Because I Care- Social Service

Every society has things or policies that are good as well as bad. Child labour is one of the most prevalent evils in the society. Basically, child labour is when children are forced and sometimes enslaved to do work, commonly domestic work or in factories which manufacture firecrackers, matchsticks etc. Children are forced into early matrimony so the expense of the family is reduced.Middle-class people like us often hire children to work. General stores and factories hire children because they then need to pay lesser, thus benefiting them. House-help starts taking their children to work along with them eventually leading them to become house-help as well. Despite various government policies child labour is still prevalent. Poor families who can't afford a decent standard of living force their children to work and earn money. Although the introduction of the midday meal program and free education up to the age of 14 policy has shown a rise in the number of educated children, there is still a considerable amount of children who are being forced to work. Now, if you think about it, why is education important? Yes, it does help you to get a good job and earn more money, thus raising your standard of living. Apart from that, new minds lead to new ideas and new ideas lead to a progressing country and moreover a progressing world. Children are the future of tomorrow. Childhood is the most sensitive period of a child's life where his/her surroundings have a great effect on his/her mind.Each child, whether rich or poor deserve a happy, civilized, free, educated and nourishing childhood. Now, one small way in which I contribute to the eradication of child labour is by keeping a strict check on my surroundings to make sure that there aren't any child workers. This is an effective way to contribute to the eradication of child labour. Because after all, CHILDHOOD IS TO LEARN AND NOT TO EARN!!!

It is that time of the year that people approach and think of with so much contrast! Yes, it is the rainy season and while some wait all year round just for it, there are many others to wish it never comes. Some think of it as a time to enjoy by getting wet, looking at trees greener and happier than ever before and having the pleasure of a seeing a variety of animals. There are others, however, who see it as a time where everything becomes filthy and people easily get infected by diseases. Here are a few ways to enjoy your rains and approach this season with a positive attitude-
1) The rains indeed is a time when people come in contact with a lot of diseases. One for them is LEPTOSPIROSIS. In order to eradicate this disease, avoid stepping in water puddles as this is caused by the mixing of f***l matter in water which seeps into one's skin on stepping in this. Incaseyo step in this puddles, remember to come home and thoroughly wash your feet.
2) another common disease is DENGUE. In order to avoid this, prevent leaving water stagnant as this is the breeding ground of the Female Anopheles mosquito that is the vector of this disease.
3) Avoid keeping food and water uncovered or eating food sold openly to avoid stomach infections such as diarrhea.
4) Avoid throwing plastic bags, wrappers or any of your rubbish into drains and gutters as this blocks them and prevent the flow of water. As a result, all this dirt overflows out onto the streets.
5) Encourage the secretary of your building/society to set up rain water harvesting facility in the building to save this water.
6) Plant small saplings as this is the best time for them to grow in small trees/ bushes as they will get plenty of water.
7) Avoid getting wet as this will lead to diseases like common cold and whooping cough.
8) If you are unwell, avoid going to work/ school as this will result in the spreading of infectious diseases.
8) Drink boiled water to prevent coming in contact with diseases such as cholera caused due to drinking unclean water.
9) Wash your hands before eating any meal as this will prevent you from getting any stomach related disease.
10) Eat fruits and vegetables and lower your junk food intake as your immunity and digestion goes down at this time.
11) Avoid eating raw food and try and eat well thoroughly cooked food.
12) Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before cooking them.
13) Donate umbrellas/ raincoats to your house-help or underprivileged children.
I have personally followed all these precautionary measures and they have all worked for me as I am still healthy without even common cold!!
These are just a few ways to help each one of us approach rains with a positive attitude because "IF IT NEVER RAINS, THEN WE NEVER GROW!"

"Govinda Aala Re Aala Zara Matki Sambhal Re Brijbala" Before I even start, I would like to wish each one of you a very Happy Janmashtami. Also, I would like to say that this article is not meant to hurt anybody or anyone's feelings but merely my feeling on the topic. Janmashtami is celebrated all over India to celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna. This festival is celebrated by swinging the idol of baby Krishna in a small swing and singing songs or bhajans. People tend to observe fasts during this period and break it at midnight which is the time it is believed Krishna was born. In the city of Mumbai however, this festival is celebrated in a very unique way through something called 'Dahi Handi' which literally translates to 'Curd Pot.' Now, during Dahi Handi, a pot of curd is tied at a great height of 20- 30 feet and is filled with flowers, water and curd. This pot is broken by forming people pyramids and braking it with a stick. Innumerable people participate in these human pyramids due to the hefty prize that is awarded to the group that breaks the pot, a difficult task due to the height at which the pot is placed. Now here is why this festival is not as thrilling as it sounds-
1) Children are often asked to climb to the top since they are the lightest, therefore increasing the risk of them falling.
2) Several people are injured and many even die due to people not being strong enough, poor balance or if someone in the crowd unbalances the person at the bottom.
3) This causes a lot of traffic jams as the pots are placed in the middle of the roads and the huge crowds that come to watch block the entire way.
4) This can result in the death of an innocent person in the case of an ambulance, police van or fire brigade getting stuck in the traffic jams.

I am not saying that we must totally stop celebrating the festival in this way but must impose stricter bans and make stricter rules so that it does not cause inconvenience or regret to anybody or their families.

''Ganapati Bappa Morya,
Pudhchya Varshi Laukarya!!"

Wishing everybody a very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! So it's that time of the year once again, when all of us especially in Maharashtra, start feeling very festive and religious. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, one of the very sacred and important festivals of the Maharashtrians is celebrated with a lot of pomp and splendour in Maharashtra indeed. It is celebrated by worshipping an idol of Lord Ganesh for all the odd number of days between 1 and a half to eleven days and then finally immersing it a lake or river on the last day. On this day a lot of sweets, especially modaks are distributed and people visit each other's houses to receive blessings from the Lord. Unfortunately, most of these idols are made from POP or plaster of Paris and when immersed in water, doesn't dissolve but sinks down to the bottom of the water body. When fish eat this substance, they die to the hazardous chemicals mixed in it. Here are just a few ways to make Ganesh Chaturthi joyous for the environment too-

1) Buy unpainted clay or eco-friendly Ganeshas and paint them at home using natural colours.
2) Make Rangolis using colour derived from henna, pomegranate juice, carrot juice, spinach juice, pulses, and cereals etc.
3) Instead, of giving Prasad in plastic bags, give it in brown paper bags.
4) Use natural flowers to decorate the pandals instead of using fake plastic ones.
5) Wrap coloured cloth around regular LED bulbs to obtain colorful lights as this not only reduces expenditure but also saves electricity.
6) Prevent burning too many agar battis or diyas as they release a lot of smoke and cause air pollution.
7) Spread awareness about the harmful effects of POP and request them to buy eco-friendly ones.
8) If one has guests over, try giving food in steel plates instead of plastic or disposable ones. the same applies to cutlery and glasses.
9) If you are going out, try taking an extra box of sweets and give one or two to the children on the streets. This will make the festival joyous for them too.

I have done my bit. When will you? Let's all take a pledge right here to implement some of these tips next year and spread awareness about the same too!

Child Obesity is an issue that is on the rise and something that concerns many people in the medical profession as well as millions of parents around the world. Obesity is defined as having excess body fat. Being overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. Body mass index, or BMI, is a widely used screening tool for measuring both overweight and obesity. BMI percentile is preferred for measuring children and young adults (ages 2–20) because it takes into account that they are still growing, and growing at different rates depending on their age and s*x. Here are some statistics sourced from the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.
1) Somewhere between 5.74 percent and 8.82 percent of schoolchildren in India are obese.
2) In urban South India, 21.4 percent boys and 18.5 percent girls aged 13-18 are either overweight or obese.
3) Worldwide, in the year 2000, the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) declared about 10 percent of children aged 5-17 (about 155 million) were overweight, out of which two to three percent (30 to 45 million) were obese.

CAUSES OR REASONS:
1) Sugary beverages: A study examining children aged 9–14 from 1996–1998, found that consumption of sugary beverages increased BMI by small amounts over the years. Sugary drinks are another factor that has been examined as a contributing factor to obesity. Sugary drinks are often thought of as being limited to soda, but juice and other sweetened beverages fall into this category. Sugary drinks are less filling than food and can be consumed quicker, which results in a higher caloric intake.

2) Snack foods: Another factor that has been studied as a possible contributing factor in childhood obesity is the consumption of snack foods. Snack foods include foods such as chips, baked goods, and candy. Many studies have been conducted to examine whether these foods have contributed to the increase in childhood obesity.

3) Portion size: Portion sizes have increased drastically in the past decade. Consuming large portions, in addition to frequent snacking on highly caloric foods, contribute to an excessive caloric intake. This energy imbalance can cause weight gain, and consequently obesity.

4) Activity level: One of the factors that is most significantly linked to obesity is a sedentary lifestyle. Television viewing among young children and adolescents has increased dramatically in recent years. The increased amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors has decreased the amount of time spent in physical activity.

5) Socio-cultural factors: Our society tends to use food as a reward, as a means to control others, and as part of socializing.

IMPACTS:
Childhood obesity has immediate and long-term impacts on physical, social, and emotional health. For example:

1) Children with obesity are at higher risk for having other chronic health conditions and diseases that impact physical health, such as asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and risk factors for heart disease.

2) Children with obesity are bullied and teased more than their normal-weight peers, and are more likely to suffer from social isolation, depression, and lower self-esteem.

3) In the long term, childhood obesity also is associated with having obesity as an adult, which is linked to serious conditions and diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and several types of cancer.

PREVENTIONS OR CURE:
1) Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products.
2) Include low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products.
3) Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils, and beans for protein.
4) Serve reasonably-sized portions.
5) Encourage your family to drink lots of water.
6) Limit sugar-sweetened beverages.
7) Limit consumption of sugar and saturated fat.
8) Avoid using any kind of gadgets during the day and instead, play or set a fixed time for exercising.

The growing issue of childhood obesity can be slowed, if society focuses on the causes. There are many components that play into childhood obesity, some being more crucial than others. A combined diet and physical activity intervention conducted in the community with a school component is more effective at preventing obesity or overweight. Moreover, if parents enforce a healthier lifestyle at home, many obesity problems could be avoided. What children learn at home about eating healthy, exercising and making the right nutritional choices will eventually spill over into other aspects of their life. This will have the biggest influence on the choices kids make when selecting foods to consume at school and fast-food restaurants and choosing to be active. Focusing on these causes may, over time, decrease childhood obesity and lead to a healthier society as a whole.
PS- This article was written on the request of Uday Swami If you have any suggestions/ requests, please email me. Thank you!

One of the major concerns of our environment today is INCORRECT DISPOSAL OF PLASTICS. These chains of polymers lead to a lot of environmental hazards. Some reach grazing ground of cattle and even forests sometimes. When these animals eat this plastic their systems get clogged and they end up losing their lives. If this plastic catches fire, it releases extremely harmful gases such as carbon monoxide that adversely affect our respiratory system. Thus, in order to prevent this, I give my plastics and newspapers to a company called http://recycleimpact.com
To read more about how plastics harm our environment click the link-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_pollution

Diwali- the festival of lights, is one of the most widely celebrated and enjoyed throughout India. As legend states, it was first celebrated when Lord Ram along with Sita and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile in the forest. On this day, people lit lamps to welcome them back home.

With the passage of time, the way people celebrate this festival is changing. Most people now believe Diwali to just be a festival where you burn firecrackers. Recently, the supreme court in Delhi banned the sale of firecrackers in Delhi. People have different opinions on this, but as for me, I totally support the ban. In my opinion, crackers are very bad and these are the reasons-
1) It leads to a lot of noise pollution (due to the loud sounds produced) and air pollution (due to harmful gases released) which is very harmful to the Earth and its ecosystem.
2) Most of the crackers are made illegally by young children. Not bursting crackers will lead to a decrease in unwanted child labour. Also, these kids who make these crackers get cancer due to the toxic chemicals they handle. Not bursting crackers will guarantee them a healthy future.
3) Most of the crackers are made in China. India does not have very good relations with the country. Buying Chinese crackers will only supply money to their economy thereby helping them strengthen their army.
4) Many people are affected by diseases such as Asthma after the festival due to the polluted atmosphere. Accidents caused by defective crackers may also lead to major and fatal burns.
5) Diwali is now only remembered as a festival where you burn crackers. The traditional meaning of this auspicious day is being forgotten due to these crackers.

If not burn crackers, then what does one do on Diwali?
1) Make colourful Rangolis outside your door.
2) Light plenty of lamps to make the surroundings bright and cheerful.
3) Distribute sweets and clothes among the poor or underprivileged. (It could even be your own house help).
4) Take some time out to remember god and thank him for all the good that has happened in your life. Pray, not only for your family but the entire world to remain healthy and happy.
5) Take some time out to meet and spend some quality time with your family and friends.
6) Since many harmful gases are released due to someone or the other bursting crackers, help the healing process by planting a few trees.
7) If you really want to see firecrackers burn, ask your building members to organize a fireworks show in your community.

What I did to help society and the environment on Diwali-
1) Spread awareness about the harmful effects of crackers through social media like WhatsApp, Google+ etc.
2) Asked people not to burn crackers and also told them how they harmed the environment as well as the society.
3) Distributed clothes and sweets among my house help and their children and brought a smile to their faces.
4) Stopped myself from bursting any crackers ( although I must say it was a very difficult thing to do. But then again, I succeeded! This proves that anything is possible). By doing this, I decreased the pollution that I had contributed to by bursting crackers last year.

Do you really think that the momentary joy that one receives while bursting crackers, nullifies all the bad after effects? I don't think so. I hope reading this article changed your opinion about firecrackers and I truly hope that you'll make a difference and inspire others to do so too.

We live in the age of technology. It is an essential part of everyday life and has made the world a greater and convenient place to live in by making our lives easier and making everything available at the tip of our fingertips. With technology, the world has become a smaller place. However, like most things, technology has both advantages as well as disadvantages.

ADVANTAGES:
1) More job opportunities.
2) Better communication.
3) More information and data available but not always reliable and correct.
4) Increases production.
5) Everything at the tip of our fingertips.
6) Different apps on gadgets help children study, learn and test themselves.
7) Helps children gain knowledge beyond books.

DISADVANTAGES:
1) Laziness and people become couch potatoes.
2) Creativity on the decline.
3) Radiation causes cancer and other diseases.
4) Incorrectly disposed e-waste does not help the environment.
5) Lack of privacy.
6) Causes unwanted influence on someone's life especially applicable to teenagers.
7) Causes cyber crime and bullying through games like BLUE WHALE.
8) People become obese as they do not go out and play or exercise.
9) People forget family and friends and go on surfing the net for hours together.

SOLUTIONS:
1) For adults, but a phone with basic facilities like phone and messenger.
2) Do not give a phone to a teenager. Let the child turn eighteen before he/she is allowed a phone.
3) Turn your phone to grayscale mode so that you are not tempted to check it.
4) Turn the notifications off so that you are not tempted to check it.
5) Answer calls on your left year or better still on speaker or with ear phones to receive the least amount of radiation.
6) Make sure that your phone has at least 30% charge and if it has anywhere below 20%, avoid using it.
7) Place parent controls on your child's phone to monitor what data he/she is exposed to.
8) Being a parent, set a good example and use these devices as little as possible.
https://youtu.be/PLFks1sJB0I

MOBILE ADDICTION RAP (Prod. by Babak Beatz) Instrumental used in this song is linked below https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVZ_HXvTEZs The app for tracking ya phone usage is as linked below https://...

In light of certain current events, it has become clear that SEXUAL ASSAULT, better still known as 'THE BAD TOUCH' is becoming increasingly common especially among young children and teens. It has shown that society is unsafe not only for girls but also for boys. It is therefore important for everybody to know what are their private parts, what is a bad touch, how to stay safe in an environment that is steadily growing unsafe and how to tackle someone in case they touch you inappropriately.

WHAT IS SEXUAL ABUSE?
Sexual abuse is when a child or young person is pressurized, forced or tricked into taking part in any kind of s*xual activity with an adult or young person.
1) Fondling/touching/kissing of ge****ls and other areas of the body
2) Exposing ge****ls or s*xual material to child
3) Talking to a child inappropriately, graphically and explicitly about s*x
4) Asking a child to touch their own ge****ls or another person's ge****ls.

WHAT ARE YOUR PRIVATE PARTS?
Your private parts are the parts hidden behind your swimming costume namely- the area between your legs, your chest region, and your lips.

WHAT IS BAD TOUCH?
A s*xual abuse touch is something that makes the child feel scared, anxious or uncertain. It is a touch on any part of their body that would normally be covered if they wore a swimming costume. Explain to them that this touch may feel “nice” or exciting, but that it may also feel strange. If they are asked not to tell anyone about this touch then that is s*xual abuse touch. Make it clear that s*xual abuse touch can also happen with their clothes on.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD TOUCH?
1) Good touch is touch that feels safe – or touch that makes us feel warm and makes us smile
2) Bad touch hurts their body or feelings

SAFETY TIPS
1. Tell your child their address and phone number
2. If you go somewhere, where you become separated from your child, have a ‘meet place’
3. Make sure they know how to dial the emergency services and what to say
4. Make sure they also have the number of another trusted adult written down somewhere.
5. Teach your child the buddy system – i.e. walk in pairs or groups

AS PARENTS, WHAT MUST BE REINFORCED?
1) Children must be taught that if something is happening that makes them feel uncomfortable, they must tell somebody they trust.
2)Help children realize that they have the right to say ‘no’ to those who would abuse their authority as adults. We must make children aware that their safety is more important than good manners.
3)Teach children in an open way from very young about correct biological names of body parts so that they don’t feel embarrassed talking about it and in an abusive situation the child understands what is happening.

Here is an interesting article about the same- http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/good-bad-touch-child-safety-molestation-abuse-ryan-international-school-lifest/1/1045361.html

How to tell your children the difference between good-touch and bad-touch These pointers could save your child's life.

The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) is a civic body in Mumbai that takes care of the civic amenities and issues of the city. Without this body, it is impossible for us to function as it takes care of the water pipes, roads, street lighting etc. Just recently, it was declared that the BMC elections were to be held on 21th of February, 2017 to elect our corporators- the nagarsevak who would be taking care of their wards. It is integral that all the adults of our city understand how important it is to elect a leader that has the vote and consent of the majority. In order to spread awareness about this, I went around my building taking signatures of all those who had a voters id and would go for the elections thereby spreading awareness. I am sure that we have done our bit and hope that whoever comes to power will be the choice of the majority. To read more about this click the link- http://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/bmc-election-2017

Protesting is a way of putting across our thoughts and issues to the government. However, before protesting we must try and tell them to solve our issue. If they still don't solve the issue then we should resolve to protests. Even though when we think of protests, we always think of violence, fighting, fires, commotion, riots etc, protesting through violence is not the only way of protesting. There are other ways of protesting such as gathering people that are facing similar issues and having a rally or a signature campaign etc. These two differences are clearly shown in the flashcard in the pictures below. Thus, to make people aware about peaceful and violent protesting, the major differences between them and why peaceful protesting is better, a few people from my group and I had a small discussion with students of our age and did our best to explain this to them. I hope we convinced them enough and did our duty. To know more about protesting, click the link- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protest

There are a number of things we use in our daily lives that are harmful to the environment. Well, I don't think anyone has ever given this a thought, let alone try to change it. Why are they harmful? How do we replace them? What do we do with irreplaceable items? Below are the answers:

1) HANDWASH:
WHY?
Many hand-wash brands contain the chemical triclosan or triclocarban which can lead to serious health conditions.The chemical is resilient and can survive water treatment- it can reach the ocean and destroy bacteria that form the base of the food chain.
ALTERNATIVE:
Choose safe soaps that do not contain triclosan, triclocarban or fragrances. Alcohol-based sanitizers and natural soaps are a better option.

2) TOOTHPASTE:
WHY?
Some brands contain plastic microbeads, a leading contributor to the huge amounts of plastics that return to oceans proving fatal for ecological life.They attract toxic materials as they travel.
ALTERNATIVE:
Use salt and sugar based or herbal toothpaste.

3) WET WIPES:
WHY?
Wipes contain plastic and cannot be broken down as easily as toilet paper which is to some extent biodegradable.
ALTERNATIVE:
It is better to use a moist tissue paper(for sanitary uses). For cleaning purposes, one should use a cloth, handkerchief or duster.

4) PLASTIC BAGS:
WHY?
There are 1 trillion nonbiodegradable plastic bags that are disposed off each year which breakdown waterways, clog landfill sites and release toxic chemicals when burnt.
ALTERNATIVE:
Use jute bags or paper bags that can be recycled as often as possible.

5) OLD CLOTHES
WHY?
Do you wear everything that is in your wardrobe? That is something that is highly unlikely. Do you know that while you are expanding your wardrobe with clothes that won't even last u a season, thousands of textile wastes are being added to global landfills?
ALTERNATIVE:
Buy only how much you can wear.You can contact NGOs that turn old clothes into useful materials such as cloth bags, comforters or even bedsheets! Donate that extra money that you would have bought clothes with to charity.

6) OLD BATTERIES:
WHY?
Batteries contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals that can leach into the environment once the casing disintegrates.Did you know that just one battery can contaminate 400 liters of water 20 square meters of soil?
AlTERNATIVE:
Collect old batteries and deposit them at proper recycling waste disposal centers in order to avoid contamination of soil or water.

I think that these are just a few out of a thousand. In such cases, it is necessary to remember the 3 rs- REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.