Our Article in Hindustan Times and Our Wonderful Team...

Hindustan Times covered Open Your Arms.... in today's paper..... A Feather in Our Cap.....

Our OYA Team...... Who makes everything possible...... Feels Blessed to Have such a Wonderful, Amazing, Fantastic Team....

I Thank Each one of You - Veena Ma'am, Ambereen Jummani, Roopa Mohan, Behroz Dumasia, Nishita Desai, Candice Rosario, Dhara Shah and Swetha Ranganathan - for being There....


You all ROCK!!!!!


- Raheen Jummani
Founder/CEO
Open Your Arms!

The Willingness to Seek can Seek Wonders!

Sometimes we see
The most unlikely things
in the most unlikely places.
If you are willing to seek…
… you will see…
…the beauty of a lotus
amongst the dirtiest of waters
…childlike vibrance
amongst the dullest of persons
… unimaginable creativity
among the most methodical
…life’s wisdom
amongst the ones seen as incapable
…the strength to fight
with bare minimum support
… an act of love
even from a heart that’s hurt
…a will to grow
even on the dessert soil.
Sometimes we see
the most unlikely things
in the most unlikely places.
If you are willing to seek…
…you will see…
…A ray of hope
Shinning through an array of dark clouds
You will see…
Possibilities
among Impossibilities.

OYA…
…is a Belief in the Worth of each soul.
OYA …
…is the Love for each and every soul
OYA…
…is an Excitement to Create Opportunities
OYA…
...Is more than an organization.
It’s an Energy…
… that is Willing to Accept and Embrace ALL…
…OYA… Open Your Arms!

OYA Celebrates National Girl Child Day

As the saying goes…
“ Educate a Girl - Educate a Generation “.

Education is considered as a liberating force, as well as Democratizing force, cutting across the barriers of caste and class, smoothing out inequalities imposed by birth and other circumstances –Indira Gandhi.

Who else could be better to start & implement this…of course.. We the WOMEN- the Power , OYA believes , supports and always works on this..

OYA celebrated National Girl Child Day on 24th January 2012 at their collaborated schools.. initiative taken by Govt of India to mark this day for Girl Child in 2009.

OYA had organized various activities across schools.

The program started with a small speech on importance of Girl Child & need of Education for girls followed by a documentary movie made by Kids , children were asked to talk on related topic , share views and experiences … The Impact was tremendous…Children were overwhelmed…many came forward to share their part.. some of which were really horrifying !! ... giving goose bumps to all.. imagine a 12yr old child remembering how her Father had poisoned her Mother’s milk to get rid of a her ( Girl Child )..

This gave an opportunity to children to open and pour their hearts. Feedback from the Kids was Fantastic and Heartwarming.

Many games and activities were held and prizes were given away..

Sweets were distributed to all those lovely Angels !!

OYA went on Air at Gyanvani to Wish & Share the memorable moments of the day.

OYA feels every single day should be a celebration day for Girls !

RoopaMohan.
Executive Catalyst OYA.

Children's Day Celebration at V M School by OYA Foundation...

Children’s Day Celebration With Very Unique Kids

This time our Organization got a wonderful chance to celebrate children’s day with very special kids, they were the kids from Victoria Memorial School who were visually impaired. We celebrated this beautiful day on Saturday, 19^th November. The occasion started with having an introductory but a fun loving session, we gathered information about themselves & shared with them about our organization & the most important thing “the purpose of meeting today”. The response of the kids after knowing the reason was overwhelming, there was an excitement & thrill in their voice & of course why not, it will be, everyone likes to have fun & that to from boring studies.

We started with playing few word games, and then we made them hear to the song of “Yeh Tara” from the movie "Swadesh” and title track of movie - "Taare Zameen Par". Our motive behind making them hear to that song was to make them realize that they are still very special like the stars in the sky. As stars though surrounded by the darkness of the sky still continue to shine & spread their radiance to others, the same way they are also a ray of hope to the other normal kids around. They place an example to others that inspite of not having vision they still have not lost the zeal to live their life. This sets them unique from other kids.

The celebration further continued by kids singing songs for us, they have a great passion for singing; music is like a friend to them. The kids had such a soothing voice; it seemed as if you just go on listening to them for hours & hours. Along with singing few kids were playing harmonium too. They are Super Rockstars. After a wonderful & melodious session of singing, we gave them healthy snacks which kids really enjoyed & the celebration ended by giving them gift as a token of love that we received from these special kids.

So to sum up this incredible celebration, it was an overwhelming & remarkable experience.

- Nishita Desai.

Counselor

OYA Foundation

   

Reflections from a Parent of ASB after the Visit to OYA!

 Sharing a beautiful feedback written by Heather Kingston (parent from American School of Bombay) who visited OYA!

Having just arrived back from our visit to OYA, I wanted to reflect on what I experienced and learned while there. First and foremost I want to thank you, Raheen, for welcoming us into your life and the lives of such special individuals. We really felt comfortable coming back to see you and I know that I, along with the girls, were really excited to come back.

Raheen, I admire that you have become an agent of change by addressing the needs regardless of the uphill battle. I hope that ASB can continue collaborating with your organization to further your success with OYA and spreading the word. I also hope that ASB will continue this relationship by providing the technology, talent or resources to help you educate the public as we discussed. This should  definitely be an area for more brainstorming of ideas.

I know that I personally, would love to keep in touch and help with the growth and development of such a valuable organization.

Ultimately this experience as added to my life and given me more reason to embrace my time in India and find ways to give back.

Thanks so much

Heather Kingston

                    OYA stars teaching dance moves to ASB kids, Divya and Heather.

(Thanks a ton Heather this means a lot - Open Your Arms!)

Ideal Self Affirmations

Ideal Self Affirmations

* My higher self is showing my best action to take.

* I now invite my higher self to manifest beauty in my life. 

* I use the power of my thoughts to create positive outcomes.

* I move forward in life knowing that I am divinely guided.

* I am whole and perfect just the way I am.

* I love and accept myself just the way I am.

* It is okay to be me.

* I now accept abundance as my birth right.

* The more I let go the easier life becomes. 

* It is okay to me, I am pure love.

 Raheen J 

Founder/Director - Open Your Arms! 

Clinical Psychologist/ Counselor/Therapist

raheenjummani@gmail.com

My Experience working with the women in Prostitution

“ We must have the courage to bet on our dreams,

to take the calculated risk and leave behind forever

the internal forces that hold us down.”

This is spirit with which we work at OYA!

Sold either by their own family, by her husband or her beloved, small dark rooms, heightened bed, a mask of make-up, varied colored clothes, pressure and blasts from the madam\pimp, force, injuries, scars from the clients or boyfriend, lack hygiene, lack of proper food, to work the whole night, complete her household chores in the day, lack of freedom, no choice at all………..

This is the real Life of a ‘Prostitute.

Still there is hope, hidden needs, desires and dreams….

Dream to stand for herself,

Dream to educate her children,

Dream to save her daughter from falling into this profession,

Dream to give her children a normal and respectful life,

Dream to one day come out and live life of her own choice,

Dream that she’ll be heard one Day…..

Drawn by one of our 'Star' (girl)

- Raheen J

Founder/Director - Open Your Arms! OYA!

Clinical Psychologist/Counselor/ Therapist.

raheenjummani@gmail.com