FSL India Blog

Hello, I am Girsh, new member of FSL India. I joined FSL India in the beginning of February. I am 25 years old, basically from Puttur. My education background is, Master of Social work in Community Development.

I have also carried out reaserch work on Empowerment of Women through Self Help Groups.

I have participated in several Weightlifting competitions and athlectics during my university period and won some medals too..:)

As of curricular part, I have participated in seminars on; Corporate Social Responsibility prospects & concerns, Sub-Version of Human development and The role of HR in organizational transformation.

My hobbies are, bike riding, cricket, swimming and passionate to books.

Rohan D’souza- Director and Daya- Work camp coordinator visited Taiwan to Participate in 8th Training & Networking work camp and the 7th general Assembly of Network for Voluntary Development in Asia(NVDA) held in Taisi,Yun-Lin County , Taiwan, from Jan 17th To 26th, 2010. This General assembly meeting was hosted by NVDA member Vision Youth Action (VYA Taiwan).
The project brought together 33 leaders, staff and volunteers from 17 NGO’s in 12 countries in Asia and Europe to share experience and skills in organizing international workcamps and other voluntary projects.

We are happy to say that our most experienced team leader/co-ordinator Mr Joy Carvalho participated in a work camp held in France. It is a special camp for restoration of old chapel at Marcy near Lyon. The camp organised by FSL India’s French parter organisation JR for international volunteers. The organisation invited Mr Joy to participate in this camp as a special honour for his extreme work in voluntary service field. He had very good experience with the local community and other international volunteers in his 1 month work camp stay.

Mr Joy is welknown as a “Joogle” for his great knwoldge about travel and tourism. So here this experience is additional to his brilliant knwoldge.

FSL india has organised a day training for the existing and new staff members on coordination process and FSL system on 1st of July. Now that FSL improves in a staff quantity it was time to train the quality. This day was the opportunity to clarify many topics as the way to present FSL and how is the work with the volunteers concretely and daily working. The all day session was intensive but with a very pleasant atomosphere.

Work is not a punishment, it is celebration!!!

FSL Kundapur regional office had its holidays on the third week of May. All the staff members and volunteers of home based projects enjoyed this week, some cooling off at homes and with families and some traveling around. We all needed a break from the stresses of work. It is interesting to know about our staff members, what they did in this summer holiday??

Shobha Vaz our chief coordinator attended her cousin’s wedding in Mumbai and then relaxed at her home in her native place Chickmangalore whichis in the mountains.

Ravichandra went to his ‘HOME’ at Charmadi(often he cant go there), a western range of mountains situated in south part of Karnataka.

Shobha N our Ltv coordinator went to Chickamagalore to meet her family and relatives, it was ocassion to meet those people after a long time.

Shilpa our communicator visited her relatives living in north part of Karnataka and did some shoping in Bangalore.

I (aravind) went to see Ajantha and Ellora, the cave temples and monasteries of 5th to 11th centuries in Aurangabad.

Camille, (intern) coordinator, toured the long stretch of beaches in Kerala and spent some days in ‘Queen of Hill Stations’, Ooty. It is one of the most popular tourist resort place in summer. It is becouse of the cool weather.

Daya, work camp area Coordinator, was kept busy in team leader training held at Bangalore head office.

What about our Asst coordinators Austin & Deepa? Austin went to Mumbai too meet his brother and walk around in the metro.

Deepa was preparing for her graduation exam.

Finally what our President did in this week, no holidays,  Rakesh was busy with setting up our new center in the city of Chennai.

Holidays gives more energy and fresh mind to work for a long time. Experts believe that we can reclaim up to 30 percent of our fitness just by going on holidays!!!!!

So now, WELCOME  to all our staff and volunteers….wishing all of you good time for the future… especially as our new voluntary year starts from June 2009.

Danyawada…

Ubuntu is a South African ethical ideology focusing on

people’s allegiances and relations with each other. The

word comes from the Zulu and Xhosa languages. Ubuntu

(pronounced “oo-boon-too”) is seen as a

traditional African concept, is regarded as one of the

founding principles of the new republic of South Africa

and is connected to the idea of an African Renaissance.

A rough translation of the principle of Ubuntu is

“humanity towards others”. Another

translation could be: “the belief in a

universal bond of sharing that connects all

humanity”

“A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

As a platform based on Linux, the Ubuntu

operating system brings the spirit of ubuntu to the software

world.

To know more : http://www.ubuntu.com

We at FSL India are using UBUNTU for nearly a year now and it is so exciting to use.