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One! Canada

112 Garland Cresent
Sherwood Park, Alberta
Canada       T8A 2R2

Phone: (780) 467-6254
 		One! India

Phone: (91) 98205-17805
Email: OneMumbai1@aol.com
Webpage: www.one-international.com
Ramesh’s Story

Ramesh is one of the students of One! that has taught the volunteers the most. He has taught us more and more the importance of understanding and patience.

Ramesh first came on the scene in mid-December and was a little disruptive as he would distract the other boys from their studies and be very aggressive by nature. By January, he became more and more involved in One! and once he realized that he was an actual student of One! like all of the other children, there was an instant change in his demeanor. Someone cared and wanted to help him - he latched on to us right away and maintained pretty steady attendance.

It was very clear that Ramesh had never picked up a pen before. His writing was very shaky - he couldn’t draw anything close to even a circle or a square. He was 11 years old and we just didn’t know where to put him - much to old for the kindergarten group but too far behind for our middle group.

We teach him with the middle class, juggling his basic needs with the class. He is learning slowly, but through a lot of patience. The reward of the light in his eyes is well worth the struggle, as it is not just a light of achievement, but also a light of self-worth and being. Through being in class, he has realized that he is just like all of the other children. Now he holds himself like an equal and because of his own new self-image, the other children treat him more like an equal also.

Ramesh is an only child, who’s mom died when he was very young and who’s father is an alcoholic. He has worked his whole life and has had to learn at a very young age to fend for himself. He supports his father. Pallavi and I have decided that Ramesh needs all the help that we can give him - and he deserves it. He works hard and is very dedicated. He gets frustrated, but he still pursues. What he mostly needs is one-on-one sessions which will be incorporated for him in the next few months


This is Ramesh in early January. He is so proud to be singled out for ‘his own photo’.
Steps for Nutrition and Health...

Our Moves toward Nutrition and Health have taken wonderful progress in the last four months. In December, we began to take all of the children, family by family to a local doctor in Santa Cruz (less than five minutes away from Khar Danda) for general check-ups and things to watch out for. This really helped in gaining the trust of the parents.

This was followed up by a visit from Cara, a pediatrician from Toronto. In one day she did a thorough check on all of the children, listing major things to watch out for in the future. The main thing that we learned was that the children desperately needed a vitamin supplement as many were anemic or very malnourished - some to the extent of jaundice. From the local doctor, we received 500 multi-vitamins, 500 calcium pills and 1000 crocins (like tylenol) for only $10.

 

Since January, we have been bringing food for the children Monday Wednesday and Friday (made by our wonderful cook, Deepa) and then supplementing this with the vitamins. Food is given strictly by attendance. If you don’t want to learn, then you don’t get any food. The difference in the children’s ability to concentrate and learn is phenomenal!

90% Attendance!?!

Our students have achieved something that I don’t think that any of us would have dreamed of: 90% attendance. Throughout the month of January, 25 of the One! Children that are old enough (2 or higher) to scribble away on chalkboards or do difficult subtraction attended more than regularly. This also includes Field Trip days as well as karate lessons.

In fact, in the months of February and March the numbers aren’t all that terrible either - 88% and 84% respectively.

We would like to give a special congratulations to big Kokila and Pappu for perfect attendance in all three months, Ajay for perfect attendance in January and March, and Roshan, Manda, Raju, Jayenti, Sangeeta, and Radha for attending class every day in one of the months. Our scholastic superstars!!!



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