The Ashoka Tree Blog

Happy feet make happy hearts!   The Abode Dance School  has spread so many more smiles with just an hour and some good music.   Here's a huge shout out to  Vivek Menon  for taking time off to spread some cheer!  Your passion for dance has created a unique expressive experience for our children in what would have otherwise been just another dreary day!

When actions speak louder than words!! How much would it take to spend half an hour with little children who need your company much more than your smart phone or laptop does? How much would it take to get them to smile? Sandhya Ershad - you've spread many more smiles with this one hour you've spent with our children in Thripunithara.  Some smiles are worth more than a million!

- Lisa Susan Abraham,  Intern, The Ashoka Tree The irony lies in the name of two established institutions of Cochin and the work they intend to do. Going through the websites of Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and Lions Club one can easily get a beautiful image of the ‘ideal city’ work in progress. But the question is, who is the target audience? The city one hopes Cochin will be in a decade or two clearly depends on the children we educate today. Omana Teacher’s Anganwadi in Kadavanthra is fairly big, in comparison to most of the others, and spacious with around 23 children in attendance. Neatly dressed, in uniforms provided by the Lions Club, this anganwadi was built by the Lions club for free on GCDA land. “I can't recall any instance where we were asked to pay any rent as such” says Omana teacher, 54 years old. Having served for over 35 years as an Anganwadi teacher, she is thankful to both the GCDA and Lions Club for those three decades.  However, ...

A little kindness, lots more smiles! A  Philips India  CSR initiative with  The Ashoka Tree  at the  Philips Innovation Campus ,  Bangalore, India An organization committed with creating lasting sustainable changes in the lives they touch,  The Ashoka Tree  would like to thank each one of you at the  Philips Innovation Campus  on beha lf of the nearly 2000 children in Payannur who will smile on opening those boxes.  Thank you for being our partners in improving the lives of these little boys and girls who will now look forward to going to school with their brand new schools bags, water bottles, lunch boxes, books and crayons.  You sure have spread more smiles!