A Plan for the Future by being in the Present
Do you have dreams? Surely you do.
Do you have questions? Yes, yes many!
Then this article is a one-stop solution for your confusion.
Futurefocusindia.com is an educational insurance policy! 25 years of finding the right career opportunity — “People to Better Organizations”. Now, we present a career quiz followed by counselling, blogs, info, food for thought and goodies that will make you happy even though you are stressed out.
We had launched an online Mumbai Inter School English Elocution Competition which had over 200 entries. Then we had 10 finalists who competed for the coveted awards, trophies and the like. This was for a comeback and to reach you.
Now what? Read The Teenager Today which will have appetizers for you. Send queries of your career dilemma. Write your thoughts in poems, songs, and blogs. Your career queries will be sorted after doing the free online quiz with a counselling session on appointment basis. The launch, which took place on 19 January 2024, had a great attraction. The hearing impaired presented the national anthem in sign language! That is inclusion as per the NEP. We are starting 100 hours of skill training to help you with your graduation or to help those who cannot reach the graduation platform, and to enable the hearing impaired to earn a livelihood. So that’s from us — be with us through our website Futurefocusindia.com and The Teenager Today and live a happy life. You are the future of our country and of the world.
Future Focus India is backed by their parent company, RMG Plus (P) Ltd, a 25-year-old Executive Search Firm, an HR consulting company.
The elocution competition was partnered by The Teenager Today — a 60+ year-old magazine published by BETTER YOURSELF BOOKS, Mumbai. The finalists enthralled the judges who had an extremely difficult task to select the best of the best. The topics, My Happy Family and My Dream School, were in complete alignment with G20 initiatives. For My Happy Family, the finalists enthused ideas of not just the immediate family, but a larger concept of everyone being one big family, and how to appreciate and make things better for people living within the same four walls of a house. The idea of difference between a home and a house, woven by a tapestry of love, came out loud and clear. For My Dream School, many innovative ideas emerged, some of which both the NEP and the G20 initiatives could think about for implementation, and if they wait a little longer, probably the students who presented the ideas will themselves implement them!
The online process was no less tough since the numbers of participating students were high. The judges who helped in the online elimination process were Mrs Nirmala Goklani, Mrs Duru Kalro and Mr John Neelankavi. Through their untiring efforts, we had the best 10 for the finals.
What did the eminent judges at elocution finals have to say? Dr Omkar Bhatkar, Media Sociologist, said, “Many common thoughts and ideas that were similar, but provided from different perspectives were expressed, indeed notably taken note of.” Mumtaz Syed, an Astronomer, Space Learner and Teacher, was amazed at the levels of expressions and variety of perspectives for the same very topic. Swati Kapadia, CEO of Forum of Free Enterprise, expressed anguish at the difficulty in selecting the best from among the best. All the judges faced a tough challenge to select the best three.
The competition was interspersed with addresses by Future Focus India’s Chief Career Counsellor, Shailaja Mulay, and Wellness Counsellor, Dr Manjari Mathew Melmane, and an introduction to music with an engaging demonstration by Furtados School of Music, clapping in tune and rhythms. Two hearing-impaired students, who also participated in the competition, delivered their elocution pieces so that the audience understood their difficulties and learned to empathize with them.
The highlight of the morning was the performance of the National Anthem by the hearing impaired students of VSS Pragati Vidyalaya, Dadar (W), Mumbai, which gave everyone goose bumps. Their performance was exemplary and received a thunderous applause. We also learnt in sign language how to clap, cheer and rejoice with a few movements of our hands.
The programme ended with a vote of thanks by Merwyn Sequeira, Director, RMG Plus (P) Ltd., who thanked all the eminent personalities present, the judges, the teachers, coordinators, principals, parents, children and all the sponsors (RMG Plus (P) Ltd, The Teenager Today, Furtados School of Music, Harakh, Kafi Cosmetics and Treatfully Yours), without whom success would be limited.
The winners, Aaron Lamonde (Class 9, Ashok Academy), Amreen Shaikh (Class 9, St Charles High School), and Raina Pendurkar (Class 8, Apostolic Carmel High School), walked away with the first, second and third prizes respectively. Besides a certificate and trophies, the winners also received a one-year subscription to The Teenager Today. The other seven finalists received a three-month subscription to the magazine.
All the 10 finalists walked away with their heads held high and better prepared to participate in many more competitions in future. To us at Future Focus India and The Teenager Today, we saw bright students who will light the lamp of the future and become great leaders!
Shailaja Mulay is the Chief Career Counsellor, Future Focus India.