Scarves of Friendship...

This is how the Round Table Movement crosses the National and International Boundaries....

Jaipur Pinkcity Roundtable 171 (JPRT) and a Team of students of Charleston High School had visited Jaipur 2 Years back on a social-school project at Bindayaka School. A school being supported by JPRT for 4 years now.

These students had come through the World Challenge Expedition (WCE) and had done some fantastic work then. On return they had promised to raise money for JPRT and the Round Table India Movement of "Freedom Through Education".

This year we got a mail from them, if we could work out a Business for Charity joint venture. After a lot of brain storming by Tr. Tarun, Tr. Pushpendra, Tr. Sanjeev, Tr. Alok and myself, Tr. Alok and his wife Shweta came up with - What if we Export Jaipur Block Printed Scarves to UK?! JPRT members paid for the initial expanse of 250 scarves, which were immediately dispatched to the school in Charleston, Scotland.
In very first week of Pre-Christmas sale we started to get query for a repeat order and by the second week this Charleston Schoolchildren and JPRT tablers Joint business venture was a roaring success! Now we are working out the details on a longer term venture.

JPRT is right now working on an Ambitious Heritage School project in Jaipur. This is a heritage site about 300 years old and had 500+ students studying in this diaplated building.

We have in a record time built a new wing of 8 classroom in this premises, which was inaugurated on 20th of October, 2007, and now the strength has grown from 500 to 900 plus....

We are still working on improving the school's old structure and to add a new toilet and other facilities.

We are now in Last Leg of the Phase 1 of the Parshuramdwara School Project but still short of FUNDS to help us to achieve our target.

Thank you everyone for support in our endeavor...

Why build schools...?

Why do we build schools...

Sitting right in front of these kids on the Republic Day - 26th of January - at our Parshuramdwara School.

In spite of all the dull lectures, filmy perfomances and extreme cold, the enthusiasm of these young children as they shouted
'Jai Hind' had to be seen and heard, to be believed....
"Somewhere, Somehow we must be doing Something Right..."
What do these children have, to be so proud of our nation?

They come from poor families, have to struggle for every necessity, study in a school which cannot even give them a proper durry to sit on!
I could see some of them shivering without proper warm clothing.
The reason I think is hope - The hope in these young eyes has not yet died down. They still hope for a better future.

Another reason is faith - They believe that the school they come to will give them skills to face the future.
They believe that their nation is one to be proud of.

And this is the reason we build Schools. So that the hope remains alive.

So that the faith is not shaken.

Be proud to belong to a group which, even if in its own small way,
lets a few more dreams to live on.
Jai Hind! Jai Bharat ! Jai Roundtable...!!
Mera Bharat Mahaan...

RTI Week Activities

12th Nov.: Quiz Competition

On 12th November 2007 a Quiz Competition was organized at the Government Upper Primary School, Siwar, which is also the first school aided by JPRT. The quiz competition was held for Classes 5th, 6th, 7th and . The results of the competition are indeed very encouraging - quite a few students scored hundred percent in it!! Chairman Tr. Tarun Bansal was present for organising the activities. A set of books was given as awards to the children who got the highest marks in the competition.

14th: Dental & Eye Camp

A Dental & Eye Camp was organized at the Government Upper Primary School, Siwar, which is also the first school aided by JPRT; during the RTI Week on the 15th of November. Tr. Saurabh Jhunjhunwala was the key man in organising this camp for the children. 135 students were examined by a team of doctors during the camp. 7 students were diagnosed with minor eye problems and the necessary medicines were given to them. Tr. Saurabh Jhunjhunwala also distributed a combo pack of toothpaste and toothbrush to all the students. Four women from village also came and requested to have their eyes checked. On examining their eyes, 2 of them were diagnosed with Cataract and since they needed immediate operation, Tr. Saurabh immediately organized for their operations at the clinic and generously sponsored the operations from his side. Tr. Shishir and Tr. Ravi were also present at the camp. The response from the school authorities was very enthusiatic and they reattriated their support for any work thet JPRT wanted to do in the school.

Charging at windmills

To Dream The Impossible Dream
To Fight The Unbeatable Foe
To Bear With Unbearable Sorrow
To Run Where the Brave Dare Not Go

To Right the unrightable Wrong
To Love pure and chaste from Afar
To Try when your arms are too heavy
To Reach the unreachable star

This is my quest to follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

These lines are from a classic Broadway play called the MAN OF LA MANCHA - an adaptation of Don Quixote. Seem a little over the top, but isn't this what we have seen completed yesterday too - A LITTLE OVER OUR TOPS!

Haven't we just completed a-little-crazy-thing-to-do yesterday ??

Like the crazy old knight from Cervantes novel, we have just gone through something, maybe, illogically big and, maybe, un-doable for us. Or was it?

Like that knight who charged at the windmills, we can now step back and marvel at our little crazy deed!!!!

See the group of Don Quixotes' in the front of their castle?
The ones in blue coats of armour?

I for one will always treasure this photo and maybe show it to my children's children as I brag about MY Times and MY Friends and what WE Did and how WE Did it !!
Sounds corny, but true !!

Now, to get some great Party / Fellowship / Picnics / Movies and generally have FUN photos to go with this one as I prepare my PITARA for the future!!

Tr. Tarun Bansal,
Chairman, JPRT 171