Bhumi

As a CAST volunteer I have had the opportunity to work with other international organisations seeking to better the lives of the people they work for. BHUMI, I feel, had the most workable model and the benefits were already being seen on the ground in Rasoolpura with the improvements in healthcare and education already tangible after just a few years of hard work. The simple model enforced by BHUMI has the potential to change India. Frustration at the lack of organisation and planning within India was widespread in both the UK and Indian volunteers. If the BHUMI workers can rise above the chaotic nature of life in Hyderabad and work in a more proactive manner I feel the model could be more effective and gain results far quicker. The organisation can only go from strength to strength with the introduction of their new centre on the outskirts of Rasoolpura combined with the dedication of those working for them. With BHUMI, the future seems bright for the Rasoolpura community.

Bhumi is the kind of organisation that influnces every individual at a personal level in various aspects of life.For my own part, I'm grateful to Bhumi for influencing my outlook in a postive way in such a short span of time. Its most essential job is accomplished when you start to feel like a Bhumiite:it instils a hope in you, that someday there will be a change, however small, and you will be responsible for it.Cheers!

it is wonderful platform for the growth of a person as to becoming an efficient citizen in this country. and the best way to get the nation going is to help the youth realize their tasks ahead. being with bhumi i feel i can help spread a word among the youth and also can learn a great deal out of it. being a part of bhumi makes me very happy an d we knoe that "ONCE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE ARE DOIN WE CAN GIVE IN OUR BEST INPUTS" regards RATHIN

All these years I thought working with an NGO is synonym for social work. Working with Bhumi, made me aware it’s not only social element that is involved, but also self development that comes into play. Bhumi provides all its stakeholders (this includes students) with platform where they can take new roles, new responsibilities; make effective contribution in all possible ways. Stakeholders are exposed to everyday challenges, where everyone is required to come out with solution. Solution, which results in win-win situation. Current such challenge we’re facing is, school principal is not allowing us to conduct our program in school premises. Such challenges not only enable development of stakeholders, but also help building organization from within. It allows you to look at your processes & correct them, if required. While doing all this we make sure that they deliver all set goals, objectives. Hence it comes no surprise to me that results in all schools Bhumi has touched are making exponential progress. Results have doubled since Bhumi has associated itself with many schools. And what is more important, we’ve managed to change way students, their parents look at education. Not as an expense but as an investment

Got introduced to Bhumi with the Teach India Initiative. For this initiative they have done a brilliant job in instituting the Mentor-Tutor program at 7 schools in Hyderabad. I joined them as a tutor in one of their adopted schools. Despite initial hitches and challenges Bhumi volunteers pursued patiently with teh management to keep the program running and helping the students

It’s been almost 3yrs that I’m associated with Bhumi…and the journey so far has been a roller coaster ride…with lots of ups and downs, where for every up we celebrate and for every down we are even more determined to learn and grow. Initially I was a volunteer doing social service for the betterment of the society, but as I started having a clear understanding of the work Bhumi did..I realized it was more about getting to know myself, having a deeper understanding of myself (more of a soul searching journey) and the betterment of the society is a co-product.and Bhumi is the best place to make mistakes/fail and learn from them.Thank you Bhumi for giving us this opputunity.

life in my bhumi is awesome. there are only two things which energise me and drive me everyday. they are the team and the person leading the team(Abdul Mujeeb Khan). creative, enthusiastic, energetic....these words are not enough to describe the bhumi team.

It has some of the most talented people working there for it! I am so lucky to be a tiy part of this big organisation. They are people with real persoalities! go bhumi!

Its been 3 months i have been part of BHUMI family.Its a great experience to be here.You get to learn lot of things in BHUMI like understanding people around you,communicate to the people and enhancing your career in the process of helping others. I joined BHUMI to join my hands for the good cause the BHUMI is trying to do but after joining BHUMI i realised i have hundreds of hands supporting me to move forward in my life. A big SALUTE to BHUMI.

B - It has BROUGHT Family, Friends and relationships into my life which will be with me till I die. H -I became a HUMAN. U -UNDER it I found love, care, respect, concern and life. M- MEANING to my life as an individual and also guided me to give life to my friends (kids). I- I is not only me but us who think about BHUMI in every moment of our life’s. This in my journey with BHUMI and i love every moment of it. Thank You Divyaa

I am working with Bhumi as a mentor since November last. I interacted with a class 10th student, Kishore who is from an economically weak family studying in a Govt. High School. i mentored him on the career prospects after high school. At the same time, I also had my share to learn in terms of empathy and communication as the kid was from a background that I am not familiar with. I had to be careful in what I say and how I say it. The organizing body of Bhumi has taken due care in preparing the mentors for this task through training before the beginning of the academic year. All the mentors also share their experiences (that are appropriate to be shared without violating the confidence of the kids in the mentors) so that we can better interact with the kids at individual level. I have also conducted a counseling session about what next after high school.

I joined Bhumi last year in 2008 when I shifted to Hyderabad. The whole experience has been a roller coaster ride to me. Then that was what the BHUMI training team has told us to expect. Yes, some really good traing on servant leadership and personal mastery was given throughout the year at an interval of 3-4 months. Recognized professionals has regularly visited BHUMI to impart those trainings. BHUMI has provided me with a platform where I can do something for the society in large and in the process gain some valuable experience as well. Last year I mentored a student of class X called Govinda. He was not from a well to do family and his father died 2 months before his final borad exam. I stood beside him at that point. Talked with her mother on the importance of having education and finally persuaded him to give his final exam. He was thinking of leaving his study and do some job. BHUMI has helped the boy in whatever little way possible. The whole experience of getting out of your comfort zone and fighting against all odd to do something good for you and society at large was really something special. I plan to continue my engagement with BHUMI in bigger ways in the years to come.

My experience over the last 1 yr 3 months with BHUMI has been one of a roller coaster ride... tremendous satisfaction coupled with loads of challenges, moments of joy and disappointment...knowing fully well the beauty of its vision and the huge amount of patience and persistence needed in this journey.. its really testing at times, but a journey worth every bit of it. I have personally delved deeper into myself and also seen the hidden potential in each one of us emerging in our daily work, apart from the novel projects and the impact BHUMI is making on grassroots. In that sense , BHUMI is truly emerging as a Centre for Transformational Leadership. BHUMI - Its the place to be! :)

It was fantastic. It is very rare to find people, who are sincere and 100% committed to the cause, "they say" - they are working on. But it is at Bhumi I found that it is not altogether impossible. There are still people who believe sincerity and commitment as the foundations for making significant change in anything we venture, and I found examples of such people in Bhumi. It is really contagious and inspirational, to witness the way the Bhumi team works for the cause they have committed themselves.

BHUMI happened about an year back when i joined as a mentor to a child studying in a government school. Initially i was inclined to work solely for the reason that i was having an opportunity to serve the society in a way possible to me. But it wasn't too late when i actually started associating closely with the projects that the organization runs & it was during these past 4 months that the entire essence of the organization began to sink in. "Challenges are bound to come with obstacles but obstacles can be looked upon on as opportunities that lead you to a brand new and a bright solution".This is what I've personally experienced in here, at this organization. There is still a long way to go and the entire journey has lots of learning in store to be explored and i am ready to take off..!!!

I find that Bhumi is attempting something powerful. Developing leadership at grassroots.. to awaken India. Its early days.. but some results are encouraging. Mujeeb is a Visionary leader who has succeeded in mobilising not only thousands of mentors but also inspired many of us facilitators to contribute. Thereby impacting lives of thousands of 9th and 10th std kids of the slums in Rasoolpura, Hyderabad. I enjoyed working with and contributing to the Bhumi team. It was co-creative. There are multiple openings and possibilities to realise the vision. Bhumi is now focusing on strengthening themselves operationally and financially. I am optimistic that we should be able to pull this off - in which case it will impact the country in a significant way.

My journey with Bhumi has been exceptionally amazing. It has had a lot of learning's. Everyday has been an new experience. I think this is one of the best things that could happen to me. Nothing can describe my experience with Bhumi. It has given me much more then i expected. It has been a journey of a life time. I have made some amazing friends and have met some amazingly good people. Thank You BHUMI.

For some it’s just another ngo, but for me, it has been a life changing experience. Although, I have been associated with a charity organization but bhumi is people oriented and ofcourse the cause which bhumi works for is worth applause. Although there is a president and other office bearers yet per se there is not hierarchy level here . Everybody is equal here Being associated with bhumi for 3 years now, I have learnt a lot. I have learnt to face challenges difficulties with equal poise as embracing happiness and joys. Perhaps, bhumi is not another non-governmental organization, it is a institution that every body must attend.

My experience has been amazingly good with Bhumi. I think Bhumi was the best thing to happen to me. All the people who work with bhumi r also really very good.

My journey with BHUMI has been a lot of learning which helped me work more than i intended. The learning at BHUMI is so high that i really found who iam in this journey with BHUMI.It has also been a lot of fun working with BHUMI Still there are a lot of things that need to take place to increase the effectiveness of the organization in terms of proper systems,in terms of self sustaining etc So decided to work full time with BHUMI to increase my knowledge and make BHUMI grow BIG.

Being associated with bhumi is my first experience of doing volunteer work, and it has undoubtedly been a worthwhile experience till date. The focus area;education for the underprivileged is by far the best approach to ensure that the generations tomorrow can learn, think and implement rightfulness in all their deeds. I firmly believe that good education will bring about a change in the social, economic & cultural aspects of ones life and is hence the foundation for a good society. I will definitely be a part of this journey with bhumi as it gives me a much broader perspective on life & living with fulfillment.

Bhumi is a place that brings together people who are willing to learn-be it learning for organizing something or learning from having screwed up something. They are all highly motivated, good human beings and, above all, a very accepting bunch of people who will make anyone feel comfortable. No doubt they have a long way to go for which they will require opportunities, funding and support (which they are more than willing to embrace) but they are never short of imagination! This quality is both a good one (when done in the right amount) and a bad one (when done without accepting reality). Since learning is not a special exercise but a way of life for people at Bhumi (and questioning is the medium of learning), one might find them confused, unclear or uncertain at times because they question everything (including themselves) quite often. But, they often find a way because of their persistence. And I hope they realize that finding a way is not enough in the long run. Finding the 'right way' is crucial at times too. They seem to be doing the right things and going in the right direction though. Finally, I wish I had more interaction with people at Bhumi because my association is limited to a few meetings (so please take these comments with a pinch of salt) with them for reasons that are beyond the present scope. If you can imagine and be enthusiastic about making a difference, Bhumi will definitely aid in your growth.

It was almost 2 years since I’ve been with this organisation. As a mentor, I came to know the importance of being a leader and practising leadership skills (eg. giving impulsive solutions to the mentee problem), I’ve learnt to be patient when situation needs to be (listening to the mentee problems). As a coordinator, the program is helping me in perking up my communication skills (communicating to the mentors and between the organisation), dealing with difficult situation, interacting with leaders of the society. Apart from these, as I’m in to advertising industry this organization gave me an opportunity to work on offline and online visual communication, which gave me an exposure and helped me in improving my visualizing skills. Open for ideas, learning from mistakes, working on projects (irrespective of experience)are the best things about this organization that evoked me to join.

BHUMI is the place to be if one is committed to their personal growth and the growth of their nation!I am a completely changed individual since my last three years of association with BHUMI. I am closer to myself now, closer to my dreams and aspirations. BHUMI is about discovering yourself :) and changing the world you live in into a better place in the process. While i was involved in the 'Freedom Under Construction' project (where citizens of hyderabad invest their sweat and labour, maybe in building classrooms for a government school, or toilets, or rooms for an orphanage on independence day)i saw the difference a truly committed group of people can make in making the world around a better place...experiences like this make you believe in the potential of citizens to demand for what they deserve, demand for those not empowered enough to do it themselves and create examples of what kind of a world we choose to live in. It is a truly transformational experience for everyone involved.

One of the best things to happen in my life and i am happy to be associated with such an organization. B-Bright H:-Humble U:-Unparallel M:-Meaningful I:-Intelligent This is my exp with bhumi.

I have been part of Bhumi from the last 1 year or so as a mentor. i cannot specify what Bhumi has given me or what i have learnt from the mentorship program but every week i feel good and satisfied that i have given at least 2 hours of my time to the children who are probably not as well-off or fortunate as me. i taught a girl from the 10th class who was extremely scared about the English language exam and it was enthralling to know that not only she passed the exam but she has gotten over the fear. when i started to work for Bhumi i had the impression that i would be the one who is teaching but i guess i was wrong because in the whole process i was learning so much too that i became a student as well. this organisation needs just a bit more detailed planning to execute its ideas and i am sure then it would do much more work effectively than its already doing.

I came in touch with Bhumi through the TEACH INDIA Campaign started by TOI. I was involved with a government school as a mentor. It was the first time that I got to know about quality of education and infrastructure in govt schools even in a city like Hyderabad. I was disappointed that the students did not have even basic infrastructure like benches and classrooms but was stunned that the students did not much care about it. They were very much enthusiastic about us coming to them and spending time with them listening to their concerns as well as us guiding them about various paths after secondary education.Bhumi helped me in getting acquainted to the various difficulties that marginalized children face studying in these schools. It was a thorough learning experience that moved me and helped me grow as a person.I got to understand the various lines of thinking of volunteers and as well the students themselves.I look forward to working more with Bhumi so that I can give my part to the society as well as learn from the various circumstances that would evolve me as a better human.

Really good experience. Its making me improve myself and helping someone grow. When we are helping our mentees, I felt in turn I am learning something, let it be in the subject or other things.

Being a part of it Bhumi's mentoring program last year,I've found the organisation to be pretty clear about the goals, and incredibly enthusiastic. Though I found that the organisation was not upto the mark last year, I have reason to believe that the commincation and sharing or information has improved drastically and is going great now. To sum it up, I think its a good organisation with great people working towards a worthy cause.Its bound to change people associated with it positively.And we have fun on the way too:)

it was awesome in the beginning but due to not having particular work it was boring a bit:-). while the program was going to start our exams r also starting.... not getting wat to do:-( it's better to have pakka plan before starting the program:-( this my personal opinion that's it:-)

Incredible organisation, with an inspiring leader. One of the most impressive TRANSFORMATIONAL organisations in the world. I was lucky to see some of their work in Hyderabad first hand.

More than social service, i see BHUMI as a leadership training. I took mentoring last year, i took it as a challenge that whether i will be able to influence a stranger improving his life. Mentoring was for a period of 8 months(till 10th std exams), he got good results, i advised him what to study next. He joined intermediate and we stopped meeting each other. I took a other 10th std student then, then one day suddenly my last year's mentee called me up wishing happy friendship day, wheb\n i was not expecting him to call. Then i felt i was successful in my challenge because he called me because i have done something good in his life, he believed me that am there for a good cause. That call was the one of the happiest moment n my life :)

In the year 2008, I happened to see the advt. for the Teach India campaign in The times Of India. I took the decision to apply as a volunteer. They in turn, directed me to the NGO BHUMI, of which I had not heard. Then I went and met the people connected with the organisation. From the very beginning I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the very young team there. They welcomed me as a voluteer and told me that since I am a trained teacher, they were looking for people like me to be co-ordinators of the programme. That impressed me as I was looking for contributing something to the society and I found the right forum for that in the field in which I am trained. Then there were training sessions held in very coducive atmosphere and by well trained and experienced people. I enjoyed the training sessions as the company was also varied and full of energy. There was one student of ISB, employees of Google, C.A's, Retired people full of energy and even lawyers. My journey so far has been very rewarding and satisfying. I felt that I belong to BHUMI as one fine just after joining the organisation, the Founder President announced that I belong to the core team of BHUMI. I consider BHUMI as mine and I am looking for ways and means to contribute more to it. Like every other organisation, Bhumi too has its drawbacks like organisation part is a little tardy. They make up for it by the energy levels created. The training sessions are wonderful experiences and I tell everyone that I am previleged to attend them like retreats. I take them seriously. In conclusion, I wish BHUMI all the very best and hope that many more vo;unteers join the programme so that it grows and contributes more to the society. I also hope that they generate for funds for their activities as they do not seek funds like the other NGO's.

Bhumi is an excellent initiative.I have been involved in attending a training programme at Marriott Hyderabad.I attended few sessions in the school mentoring programme.I feel that Communication levels should be improved within group members.

I have known BHUMI for over a year now, I would not like to say its just a great place to volunteer or have made lot of friends which are very true in every form. I think BHUMI is a place where we learn and evolve a lot together. Its a platform where people to the blind eyes of the world are volunteering but they are actually creating a aura in which a individuals take away is more than the organization as such, It is this take away which empowers the individual to do more towards his own society, where ever and which ever they can ever. They have one of the most basic or ground level programs which build up from there to a mighty movement. BHUMI may not be at the mightiest of its stage right now but their work surely is towards it. I mean who knew a Mentoring & Tutoring program would transform the person who is mentoring/tutoring. The ecology of trainers coming in has only added to another feather to its wings. The essence is very strong and I would like to vote it one of the greatest Non Profits I have worked with ever.

It has been great to be associated with Bhumi in the DNE3 programme represenating the Trishul park boys high school for almost nine months. I have learnt a lot as a n indiavidual during my tenure and also look forward to more interesting projects with Bhumi. Cheers, Subhankar Dey

I joined this "Center of Learning Leadership" to learn things that I thought would change my prespective and help me in learning leadership skills but found that there are certain things that are to be unlearned (As Imp as learning)to achieve success in life. "Learn what is good and Unlearn all Bad" is the takeaway for me...