Shaashvatham- Part 1
In my previous blog on Militvaa, I had written on my sandwich business and helping a social cause. Well, in this blog, I will be writing on the initiative(Shaashvatham) from where I got the idea to make healthy and fresh vegetarian sandwiches.
What is Shaashvatham?
Shaashvatham means sustainability in Sanskrit. In the 2016-17 academic year, it was HLC's theme for the annual exhibition. It addresses the topic of sustainable and healthy food, which is one of the three basic necessities of a man. We wanted to take a different approach to producing the food as we were firm that our fruits and vegetables has to be fresh, sustainable, pesticide free, and good for the environment unlike the ones we get in the market. We decided to extend this idea to the public and hence, hosted an exhibition; where anybody could come and see our work in creating sustainable and environmental friendly food.
To kick-start on our project, HLC bought a farm for growing our plants!! The layout of the farm was planned meticulously hand in hand by the teachers and students as we decided that the plants should be grown in a V formation, so that the plants can get equal amount of sunlight. We also agreed to formulate a compost pit bang on the center of the farm. This quirky placement enabled the plants to get the right amount of minerals from the soil.
The Five Groups
Grades 4 to 9 were part of the Shaashvatham exhibition. As each child had to play a equal role in growing sustainable food, the teachers divided the exhibition in five groups. They are :
1. Organic Farming
2.Gardening
3.Composting
As we desired to take huge steps in creating a non polluted environment, we decided to make and do:
4. Bricks and Walls made without cement
5. Pot Cooking
I was chosen for the Brick and Wall making. I was overjoyed as it was my first venture in making bricks.
Brick Making
When I started making bricks, I thought the fun element would not be in it but boy! Was I wrong!!😎As I went into the intricacies of making bricks, I understood how awesome it was. From measuring the accurate proportion of the ingredients to kneading the mixture for almost half an hour was stupendous. I was in awe when I realised that mathematics plays a huge role while making bricks. This is because only if the proportion is correct, then the brick is strong. By one month, I made almost 30 bricks which was the most number of bricks made by a student in my group. My teachers appreciated my effort and I was on cloud 9!! The fact which made me more happier was that I was playing a big role in making a better environment.
The Vardha Cyclone and Rebuilding The Farm
Just as we were getting ready to exhibit our prowess in the Shaashvatham project, the Vardha Cyclone struck!!😭 The cyclone destroyed most of the crops and destructed our compost pit. With just over a month to the exhibition and most students away on the Christmas holidays, the teachers were planning to postpone the day of the exhibition. That is when a handful of us students and the teachers rethought about the situation and decided to rebuild the farm from the scratch. We restarted farming, gardening and composting with the fire of completing our target before the exhibition. I bought the farm to life for two days and worked a lot on the compost pit and did some farming as well. I was praised by my teachers for my effort and was told to keep the good work up. Finally, after two weeks, the farm looked magnificent as it was bursting with green with the plants swaying to the light breeze in the air. We were ready for the 2016-2017 Shaashvatham exhibition😁
In my next blog, I will be writing the part two of the Shaashvatham blog series which will be covering how the exhibition whizzed by. Look out for it😃
What is Shaashvatham?
Shaashvatham means sustainability in Sanskrit. In the 2016-17 academic year, it was HLC's theme for the annual exhibition. It addresses the topic of sustainable and healthy food, which is one of the three basic necessities of a man. We wanted to take a different approach to producing the food as we were firm that our fruits and vegetables has to be fresh, sustainable, pesticide free, and good for the environment unlike the ones we get in the market. We decided to extend this idea to the public and hence, hosted an exhibition; where anybody could come and see our work in creating sustainable and environmental friendly food.
To kick-start on our project, HLC bought a farm for growing our plants!! The layout of the farm was planned meticulously hand in hand by the teachers and students as we decided that the plants should be grown in a V formation, so that the plants can get equal amount of sunlight. We also agreed to formulate a compost pit bang on the center of the farm. This quirky placement enabled the plants to get the right amount of minerals from the soil.
The Five Groups
Grades 4 to 9 were part of the Shaashvatham exhibition. As each child had to play a equal role in growing sustainable food, the teachers divided the exhibition in five groups. They are :
1. Organic Farming
2.Gardening
3.Composting
As we desired to take huge steps in creating a non polluted environment, we decided to make and do:
4. Bricks and Walls made without cement
5. Pot Cooking
I was chosen for the Brick and Wall making. I was overjoyed as it was my first venture in making bricks.
Brick Making
When I started making bricks, I thought the fun element would not be in it but boy! Was I wrong!!😎As I went into the intricacies of making bricks, I understood how awesome it was. From measuring the accurate proportion of the ingredients to kneading the mixture for almost half an hour was stupendous. I was in awe when I realised that mathematics plays a huge role while making bricks. This is because only if the proportion is correct, then the brick is strong. By one month, I made almost 30 bricks which was the most number of bricks made by a student in my group. My teachers appreciated my effort and I was on cloud 9!! The fact which made me more happier was that I was playing a big role in making a better environment.
The Vardha Cyclone and Rebuilding The Farm
Just as we were getting ready to exhibit our prowess in the Shaashvatham project, the Vardha Cyclone struck!!😭 The cyclone destroyed most of the crops and destructed our compost pit. With just over a month to the exhibition and most students away on the Christmas holidays, the teachers were planning to postpone the day of the exhibition. That is when a handful of us students and the teachers rethought about the situation and decided to rebuild the farm from the scratch. We restarted farming, gardening and composting with the fire of completing our target before the exhibition. I bought the farm to life for two days and worked a lot on the compost pit and did some farming as well. I was praised by my teachers for my effort and was told to keep the good work up. Finally, after two weeks, the farm looked magnificent as it was bursting with green with the plants swaying to the light breeze in the air. We were ready for the 2016-2017 Shaashvatham exhibition😁
In my next blog, I will be writing the part two of the Shaashvatham blog series which will be covering how the exhibition whizzed by. Look out for it😃
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