Rukmini’s dance troupe beamed the divine messages of Kali, Durga and Devi, electrifying an audience that had arrived all the way from the suburbs of the city to enjoy the experience.
“This was a mesmerizing evening,” said an 80-year-old woman, whose face glowed with happiness. “I loved the emotional experience of dancing with Rukmini Vijaykumar in my heart.”
The show was widely covered in many TV channels and the Bangalore Mirror, helping to spread SIB’s message of women’s empowerment and education.
]]>SIB reaffirms its green mission through three pillars:
Action
We don’t just talk — we act.
From community clean-ups to sustainable living projects, we start to implement real solutions for a green, healthy planet.
Awareness
Change starts with understanding.
Through campaigns, workshops, and educational outreach, we spread vital knowledge about environmental challenges and solutions.
Advocacy
We raise our voices for the Earth.
We work with stakeholders, policymakers, and citizens to influence environmental policies and promote sustainable development at all levels.
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-SIB’s Fistul of Grains project also rolled off. About 125 kgs of grains and 47 kilos of pulses were collected from the Global City International School (GCIS) and donated to Rakum Blind School. About 80 kilos of grains and 10 kilos of pulses were picked up from The International School Bangalore and transferred to Sai Orphanage, near Srirangapatnam.
-Jamuna, an SIB member through Vayah Vikas, her NGO for the elderly, gave career counselling tips to Doddanakundi school, where she also distributed sweets and test sheets.
]]>The programme aimed to spread awareness, change mindsets, transform attitudes and create beliefs in building sustainable lifestyles. Most of the women staff members are caregivers to patients, so they were given talks on role expectation, seniority, power imbalance and gender hierarchy.
Anuradha spoke about cultural bias, the patriarchal system and some of the unjust social practices, as well as countering them with meaningful empowerment. Anita touched on developing empathy, expressing emotions through journaling, mindfulness, transference, providing equal opportunities for all and creating equitable societies without burdening some.
She gave tips through quotes, guidelines and poems, creating a vibrant space for self-expression.
On October 18, SIB, in collaboration with Rotary International, took a session on Parenting and Anger Management at Tunbridge High School.
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That was an electric Saturday on October 26, 2024. SIB, in partnership with Sicilians Academy, enabled 80 men from ten corporate bodies to join a football fundraising tournament at Coolulu Turf Park at Koramangala. The whole auditorium was flush with orange, as members wore the colours and the players sported orange bands. There were certificates, trophies, emergency supplies, an ambulance and some medical supplies as well as snacks – to take care of anything that went wrong – though they never did.
Elfonze Technologies was the wonder winner in the tournament that had 10 corporates, each with eight members. AXA Life Insurance was the runner-up. Other clubs that participated included Northern Trust, Continental Automotive, Reverie Language Technologies Lmt, Grant Thorton, Happiest Minds Technologies, Iron Mountain and Criticalog India Pvt Lmt.
]]>SIB also sponsored Pooja Mansukhani. As a child, she played barefoot in the narrow lanes of her hometown, hoping to don a real jersey someday. But being financially challenged, she had to set her dream aside and support her family. Today, at 33, she is a logistics superviser and takes care of her family singlehandedly.
Silicans Football Academy featured SI’s logo on their jerseys at the tournament.
]]>SIB charted a special, illuminating course on its 21st Charter Anniversary at the Bangalore Room, with India’s Fit India Ambassador, Wanita Ashok, giving SIB wonderful lessons on how to stay Healthy and well as Happy.
Wanita Ashok, who has a long list of awards to her credit, including the Naada Kempegowda Award and Karnataka Rathnashri Award, gave SIB women lessons on staying happy and healthy throughout life. What is her secret?
“Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality the other, a matter of time,” she said. Never ever give up. Always dip into yourself and push yourself to reach the skies, she added.
The Charter Day celebration marked a special chapter in SIB’s own evolution towards optimising its goals and activities.
]]>A film titled ‘Traded’, directed by Simran Arora and Harshit Bawa, highlighted the trauma as well as plight of female survivors from Kadiri, Andhra Pradesh and how the horrors of their trafficked lives have found some solutions.
Four women activists who have been battling for the women were honoured by SIB:
Rovina, a Senior Specialist at Vihaan, who fights human trafficking and modern-day slavery. She has been a dedicated advocate for 30 years and takes up issues of gender justice, child protection and capacity building. She has worked to support vulnerable groups, shape policies and strengthen systems for a just society. Rovina leads the Gender Sensitisation and People-friendly Police Project, improving police interaction with women and children. Her work in training law enforcement and developing key manuals has made a lasting impact.
Sherlin Anthony, a Senior Specialist in Programme Intervention at Vihaan, leads the South Zone to ensure rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked survivors. Through 13 years, she has played a crucial role in strengthening aftercare services, training teams and shaping policies for victim protection. She is a Resource person for Karnataka’s Police Academy, contributes to key state-level committees on anti-trafficking and child rights. She makes efforts to transform lives and systems for a safer, more just society.
Sister Susheela Rayappa, founder of Jnana Mandira Children’s Home, Halasuru, in 2008, works under the Society of St John Paul II. A high school teacher of 34 years, she is also a diploma holder in adult and family counselling. She has changed the lives of many children and young women, bringing them closer to financial independence, reclaiming self-respect and reaching out for the stars to achieve their dream lives.
Pallabi Ghosh, a tireless worker for rescuing and rehabilitating survivors, is also supporting law enforcement in raids and answering countless distress calls everyday. She has built an army of 75,000 to combat trafficking. Her journey began when she was 14 years and saw the anguish of a father searching for his missing daughter. It sparked a lifelong mission, leading to the establishment of the Impact and Dialogue Foundation, a beacon of hope in the fight against modern slavery.
The evening was a special one, documenting lives and solutions.
]]>The glittering function of the ‘11th Corporate Social Responsibility Summit and CSR Times Awards 2024’ was organised by CSR TIMES (a periodical on corporate social responsibility) along with the Goa CSR Authority, on August 22. There were 92 awardees among 20,000 entries.
Dignitaries at the ceremonial handover included Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Sadanand Shet Tanavade (Member of Rajya Sabha), Subhash Phal Dessai (State Minister for Social Welfare) among other business leaders and CSR professionals.
The Fistful of Grains (FOG) project, which was seeded by SIB in 2012, more than a decade ago, has spread its branches to benefit hundreds across India, as it was adopted as a NASI national project.
SIB distributes reusable bags to elite schools and asks students to fill them with nutritious foodgrains. After a month, SIB collects the bags and donates the grains to orphanages, remand homes or schools for the underprivileged.
The thrust is to link donors with deserving donees.
It was designed, firstly, to provide balanced, nutritious meals to underprivileged children and secondly, to instill compassion, generosity and a sense of social responsibility among privileged children. It has also helped to give employment to women making jute bags.
The following services have been rendered by FOG:
- The grains collected focus on nutritional support, including essential carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins. It aims to address malnutrition, stunting and wasting, developing immunity, reducing illnesses and enabling children to attend school regularly.
- The thrust on food provides enhanced cognitive development for success and economic well-being.
- The scheme promotes social equity and inclusion, ensuring that children from disadvantaged backgrounds get equal access to nutritious food.
- It gives support for families, alleviating some financial burden, so that they can redirect their limited resources to healthcare and education, improving the overall quality of life for the entire family.
- It ensures long-term economic, social and community benefits. Well-nourished children are more likely to become productive and contributing adults, breaking the cycle of poverty and improving social cohesion.
- FOG also teaches privileged children to empathise, sensitise and become emotionally intelligent. It fosters personality development and conflict resolution, as the students become more supportive, cooperative and resolve conflicts with understanding, instead of aggression. It also helps to bust their own stress, anxiety and depression.
The project addresses the following SDGs:
SDG 1: No poverty; SDG 2: Zero hunger; SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being; SDG 8: Decent .Work and Economic Growth, SGD 10: Reduced Inequality, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 17: Partnership
As Sandhya Suraksha had requested, SIB provided pedestal fans, a ladder and individual kits comprising wellness products for each inmate, in partnership with Himalaya Wellness.
Menaka, our member, also taught many of the inmates to make tassels.
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