While the air at Deepalaya School, Sanjay Colony reverberated with the ‘International Girl Child Day’ theme, it was a classroom full of adult males which brought many to a stand still.

Closer investigation threw light on the gathering of fathers whose daughters were enrolled in the Girl Child Education Program.  They had gathered to prepare gifts to be handed over to their little angels on their important occasion.

Ms. Shailaja Bista, Political Officer, Embassy of the United States, graced the celebration.  She was accompanied by colleagues Mr. Shahab Khan and Ms. Catherine Sharma.

The Girl Child Education Program strongly draws the fathers into promoting and sustaining their girls at school using the concept of the Father and Daughter Alliance (FADA).   The Project, which is in operation from 2009, enrols out of school girls into non-formal education centres and thereafter they are mainstreamed into formal schools.    To ensure continuity at school, the girls come back to Deepalaya for remedial support.

On this occasion, the girls put up a cultural show.  Fathers were also felicitated for their close association with the program, regular attendance at the review meetings.  The girls were all happy to receive gifts their fathers had specially made for them.  The students were also facilitated for academic performance over the year. It not only brought huge smiles on the faces of the achievers but also brought a sense of achievement to the fathers of those students who proudly accepted the prizes along with their daughters. The function ended with a vote of thanks by one of the teachers. Not just the students; the teachers were also sincerely involved in making the program a success. Indeed it was!

Deepalaya Integrated Rural Health Center at village Gusbethi (Haryana) organized a general Health Camp on the 30th Sep. 103 patients from nearby villages (Gusbethi, Patuka, Kirori, Pipaka, Korali, Manuwas) benefited from the camp.
 
Deepalaya would like to place on record its heartfelt gratitude to  Dr Jaidev Buttan (General Medicine), Dr Hema Buttan (Ophthalmologist), Dr Sandeep Buttan( Ophtalmologist)  and Dr Parul Buttan (Gynaecologist)  who voluntarily conducted the camp.  They addressed the various concerns of the patients and dispensed medicines. Patients went back fully satisfied with the services provided. The doctors have identified a strong need to spread awareness on various health issues in the communities.
 
We invite more such voluntary  initiatives to ensure healthy communities in the rural belt of Mewat in Haryana