Category: Learnings

Posted in Learnings

I Will Change the World By 

Posted on by Arianna Das

Creating ‘Blessing Bags’ – One Blessing Bag at a time

As a kid, I want to change a million things in this world but I could only change so many things. One of our world’s biggest needs is helping those who aren’t as privileged as others. We may think that since there are people who are wealthier and more successful than us, that makes us unprivileged. But have you ever thought there are hundreds of people sleeping on the roads and begging for food and money while we sleep in our comfortable beds and reside in a nice house? Those of us who are in a position to help should do so in whatever way possible for the needy. It saddens me when I see homeless people around us and I try to help them in my own little ways. It gives me a lot of joy when I see a smile on their faces. The feeling that they found some comfort in their hard life encourages me to do more for them. 

Man photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com

I write about this topic because I feel everybody should have a roof over them and some basic necessities. For example, whenever I drive to the grocery store I see homeless people sitting out in the cold winters and hot summers with no shelter and belongings. This is not a life anyone likes to live. 

I may not be able to fix the problem of homelessness worldwide but I can surely help some. This is what my aunt tells me when I discuss my wish to help those affected by homelessness. She inspires me to do my bit. She takes care of a bunch of street dogs living in her locality in Bangalore, India. She provides them food, vaccinations and healthcare. She always tells me no effort is small and I can do it if I believe in myself. 

My idea to approach this issue is to make small kits of necessary items which I call ‘Blessing Bags’. Handing out a Blessing Bag to someone gives you a very real way to meet their immediate needs. This will be a kit containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, a tube of body wash and a five dollar bill. Basic supplies such as toiletries, drinking water, and food aren’t available to everyone. These are a few things that we as a society take for granted but it means the world for those struggling for it. The need for these Blessing Bags are at homeless shelters, people on the roadside curbs and anyone who doesn’t have access to basic necessities.

To make this vision come true, I am going to utilize my blog (Arianna Explores) to reach out to people for help and to raise funds. I plan to write stories and articles about the issue of homelessness in my area which will raise awareness among people to donate funds. I will use my blog to create a network of like-minded friends who will join my efforts to change the world – one Blessing Bag at a time. 

As a Girl Scout, I have raised funds for various causes by selling cookies and I will use that learning to get more contributions. Once in a while we can also raise funds by putting up an exhibition of paintings by my fellow artists, setting up theatrical performances in the neighborhood and cookie/ lemonade stands. This way we can reach out to more friends and neighbors to donate and spread the word. I plan to partner up with my Girl Scouts cadets and identify local homeless shelters and do a Blessing Bag drive. The next step would be identifying government officers and people/ groups who believe in the mission and vision of making this world a better place for homeless people. 

The bigger goal is to make people in need self-independent, provide training so that they can find jobs, be independent and empowered. We can’t be called a compassionate society if there are many among us who are still struggling for basic necessities. Getting there is a group effort and each member of the society has to do their part. To make this possible will be a step by step process. It will take a lot of time, patience and needs to be done with empathy. For a change to happen, every gesture counts, so I will start with mine. 

Posted in Learnings, Memories

All about Connecticut

Posted on by Arianna Das

The Connecticut State Song:

Yankee Doodle went to town,

Riding on a pony,

Stuck a feather in his hat,

And called it macaroni.

Yankee Doodle keep it up,

Yankee Doodle dandy,

Mind the music and the step,

And with the folks be handy.

View from Riverfront in East Hartford CT by Jennifer Martinez
Photo: Via: Stockvault.net

Connecticut as described in Sheppardsoftware.com is one of the “states rich in early American history. The region was first settled in the 1630s and is called the ‘Constitution State’ because the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut served as a model for the Constitution.” Written in 1639, these were the first laws that gave people the right to elect government officials and is sometimes considered to be the first written constitution.

Reading this makes me happy because I grew up in Connecticut and I would like to share my experience of living there with everyone. I was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 2010. I was very happy there but then we had to move all the way to Virginia. It made me very sad, so I keep reading about the place to find out more about my life in Connecticut.

I was there for more than half my childhood and attended St. James School. It was pretty hard when we had to move. The hardest part was leaving my house in South Windsor because my house has held all my memories. I would have sleepovers at my best friend’s house during Christmas. We would make Christmas cookies and decorate the tree. We also would watch Christmas movies like The Grinch and some more.

My most fond memory is my stay at my best friend Kavya’s house. I have known her since I was 18 months old. We would prank everyone and play detectives. We would even hide her sister Nidhi’s stuff and question her and pretend we found it. All of us watched a lot of movies like the Monster High ones and would always beg my mom if we could stay a little longer.

We moved because my dad found a good job in Virginia. I felt so sad and angry that I even locked myself in my room. My parents looked happy about the move and this upset me more. I started to cry because I was going to miss everything. Even though I have started to like it here in Virginia I really still miss Connecticut because it will always be my hometown.

Connecticut’s pros and cons

  • One thing I like the most about Connecticut are my friends. I had lots of supportive friends. They would always tell me to do something if I really liked it.
  • I could play with all my friends.
  • One thing I didn’t like in Connecticut was its freezing winters when I felt I would turn into an icicle.

Virginia’s pros and cons

  • In Virginia, I found my tutor Ms Rabia. She helps me learn and understand maths and other subjects.
  • We have a playground right in the back of our house. A lot of kids come to play so it is easier to make friends.
  • What I don’t like is I can’t see my BFFs. (Yes, but one can always make new friends here.)
  • It’s freezing cold here as well!

There are many things and places I have enjoyed in Connecticut and learning to enjoy my life in Virginia.  

Posted in Learnings

Distant learning vs Classroom

Posted on by Arianna Das

As we all know, we are learning from home in order to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. There are pros and cons for both distant learning and classroom learning and each and every child prefers either one of them.  Distant learning is basically learning from home while being in school. It is very hard and complicated to learn from home. Distant learning is sort of getting used to a new school in which you don’t know what will happen. In distant learning you have to do a lot of work which requires self discipline. In my opinion, distant learning is difficult. Classroom learning is a lot more easier and manageable. We get to see all our peers and friends and are able to understand the teacher(s) better.  Even though teachers are trying to make distant learning creative and fun, I would still prefer classroom learning.

Now we will be talking about the pros and the cons of distant learning. Let’s begin with the pros first and see where this leads us. One thing that has been beneficial is we have learned to manage our time. Time management is important because we learn to finish tasks at the given time. We also learn to have self-control. We learn self control by not complaining and saying, “I am bored, what should I do with my time?” We also learn to be organized. Being organized will help us prepare for the future. It also helps with our typing skills. This skill is necessary because we will be able to type faster in the future for our work.

Now we will be talking about the cons. Cons are usually things that aren’t good for a certain thing or topic. Where distant learning is not as bad but it still has its cons. Kids tend to lose their focus with distant learning which can cause them to get a bad grade. Getting distracted on the Internet is another issue that comes to mind when doing distant learning. Also with distant learning, kids will lose their ability of handwriting and vocabulary skills and will start relying on the computer for everything. As you see, distant learning is both beneficial and poor for the kids, teachers and parents. 

Now we will be talking about the pros and the cons of classroom learning. Let’s begin by discussing our pros first. While in a classroom, children tend to listen better to their teachers. This helps us by staying focused more than distant learning. In the classroom children learn and absorb information better. This is beneficial towards children’s focus and towards their quality of work. You have better peer interaction in the classroom. Peer interaction is good because you can discuss schoolwork with your classmates. Where there are pros, there are always cons. Children can be easily distracted by their peers. Distraction is not good because it leads to bad influence and that can cause trouble in school and at home. Being in a classroom means that children have to get up really early. This is not very fun because you will not be able to get desired amount of sleep. Classroom learning may be the best way to learn for some people but it also has its downsides.

The year 2020 not only has taught adults how to manage life virtually but to kids as well. Classroom learning helps us become well educated. Classroom learning has also taught us to make the quality of our work better. In the classroom we learn to pay attention more and stay on topic,  instead of wandering around and chatting with our friends online as we do in distant learning. Distant learning has taught children to manage their time well and to stay on task. It has been a great experience learning through distance learning as well as in classroom learning. Our generation of kids have learned a lot in 2020 due to COVD-19. Whether in a classroom or distant learning, we have learned to be more disciplined, how to manage our time and most importantly, how to work independently.

Kids photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com