User talk:SS - NGO

Singing Skylarks - Music for a cause is an NGO based at Bangalore founded in 2006. The NGO was started by a bunch of music enthusiasts working in different software firms in Bangalore in 2006. Initially, the members were primarily involved in giving music programs. Once the Band started growing by attracting different artists and volunteers who wanted to contribute towards the society the NGO increased in size and the Team of Engineers and Musicians started working on different social projects including Sponsoring for Education of slum children, Planting trees in an Around Bangalore and Environmental Go-Green projects.

As a team, Singing Skylarks started with 20 Musicians giving programs to raise funds for the charity. However, the group grew to around 50 members in 2008 and started counseling children addicted to alcoholism and drugs.Article on the first project of Singing Skylarks. Through word of mouth and articles, Singing Skylarks grew to 100 members in 2009 and started working as a full time NGO and was officially registered in December'2009 with Board of Directors from various software companies. The objects of Singing Skylarks broadly include the following.

Curbing Illiteracy Curbing Poverty Curbing Child Labor Curbing Corruption

Vision
Singing Skylarks aims at making India, a country free from Illiteracy, Poverty, Child Labor and Corruption. Singing Skylarks members visit various villages and outskirts of cities to identify the children who need education and help children employed in hotels, shops etc.. to get Education.

Mission
Singing Skylarks focuses on Curbing Illiteracy, Poverty, Child Labor and corruption.The activities fall under the following broadly:

ACTIVITIES
Social Projects so far (Social programs):

Anti-Smoking and Career Counseling
A Child was addicted to smoking and drinking at an early age (7th STD) which was of huge concern to his parents. Singing Skylarks undertook the project to counsel the child to quit smoking and drinking .The project included arranging regular visits of the child and parents to NIMHANS and counseling them on rehabilitation at the tobacco de-addiction center. The child showed rapid signs of recovery.Student Counseling

Equal Opportunity for disabled
Singing Skylarks Volunteers visited Srishti special academy [Bangalore] in 2008 Shristi Special Academy to provide counseling for the physically disabled children. Many volunteers from the group visit the NGO every year to provide support and guidance to the children there.

Education Sponsor Programs
Singing Skylarks Donated 30% of College Fee to a II PU Student. Singing Skylarks also covered 30 % of the educational expenses for the student. Singing Skylarks Volunteers continue to counsel the girl related to her studies. The progress of the girl was reported periodically and monitored in the year 2009. Singing Skylarks strongly believes in women empowerment and sponsored for higher education of a security Guard lady for her studies in 2011. The progress of the same has been tracked by one of the volunteers in the NGO.

Dance Classes in Government schools
Volunteers of Singing Skylarks started the project of Imparting Dance knowledge for students in Government schools. The project successfully embarked on 21st August 2010. Not all the government schools have the facility to teach Dance or music and even if the schools do have, the children are not able to learn mostly because of the exorbitant fee charged by the teachers. A Singing Skylarks Volunteer who has learned Bharatnatyam for around 10 years has started the project and teaches to around 25 students in a Government school near Hebbal Flyover in Bengalooru.

Better Living Conditions
Singing Skylarks learned about a Village named Kerethanda which is located in North Karnataka region in Hospet town. The village lacked even basic amenities and the school was not maintained well without the basic stationary materials. Around 20 volunteers from Singing skylarks NGO and few volunteers from Software companies visited the village in 2010 twice to counsel the students and donate books and geometry boxes to the students in the school. The NGO also has arranged for employment for the youngsters as security guards in Bengalooru area.

Environmental Initiatives
In 2010, Singing Skylarks NGO learned about the problems existing in a lake in Bangalore near Bagmane Tech Park and with the help of Kernel from DRDO and with the help of Motorola foundation and Bagmane Builders, Singing Skylarks completed beautification of the lake and donated Fountain for the same and planted around 100 saplings along with the volunteers from Motorola India.

Achievements in the year 2010
Singing Skylarks won CEO Award for Volunteerism 2009 for the good work done in 2009 and the award was given by Motorola Foundation in 2009 to carry on the good work done towards the society.

Singing Skylarks Awarded CEO Volunteerism for 2010

News paper articles
Times of India article about SINGING SKYLARKS on Feb 8th 2010 http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAxMC8wMi8wOCNBcjAwNjAx

DNA article about SINGING SKYLARKS on March 16th 2010 http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/interview_these-youth-try-to-reach-out-in-song-to-lambanis_1359581