Life Cycle Assessment of Plastic & Glass Products...

Have you ever wondered where the glass and plastic products come from??? Or have you ever thought about where they go after we have thrown or crushed them!!!! Here lies your answer to that. We went on the streets to know the life cycle of the plastic and the glass products enabling the world to understand what actually is done before these products come to us and after we leave the products stranded on the streets of our locality. Plastic bags were first introduced in 1977 and now account for four out of every five bags handed out at grocery stores. Although few peer-reviewed studies or government surveys have provided estimates for global plastic bag use, environmental activists estimate that between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year worldwide. In 2009, the United States International Trade Commission reported that 102 billion plastic bags are used annually in the United States alone. In recent decades, numerous countries have introduced legislation restricting the sale of plastic bags, in a bid to reduce littering and pollution. A similar kind of structure was recognized when we tried to assess the life cycle of a glass bottle. After the manufacturing and the subsequent use of the bottles, the so-called waste is gathered and sent to recycle. The recycling of glass is very essential as they have a wide range of uses such as in concrete, reused bottles etc.
For a detailed report <<Click Here>>

A visit to |The RVHA|...

The biggest duty of a human being is - Being a Human. - This was the thought that was brimming into our mind when we were leaving Rajasthan Voluntary Health Association after an inspiring talk with Mr Vikram Raghav (State Project Director). We made a visit to RVHA, a health NGO, on Aug 22, 2013. A conference was organized between the students of MNIT and the working committee of RVHA. The committee threw light on the ideologies of the NGO and their current projects which included making Jhunjhunu a TB free region and Jaipur a smoking free city. They showed us a presentation which was aimed at creating awareness regarding the ill

effects of smoking and duty of authorities in curbing this menace. They also proudly explained their past achievements which were in the fields of malaria and cataract. Their hospitality was worth appreciating. At the end of the day it was such an enriching experience for all the students. We promised them to be a part of their noble cause and extended full support from our social group Pankh.

A visit to an Old Age Home...

"The complete life, the perfect pattern, includes old age as well as youth and maturity. Old age has its pleasures, which, though different, are not less than the pleasures of youth."

-W. Somerset Maugham

There can be only a handful of memories which leave such an imprint in our lives that it stays with us forever! The slightest mention gushes down the flashbacks right before our eyes. One such heart warming  experience for our team members of PANKH would be the visit to the Old Age Home “ANUBHAV" at Heera Path, Mansarovar, Jaipur.
They  appreciated the fact that the young generation was taking interest and coming to spend a little time with the old people in the old age home. They applauded the  initiative taken by the college authorities and the students thoroughly.

Overall, they gave importance to rightful living and inculcated the values of honesty and responsibility in us. They looked at us with their eyes glistening with hope as they bade us goodbye. The only thought that lingered in my mind is as to how “Fact can be stranger than Fiction at times”, the stories about the abandonment, rejection and plight which surely remained untold but was buried deep inside their eyes.

A couple of steps towards Sanitation...

To keep the body in good health is a duty...otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.
- Buddha

Hand washing does not seem to be an important part of our daily life but each year thousands of people get ill due to ineffective way of hand washing. It’s easy to do and one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness in all settings—from your home and workplace to child care facilities and hospitals. As you touch people, surfaces and objects throughout the day, you accumulate germs on your hands. In turn, you can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Although it's impossible to keep your hands germ-free, washing your hands frequently can help limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes.

Keeping the importance of hand washing in mind and the consequences of poor hand hygiene our group organized a hand sanitizing campaign for children in Rajkiya Balika Ucha Madhyamik Vidyalaya. Around 7 group members accompanied by Ms.Chitra Bhatti, working as a nurse in Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital visited the school. The session was very interactive and enjoyable with every student taking active participation in it. We are thankful to Ms Chitra Bhatti to give her valuable time. She explained the different steps of hand washing practically and made the students aware of its benefits.
Students were made to wash their hands so that they put in this habit into practice. The program was done successfully .

DISTRIBUTION OF HAND GLOVES TO VENDORS
Tea Stalls and street vendors have become a part and parcel of our daily menu. For many, small street carts churning out meals on gas burners is part of their daily eating experience. In today's rush we often forget to care about our hygiene and rely upon the street vendors who lack basic needs of hygiene. In concern with the hygienic conditions of food stalls , we distributed hand gloves in places around our locality near gaurav towers in malviya nagar, jaipur. Starting from golgappa walas to ice cream vendors we distributed hand gloves in almost 20 stalls encouraging the need to move towards healthy society. The vendors actively took interest in understanding the need of a better hygiene.

A Street Play on Women Empowerment...

“We were born to make and manifest the glory of god that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

-Marianne Williamson

Women Empowerment refers to the creation of an environment where women can make independent decisions on their personal development as well as shine as equals in society. Women empowerment has to be done at such a level that if a woman rises to the top of her field, it should be a commonplace occurrence.. This can happen only if there is a channelized route for the empowerment of women. It is no real surprise that women empowerment in India is a hotly discussed topic, with no real solution looming in the horizon except to doubly redouble our efforts and continue to target the sources of all the violence and ill-will towards women.

 
  To show this we organized a street play (Nukkad) at Jawahar Circle , Malaviya Nagar, on women empowerment. The play depicted the requirement of women empowerment. It showed how some women, right from their childhood are denied opportunities and are ruled upon. Compromising becomes their way of living. The play also highlighted the vice of eve-teasing and rape. Atrocities by husband and in-laws, which forces women to return to their parents’ home and consequent taunts by neighbours and society was also shown.

  
   The nukkad was very effective in creating awareness among the crowd present there. They got moved by the issues which were shown in the play .They found it very relevant and were happy to see us lifting these issues. The nukkad gave a very powerful message: “Break the silence. When you witness violence against women and girls, do not sit back." They applauded and praised the skills of the performers we took reviews of various people there. Many people shared their experiences. They also advised us to do same kind of awareness activities frequently through which crowd can connect. Overall, it was a success with learning experience for both the performers as well as the spectators

  Swami Vivekanand once said, “Arise away and stop not until the goal is reached”. Thus our country should be catapulted into the horizon of empowerment of women and revel in its glory. We have a long way to go, but we will get there someday...

Inspection of Water Supply in slums along Jhalana Road, Jaipur...

“Water is the driving force in nature.”

 - Leonardo da Vinci

We're reaching the point where the Earth will have to end the burden we've placed on her, if we don't lift the burden ourselves. Every living entity on this planet needs water to survive if not anything else. Only about 0.93 % of water on earth is available for use in the form of ground and surface water.
Even this water is distributed very non-uniformly. There are people who do not have access to water to fulfill their basic daily needs and the situation becomes worse in the underprivileged and slum areas of our country. Pertaining to this, our team made a visit to a slum area along the Jhalana Road, Jaipur and assessed the availability of proper water in the area.
Only the inhabitants could provide us with the exact situation in the area as they are the ultimate users. On interrogation, we came to know that for an area with around 400 families, a one water tap was

not just enough. The timings of water supply were also inappropriate and most families have to rely on the stored water whenever they do not get the required quantity of water from the water tap. Hardness level in the water is on higher side as well. Lack of proper storage facilities leads to diseases as larvae thrive on the open tubs and other containers.
We came to know about them and their lives, their problems and our responsibilities. In an effort to find out potential solutions to their problems, we approached their ward representative and made him aware of the seriousness of the issue. A proposal was made to alter the supply timings as per the convenience of the inhabitants and to regularly treat the supplied water with bleach using a chlorine dispenser system. The inhabitants were made aware regarding the various ways they can use to make water fit for use. Ways to improve their personal hygiene and importance of storing water in closed containers was taught to them.

Our survey had a positive impact in the sense that we were able to persue both, people

and the authorities that collectively understanding their responsibilities would blow gyrating winds of hygiene and happiness in the area. As an initiative to provide the people with fresh water, we have decided to implant bio-sand filters in few homes of the area. We are happy with our efforts and keen to take necessary steps to make the living conditions better in the area as one should never mistake activity with achievement.

A visit to |The Akshay Patra| ...

“When we work to end childhood hunger, we are giving our love to kids who need it so much they will never ask for it.” 

- Beau Bridges

Visit to Akshaya Patra, world’s largest mid-day meal programme ignited our minds with a new vision towards humanity. We visited kitchen,the heart of their work. Their intelligently engineered kitchens are highly mechanised and scalable. They ensured the best possible food for the children with a commitment to quality and hygiene. Besides kitchen, we also visited their testing labs, Anganwadi and Akshaya kaleva storage, their system of packing cooked food and its transportation to various schools. Magnificent temple of lord Krishna touched our hearts. Then we had an interactive

session with Mr. Gaurmandal Das Prabhu sir regarding their working and ideologies. We were highly influenced by listening his words.

Sum and substance,

• No child shall be deprived of education because of hunger.
• Human have been sent on this earth just to serve.