Amreen's Pravah Journey

Life is a journey which is full of different and unforgettable moments and experiences. Some are good, some are bad but no matter what is the kind they always teach us new lessons and motivate us to do new and adventurous things. The time which I spent in Pravah Jaipur initiative was the most memorable and life giving. I learnt the importance of being an active listener and its impact on others.  Apart from this it’s necessary to have an insight about our own self….who I am? “What I will do in my future?” “How I will handle my conflicts?”  The space provides me friends, skills and knowledge and a thinking process which will definitely help me out in my future. I call pji my second home because it’s the place which gives me motivation, support and relationships which will always remain with me….. I find peace and satisfaction while working at PJI as it is such a fun filled place. I can connect to people at the same level, and have really discovered my own little space here which apparently everybody respects. I have become more confident and outward going than before. I can speak in public without fear and really enjoy the discussions over the various issues. I learnt the various ground rules which make one as an effective team member and a better listener. I attributes to the ‘no boss’ culture at the Pravah Jaipur Initiative. This home was with me in my hard as well good time, always providing me care, love and support to move ahead in my life positively.

My first workshop with pravah was in  may 2008, I remembered my first day when I entered the krishanayan (jawahar kala kendra) with loads of hesitation confusion and loneliness which were my only friends since  3 year…….but the coming 5 day of the workshop were the best days of my life or I should called them the turning point of my life……..I met so many new people , interacted with them and after the workshop I have a bunch of friends who has no doubt replaced my old friends (hesitation, confusion and loneliness).The time I had spent with neha, vivek ,meenakshi, richa, cvu unit and volunteers filled my life with energy, enthusiasm and synergy. No matter how much I thanked these people, the words always remain less. Their presence in pji always gives a motivation to do more and achieve more.

I remembered when I often get those dreams of running in black hollow tunnel….couldn’t able to see, feel and decide……where to go, where to start………these thoughts were making me mad…….demotivating and ruining my own self……but suddenly came a ray of light, guiding me to explore myself, enabling me to stand and share my views about the world around me. Pravah act as a spark which ignites in me, the power to make changes and the first change which I did is in me……reacting less and listening to people around me.  Isn’t it great? Yes it is great when you start getting feedback that you did a great job amreen…..I love these feedbacks after all I am an human beings…..and trust me  this breed crave for positive strokes. It’s the first time in my whole life when I found a place where people are identified by their talents and positive qualities in spite of in things they are bad at……….so coming to pravah was like a rebirth for me…….every thing a did at pravah made me more confident and knowledgeable and helps me in moving ahead.

While working with pji, the most significant celebrations were youth festival 2009, sessions in umang and my action project “LETS POST ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP”.the process of managing and organizing youth festival was a learning experience which helped me in enhancing my skill as a leader and also made me more passionate to work in development sector.  The education programme with joe in umaang made me more close to those children. It exposes me to the problems and situations that they have to face in their day to day life. I feel overwhelmed sometimes at hoe well the children respond to the work. I love being with them and felt that a really amazing bonding was formed between me and the group.

Finally comes the time for my action project, one of the best thing ever happened in my life which gave me confidence to lead and prove myself as a leader. Initially my nervousness was up to the peak about the sessions but meenakshi and richa were a great support. All the session went well and I felt like i was climbing a mountain and reached half of it. Now the anxiety is lessen but still half way was left. But after till middle I got the courage to move ahead and I did it……I successfully did the blood donation camp with the help of lovely people around me. In the end I learnt a lesson, while climbing we need three important things – water bottle, trekking shoes and a bag of utilities. For me, here the water bottle was my will power, trekking shoes was pravah and a bag of utilities were my family and friends.    

The journey with pravah was full of responsibilities and challenges, I think these two things runs parallel and challenges make us more strong and capable. The first challenge while working was to be calm…. my short tempera often creates tensions for my own self. Second was convincing my own parents to support me in whatever I am doing……..trust me it was the toughest thing to do. And one day the miracle happens, my mom said – I will join pravah after my retirement. And about my tempera, now I acted calmly in many situations and while working too……………

Pravah provide me a set of skills which are helping me in present counseling course. I am dealing with my clients with full patience, open mindedness. Now I tend to react less and dealing people calmly. The acquired positive attitude is influencing my life personally and professionally.

When I was a child, my grandfather told me the importance of balance in life but that was just theoretical, in reality I have practiced it actually during my journey with pravah. I tried to maintain the balance between home and office. The time spent in pravah was one of the bests, energetic and lively. Leaving pravah wasn’t easy for me but I know it was not an end, it was a new beginning……A BEGINNING FOR A NEW LIFE WITH NEW CELEBRATIONS, LEARNINGS AND CHALLENGES……and this time I am completely prepared for it……………

Few lines I can quote for this lovely journey –“ maine yaha zindagi ko dekha, is nafrato ke sheher me, pyaar se bhara ek ghar dekha , Deeware jiski hatheliyon si komal, darwazo ko baaho sa khulte dekha , farsh pe maa ki goud si thandak, or khidkiyon ko  intezaar me jhulte dekha i…………..logo….maine phr apne ghar sa, ek ghar dekha ”

FROM

AMREEN