1984 :
Peace Efforts within Safdarjung Enclave during Anti-Sikh Riots

• In 1984 anti-Sikh riots rocked Safdarjung Enclave which, lying in close proximity to AIIMS, was one of the earliest affected areas. Streebal played a nodal role in the community, spearheading the rescue and protection of a number of Sikh families and homes from rioting mobs: organizing a multiparty padyatra through the area that culminated in both Ardas and Aarti jointly performed in the main village square by several hundred Hindus and Sikhs, well before the cremation of the assassinated Prime Minister took place, restoring some semblance of peace in the riot-torn area. Streebal also organized the residents to undertake night security vigils to ensure neighbourhood peace. At the request of Streebal president the district was amongst the first to have the army brought in. Subsequently, Streebal President was requested to lead the police flag march in the area to ensure law and order prevailed.

1994/95 :

• • In 1994/95, Doordarshan - then the solitary TV channel in the country – screened in its prestigious national programme Aarsi Social Watch, a series on a clutch of critical social issues written, directed, anchored and produced by media veteran Rami Chhabra. The series focused attention on nationally important social issues, and simultaneously profiled some people and institutions working on solutions in these areas. Interestingly, the final program highlighted Anna Hazare and Ralegaon Shinde as a sterling example of the “ordinary become extra-ordinary.” Critically-acclaimed at the time, the series had several repeat telecasts. It also elicited an unprecedented deluge of letters from individuals/institutions that inter alia expressed desire to network on these social causes.
  • Assisted by a UNFP project Streebal took on the daunting task of sifting the thousands of letters, collating and computerizing the data of a nation-wide public enthused to work further on social causes. It resulted in three thick directories of names and addresses, including specific interests that were then presented to Doordarshan. However, by this time the Indian skies had been wrested open for satellite channels and Doordarshan, pushed and pulled by commercial interests, had shifted from its intrinsic social mandate. As social issues took a back seat, the precious data was unused.

  

2002-2005 :
ILO Project to Skill Women

• In recognition of the excellent work being done in the field by Streebal, International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Ministry of Labour invited Streebal as a partner organization -alongside others - to upskill women and girls in a three year project: Decent Employment for Women in India.” Carried out over 2002-05 the project successfully fulfilled its requisite goals of awareness-raising amongst 300 women and training 60 women each time in the various six-month courses in Tailoring, Knitting, Embroidery, Beauty Culture, Cooking and Catering, with a project outcome of more than 360 trained women. The project enabled Streebal to associate design experts to help with tailoring, embroidery and knitting products and leading hotels to provide back-up to the cooking and catering training, giving this effort a cutting edge.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• The tailoring and embroidery work of the women trained under the project found avenues in major craft-promoting organisations like Fab India and Central Cottage Industries Emporium, while women also learnt through this initiative to market their work with organisations ranging from life-style shops in malls to Dilli Haat.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Streebal continues with the Beauty Culture and Tailoring, Knitting and Embroidery training but Cooking and Catering could not be continued.

  

  

  

  

2010/ 2015 :
Streebal Book Resource Project

• In 2010 Streebal mobilized contributions of art paper and quality printing to publish six children’s story books for young children having a focus on nature, the environment, birds and animals. With beautiful, four-colour illustrations and a catchy friendly style these inculcate a love for nature and also provide meaningful moral lessons to the children. The books were formally released by the then Chief Minister of Delhi at a prestigious function held at India International Centre as a part of its programme. The 6 books published in both English and Hindi have not only been used over the years within Streebal for its pre-school/tutorial children but have been also distributed free to 146 children’s libraries in Delhi slums and rural areas through the aegis of the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children’s Books, based in the Children’s Book Trust which runs a library network for under-privileged children. Additionally, children studying in nearby government schools were given the books free of cost.
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• Then in 2015 Streebal furthered the Book Resource Project with mobilizing voluntary contributions to create and publish 12,000 copies of a children’s book: The Sun is Calling(English) Surya Namaskar (Hindi) and to donate 1000 T shirts emblazoned with its pledge. The Sun Is Calling holds-up the Sun as a benign force of hard work and good will and through its daily rhythm provides simple instructions on basic health and hygiene practices, good manners, personal safety and cleanliness.
  

  
  

  

  

  
• A play based on the book was performed by Streebal nursery and tutorial children under the guidance of voluntary creative artistes .

  
• Various Rotary Clubs of District 2011 which partnered Streebal to popularize the book in a number of MCD schools brought several hundred school children to take the pledge to be ‘Sunbeams’- to adopt good and clean practices themselves and motivate others of their family and friends to do the same.
• The Association of Writers and Illustrators of Children’s Books running a network of several hundred children’s libraries in Delhi slums and rural areas further distributed the book to its 146 libraries and also had it gifted on successive major occasions to several hundred under-privileged children.
• In Uttarkhand, The Foundation for Contemplation of Nature, a well-known local voluntary organization based in Majkhali, Ranikhet and the Education Officer, Almora District distributed over 3000 books to government and private schools in and around Ranikhet.
  

  
  

  

  

2017-2022 :
Rotary Computer Literacy Project

In 2017, Rotary Club South West and Streebal launched a collaborative project to further computer literacy. Streebal provided its first floor as rent-free space to house the project while Rotary Club South West(RCSW) installed equipment (24 computers, 3 ACs) and provided the technical teaching staff to run the project with Streebal support and cooperation. The Streebal-Rotary Computer Literacy Project ran from April 2017 to March 2022, training a total of 288 students. Unfortunately, Covid disrupted the activities just as these were beginning to take shape: enrollment had moved from 46 in 2017 to 88 in 2018 to 111 in 2019 but dropped to 18 in 2020 and 5 in 2021. But all students who enrolled completed the course; many were placed in jobs by RCSW, others found work on their own; a number were also motivated to complete higher studies.

2020 / 21 / 22 :
Covid Era Initiatives

• As the Covid crisis gripped the country and a strict lockdown was imposed Streebal naturally closed down it's institutional premises. However, through donating cloth and WhatsApp mobilization Streebal members enabled the self-employed women working with it to undertake independent mask-production. As restrictions eased, they managed to individually sell these at the Streebal gate at a most reasonable price of Rs Ten each mask with Streebal publicizing the effort on WhatsApp groups of its contacts linking communities needing masks to secure them at a throw away price in a time of dire need. The process generated nearly Rs one lakh worth of employment for the women during the hard Covid days when husbands were also unemployed.

  

  

  

  
• In the second Covid phase, as the oxygen crisis hit, Streebal was able to secure donation of 8 oxygen concentrators and to give these out to two local RWAs and 2 other voluntary organisations, besides identified needy individuals on loan for use and return. The oxygen concentrators served a useful purpose in time of need and are now safely stored away.

• Finally, as Covid eased and Streebal tried to reopen, although it was not possible for the aged doctors to venture out in Covid times, Streebal’s 84- year-old nurse, herself a Cancer patient, determinedly opened the OPD and carried out routine child immunization, staying all day on the premises to provide First Aid. The Self-Employed group also rallied to undertake tailoring and embroidery work.
• Since April 2022 Streebal has resumed functioning on all fronts. While training in Tailoring, Embroidery and Beauty Culture continue as before, Computer Training is now being conducted in partnership with NIIT. There are presently 40 children in the Pre-School where the play-ground has been refurbished with new see-saws, swings and a massive multislide. The Montessori system has been introduced in the Pre-School. The afternoon tutorials are on a particular upswing with 30 to 40 children coming daily to seek help to catch-up with their studies. In both cases, these are children from less-privileged families, many the children of domestic workers, street vendors and local labour.
• Dr. Alka Jain continues to run the Dental Clinic with dedication but the Medical OPD yet lags as we are still to find another set of dedicated volunteers like the Doctors and Nurses Streebal had over earlier years and who have passed on.
• Women's Empowerment predicated on a sprit of mutual respect and the full diginty of both sexes has been- and is - an article of faith for Streebal. Equally, Streebal strives to inculcate in the young a deep sense of patriotism and secular outlook that accords equal respect to all religions and nurtures the desire to give back to society by helping those less-privileged than themselves.