Sakar Foundation & Kapol International volunteers conducted extensive research on key problems faced by the community. Kapol community members shared Five Key problems. We request you read these five key problems and suggest your ideas on solving anyone or more problems. Share your vision, ideas and solutions to handle the community problem. Our team and volunteers will work towards fulfilling your vision to solve community problems. You can record your vision, ideas and solutions in Gujarati, Hindi or English and send it to us.
Key problems faced by Kapol Community:
Retirement:
Age Group: 60 Years to 90 Years
Current Situation:
Cost of living is increasing. People are living longer. Economic hardships are forcing every member of the family, both men and women to work-long hours. Senior citizens are either living alone or experiencing loneliness. Most senior citizens are emotionally, financially and technologically dependent on children and grandchildren. They expect care, attention and support. When the care and support is not available, they feel frustrated. New diseases are increasing. Cost of medical treatment and care is increasing. In the future, problems of senior citizen loneliness, sickness, economic hardship will become more and more serious.
Problem:
How can we support & empower current and future Kapol seniors to live healthy, happy, respectful, independent and fulfilled life in the retirement years?
Possible Solutions and Ideas:
1) Encourage Kapol seniors to gain scientific understanding of health and improve their health through intermittent 16/8 fasting, vegan diet and effective Yoga/Exercise. Encourage Kapol volunteers to teach healthy-tasty recipes, teach Yoga through Youtube or Zoom.
2) Encourage Kapol seniors to learn technology tools like Zoom, Whatsapp, Facebook, and help them connect with others. Support Kapol seniors to participate in online Zoom community programs.
3) Create programs like Kapol Senior Got Talent, online games, competition, quiz, talent show and encourage members to participate.
4) Encourage Kapol community members to develop creative hobbies like writing, painting, dancing, singing, cooking or any other such creative hobby. Hobbies that can make community members happy.
Sakar Trust Free Resources:
Kapol community members and leaders can come up with new ideas and innovative solutions.
Members can also use Sakar’s Three Online Free Resources.
Kala-Anand Group: Join this group to express your creativity, learn dance online. Share your talent and receive encouragement.
Arogya Adar Group: Join this group to experience health, vitality and fitness. Get scientific knowledge of health issues.
Ramsay Bodhi Program: Study ancient Sanskrit Scriptures, Develop new habits, Learn Meditation.
Matrimonial:
Age Group: 27 Years to 37 Years
Current Situation:
Most Kapol youngsters pursue post-graduate education, degree abroad or professional degrees. Kapol Youngsters are able to complete their desired education anywhere between 25 years to 30 years of age. They take anywhere from 3-5 years to get established in their job or business. Most Kapol Youngsters both boys and girls, consider marriage only after 27 years of age. By this time, because of their excellent academic profile, education and hard-work, youngsters are earning handsome salaries. Youngsters are financially independent. They are part of different online & offline groups; they have friendship with many people, and freely interact with boys and girls. Kapol Youngsters, both boys and girls are reluctant to take on the responsibility of marriage as they fear that marriage will disturb their career and their independent living. As they get older, they get busy with their career and still cannot decide on whether to marry, whom to marry, when to marry and how to marry. As the time passes, both youngsters and their family members feel frustrated. Most youngsters expect good-looking, cultured, joyful, loving, educated and successful life-partner! Many youngsters go through the process of meeting several prospective life-partners and go through several experiences of rejection. So, the idea of marriage keeps getting postponed. Kapol Youngsters experience frustration and pain because trying to find a life-partner, too many variables, confusion and rejection hurt their self-confidence and self-image. Also, there are increasing incidences of compatibility issues, broken engagement, divorce and fights in married life. Even when marriage is fixed, everyone experiences severe family/ community pressure to spend money on marriage events much beyond their financial capacity to look-good in the community.
Problem:
How can we support Kapol Youngsters in making clear and confident decisions with regards to marriage, create effective wedding ceremony programs and help youngsters to create life-long, happy marriages based on mutual trust and respect?
Possible Solutions and Ideas:
1) Encourage Kapol Candidates to decide early on marriage. Support them to develop healthy respect for the community. Involve Kapol kids in the community matters from an early age.
2) Create some sort of educational video series about marriage that explains that real marriages are not like Bollywood movies. Real marriages involve compromise, understanding and hard-work. Ultimately, marriage like long-term partnership is a risk. It involves hard-work and efforts.
Sakar Trust Free Resources:
Kapol community members and leaders can come up with new ideas and innovative solutions.
Members can also use Sakar’s Online Free Resources.
Whatsapp & Telegram Groups: Join this group to connect with other Kapol families and Kapol candidates.
Zoom meeting: Join this group to have face-to-face meeting with other Kapol Youngsters and families.
Education, Job and Business:
Age Group: 13 Years to 27 Years
Current Situation:
Kapols youngsters in their teenage years and initial career years face tremendous challenges in choosing career path and advancing in the career. Kapol students experience pressure to score good marks, pursue higher education and get higher degrees in science and commerce. Even when they start job or business, there is pressure to earn more money to be acceptable in the community and to be selected as a life-partner by good family. In education, job and business, there is tremendous competition. Things keep changing at a rapid pace. Youngsters need to establish themselves, create their own identity and respect.
Problem:
How can Kapol teens and young adults become successful in their education, job and business? What network, referrals, connections, skills, financial resources and encouragement does our community member need and how can the community provide it?
Possible Solutions and Ideas:
1) Encourage Youngsters to learn about the technology trends in advance. Encourage them to focus on skills and not on degrees. Help them acquire new skills.
2) Create community programs to encourage skill development.
Sakar Trust Free Resources:
Kapol community members and leaders can come up with new ideas and innovative solutions.
Members can also use Sakar’s Online Free Resources.
OpenClearFuture.Com – Weekly program to learn about Technology Trends.
Foresight Program: Program on long-term technological changes.
Design Your Life: Career Guidance Program.
Culture, Life-Values, Tradition:
Age Group: 2 Years to 12 Years
Current Situation:
Life Values means learning What is important in life. Most Kapols learn from their family, extended family, community, and grandparents that education, success, family, contribution, devotion to God are important. These life-values are now threatened. They are in danger.
Most Kapol kids get busy with mobile phones, laptops and ipads right from a young age. Kapol parents are super-busy in their career and life. Kapol kids are not living with grandparents. Kids are left with technology toys – mobile games, social media and youtube/netflix entertainment. Most Kapol kids do not receive any knowledge about our culture, heritage, values, festivals, meaning of our rituals, history or legends. Kapol kids learn to value instant gratification of senses. They start consuming unhealthy food, develop unhealthy habits without any physical activities. Kids lose touch with their roots, lose touch with the community. Most kids don’t know they are Kapols or the meaning of being a Kapol. Most kids cannot write or read Gujarati. Kids don’t know their native village or Gotra. There is no sense of identity, pride or importance of being part of a great community. As the time progresses, most kids consider Kapol community as outdated, junk, old idea. It becomes fashionable to think that community is unimportant and being modern means breaking all community norms and rules. Many Kapol youngsters give-up lifelong healthy habits and turn to non-veg food, alcohol and smoking. Kapol parents, especially mothers, feel frustrated that kids are getting drifted into technology ocean, entertainment and unhealthy habits. They feel helpless.
Problem:
How to inform and educate Kapol Kids about community, culture, Kapol heritage and develop deep sense of value & respect for the community? How to help Kapol mothers and Kapol fathers develop a sense of oneness with kids and support the entire family to experience the value of our great culture?
Possible Solutions and Ideas:
Encourage kids to learn Gujarati. Take kids to native village. Connect with grandparents and elders. Share about Kapol culture, heritage and identity.
Sakar Trust Free Resources:
Kapol community members and leaders can come up with new ideas and innovative solutions.
Members can also use Sakar’s Online Free Resources.
Free English Translation of Kul-Gaurav Book.
Videos and books on culture and community.
Searching For Fun, Community, Entertainment, Celebration and Pursuit of Happiness
Age Group: 2 Years to 90 Years
Current Situation:
Almost everyone in the community is dealing with stress, repetitive boredom, meaningless, lack of love, missing care and loneliness. Community members form different groups, participate in different activities, visit resorts, plan vacations, try new restaurants and recipes to experience fun. Everyone is searching for a new job, something exciting. Because of hyper-activity, everyone gets bored and tired easily. Life is stressful. There is constant comparison, a sense of jealousy and missing out. Everyone posts happy photos on social media but internally they are frustrated. Most members search for new movies, new drama, new TV serial, new concern or shows. Many people try to go abroad, try to go to new forms of vacation. This constant search for happiness creates stress!
Problem:
How to support Kapol community members in discovering lifelong joy and happiness in daily life, regular work and community service? How to help Kapol community members to remain engaged, inspired and empowered?
Possible Solutions and Ideas:
Develop life-long hobbies, interest in social service and life-mission. Connect with organization and groups engaged in community service.
Sakar Trust Free Resources:
Kapol community members and leaders can come up with new ideas and innovative solutions.
Members can also use Sakar’s Online Free Resources.
Ramsay Bodhi Program to learn meditation.
Dil Ki Suno program to express joy and creativity.
Vidya-Yog program for rural educational development.
