Ananya Run: Farming

To describe what Vinodh, a Team Asha Runner, says about Ananya

Ananya is a Magical place, and has so much to offer.. Today, It taught us farming. George was so enthusiastic to share with us the process/techniques. [Start->Programs->MicroSoft Farming??? - No] We ploughed the field, planted the Ginger/Bean sprouts, manured and watered them. This is the closest, I'll ever get to real-working for a while. Totally fulfilling experience.

Team Asha Rythu (Farming) Sangha: Sriram (Senior scientist), Vinodh, (The real farmer), Narmada (Officer on Spl.duty), Manjula (Female Senior Vice President), Banna (Apprentice), Sucksman Balu(PR)

Indeed it is. Some of Asha runners who have been running with the Ananya kids for over two month now have just been takne over by its sheer beauty and setting. Our beloved George is back and this Saturday we learned how to plant ginger and beans. How to make the ginger sprout a priori, how to plough the area, how to locate a shaded area and then how to place the ginger (spruoted region facing upside-down), and then how and where to place the manure (the manure is actually collected from the organic waste within Ananya) and the how to shade the enitre plouged region with dry leaves which by itself would become a manure in the coming weeks. Then we moved towards beans and our dear George explained on how to use the axe effectively and then how to place the bean seeds.



As Vinodh explains again:

It was only 9 am, and I was already having so much fun..

Shivamma's kitchen beckoned us. Idlies floating in Sambhar and hot masala tea.. Wow.. We discussed various things over breakfast. The group is getting crazier by the day. We'll take over Bangalore one day.

Read more on what Vinodh has to share here:
http://vinning.blogspot.com/2009/05/awesome-saturday.html


We are just waiting for all the kids come on 30th May and all set for the 31st Sunfeast run. Make no mistake, this doesn't stop here as this Asha-Ananya initiative is just the beginning and miles to go before we.....


Until then, Keep Miling ! Go Team Asha and Ananya ! All the very best for Sunfeast run on May 31st 2009 !


Canvas Shoe Update:
Some of the Asha runners who have been running with Ananya kids have also manged to raise enough funds to give all the kids at Ananya canvas running shoes. I've been talking to the higher-ups at "Bata" and they have agreed to give us canvas shoes at a discounted price. Once a very good discounted price is obtained I'll feature them for their gesture. Keep reading this space to know more !

Pic Courtesy: Vinodh's mobile camera phone.

Ananya Run: Running, Maths, Geography and Clay Puppets !

Last Saturday we had a special karate session from Sensei Rani, many thanks to her, who came all the way from Mysore to teach us all the moves specifically required for the yellow belt. It was around 10AM and the sun was shining bright but the kids had braved it all to learn and imbibe this wonderful opportunity. Sensei Manjula also started recording these moves so that it can be viewed by all the children and volunteers for clarifications. It was a houseful day at Ananya and choc-a-bloc with activities.


Meanwhile today's Ananya run was a tad different as we made it little learning-centric. We told the kids what a Marathon is and what it stood for. Then we slowly started to add some math during our stretching sessions. Like, we told them at one mile is 1.609 KM. And then asked them things like if 1 mile is 1.609 KM then how how much is 10 miles.


Then we slowly added complexity by asking how much is 26.2 miles (~42.19 KM) and that is how we linked that marathon entails a distance of 26.2 miles and half marathon is half of that = 21KM. We slowly added some geography to it by letting them know about where Greece is what was its capital. Consequently told them that the distance from Athens to town Marathon was 42KM and thus its name.



The kids have been really enjoying the puppetry workshop they have been having here at Ananya. They have been taught how to make clay faces, paper meshes from coconut scraps and some carpentry to mount these clay faces.


According to all the kids, "The clay can be found under natural water habitats, lake lakes or ponds and must be sifted for stones and other impurities". Kids call and share with us what all they have learned. One such initiative was their plate-painting that they've made to gift their teacher as a marriage gift.

I'm sure we have a lot to learn from the kids and I hope this running initiative gives us all enough fillip.

Go Team Asha and Ananya, Go !

Keep running !

Some pictures in here: http://picasaweb.google.com/balsubu/AnanyaClayPuppets#