Regular improvements, repairs and maintenance of the playground and water filter equipment are are carried out by our team. We do it so that your children can come and play safely. Please ask them not to abuse the equipment or throw their snack wrappers on the ground. Keep Rakkar village beautiful!

Do not spoil our natural forests! Glass Bottles and broken pieces of glass are dangerous. Please take your garbage down to the village collection point and leave the area clean and beautiful for your next visit!

This month our college students have two weeks holiday so we invited them to join our team to learn about our organic farm and the Clean Green Rakkar program. The 18 students were divided into three smaller groups so that it would be easier for them to understand what was going on and easily ask questions when they didn’t. Each group first visited the farm where Sunil and Vandana showed them around. Mohinder then gave a thorough explanation of the concept of natural farming that included the harmful effects of pesticides and chemicals on the land. The students also learned about the compost unit as well as the rich dilution made from food waste and worms that feeds the farm and the eco-san toilets. They then took part in cleaning up selected garbage hotspots on the hillside where people hold parties, leaving rubbish such as empty and broken liquor bottles lying around. Mohinder worked hard to motivate the students to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Plastic and to talk to their families and neighbours about disposing of their waste more carefully.

Turmeric, that glorious golden elixir of health grows bountifully on the Nishtha farm. At last today, after days of stormy wet weather, the sun is out so the harvested corms can be laid out in the sun to dry.

Two months into their on-line course in Maths Matters, Shalini and Kanishka, our tuition teachers talk about how delighted they are to have learned how to teach basic maths using different techniques that interest the children. They say that when they started the tuition class this year the children were reluctant to do any maths. However, these great maths games, and the new teaching skills they have acquired, have transformed the children’s interest and enjoyment in working with numbers and shapes.

The on-line course enables Shalini and Kanishka to talk with their tutor about the challenges they face when teaching and to work out ways to hold the children’s attention and respond to their questions. They have learned many interesting maths games that only use commonly and naturally available materials such as stones, paper cut outs and classroom objects.

Every Sunday, out of concern for the poor, the Kangra Charitable Youth Club provides a free lunch to in-patients and their attendants at Tanda Hospital. Recently the Youth Club asked Nishtha for help because they are having difficulty finding enough sponsors in the local community. Recognizing the value of this program, Nishtha has promised to sponsor their free-meal once every three months. This week we bought the necessary supplies and delivered them to the kitchen. On Sunday, about 500 needy people received a good wholesome meal of rice, dals and vegetables outside the hospital.

We are very grateful to Dr. Shreya for her dedicated work running the Health Education camps in the villages. Since September she has visited 28 Villages and addressed 710 People including examining and advising 22 People living with special needs.

60 to 70 boys and girls from 5 local primary schools joyously participated in a two day sports program held on Rakkar ground at the beginning of their short winter holiday. With the help of our sponsorship students our team organised athletics such as long jump and high jump and fun games such as lemon and spoon race and sack races. On the second day an exciting obstacle race using the playground equipment as their course was the new event which challenged and enthralled the children. On both days healthy and fun snacks were organised and at the finale medals were given out to those who excelled. Thank you to everyone who participated and enabled this very special event to take place.

How extraordinary is it that young people who come into our area apparently have so little regard for the beautiful environment they come to enjoy that they will dump their waste like this. They neither care to use the bins or collection services provided. What kind of people are these that leave it for our team and local children to clean up?

Our team are kept busy on the farm all year, even when it’s cold. This week they are planting out the onion seedlings which they grew from seed. Ten kilos of ginger was harvested and there are good crops of white radish, turnips and cauliflower about to be ready. The soya beans will be roasted and enjoyed by the children during the afternoon program as a delicious and healthy snack.