November 2016 -

Monthly Archives: November 2016

Education: A Necessity for the Evolution of Humankind

Education: A Necessity for the Evolution of Humankind

Right since the beginning of time, the one quality that has separated humans from the rest of the animal kingdom is their immense plasticity and their ability to learn new things through observation. This art of observation was the beginning of our education and it helped us ascend to the top of the food chain over the next few centuries. The passage of time saw more refinement in human education, leading to further prosperity and increased life expectancy. One can call it survival of the fittest or simply God’s grace, but the crux of the matter is that it is the education of the human mind that has caused our gradual but unmistakable rise, and it continuous to play the same role even today.

In the present times, a human being devoid of education would be left far behind in almost all walks of life. Keeping that in mind, children today are in dire need of skill-imparting education that enables them to lead a respectful life as adults. A spokesperson of the same school of thought, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India, believed that education was going to play one of the most important roles in the evolution and prosperous growth of our country.

One school that has successfully realised the dream of Maulana Azad is Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan, a school meant for differently-abled children with special needs. Run by the Ponty Chadha Foundation, the school has a vision of providing holistic education to children with special abilities, including rehabilitation services for children with intellectual impairment, autism, cerebral palsy, spectrum disorders, hearing impairment and multiple disabilities. The school has a specially trained faculty that is committed to create an environment which optimises the quality of learning.

Some of the activities that MBCN is involved in are early intervention programmes, speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, extra-curricular activities, play and recreation, vocational training and dance therapy. The great Maulana Azad believed that basic education was the fundamental right of each and every child. The same applies to children with special needs as well. At MBCN, no stone is left unturned to help these children walk shoulder to shoulder with other children as capable citizens of this nation.

Nobody knows what the future has in store for us. As prophesied by Abul Kalam Azad himself, only proper education can help secure a better life for us Indians and humans at large. The evolution of humankind is a work in progress, and the more educated we are the better prepared we would be to face every challenge that beckons us.

Say Yes To Vaccines!

Say Yes To Vaccines!

Despite the proven advantages of immunisation, many people still shy away from vaccines and needles, overlooking the simple fact that they are far more likely to be seriously injured by a vaccine-preventable disease than by a vaccine itself. Moreover, the present scenario in India suggests that there is also a significant lack of awareness in the country regarding full immunisation and its numerous benefits. So to begin with, we would like to define ‘immunisation’ for you in simple words because it can save a lot of lives and prevent serious diseases.

What is immunisation?
Immunisation is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. Vaccines stimulate the body’s own immune system to protect the person against subsequent infection or disease.

Now that you are aware of what immunisation actually is, you need to understand why you should say yes to vaccines and what good does immunisation do.

Why immunisation?
Immunisation is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases and is estimated to avert between 2 and 3 million deaths each year. It is one of the most cost-effective health investments with proven strategies that make it accessible to even the most hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations. It has clearly defined target groups; it can be delivered effectively through outreach activities; and vaccination does not require any major lifestyle change.

How does immunisation help?

  • Immunisation protects against 25 different infectious agents or diseases including diphtheria, measles, pertussis, polio and tetanus.
  • Immunisation prevents illness, disability and death from vaccine-preventable diseases.
  • Vaccines interact with the immune system to produce a response similar to that produced by the natural infection, but they do not cause the disease or put the immunised person at risk of its potential complications.
  • Modern vaccines are 90% effective in protecting against disease.

However, absolute immunisation is a distant reality even today. Let’s talk about some obstacles faced by health organisations in their efforts to make immunisation a regular and widespread practice.

What are the challenges faced?

  • Lack of basic awareness regarding immunisation and on-going programs related to it.
  • Lack of wider implementation of currently available vaccines against major diseases.
  • Lack of area-wise data in medical records.
  • Lack of community involvement and engagement in activities related to immunisation in both urban and rural areas.
  • Lack of access to immunisation services in marginalised locations.

With a plethora of threatening diseases taking a toll of countless lives around the world every day, there is indeed a case for making immunisation mandatory in the present scenario. The phrase ‘prevention is better than cure’ might be a popular one, but do we really practice this advisable approach when it comes to our life? It is high time we did.

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Let the Child in Us Stay Alive as We Grow in Life

Let the Child in Us Stay Alive as We Grow in Life

“The child is the father of the man”, said a famous English poet of the romantic age. The line stands true even today and will continue to stand true till the end of time. No matter how old we get, there will always be a child in each one of us, helping us blissfully sail through this thing called life. The more we try to subdue the child in us, the quicker we begin to age. It is this child in us that helps us stay young and sprightly.

As we grow older, we realise that it is the child in us that carries us through all our difficulties and anxieties. It is the carefree tenor of this child that becomes fortified in our personalities and helps us wade through life with ease. The more in tune we are with this child the better prepared we are to face the challenges of life, no matter how hard and overbearing they are.

We all remember our childhood with great fondness. It is the love and affection that we receive in our childhood that helps us become better human beings after all. A great person is the one who can act like an adult and yet can keep the child in him alive. To put that simply, great things are achieved by people who can act childlike despite the vigour of youth, those rare ones who manage to retain the virtues of childhood all their life.

Irrespective of our profession, the only thing that can help us reach the pinnacle is the passion and zestfulness of the child within us. Keeping that in mind, on this Children’s Day, the Ponty Chadha foundation got actively involved in celebrating the day by means of various activities, contests and campaigns. Ponty Chadha Foundation also occasion out to their audience through a social media campaign titled ‘For the Child in You’, helping adults reminisce their childhood days through games and gadgets only they can relate to.
Let the Child in Us Stay Alive as We Grow in Life
Other than that, the students of MBCN also celebrated Gurupurab by visiting Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, paying their homage to Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and performing Seva on the auspicious occasion and will be taken out for various excursions within this month.