There are many NGO s in IndiaBeing the real human in the real world is difficult. Thats why I try to find people who are doing their part. That’s what being a real Human is all about. Incidentally, that’s the name of their NGO Being the Real human. Being the real human is a foundation which believes in making their own corner of the world better. They do it with whatever resources they have.In conversation with Mr.Utpal of this NGO.
Q: Tell me about Being Real Human?
A: Being the Real Human Foundation is a registered NGO working towards improving the environment and Animal rights and focusing to bring some smiles on the faces of the aged.
Being The Real Human:NGO in Mumbai with a soul
Q: Who all are there in this with you?
I have small teams working all over Navi Mumbai who specialize in Animal welfare and Environmental issues. We have Doctors, Advocates and chartered accountants associated with us in our cause. As soon as people realize that we are doing this work, not for any awards or limelight, they tend to join us. There is a decent amount of people in the society who want to genuinely give back something to the society as a whole and these people are our strength.
NGO in India spreading the message of humanity:They know plants keep us alive
Q: How did you think about this project?
A: It all started with a cremation process of someone known to me. He was a young chap and his suicide came as a shock to all of us. While we were doing his last rites, this thought came to my mind…”We know the cycle of birth to death (clinically as well as medically), but do we know what happens after death? So is death the end? Or is it the beginning? Is it the beginning of a new journey which none of us are aware of, except the person who goes on it! This journey may be beautiful of very painful. The person going on this new journey will definitely not have us with him/her. So why not make the last days of the person leaving this journey beautiful. Why not send him/her happily for their new journey? Likewise with animals, why not see them off across the rainbow bridge with whatever love we can give them?”
Being The Real Human:Utpal taking care of hos four legged friend
Q: Who helped you do this?
A: No project happens with one person. There are always people who act as support pillars to make a shelter. My wife Prita who is the Vice president of the NGO, my friends Raju Naidu who is the Secretary, always accompanying Arun Revane, the helping sisters Laxmi Jha and Pinky Jha who are founder members along with Smita D Naidu who is our Treasurer.
Q: What work do you focus on through this NGO?
A: We Focus on Animal welfare, Environment conservation, and Old age homes.
Being The Real Human: A caring hand and smiling face is all the elderly need
Q: How do you manage it all?
A: By Gods grace, I should say. Since it’s a newly formed NGO, we are not yet entitled to any grant from the Government. It is the members, patrons, and well-wishers who contribute whenever possible and this keeps the show running.
Q: How can people help?
A: People can donate/contribute directly to the NGO’s account at :
People who want to do selfless service can request an application form to join the organization with a nominal- membership fee along with relevant documents and photographs.
Q)Tell me about Utpal Krishna who manages so much good work?
I am born and brought up in Mumbai, graduated from the Mumbai University and worked in the corporate world for about 20 years. I quit the corporate world in 2012 and started Full-time consultancy in Content management and Food. As a certified nutritionist, I have helped many stay fit and also work with corporates from time to time for their Food related content requirements. I run a blog at fashionablefoodz.com which is well known by now. After doing voluntary social service for over 10 years, I decided to start a NGO and in April 2017, Being The Real Human came into existence.
Disclaimer: All information about NGOs and charitable work is according to the information given by a member. Before making any monetary contribution, kindly do so at your own discretion.
Buying your own home is a dream for middle-class Bengalis.Its a sign of stability of having finally put down roots.For us, it was an impossible dream.But I read jagoinvestor with tremendous zeal and all Manish’s books made me realize we needed a plan.
Step 2: Avoid breaking long-running Fixed deposits or loan from PPFs, where the compound interest magic was happening.I planned my yearly budget with care.
Step 3: Ask family and friends for their advice and any personal loan at zero interest from them.But no wheedling, no bad feelings and no asking for free handouts.It just doesn’t work that way.
Step 4: Find the best home loan provider and their best plan.This one took as much research as both our thesis and some timely help from guardian angels.
Step 5: Have a brain map for the dream home .practical points and others.
Step 6: Make it a reality.The exact steps.
Step 7: Decorating my dream home, eco-friendly and budget-friendly.
Step 8: Always Love the Home you Have!
House Hunting in India: My experiments and experience
About Step 1
I was saving since 2007.That’s the year I cleared my PG and started getting a stipend.I used to save only 5k a month in a recurrent deposit.But when I bought my home in 2014, that amount was a life saver.It partly helped finance the down payment and helped us avoid the personal Bank loan trap.
I got married in 2008.Yes, have an old soul and actually started saving money for my home even before I got married.Since hubby was my medical college sweetheart and we were doing our PG in Delhi(different colleges under Delhi University) both had separate living and food expenses.They were considerable.Plus it was Delhi!
Getting married was romantic and also financially perfect.We saved money as when we lived in our co-ed hostel room.
Don’t be shocked.At Safdarjung PG hostel since many people were married, entire families could be found in the generous sized, but single rooms of the hostel.
I loved the energy of Delhi so much that I house hunted in Green Park and Bengali para CR park.But housing in Delhi was not fitting the budget.Also, we were still studying
That’s tough.Why? Because not having permanent jobs made home loan difficult.
Did it stop my enthusiasm? No!
Where did I search for homes?
Anywhere and everywhere.Where I liked the weather and people.Where it wasn’t crowded and had beautiful autumn winter, spring, and tolerable summers.
On my list was Chandigarh I loved this beautiful planned city and homes with gardens.Way beyond budget and I knew how to manage one room.A house could be an Amazonian challenge.Can you see I have ignored the sheer improbability of even getting a job or the financial logistics?But focusing on the basic housework and managerial skills needed?
I believed a house will become your home only when things fall into place.You may buy many houses , but your home is where you find peace and happiness.
My house hunt if not for my hubby could well have ended in Manali (if HP government gave us special provisions to make it affordable)
Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Shimla, Kashmir all have been rigorously researched.
Kashmir government doesn’t allow Kashmiri home buyers also it was not practical.Maybe!
Getting jobs in the above-mentioned places meant I would have to convince my mom to shift from Kolkata.
Another mountain which is Amazonian (currently favorite word)
Fast forward to 2010
We shifted base to Kolkata.Both got jobs.Mine didn’t pay much but practice was okay.Hubby got a job, changed job got a government job in 2011.Family planning started.House hunting physically put on hold.
99acres and magicbricks helped during these times.I still searched for homes in Manali and Chandigarh.Delhi was given up.Childcare would be a problem, traveling difficult, also mommy needed looking after.
2012 Baby born
Days and nights merged no house hunting.Luckily both our RDSands FDs were saving and I saved as much as I could.Did I buy my home ?How ?Where ?
Wait for my next post in this series.
Did you know my blog helped in this journey too?
Writing with you for ThankfulThursdays.Thank you note for the home I found!
#ThankfulThursdays Prompt this week
“How did you find your Home?Write a thank you note”
You can also link up other thankfulness posts you have written.Tweets and Instagram posts are welcome too.Just spread #Thankfulness.
Thankful Thursday 39 :Thankful for Househunting in India my experiments & Experience
Rules of linky:
Write on the prompt and Link Up.We have a fun new option.
You can submit tweet links and Instagram posts too.
You can also link up other posts.Just comment on this post and my co-hosts post and any two of the posts in the link up.Share using #ThankfulThursdays hashtag.
We deeply believe in community spirit.Eagerly looking forward to visiting your blogs.
Follow @misra_amrita @twinklingtina, on Twitter
Prompts will be announced every Wed 20:00 hrs IST
Linky opens on Thursdays 00.00 hours.
The linky closes the following Wednesday 23.55 hours.
Write the post and Link Up with Amrita, Tina,
Generate your button code
By Joining the linky you are giving us permission to email and or tweet you a weekly reminder.
We share your entries on Twitter and other social media platform generously.
Who doesn’t like blog promotion?
Read, comment, share on the host and co-hosts posts and at least two more posts linked in the party.
Pro Tip – Networking and commenting are good for your blog’s health.Who
doesn’t like their blog to be read?
[bctt tweet=”When you say thank you & pray, its mindful conversation with God.It also draws all the positive energy of the universe towards you #ThankfulThursday” username=”misra_amrita”]
Mahatma Gandhi is a man who lives even after his death.At a time when few thought about right and wrong, he had the tremendous foresight about the importance of truth.
When I tell my daughter about Bapuji I realized humans are flawed.The magic ingredient is the flaw.The right amount of genius and flaw can change the world.The best way to learn and grow is by reading about great men.
The best way to avoid costly mistakes is to learn from the lessons and mistakes of successful men(searching for more words here).
Life Lessons from Bapuji & One Lesson I Don’t Agree With
On Education
Bapuji believed in Education which builds character.
He firmly believed that quality education helps society.Literacy alone helps little.For education to make a difference one must first be able to support herself/himself financially and then help others rise.
For my daughter
Study not only because you like to learn.Study also because you want to be independent.A good education will help you like nothing else.
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
On social welfare, his words are Gold
[bctt tweet=” Be the change that you wish to see in the world _Mahatma Gandhi #writebravely ” username=”misra_amrita”]
In the exciting activity of criticising Reema, Meena, and Sumita, we forget that if all of us made our own homes and locality beautiful the city state country and the world will be beautiful.Mahatma truly believed that.
Cleanliness being next to Godliness
In this, he spoke not only about the physical world but also the mind.Allowing clutter and unclean thoughts to enter your minds you pollute your soul.
I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.
God resides in our souls.Every time we make our soul unclean by word or deed it breaks his heart.
About Ahimsa (nonviolence)
I am in two minds.Maa Durga just went home after slaying demons.She is a mommy and she takes up arms every year to save her children.I am all for ahimsa.But only when its living beings who don’t kill the innocent.If you hurt children then it’s going to be a different set of rules.A rapist is not human.A child molester deserves new ways to drive home the point.That’s a crime against the soul.The victim remembers forever.Her thoughts and memories are painful.That’s, not a crime which ahimsa can help.
Vivekananda said
One who commits a crime and the one who doesn’t protest,both are equally guilty.
Maa Durga slays demons.Terrorists are killing children without scruples.Difficult times and different situations call for different rules.
Gandhiji tells us about
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”-But sometimes that may be the only way.
He probably never met a mother whose child was molested!
Gandhiji’s teachings and the power of the mind
Mahatma believed in the tremendous power of the mind.Of the untapped energy of our thoughts.Men lacked the discipline to channelize it positively but all things are possible if you can control and direct your thoughts.
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”
A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.
His words give you hope in trying times.
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.”
“The future depends on what you do today.”
“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.”
And to err is proof of being human.You might be wrong.But you must
[bctt tweet=”You might be wrong.But you must try -Gandhiji #MondayMomyMoments” username=”misra_amrita”]
“Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it
But you can wake a man only if he is really asleep. No effort that you make will produce any effect upon him if he is merely pretending sleep.
Exactly what Lord Krishna had said about helping people
You can only help those who want to be helped.
On self-belief and having faith
Men often become what they believe themselves to be.If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even If I didn’t have it in the beginning”.
This is the most difficult lesson to learn.Because self-belief is a marathon, not a sprint.Faith is the framework on which self-belief stands.Parents have to walk the talk if they want to teach the right values.Even on the sunniest days being a mommy is not easy.
Writing this with #MondayMommyMoments.
The prompt this week
What can we teach kids from Bapu Ji’s life
Winner :
This week Geethica is our #MondayMommyMoments winner!Read her post here.
#MondayMomyMoments 40 featured winner -Geethica
RULES OF LINKY:
Comment on this post and co-hosts post You can write a post prompt or link up your new post in the linky. We share and visit each blogger who links up. This is not just a blog hop.This is a journey. That’s a total of at least 4 posts we want you to give some love. Write the post and Link Up with Amrita or Deepa.Follow on Twitter @Deepagandhi1 & @misra_amrita.
Copy the badge code and put it at the end of your post.
Generate your button code
Use #Mondaymommymoments or #MMM in your post and share on social media using the same hashtag.
By Joining the linky you are giving us permission to email and or tweet you a weekly reminder.
Did you know reading blogs makes your Alexa better? We deeply believe in community spirit.
Eagerly looking forward to visiting your blogs. Prompts will be announced every Sunday at 21.00 hrs IST.Linky opens till Sunday 21.00 hours.
We always visit the blogs and promote them as much as possible.It’s like your own blog promo.What’s not to love? We share your entries on Twitter and other social media platforms generously. Who doesn’t like blog promotion? Click the blue button below and submit your blog post.
I am taking part in The Write Tribe Problogger October 2017 Blogging Challenge .Have you joined?