirit of festivity,” Dimple added. “When we teach children that their joy is tied to the joy of others, we create a ripple of kindness that lasts far beyond the festival.”

With Love NGO continues to offer customized workshops, combining creativity with compassion. To collaborate or support, connect with them on Instagram @withlovengo and be part of this journey where tradition, sustainability, and philanthropy come together.

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The day’s events included a fun-filled afternoon with interactive sessions and games by the staff with the SAMPARC children, followed by The Orchid Hotel Pune’s annual Christmas Cake Mixing Ceremony, bringing together community, tradition, and joyful memories. 

The event was a blend of tradition and fun, creating an unforgettable experience for the children. Santa Claus made a special appearance, bringing smiles and adding magic to the afternoon. The young attendees participated in various games, danced with joy, and showcased their creativity by decorating cupcakes, later savoring their delicious creations. Each child received a gift hamper, a token of the season’s warmth and joy, marking a special moment in their day.

As the day transitioned into the evening, the much-anticipated cake-mixing ceremony began, a time-honored tradition symbolizing the spirit of Christmas. Esteemed guests, including renowned cake artist Prachi Dhabal Deb, joined the celebration. Famous for her intricate cake designs and recognized for her achievements in cake artistry worldwide, Prachi added a touch of glamour and creativity to the event. The ceremony concluded with children and guests mixing an array of ingredients, including dried fruits and spices, preparing the mixture for the Christmas cake to be baked during Yuletide.

“It was a true pleasure to celebrate this special tradition with these wonderful children. Watching their joy and enthusiasm reminded us of the essence of the season—togetherness, kindness, and the simple joys that make Christmas unforgettable,” shared Soumitra Kundu, Deputy General Manager, The Orchid Hotel Pune. 

“We are truly grateful to The Orchid Hotel for this invaluable opportunity,” said Navnita Chatterjee, Senior Program Advisor at SAMPARC. “This experience has opened new doors for our children, offering them a glimpse into a world of possibilities they never thought possible. Through the guidance and support of The Orchid team, they’ve gained not just insight into the hospitality industry, but also the confidence to dream bigger. This partnership is a beacon of hope, helping to shape their futures and empower them to become the change-makers of tomorrow.”

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PUNE: The evergreen Yellow Ribbon NGO Fair ( YRNF)  is back for the 17th time in a row from 27 September – 1 October 2024. Organized by the Ishanya Foundation at Pune’s first lifestyle destination, Creaticity ( formerly Ishanya) this Pune’s Festive Shopping Season will feature more than 3000 curated products direct from weavers, artisans, and farmers. from NGOs, SHGs, and Social Enterprises from the length and breadth of India.

Essentially a platform to spread awareness about the various causes supported by the participating NGOs and SHGs, this yearly extravaganza of fashion, natural & organic products and produce, eco-friendly goods, and handicrafts is back with new products and participants as well as some old favorites! The five-day celebration of our Artisans, Farmers, Weavers, Social Enterprises, and NGOs is sure to delight all, including your family, friends, neighbors as well as corporates and entrepreneurs.

The 17^th edition promises to be a shopper’s delight. Fun, excitement, and festivity will be in the air for 5 days. There are hourly lucky draws, children’s play activities, and plenty of action throughout. Along with the shopping our customers can savor authentic local delicacies such as Puran Poli, Thalipeeth, Baigan Bharta, Pithala Bhakri, and Millet rotis… at the adjoining exclusive food court.

The long list of NGOs, SHGs, Social Enterprises, Farmers, Weavers, and Artisans have traveled to Pune from far and wide to showcase their craft and spread awareness about their cause. Exhibitors are traveling from all across the country – Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and more.

The wide range of products includes handmade, natural, organic, upcycled, recycled, and eco-friendly goods. Along with shopping, a chat with these exhibitors will amaze you, and get to know more about some of the traditional weaving and handicraft techniques, organic farming methods, making of A2 ghee & natural honey, advantages of cooking and eating from cookware/serve-ware made from wood, copper, black stone and terracotta as well as the benefits of upcycling, recycling and sustainability. A wide range of products includes festive décor, artifacts, totes, baskets, fabrics, sarees, dresses, chaniya choli, cookware, serveware, fashion jewelry, natural honey, organic jaggery, A2 ghee, dry fruits, farm fresh vegetables, millets, spices, pickles, snacks and also some authentic Maharashtrian delicacies.

The entire display at this 25,000 sq. ft. indoor/outdoor fair is for all ages and all walks of life. There is something for everybody. Besides personal and lifestyle shopping one can find amazing gifting options and ideas for the upcoming festive & wedding seasons as well as for corporate gifting, birthdays, house warmings, anniversaries, farewells, travel, and more. An entire day of shopping may seem less!

Parul Mehta, Trustee, of Ishanya Foundation said, “This year’s theme – Rediscover, Resonate, Revive – is a warm and cheerful call to all of Pune to visit the 17^th Yellow Ribbon NGO Fair at Creaticity and let us together Rediscover our rich textile heritage, Resonate with and support the various causes and Revive the joy of giving by buying handicrafts and Indigenous products from NGO’s, Farmers and Crafts People.”

Each purchase is in turn supporting one of the several causes eg. Women empowerment, Mental health, Weaver community, Artisans, Organic farmers, Village upliftment, Rural & Urban skill development, Youth employment, sanitation, clean water, health camps, people with hearing impairment, learning disabilities, recycling of plastic, cloth and other forms of waste and so on.

Customer participation will bring smiles to several hundred families across the country. Come and enjoy a family day out with shopping and food at the 17^th edition of the Yellow Ribbon NGO Fair.

Head to the Yellow Ribbon NGO fair at Creaticity, Pune’s creative living campus, home to over 100 national and international furniture/furnishing brands, a delightful range of Restaurants and cuisines, a children’s activity centre, and plenty more. Take home warm memories and the joy of shopping for a cause.

Ishanya Foundation organises this annual extravaganza to:

• Increase awareness about various causes supported by the participating NGOs and SHGs
• Aid in improving earnings of several NGOs, SHGs, Farmers, Social Enterprises, Artisans and Weavers from across states.
• Showcase our traditional, yet slowly fading arts and crafts.
• Promote sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing techniques for natural, upcycled, recycled, organic and bio-degradable products

Some of the featured participants at the fair and their uniqueness:

1.      Sridevi Handlooms – Ikat, Kalamkari, Indonesian Ikat fabrics, stoles etc- Nalgonda, Telangana

Traditional and modern Ikat designs are hand-woven by women on a loom at their homes in Nalgonda, Telangana. All dyes used are chemical-free hence, the fabric does not run color, doesn’t fade easily, and is soft and breathable on the skin.

Complex Indonesian Ikat weaves are also available here. Fabric is bought by various large and small boutiques across the country.

2.    Saath Foundation – Tangalia & Rajkot Patola, Fabrics, Sarees, Salwar sets, etc. – Surendranagar, Gujarat

Patola and Tangalia arts are several centuries old.

Patola is a weave, the raw material used for patolas is traditionally silk. Weaving is an intensive process that includes the entire family from dyeing the silk threads, marking the design, and then weaving.

Tangaliya is woven on a pitloom: a small and simple loom that is installed in a pit. The loom is operated by two foot-pedals (in the pit), leaving the hands of the weaver free for the dana-work. 

Saath Foundation is helping these dying arts by extending support to the weavers in sourcing raw materials at competitive prices, product innovation and finding new markets for improving sales.

3.    Kapileshwar Mohanto – Kotpad Thann Fabric, Stoles – Odisha

Kotpad fabrics are made using traditional techniques involving the use of cow dung, oil, and natural dyes. Made by tribals on traditional wooden looms, these fabrics and stoles are good on the skin and long-lasting.

4.    ReCharkha – Recycled Lifestyle products – Pune

Tribal women and youth manually weave fabric from waste plastic using a traditional Charkha (Spindle) and handloom. The fabric is then used to make recycled lifestyle products such as handbags, fashion accessories, office utilities, and home décor.

Their present focus is to resolve the issue of waste management, particularly that of the non-biodegradable and difficult-to-recycle plastic waste, and create livelihood opportunities.

5.    Seva Nidhi Trust – Project 1000 – Handcrafted lifestyle products – Maharashtra

PROJECT 1000 is a social enterprise based in rural Maharashtra to inspire and empower backcountry women to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and unlock their full potential with the aim that every woman earns Rs 1000 a day.

Innovative lifestyle products with sustainability as the end goal are handcrafted through creative upcycling using natural and functional fabrics.

Traditional techniques such as weaving on wooden looms, crochet, and macrame are used which makes the manufacturing process zero-carbon emission, zero water, air & noise pollution, zero use of non-renewable energy, zero plastic, zero wastage, and both product and packaging are bio-degradable.

6.    Swades Foundation – Cashews – Mumbai

Their goal is to empower rural India through building Dream Villages – transform villages with a 360-degree development approach. It includes health, education, water, sanitation, financial literacy, economic development, and independent growth and prosperity of the villages.

The women in the villages prepare food items to earn a better living. The farmers from the Farmer Producer Company (FPC) are supported in growing cashews and earning through their sales.

7.    Bamboo India – Lifestyle products – Pune  

Women from NGOs are trained to make the products. Bamboo is sourced from various farmers to make eco-friendly lifestyle products such as Toothbrushes, Straws, Earbuds, Speakers, Pocket size mini speakers, Stationery, Bottle holders, Mug holders, Desk organisers, etc.

8.    Saheli – Bags and Pouches – Pune

Saheli works for the upliftment of female sex workers. They look into various issues faced by these women such as health, violence, and children’s education.

Saheli works towards their financial independence by providing training to make products such as herbal soaps, perfumes, bags, pouches, mobile covers, etc. The sale of these products is a step towards empowerment for the women.

9.    Loreehamle – Black Stone Pottery – Group of Artisans from Longpi, Manipur

Coming from Manipur’s Longpi village, this group of local artisans make the famous Black Stone Pottery. Although it is called ‘pottery’ they use bamboo sticks and do not use a potter’s wheel! All products are handmade with locally sourced black stone available only in the Longpi area.

The process involves various steps including powdering the stone, flattening, cutting, rolling, mixing, drying, scrubbing, and baking to make each product.

All cookware and serveware are chemical-free, microwave-safe can go directly on a gas flame, and can be washed with regular dishwash detergent and a hard scrub.

Since the stone is rich in iron and minerals the benefits also transfer to the food cooked and served in them.

They also make chemical and pesticide-free hand-embroidered baskets, Tiffin bags, Trays, Mats, etc from locally grown reed grass. These are washable with soap and water.

10. Art Bunker – Workshops and DIY Kits for children – New Delhi

Educate children, aged 5-15 yrs., across the country about our rich heritage, vernacular architecture, Indigenous craft processes, and various art forms.

This knowledge is given with the aim that the students will turn out to be better-informed individuals who will make responsible lifestyle choices.

Artisans design folk art paintings to be used in DIY kits prepared for children. These are made by artisans as a part of the livelihood generation program.

Diy Colouring Kits, Indian Doll making Kits, Block Print Your Own Dupatta Kit, Cotton T-shirt Printing Kit, Wooden Block DIY Kit, Ganjifa Athrangi Printed Playing, Monuments of India.

11.    Asgar – Ajrakh fabrics, stoles, sarees – Zura, Kutch, Gujarat

Ajrakh known as the ‘Garment of Kings’ has been made since the Indus Valley Civilization.

Ajrakh printing involves many complex stages such as making unique and customized designs on wooden blocks, preparing vegetable and synthetic dyes, blocking, drying, dyeing, etc.

Sarees, Stoles, Dupattas, and Fabrics available in Modal, Cotton, and other materials

12. Dhalia Crafts – Juttis (footwear) – Hisar, Haryana

This fifth-generation of artisan family has kept the traditional craft of making ‘Juttis’ (footwear) alive. Along with traditional patterns they also continuously innovate new styles and designs, keeping customer comfort and affordability as their priority.

Juttis are made by rural women using cloth and leather with hand embroidery done in Zardozi, Tilla, Zari, and colorful threadwork.   

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INDIA: Celebrating India, leading telecom operator Vi launched its unique initiative, Artisans of India. This special initiative celebrated the craftsmanship and skills of local artisans, adding a vibrant touch across the country.

Vi helped provide a platform to over 60 talented artisans across its stores in multiple states. Vi Stores in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal, New Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Gujarat collaborated with local NGOs to showcase artisans’ work to the public.  

These artisans, working with various crafts and traditions, showcased hand-painted bags, chikankari embroidery, paintings, toys, decorated diyas, and more.

Some NGOs Vi partnered with for this initiative included Universal Smile, ESSCENT, Astha Foundation’s Parivartan School for Specially-Abled Children, Shwwas Samiti-Swastik Handicraft Women Welfare Association, Disha Shakti Swayam Sahayta Samooh, and RAFEC. At Kolkata’s South City store, Universal Smile showcased hand-painted cloth bags made by women, with proceeds supporting an orphanage, while in Gujarat, the Astha Foundation worked with specially-abled children to create and showcase decorated Diyas.

This reflects Vi’s commitment to supporting local communities and preserving the rich artistic heritage of India. Through the Artisans of India initiative, Vi paid tribute to the cultures that unite us all. Vi remains committed to uplifting the artisans and craftsmen who contribute richly to the fabric of the nation.

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The Declutter and Donate Drive initiative encouraged people to declutter their homes and donate items they no longer used, to help those less fortunate. With Love recognizes the importance of reusing and recycling and organizes this drive as a means of redistributing these resources to those who need them most.

Pune residents were encouraged to participate by contributing items such as clothing, toys, books, kitchenware, and other household items that they no longer need.

“We believe in the power of collective generosity,” said Dimple Somji, founder, and trustee of the NGO, “Through the Declutter and Donate Drive, we aim to bridge the gap between those who have more than they need and those who struggle to make ends meet. It’s an opportunity for our community to come together and create a positive change.“

Another key project the NGO undertook was the JoyBag Drive. This heartfelt initiative focused on collecting essential kitchen grains to support underprivileged diabetic kids and their families in need.

Amidst economic challenges, many families struggle to put meals on the table during Diwali. The JoyBag Drive helps to organize essential kitchen grains such as rice, wheat, lentils, and more; for these families so that the festivities are stress-free for them as well.

Neelima Ladkat, another key trustee of the NGO, expressed gratitude, saying, “The overwhelming response from our community demonstrates the incredible compassion and unity of purpose. The JoyBag Drive is about more than just providing food; it’s about creating a stronger, more supportive community.“

These initiatives not only aim to provide essential support but also raise awareness about the challenges faced by underprivileged families struggling to make ends meet. It encourages a spirit of empathy and understanding within the community, fostering a more compassionate and inclusive society.

With Love, the NGO extends its heartfelt appreciation to the community, partners, and supporters for their invaluable contributions. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children and their families, ensuring a brighter future for all.

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Kalam is a seed germinated by PKF, dedicated to the promotion and enrichment of Hindi literature and language. The event brings together esteemed authors, poets, and scholars in a vibrant and interactive platform, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for Hindi literature. The event adopts an inclusive approach, as is evident from the list of guests invited to its events, which includes reputed names as well as young talents who are helping strengthen the Hindi language.

The evening commenced with a formal welcome note by renowned multilingual writer Mrs. Mallika Mukherjee, followed by a captivating rendezvous with conversationalist Shaneel Parekh, Ehsaas woman of Ahmedabad. Dr. Joshi shared how female writers are also excellent satire writers and how women were confined to certain topics for satire, but times have changed, and women are proving their capabilities in various forms of writing, including satire.

Dr. Joshi also discussed the need for changes in the education system, stating that there was a time when education was an integral part of culture. Today, there is a need to incorporate cultural values into education. He shared brief information about some plays, stating that a successful play challenges our way of thinking and encourages us to imagine a world we aspire to live in. Meeting the expectations of the audience is a challenging task, and they have experimented with various new ideas in plays, many of which have been very successful.

Dr. Joshi also shared a harsh truth about today’s younger generation, stating that they seem to be distanced from happiness and take humor seriously. He mentioned that parents are responsible, not the children, as they impose their unfulfilled dreams on their children. Pursuing grand ambitions often overshadows the small joys of the younger generation.

The event concluded with a Q&A session with the audience, and Mr. Prakash Purohit expressed gratitude, while Mr. Abhay Mangaldas, Founder and Director of The House of MG, felicitated Dr. Joshi.

Prabha Khaitan Foundation (PKF) is a non-profit organization based in Kolkata, committed to promoting performing arts, culture, education, literature, gender equality, and women’s empowerment through author’s meets, book launches, literature fests, panel discussions, boutique festivals, and performing artists. Over a span of 40 years, PKF has conducted over 550 Kalam sessions in India and overseas, hosting luminaries like Vinod Bharadwaj, Aalok Shrivastav, Amish Tripathi, Shashi Tharoor, Ruskin Bond, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Usha Uthup, Ricky Kej, Shubha Mudgal, and many more.Page 1Page 2Active FileAll FilesClear chat

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