Azad and Goodie expertly straining our fresh batch of calendula oil.

We are very grateful to special needs teacher Mira Madhavan for joining us last week and for sharing her observations and expert advice to help us offer the very best play situation for our special children.

So much stormy weather has made it difficult for local farmers her in the Kangra valley to cut the wheat crop. Today our team took the opportunity between rain storms to clean up the now verdant playground.

Two workshops for adolescent boys were held at Nishtha by visiting trainer Rahul Kusukar and Nishtha activist Vijay Kumar. In three days, they covered a wide range of topics exploring human rights, gender, sexuality and masculinity. We are very grateful for Rahul’s expert management of the group of boys who really appreciated how he encouraged them to think differently and enthralled them with his interesting sessions which we hope will have a long-term positive impact on their lives.

Are you one of those people who leaves the city and chooses to live here in the village but ties all their garbage in a bag and throws it by the side of the road? After all, that’s what everyone else does. Do you not know it attracts animals and how many cows die from eating plastic bags with food inside? Please compost your food waste.

Nishtha now delivers tofu, vegetables and fruit to 8 primary schools to supplement their midday meal. The program is closely monitored by Dr. Barbara, distributed with the help of our Austrian volunteers and is much enjoyed by the children.

Once again Nishtha sponsored a good lunch of rice and 3 vegetable dishes for over 400 people from a wide range of villages attending patients at Tanda Medical Hospital. Dr. Barbara went to observe but ended up getting involved and enjoyed carefully serving out the curry.

Are you one of those people who loves to party in nature with your friends but leaves the forest littered with bottles, some of them broken? After all, who is responsible for what they do when they are drunk? Have you ever cut yourself on broken glass? If you have then you will know how painful it is. Please think about the harm your rubbish can cause to others.