Blogs

Our roads are public, and parking, where it is legal, should be available to all. But our vehicle users and and homeowners both seem to think that the parking space is something they have ownership of. Many buildings display notices outside which say, "Parking for XYZ customers only". Many homes (private ones, not clinics) have signs outside that say, "Ambulance may come at any time, no parking"....a patently false declaration. I can understand signs that say, "Don't park in front of the gate", but privatising the road in front of a residence is surely unethical if not actually illegal. Some…

I am part of the Idex Global Fellowship Programme.The programme seeks to help social intrapreneurs from across the world secure the best possible start to their careers. I would like to share some of my experiences on the programme and explain why I think relationship-building is the one key quality every future leader needs. The Idex Global Fellowship Programme is, in my view, one of the most exciting opportunities of its kind in the world – but it is also one of the most challenging. I joined the Idex straight from Zimbabwe in July 2017; with no previous international work…

Two months ago, my life changed as I began my first ever overseas work experience. On 1 July 2017, I stepped off a plane at Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport. I’d never been to Asia, let alone India before. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. However, over the past 2 months, I've learned and  experienced so much, that I'd like to share a few of my thoughts and reflections on 2 months in India.   The African perception of India is so far off. For example, it's not all massive cities with skyscrapers or rice paddies with…

As a theatregoer, one is used to several constructs as part of an evening of theatre. For example: Theatre is either fiction, or fictionalized fact (the very word 'dramatic" has come to mean, something that is emphasized more than is ordinary). The audience is a passive receptor for what happens on the stage. The audience and stage areas are mutually exclusive. All members of the audience get the same narrative. The narrative in a theatre experience has a buildup, a climax and a denouement. It's not usual to attend an evening of theatre where all these concepts are challenged and,…

Silver Talkies is an e-magazine for senior citizens, and one of the many useful articles I've seen is the one written by advocate Shiv Kumar about why one should write a will, and how one can do it. Shiv Kumar consults with the Elders Helpline in Bangalore and can be contacted via the Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT). You can contact NMT on 080-42426565 or reach the helpline on 080-22943226. Shiv Kumar is a Senior Advocate with 40 years of active practice at the Karnataka High Court. He has been actively involved with the Elders Help Line since its inception 10…

We are delighted to tell you that our low cost, low maintenance Artificial Floating Island (AFI) has been introduced at Madiwala Lake! Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA) plans to introduce these in Agara lake as well. Last month, on 12th July, Ms. Seema Garg, the new CEO of KLCDA  had visited Puttenahalli Lake and shown great interest in our floating wetland platforms. She informed the officers in charge of setting up the Bio-diversity Park at Madiwala Lake about our innovation and they in turn visited our lake on 21st August 2017. We took Mr. Chidananda, Dy Range Forest Officer and Dr. Padmavathi, Project Coordinator, around…

While paying for vegetables, I learnt something. Shop owner: What job do you do? Young man: I don't have a job. Whoever prospered by having a job? Shopowner: Speculative look. (He himself runs the vegetable shop, he doesn't have a "regular" job!) Young man: I breed dogs and sell them. All kinds of breeds. I get Rs.20K per dog sometimes. Me (unable to stop myself): Which breed? Young man: Rajapalayam hounds. Me: Oh! Young man: But that includes Rs.8K for the licence, and another few thousands for the microchip (inserted in the dog's collar). The economics of the pet trade…

Today marks my last day as an intern for Citizen Matters. It’s been quite the journey, one I started back in January of this year that led me to ten weeks of reporting in India. I graduated from the University of Washington on June 10th and arrived in Bengaluru on June 17th ready to start my international reporting experience and post-graduate life. I was given the chance to intern in Bengaluru for Citizen Matters through a scholarship awarded by an alumna of the University of Washington’s Journalism Department from which I recently graduated from as well. Each year this alumna…

Some time ago, I documented a project by this name, where Jaaga and a team of volunteers made a determined attempt to beautify the space under Hebbal flyover. I was told that they'd also painted some other flyovers, such as the one on Richmond Circle. Here is another team, called the Ugly Indian, taking the initiative to beautify the area under other flyovers. The day I attended, we had a motley crowd of people.. from the local bigwigs, to the transgenders, to the police constables on duty... everyone had a say on how the space could be used, and everyone…

‘Faire’, in French, means ‘to do’ or ‘to make’ and that is at the heart of what Vigyana Habba aims to achieve. The fair was aimed to encourage a scientific spirit among children that questions, probes and finds solutions. It was not just a show and tell event - participants as well as visitors learned by “doing” stuff. On Saturday, Aug 19th, 2017, over 44 teams participated in the second edition of the Soul Kere Science Fair - Vigyana Habba. The participating students were from grades 1 to 12 of various school and communities in the neighborhood of the lake.…