Humans of Candor International School

The world is filled with talented individuals. It is heartwarming to watch such individuals showcase their talent on various television shows. But what about all those individuals who are still waiting for an opportunity to knock on their doors? This thought had been troubling us. We wanted to make a change and provide opportunities to some of these talented under-privileged children. Yes, we are in the 10th grade but that doesn’t stop us from doing what we do, because Talent never ceases to surprise us. In-fact, it was a surprise for us too, to realize that the five of us had a similar idea. So this brought us together to build WAP.

WAP (World awareness Program) is a non-profit organization that strives to bring out the hidden talent in underprivileged children and help them unlock their potential to the fullest. We provide the infrastructure, support and facilities to underprivileged schools to make sure that they are part of the best education system. We also provide training for teachers so that they can guide these children and help them prepare for a better future. Fortunately for us, we are supported by Ms Sudha Murthy a very famous social activist. We are honored to be under her guidance.

We have developed an app to reach more people across the Country. We are looking to expand our services. With all your support we are quite sure that we will be able to reach as many children as possible.

To show your support and to know more about our organization, please download the app. If you have some time, please watch our video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouNeLs1A2_U

(Chirag p reddy: Founder || President: Raksh*t Jain|| Secretary/ IT head: Hriday Vajir || Treasurer/Finance head: Rishika Murthy || Design Head/ Events: Nikita Harne )

When i was in the 4th grade I painted a picture in class, I showed it to the teacher and she immediately told the class that my painting was something she did not want to see and asked the other students not to paint like me. I took permission to go to the washroom because my classmates wouldn’t stop laughing at me. It had become a habit for students with better grades and talents to tease other students for everything. This put a lot of pressure on me and I began to eat emotionally and became over weight. Soon enough I was told by my doctors that my pancreas where getting damaged due to my stress eating.

We were made to believe that ‘grades’ were everything. It was all that mattered. This carried on until 5th grade, when I decided a change was needed. My experiences changed me for the better. I not only stood up for myself but for my friends too. I started to make more friends and it made me happier than I was before. I stopped trying to change myself for other people and I stopped feeling bad for myself, I was still bullied for having bad grades, and blamed for everything I didn’t do, but I changed my perspective on everything.

I am now in 12th grade and am the same little girl other kids tried to bully, tease and most importantly change. You have been gifted this one life, live it as – YOU.

If you knew me as a child, the word ‘fitness’ would not be the first to strike you. I didn’t like the idea of clothes shopping, being an eight-year-old and having to look for a size meant to fit somebody three years older. I grew up always coming in last in every running race, and sometimes the other children at my primary school made fun of me for it. I don’t blame them. Kids can be cruel, and although everyone eventually matured to look beyond appearances, it still mattered to me.
Staying that way was just not an option.

Over ninth and tenth grade, I shed a lot of excess weight, but I still had to maintain it that way (yes, that’s the harder part). A friend of mine started going for Zumba classes in her building and persuaded me to join her for a trial class. Halfway through, soaked in perspiration, I had to take a break and sit down. A few months later, I’d regained a little of the weight, but now I could hold my own for the entire hour and still want to walk around in circles during breaks. I wasn’t the same kid who would need to stop and take her breath after running up the staircase.

By becoming a Zumba instructor and leading a class, I gained a great deal of self-confidence. By seeing what my own body can physically sustain, I became more comfortable with carrying out physical actions than I was before- doing things like casually lifting a heavy weight or sprinting down a slope seemed less tiresome. And even though I have gained some of that weight I lost, I know that I’m healthier and in better shape now. - Amatullah (a Candorian)

We reached 100 likes and still climbing!! Thank you people!!

‘Why did you decide to become a part of the film festival?’

I have been passionate about conserving nature since I was a kid. I have always been inspired by my brother, Abhi Mandela. He has worked on many wildlife missions, including a National Geographic mission in Africa. Like him I have always found an interest in venturing into forests and saving nature from harm. That includes harm caused by us people, the society, and that inspired my mission.
My mission became to integrate technology with nature and help people in areas they don’t focus to much on. In India, there is aquatic life, but no work towards conserving it. On my vacation to Goa, I noticed people leaving plastics and bottles in the sea, so when I had a chance to collaborate with my brother and his colleagues, I couldn’t give up the opportunity to do what I have always envisioned to do. I even got my friend Deeraj involved in the program after finding out his interest. I would never leave an opportunity in conserving nature.
http://www.movingwatersfilmfestival.org/

Jwngdaw has been with us since the start of Candor. Always running up and down, helping people and never saying ‘no’ to any request; “Jhandu Bhaiyaaa! Paani Milega? Is paper ka Xerox lekhe aajayenge kya? Fan nahi chal raha hai! Kuch Kijiye nah Bhaiya.” Over the years he has become a habit, an inspiration, he has become our ‘Jhandu Bhaiya’.

In conversation with Jhandu Bhaiya:

“Bhaiya, how are you always happy?”
“I always want to be happy. I like being happy.”
“Even with so much work?”
“What work? I don’t get so much work.”
“We never see you sitting down Bhaiya…always walking.”
“I do sit outside for a while.”
“How do you finish eating lunch in three minutes? Do you even chew?”
“Just like that. Even at home I eat like this. I don’t think if I chew or not, I just finish it.”
“Do you like playing mobile games?”
“Yes, car racing and shooting games.”
(Jwngdaw, Jhandu Bhaiya)

It all started when my account was hacked or should I say when one of my peers guessed my password. They started sharing posts from my end that they felt were funny, but it only gave my classmates a reason to make fun of me. I had become the ‘joke’ of my grade. This is a very common example of cyber bullying, but its definition is far wider; ‘use of social media to intimidate or threaten a person in anyway.’ That’s when it struck me that I needed to find an organization that could help me with my situation, but instead I found incidents, no solutions.

I found a dire need of educating people about cyber bullying and so did Parry Aftab. My dad had informed me about a friend who was working on starting a cyber safety program in India. She had already started one in the United States and invited my father and I to assist in her program.

Since then, my dad and I visited many school’s to educate students about cyber bullying and its consequences. Our goal has been to recognize whether the rest of our community is facing such situations and if so, how we can improve the situation. Visiting schools has been the first step to lifting our program off the ground. We look forward to continue building upon this project and stop the epidemic of cyber bullying! (Tejus, a Candorian)

It all started when I was on a perfect holiday at my grans’; beautiful farms with little chicken and goats, draught horses tied up to their masts and open fields filled with blooming yellow mustard flowers swaying in the soft, sweet summer breeze. I saw a girl that day, harvesting rice on our paddy fields. She was about 19 years old or so and had a little girl tied onto her back with a rough dirty rag. I couldn’t resist but offer her some help by holding her baby while she did her work. It was that day that I realised what suffering was. The little girl was so thin that I feared that the slightest pressure on her arm would break it, her eyes sunken in, blinded from the colours and beauty of the world.

It was the most painful thing I had ever witnessed. I asked the young lady about the little girl and her answer sent shivers down my spine. The little girl working hard on our fields said that she was a mother by the age of 14. She was sold into adultery at the age of 9. She had 6 other sisters who shared the same fate.

I was heartbroken and couldn’t keep it to myself anymore, I hurried back home to let out all the curiosity and anger. My grandmother immediately assembled all the farmers in the village that evening and asked me to recognise the girl, i couldn’t find her and there was nothing more disappointing than that.

We looked for her every single day for the next few days until we found her at one of our own factories. She was the daughter of one of the workers at our factory. We learned that he forced his wife and daughters into adultery to pay for his liquor. My grandfather took him to court and adopted all of his children except one, the little girl who held onto my finger and wouldn’t let go! My grandfather decided that I would take her under my roof when I could afford one. I couldn’t be more honoured. I would come back home everyday with a flower for her and would take her for long rides on my scooty. I’m glad I can watch her grow up in good health. She has brown eyes and the most beautiful smile. She loves horses just like I do, and treasures every little thing. She is amazing at math and gets good grades in class. She taught me to value and find happiness in the smallest things. I make sure to save half of my pocket money so I can buy her lots of candy every time I visit her. She calls me “Maa” and I can’t wait for the day I can call Rupa my daughter. I’m glad to have her in my life and am a proud little 18 year old mother! (Komal Khosla, a Candorian)