Wayanad Photography - Uday`s Hue

This enchnting phtograph is  shot from Wayanad by the gifted photographer, film maker and ad creator Udayabhanu. Uday is the CEO of Hue Men`s studio - Dubai

Rabigh TOASTMASTERS honour Leadership Village

Rabigh TOASTMASTERS  Saudi Arabia, honoured five young leaders of Leadership Village YLP-Wayanad from AFRC India for their contribution in bringing world attention to Wayanad with their excellent leadership skills in various fields. The international recognition comes with a badge for outstanding members, which is a top honour, from TOASTMASTERS and was handed over to the YLPs ( Young Leaders) by Rabigh TOASTMASTERS area Governor TM Abdullah Niaz. The recepient of the rare honours are Pooja YLP, Ramsheena YLP, Roshan YLP, Akhin YLP and Raiza YLP.

Invaluable mementos and TOASTMASTERS International magazines were handed over to Leadership Village - AFRC India founders Anil Emage and Laila Saein. With this rare and unique visit the two leadership organisations have entered a new horizon of mutual understanding and hopes of better relationship with positive growth is now not a distant dream. TM Niaz was honoured as the honorary advisory board member of Leadership Village and AFRC. He promised all guidance to the leaders of the centre.

My day is made !!

Ramsheena

2012 January 22^nd I would like to mark this day with golden letters in my life. That day I got such an experience even which I didn’t expect even in my dream. Before some days my teachers Laila saein and Anil Emage  told me that we have some guests  from Saudi Arabia. I was very excited because I have seen people from Saudi Arabia only from the Television. This is first time I am going to see them directly……….

Early morning I rached in our Institute AFRC INDIA. This institute is very special for me. It gave me lot of everlasting memory. Each and every corner gave me a nostalgic feeling.  Even that refreshment room too.  I love that institute just like my home. When I go there Pooja  YLP was there. After many days we are meeting. I was so happy. After sometime Roshan YLP and Keerthana came. We all together decorated our institute with balloons and ribbons and make it clean. Then we all wait for them. At  11.’O clock they reached the institute.

We welcomed them with flowers. TOASTMASTER Niaz and other visitors came with so many gifts for our Institute and trainers Anil Emage and Laila Saein. We got the medals for outstanding members from Rabigh TOASTMASSTERS club. It is definitely the most happiest moment in our life. I also talked in the function. 

I talked to the visitors. When I reached home I thought about my past life. How was me?   Who was me?   I was only an ordinary girl. I wouldn’t talk in front of others. I had stage fear when I joined with AFRC INDIA. I had changed a lot. That changes I cant explain in words. I could face the audience , I started to talk infront of others, I started to write poems. Post blog entries. In one sentence I can say that a new Ramsheena born. I am really thankful to my dear teachers, Leadership Village.

After the function we have gone for the lunch, in Hotel Greengates. We had food together with lot of fun. In the evening we had a picnic to bamboo village. At 5, o clock we returned home. I was very happy as a Young  Leader, one of the lucky YLPs. All this things are evergreen memories. In this moment I remember the words of a great person, our former president of India, Mr. A.P.J. Abdul  Kalam . 

  “ Dreams are not what we are seeing when we sleep, Dreams are that do not allow us to sleep” I also have a lot of dreams which is not allowing me to sleep."

 I also have a lot of dreams which is not allowing me to sleep.I want to realize my dreams. I believe I can, I do, I will… 

TOASTMASTERS in Leadership Village

22nd January 2012 is the day Leadership Village witnessed a rare and unique event.

Like the bright lightning in the far horizon, it was brief, but breathtaking and so powerful as to leave everlasting memories to each and every one who were present in the tiny office of AFRC India, from where the project Leadership Village was born.

When Rabigh TOASTMASTERS area Governor TM Abdullah M Niaz and his team were received with flowers by the leaders of Leadership Village, a new relationship was formed. Earlier this year, TM Rajendran presented Leadership Village in the Rabigh TOASTMASTERS leadership club. His daughter Pooja is  one of the leaders of Leadership Village project and the proud father was inspired to leadership through his daughter.

TM.Rajendran presents Leadership Village in Rabigh TOASTMASTERS 

Leadership Village caught the attention of everyone and  TM Niaz expressed his wish to visit Kerala, and especially to Wayanad, to meet the children and trainers . To welcome the visitors chidren early morning itself arrived AFRC and beautified the centre with balloons, flowers and colourful ribbons. They eagerly waited for the visitors and with open hearts and extended hands welcomed the dignified personalities. When the children received the guests they were not pressing rose flowers, but the heart beats of a bunch of passionate and innocent children.

The visitors came with loads of gifts and hearts filled with true love and compassion. Even though AFRC is based in a small institute and Leadership Village was born and sustained out of struggles and sacrifices, the visitors never considered the centre as a small one. They very happily shared their joy of being with everyone behind Leadership Village.

Laila Saein, co-founder of Leadership Village shared the  visiotrs about the story of Leadership Village, how during the summer vacation children and trainers of  her institute attended the online leadership training organised by Mr.Sangeeth Varghese from Bangalore. She said those were the days without internet and computers at the centre, but still a thirst for knowledge made all of them close their centre to visit the neighboring cafes to attend the Leadlab sessions of LeadCap. Thus born the starting point of the Leadership Village saga, she said.

TM Niaz told the children and thier parents how happy he was to be in Wayanad! Very proudly he told everyone that it was in Rabigh, his town, not in Kerala that the world`s first Malayalam TOASTMASTERS was formed. In Rabigh, a lot of Malaylees are behind him and they always push him to visit Kearala. He said all of us possess unique fingerprints and he wishes to leave his fingerprints in Kerala. For a person like TM Niaz, this is an easy task. He has already left deep and indelible fingerprints on the hearts of everyone he met in Wayanad, with his love, care and passion for true leadership.

Why we should stick with literature

Photograph:FaceFeatures/a.Emage

Laila Saein

The Indian term for ‘literature, is ‘sahitya’. Its Sanskrit connotation is sa+hit, meaning ‘which is for the wellbeing of all or that which is with all’. The first and foremost characteristic of literature is universality of appeal.

    Literature cuts across racial, cultural, social, educational, and economic barriers and enhances appreciation of life around us and awareness on social issues.  It integrates mind, body, and spirit and provides opportunities for self-expression, connects the inner space to the outer. It improves academic achievement - enhancing test scores, attitudes, social skills, critical and creative thinking.

        Literature is the perfect means to enrich our mind and thought. It offers us the possibility to enter the world of true imagination, It unleashes dreams, let it fly with violet tender  wings . It gives us the possibility to empathise with characters of the story we read, and also allows us  to judge it from our perspective. Literature comes with most valuable knowledge about humanity, beliefs. It opens the insight of others. People can feel what is the feeling of others and the thinking waves of other people. They will be able to wear others shoe in their own feet. Great writers like Tolstoy, Tagore and Dostoyevsky gently lead the readers to the labyrinth of the complicated human mind and ultimately nudges the reader to be more compassionate and open hearted.  The readers of great classics are always left with a collage of vivid impressions which they have assimilated from the vibrant pages. Great books sometimes smell of blood, sometimes taste of sweat and sometimes vibrate with tears. We can define classic literature as a treasure house of human emotions and reflections of true life lived by great people.

World literature opens a wide avenue to the reader to explore other cultures and beliefs. Literature allows the reader to take a look at different cultures and beliefs, creates better understanding about other people without reservations, and encourages meaningful discussions and dialogues. Above all literature brings people closer.

When we read a book, we travel with the writer. He is our guide, and he leads us to many an enchanting world. So friends, switch on your table lamp, stretch your hand towards your book shells and happy reading!