Hello friends and welcome to our long overdue newsletter!

Unfortunately, we went into hibernation during the winter months and were unable to keep you all updated. We’re back and all set for a very fruitful and fulfilling summer considering that HCL will be completing 10years on 01 June 2026.

Activities during the quarter

HCL on auto mode! – We had to be out of station for some urgent medical issues from November till mid Feb 2026. It is most encouraging to note that in our absence HCL continued to function as usual, thanks to our dedicated team here. While tuitions and library sessions continued regularly, taekwondo and dance & drama sessions were also held. In fact, the team even hosted visitors to the library.

Taekwondo belt test (05 Oct) – 40 children took a belt-test. They were tested in theory & practice by a team from Uttarakhand Taekwondo & Para Taekwondo Association. The examiners were very impressed by their performances and 33 of them were awarded higher category belts. We now have 3 blue, 7 green 23 yellow belt holders in our squad.

Taekwondo belt test

Deepavali celebrations – the festival was celebrated at the library on 12 Oct this year. It was decided to have games for the younger group and a Seem Treasure Hunt for the older group. An enthusiastic   group of volunteers led by Manjari worked overtime & designed a treasure hunt based on the village and library. About 50 kids were divided into 4 teams and let loose around the village. There was a whole lot of excitement and chaos with teams vying with each other for the clues. The volunteer observers attached to each team had a hard time keeping up with their groups and the hunt ended even before the expected time. This caught the clues team at the finish point napping!!

A very happy session ended with distribution of sweets and exchange of greetings.

Deepavali Treasure hunt

Deepavali

Presentation at Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation (05 Nov) – Samarth, who was working with two groups of children for the past year as part of his grant from Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation had to present his work at the completion of tenure. The foundation invited a group of kids to also showcase their works as part of the interactions following the presentation. Unfortunately, due to a clash of dates with their examinations the children were unable to attend and Jaya and Atul had to fill in.

While Samarth talked about his work, Jaya spoke about the library and its activities. The interaction with the audience was very good and the activities at HCL got a lot of appreciation.

At MMF, Delhi

Holi celebrations (03 March) – As always, the festival of colours was celebrated with the women and children of Seem and the surrounding villages. The ladies gathered at the library exchanged greetings and played colours. They danced with abandon and gaiety to traditional songs and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. This is one day that the children get out-shadowed by their mothers and aunts!

Holi celebrations

Purkal – the 4 children selected for admission to Purkal Youth Development Society, Dehradun, have joined the school on 27^th Oct 2025. Luckily, they have taken to the new environment very comfortably and are happy there. They have come home twice on a break and it is a pleasure to see them shaping up well. The entire village is very happy to see their progress and amused by their correcting their older siblings on their manners, cleanliness and hygiene.

Jaya and Atul visited the school on 15 March and interacted with the principal & staff. They felt assured that the children were in a safe and conducive environment. Due to an emergency closure of the school for a week the children had to opportunity to return to the village with them. 

Joining Purkal

Welcome to our school!

Interaction with senior students and staff

En-route home

Volunteers & interns

Divya   – a graphic designer, who had volunteered with us for the past two years visited again for a week in October. She continued her interactions with the children in art & craft. This time she also shared her award-winning popup book for the visually impaired with the children and introduced then to another new aspect of story books. She was also an active member of the treasure hunt volunteers.

Divya conducts her sessions

Visitors –

Laura & Joao – Laura, an art educator from Portugal and Joao, who is learning Hindustani classical music in Pune volunteered at the library for a few days.

Aditya & family – visited in our absence and had a wonderful interaction with the children & staff.

Mathew & Aparajita (16 Mar)-  Atul’s college friend Mathew and his daughter visited the library and interacted with the children.  Aparajita spent some time discussing college & career options with the older children.

Salomi & team (23 Mar) – A team of 20+ yoga practitioners from Ahmedabad visited the library to spend the day with the children. There were lots of games, song & dance and yoga displays and the kids learnt a Gujarati rhyme. The day ended with a ‘garba’ session and distribution of tasty snacks.

Preparations for 10^th Annual Day (05 June) – Preparations for a landmark day have started in right earnest.  Time tables and schedules for trainers and volunteers have been drawn up for April and May and we hope to showcase these learnings for the annual day function. We invite our readers to plan a visit to see the children on this occasion.

Obituary

KRIPAL SINGH BISHT (15 May 1978 – 11 Dec 2025)

We convey with a heavy heart that we lost our close associate and longest serving member of the library staff, Mr Kripal Singh Bisht, to a serious ailment in Dec 2025. Bishtji, a resident of Seem, had started taking tuitions in the library since Aug 2016 and had been in integral part of HCL. A very happy and helpful soul, he was the face of the library through his YouTube posts on the activities of the library, complete with his commentary and selfies! Bishtji leaves behind a wife, four daughters and an infant son and will be sorely missed.

That’s all we have in this newsletter.

Goodbye and see you with the next update in July 2026!