Indus Festival of Charities, December 2010

Above: Bipasha Majumder and Parth Badheka setting up our stall at the Indus festival (Mumbai), 5 December 2010.

This was the first time we put the Sawra group's re-usable shopping bags on display in public. Sales were good, with customers stopping at the table through the day. Several people have also ordered bags (waterproof and polycotton), indicating that we should ask the self-help group to make an equal number of each.

People who want to help this initiative can try and arrange more such outlets for us. Perhaps visits to corporate offices in their lunch breaks? Another way to help is to take a few bags from us and sell them to your friends and acquaintances. Each bag has a label inside the pouch, explaining that it was made by the Sawra self-help group as part of our effort to reduce forest-dependent livelihoods.

Art for tigers: Lili Menon's show in support of Satpuda Foundation

23 November 2010: Another city-dweller helps the tiger, in her own unique way.

These are photos from the preview of "Rewind," Lili Menon's art show in partnership with us. (Click here for an earlier post announcing the exhibition.)





Above: Lili Menon
Below: Lili and Kishor Rithe, President, Satpuda Foundation











Lili has always loved forests and this was her way of helping the wildlife conservation cause. Apart from donating all the proceeds of sales to Satpuda Foundation, she used the occasion to create awareness about our work, displayed our poster and literature at the gallery and also asked Bombay International School to let us conduct an education programme with some of their students during the exhibition week.

The show was a huge success, with 16 out of 17 paintings sold!

Even after the show, Lili hasn't stopped crusading for the tiger. She is using every opportunity she gets to put out the message that tigers need help. For instance, last week she asked for "save tigers" to be included among the themes at a T-shirt painting contest she was judging. And she asked the college for permission for us to give a short talk to the participants.

All of which shows you don't have to run off to the jungles to save tigers. You can do it right here in the city, using your own unique strengths.

Thanks Lili, on behalf of all the tigers of the Satpudas!

Story in the TOI Nagpur

Photos: Courtesy Lili Menon

Tiger, Water, Tree

http://www.mofilm.com/std/2bbdbe

This beautiful film was created and submitted by Lindsay McFarlane of the UK, for the Mofilm global video contest (International Film Festival of India, Goa 2010). Here's the earlier post on the contest.

Out of the entries for Satpuda Foundation, 17 videos were shortlisted by Mofilm and we then selected our favourites. This was my choice for first place. I think it's powerful and moving, apart from the aesthetic appeal. It's a lovely translation of our brief (to show the link between tigers, forests, water and humans).

After a fun awards night in Goa, creators Lindsay and Su have gone to Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. Here's wishing them a wonderful safari holiday.

Thanks Lindsay, Su and Mofilm, from all of us at Satpuda Foundation!

People, please share this film on your profile pages, websites, blogs. Let's spread this important message as far as we can.