“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi With this spirit, students of ‘We Care’ campaigns embarked on a meaningful journey to The Earth Saviours Foundation in Gurugram on December 6, 2023. Devoted to serving humanity, the foundation stands as a sanctuary for adults facing physical, mental, and emotional challenges.Amidst various challenges, the residents exuded contentment, actively participating in activities that stimulated their minds and fostered a sense of community. Our students actively contributed to the foundation’s mission by donating 100 blankets. The expressed gratitude from both staff and residents served as a poignant reminder to our students about the importance of community support for those facing adversity. In the spirit of service and empathy, our students left The Earth Saviours Foundation with hearts filled with compassion and a renewed commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others.

On December 13, 2023, the Breaking Barriers team from Tagore International School had the privilege of participating in a meaningful event hosted by JLL (ACCENTURE) to mark World Human Rights Day. Celebrating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the session featured esteemed Human Rights Activist Harish Iyer as the guest speaker. The core focus of the hour-long online session centered around inclusivity within workspaces. Project Heads from Tagore International School, representing various initiatives, actively engaged in discussions, illustrating how the school cultivates an inclusive environment. They underscored the transferability of these principles to professional workplaces, emphasizing that the fundamental human right of being respected should be universally upheld. The session culminated with a thought-provoking observation: the responsibility for inclusivity lies with those who are included, shifting the narrative away from those who may feel excluded. This insightful session highlighted the active role individuals can play in promoting inclusivity and safeguarding human rights, both in educational institutions and professional settings.

Donate an Hour is a volunteering platform where people from diverse backgrounds and different walks of society, come together with the aim of giving it back to the society.  The NGO has built a self-sustainable ecosystem for the growth of underprivileged. Our students visited their Gurugram campus on 30 November 2023 to ‘donate time to shape lives’. The visit incorporated  warm  hospitality in an interactive environment. Mr. Divya Prakash, the Co-founder, gave a detailed history of DoaR’s beginnings and development. Interacting with pupils, activities and Q & A sessions improved participants’ comprehension and bolstered the sense of community. Students left with an insight into the generosity and community involvement that are integral to DoaR’s objectives.

Our students’ deep concern for those in need of a helping hand is best seen in all the social outreach projects which are being run by them. Project  आlok is the newest effort from their side and is a collaboration  between our Flawless Flaws campaigners and the Atijeevan Foundation. Its purpose is to educate acid attack survivors through weekly meetings and English modules and to help them prepare for job interviews. The launch on 14 October 2023 was graced by Ms. Pragya Prasun, the founder of Atijeevan (herself an acid attack survivor)   and her team. Their stories were both inspiring and motivational. Ms Tehmina, a social worker from Pakistan who works to support gender violence survivors by providing them with psycho-social support, spoke of the importance of such projects. In addition, the event was attended by Ms Aditi Sood, a social media influencer and the founder of the NGO ‘Tails with Hope’. Ms. Sood shared her unique insights as did Ms. Saburi Chopra, an ex-student who also spoke about  her journey with the campaign. The event was hosted by Jesnoor Kaur and Parthivi Bhatia of Flawless Flaws were the hosts and kept the atmosphere warm and informal with the interactive activities for the survivors. It was an exciting new beginning for an exciting and deeply satisfying venture which will undoubtedly be a great support for the indomitable acid attack survivors.

Pride Circle and the Keshav Suri Foundation recently hosted an insightful panel discussion titled ‘Queering The Pitch’ at The Lalit on November 20, 2023. Members of the Breaking Barriers campaign were the only school students invited to partake in the session. This international session featured distinguished speakers hailing from France, the United Kingdom, and Mexico. Among the notable panelists were Mr. Krishna Omkar, Founder, Return on Equity; Mr. Fabrice Houdart, ED, Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors; Professor Lee Badget, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts and Mr. Srini Ramaswami, Co-founder, Pride Circle. The interaction dug deep into the concept of the Pink Economy, emphasizing its significance as a segment of the market driven by LGBTQ+ consumers and businesses.  The discussion shed light on the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs while also discussing strategies to create a more inclusive business environment. It also touched upon the importance of corporate inclusivity initiatives and how businesses can actively promote diversity and inclusion. During the Q&A session, the audience actively participated, seeking advice on promoting inclusivity in their respective spheres. A notable moment came when one of our students inquired about tangible strategies for creating inclusive environments in educational institutes, earning applause from delegates. Mr. Keshav Suri, founder of the Keshav Suri Foundation, lauded the Breaking Barriers initiative by TISVV, acknowledging their decade-long collaboration. 

As part of the social outreach program Outlive Yourself, the students of Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar, organized a Blanket Donation Drive on 24 November 2023, to aid those in need during the winter. Students worked hard to collect and donate blankets to the inmates of Swarg Vridh Ashram, Nihar Vihar. With a shared commitment to giving back to the community, over 70 blankets were collected and donated during the drive. The spirit of generosity and compassion was evident. This substantial contribution reflects the dedication of our students to making a positive impact in the lives of those in need. The event not only provided warmth to the old people there but also fostered a sense of community, empathy and shared responsibility among the students.

Pride Parade is an incredible experience that can be both exhilarating and emotional. It’s a chance to celebrate diversity, love, and acceptance, and to be surrounded by people who share your values of acceptance and inclusivity. This year too our school was invited to be a part of the  Delhi Pride Parade on 26  November 2023. Under the banner of our campaign Breaking Barriers, our students attended this event with great enthusiasm for this noble cause. The students prepared for the day with excitement, creating posters and getting their faces painted in diverse vibrant colors. With beautiful brightly-coloured posters showing our strong advocacy for the community, the students soaked in all the positivity. The energy at the Pride parade was electric, with music, dance, and laughter everywhere. The street was filled with people of all ages, races, and sexual orientations, all united by their support for the LGBTQ+ community. Apart from having a lot of fun, they also interacted with members from the other campaigns supporting the community, along with many other influential advocates. One of the most moving aspects of the parade was seeing the pride of the community on full display. People were not afraid to be themselves, and were proud of who they are, giving out a powerful message of self-acceptance and love. This was certainly  an unforgettable experience for every student.

ORGAN India (Organ Receiving and Giving Awareness Network) is an initiative that was launched in March 2013 by The Parashar Foundation, (a Delhi-based NGO) to address the unhappy state of organ donation in India. They seek to remedy the shortage of organ donors and spread awareness about it. Ms Sunaina, CEO ORGAN India, accompanied by Ms. Divya, visited our school on 31 October, 2023 to conduct a session on organ and tissue donation. The students of Class IX along with the team of ‘Outlive Yourself’ and ‘Flawless Flaws’ participated in it. Ms. Sunaina addressed the students about the dire need for organ donors, organs and tissues that can be donated, types of organ donation and the side effects of a transplant. A short movie about  heart transplantation, provided a glimpse into the complex process. She spoke about the World Transplant Games and representation by Indian athletes there. Students were given an insightful glimpse into the life of Mr. Karhun Nanda, who exemplifies vitality after a successful heart transplant. The interaction culminated in an engaging quiz, where those who answered correctly were delighted to be rewarded with diaries. 

People who challenge binary social constructions of gender have traditionally faced discrimination and humiliation in society. The Breaking Barriers team has been working very sincerely to create a more inclusive mindset and to sensitise students to the needs of the LGBTQI+ community. As part of this effort, on 16 October 2023, our students had the opportunity to interact with Hiten Noonwal, who is a very successful drag artist, model, cosplayer and fashion designer. Hiten uses the pronouns ‘they’ and ‘them’ and  speaks openly about their genderfluid identity. They started with a beautiful live performance and the graceful dance moves spoke of acceptance and self–love. Hiten’s sensitive video exploring the concept of identity through music, dance, colours, costumes and creative visuals was deeply moving. Using simple language, they proceeded to share their journey of self discovery, of discrimination, ridicule, loneliness and finally the use of art as a therapy to express oneself and find one’s own place in the world. They made sure to put a special emphasis on expression as a form of letting out pain and vulnerability. Their struggle touched every listener and clearly students could empathise with their pain.The students were given a chance to express emotions through bodily postures in a theatrical display with groups of 8-10 students where they were given two minutes to prepare a scene and enact it just by stationary expression. Students came up with different situations ranging from a masquerade ball to a scene unfolding in a football field. Hiten gave their inputs and explained how this art helped them express their deepest emotions – an eye opener for all the hidden artists in the room !  The Q&A session which concluded the event showed how much students were inspired by this tale of struggle and self discovery.

A panel discussion was conducted by Alliance India in Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar on 13 October 2023 with the Breaking Barriers campaign members from both branches of Tagore International School,  i.e Vasant Vihar and East Of Kailash. Mrs Anubhuti is a Project Manager at Alliance India and looking into their new project named SAHAS which focuses on  issues faced by the transgender community. Ms Veronica Tyagi, a transgender woman who aspires to be a marine biologist, shared her inspiring and fascinating story as a transgender woman, with the audience. She started working in NGOs to support her education. She highlighted the issues that the transgender community faces, for example unavailability of transgender friendly washrooms, surgeries that can be very risky, lack of money and support, side effects of hormone therapy, decreased immunity, increased risk of HIV-AIDS, pills that they have to take throughout their lifetime in order to avoid hormonal imbalance and social stigmas as people consider being trans as irreligious, unethical, or unnatural. She recalled personal instances of ragging and name calling. Where sensitization is concerned, she commented that the discrimination was caused by lack of awareness among people, not only of society as a whole  but also of our own parents. Hence, ways to bring about an inclusive change were discussed, among which were transgender friendly restrooms , the use of social media, myth busting reels, and more.