Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh 

Hope you are excited about the International Mother Language Day that is just around the corner. It will also be the 6th anniversary of the Undivided Punjab Edition of our Folktales book which was launched in Chandigarh and Lahore in Feb 2018. 

It has always bothered us how the Punjabi language is marginalized and underrepresented in the area of Puadh that has been taken over by the urban and nationalized culture of Chandigarh and its many extensions.  The native population and their language have been neglected, silenced, suppressed, or disregarded since Chandigarh was developed as a Union Territory. 

Fortunately, we have a new team member who joined us at the beginning of this year and has pledged to instill the love of Punjabi in the government schools around the Chandigarh area. His first engagement was at the Mataur GPS in Sahibzda Ajit Singh Nagar. 

Satnam Singh grew up in the area and has seen how things have changed in front of his eyes. The Puadh he loved as a child has been taken over by development, the sweet mother tongue Puadhi (the easternmost dialect of Punjabi) replaced by Hindi and English. So when he found out about our mission he was instantly sold. 

He loved engaging the children of the school who thirsted for great books in the Punjabi language. They were happy to have a Punjabi Sikh reconnect them with the basics of the Punjab, the Punjabi language and educate them on the importance of preserving their mother tongue and the native dialects. He donated three books to the school's library so kids could borrow them to learn more.

He plans to visit more schools in the upcoming days and extend his workshop to include more storytelling. As always, I have to thank you for allowing me to continue to work for our motherland Punjab, and our mother language Punjabi. 

With love,

Gurmeet Kaur 
[email protected]

Dear Friend,

You have supported us because you believe in a better Punjab. You believe that the children of Punjab hold the key to saving our land and the language and that inculcating that love and igniting that spark is what we and our books do. Thank You.

I am sharing these beautiful pictures from a recent school engagement (GPS Loha Kedi in district Patiala). They speak a thousand words to me, and I hope they do to you as well. 

With Dasvandh Week around the corner, I am happy to share another piece of great news with you. After five years of hard work, I am ready to bring into your hands the Fascinating Folktales of Punjab 9  -- Tales of Taya and Tayee. 

Unlike the last eight books, which highlight animal characters in the lead and bring to you stories from ancient times, this book brings to life the human characters of agrarian Punjab and the folk stories commonly associated with this lifestyle. These tales have been passed on in Punjab for generations; only the names and places change. This book includes two dictionaries at the end: one, a visual dictionary about over two hundred artifacts from Punjab, and the other of about the same number of idioms and proverbs used in this text. These resources will prove to be valuable in bringing children and adults closer to the land and language of Punjab in a playful way. 

We are also planning to print this 130-page book in Punjab to include in our Engage Punjab project, and for that, we need your help.

Please mark your calendars for Dasvandh Week, which starts next week, and help raise funds to include new and exciting material in our project. DVN will match $400 for every single donation made by you until matching funds last, so please set a reminder for yourself today. 

I will be sharing the Book Sheet with you in the coming days. You will absolutely love it. 

Looking forward to your support in the next week. 

Gurmeet Kaur
[email protected]
Donate Here on Nov. 10-14 2023

PS: I am also sharing information from our other project, Nava Naroa Punjab, which educates students on the environmental degradation of Punjab and empowers them to make small changes. You can read more about the project here.
Nava Naroa Punjab on DVN

Dear Supporter,

Punjab is going through a lot - floods, drugs, gang violence, and much more but also a war on the culture and language. We see more and more schools flooded with Hindi literature and wall art - which were Punjabi.

Above picture will give you an idea of what I am talking about. 

In such a situation, our work in Punjab brings a breath of fresh air reviving interest in the Punjabi language. Even though our work needs to be scaled massively to combat this cultural shift, every seed sown with love has the potential to become a tree, and that's what we are after. 

Here is a report from our field on a recent storytelling and Punjabi workshop session at the Government Primary School, Khudda, Patiala.

By Simranjeet Singh:

"We had an absolute blast during our storytelling session at the summer camp of Govt. Primary School, Khudda, Patiala. Our young campers, aged 3 to 7, were captivated as we dove into colorful illustrated books and embarked on magical adventures together.

The giggles and wide-eyed wonder filled the room as our enchanting tales brought characters and words to life. The children's faces lit up with excitement as they eagerly followed along, their imaginations taking flight with every page turn. We realized that storytelling is a delightful pastime and a valuable tool for nurturing creativity, empathy, and language skills. By immersing our little ones in the world of books, we foster a love for reading and ignite a lifelong passion for learning.

Illustrations added an extra layer of visual delight, enhancing the children's engagement and making the stories come alive before their very eyes. Children could not take their eyes off these books. We witnessed laughter, wonder, and eagerness to engage with the language, stories, and characters."

Thank you for supporting us in spreading the love of the language and land of Punjab.

Please support us by buying and gifting more of our books to all the children you know.

Please visit us at www.folktalesofpunjab.com for more information.

Charhdi Kala

Gurmeet Kaur

[email protected]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh 

I hope everyone is keeping sane in light of the happenings in Punjab. This will be a very short update. 

I will share with you a few images today. One is a classic - from school boys in Amritsar visiting Darbar Sahib in 1903. Others are of classrooms from Punjab government schools that we bring the gift of our books to in 2023, precisely 120 years later. 

I will not say much more because it's not needed. But if pictures are worth a thousand words, this post is many thousand words long, and I hope you are reading what I want to say. 

I still need to say this in words: 

I am not giving up on Punjab and inspiring its children towards its glorious heritage and language until a last drop of blood is left in my body. 

And 

I thank you for being there for #FolktalesofPunjab and our #EngagePunjab project. Please keep us alive by buying our books and giving them as gifts to all the Punjabi children you know. 

For more pictures from the field - please visit our FB album: 
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1934623723299993&type=3

-Gurmeet Kaur 

www.folktalesofpunjab.com 

School Boys from a school in Amritsar gathered at Darbar Sahib 1903

GPS Sogalpur, Block Ghanour, district Patiala on April 18, 2023

GPS Sogalpur, Block Ghanour, district Patiala on April 18, 2023

GPS Sogalpur, Block Ghanour, district Patiala on April 18, 2023

GPS Darula, District Patiala, May 05, 2023, Older children discuss and take home environmental books to educate their families on protecting Punjab's ecosystem 



GPS Darula, District Patiala, May 05, 2023
GPS Darula is a single-teacher school, and the total enrollment in the school is 39. 
Children thoroughly enjoyed and enthusiastically participated in the session and promised to reduce their screen time and engage their parents for bedtime stories. They will also read stories to their families from the Folktales of Punjab books that they will be allowed to issue from the school library and the Environmental booklets presented to them.
Harinder Singh (Red turban) promised to read these stories in school. 
A discussion on the environmental degradation of Punjab was also held. Some action steps for children were also identified: 
1. Children will look after the plants on the school premises 
2. They will use water judiciously and try to stop wasting it.
3. They will plant more trees in their school and at home. 

This International Mother Language Month - Let's pledge to keep Punjabi alive and strong for the next generations

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa 
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh 

Feb 21st, International Mother Language Day, is right around the corner. I am always excited about this day and month and hope you will be too. 

Unfortunately, with so much instability going on in Punjab - the land of our language, and given the mass exodus of Punjabis to the west, Mother Language and Environment, the two fundamental building blocks of our identity keep taking a back seat. With everyone out to exploit Punjab to its end, Punjab today needs our engagement more than ever. 

With our limited resources and capabilities but unlimited potential, we are experimenting with new ways to engage the students in Punjab to inculcate a love for the Punjabi Maboli and the air, water, and soil of Punjab with the content we have created. In the past few months, we have engaged close to a hundred school children in storytelling from our books, talked about the environmental degradation of Punjab, and inspired them to create artwork around it. We have awarded them the Nava-Naroa-Punjab booklets and presented their school with folktales books for libraries. 

Since our human resource potential is limited, in the last quarter, we partnered with several on-ground organizations working with children and donated our books so they could reach more students. Some of our partners include Sikh Aid and Sikhi Awareness Foundation. We have also supplied our Nava-Naroa-Punjab booklets to the Zira Morcha, Punjabi Lokdhara group, SohanGarh Natural Farms, and several others working individually to create an awareness of the environment. So far, five-thousand booklets have been printed and distributed in Punjab. 

I hope you will enjoy this video clip from our engagement in a few schools in the Patiala district. Watch the slide show

I also wanted to take this opportunity to educate on the importance of the International Mother Language Day.

ਸੰਯੁਕਤ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ ਗੁੱਟ (ਯੂ.ਐੱਨ.ਓ) ਵੱਲੋਂ 21 ਫਰਵਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਮਨਾਏ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਮਾਂ ਬੋਲੀ ਦਿਹਾੜੇ ਬਾਰੇ:

21 ਫਰਵਰੀ 1952 ਦੀ ਘਟਨਾ ਮਾਂ ਬੋਲੀ ਨਾਲ ਇਸ਼ਕ ਦਾ ਇਤਿਹਾਸਕ ਦਸਤਾਵੇਜ਼ ਹੈ। ਜਦੋਂ ਢਾਕਾ ਯੂਨੀਵਰਸਿਟੀ, ਜਗਨਨਾਥ ਯੂਨੀਵਰਸਿਟੀ ਅਤੇ ਢਾਕਾ ਮੈਡੀਕਲ ਕਾਲਜ ਦੇ ਪਾੜ੍ਹਿਆ ਨੇ ਜੋ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਸਮਿਆਂ ‘ਚ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ‘ਚ ਉਰਦੂ ਤੋਂ ਬਿਨਾਂ ਆਪਣੀ ਮਾਂ ਬੋਲੀ ਬੰਗਾਲੀ ਲਈ ਮੁਜਾਹਰਾ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਸਨ, ਉਦੋਂ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਦੀਆਂ ਗੋਲੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਿਕਾਰ ਹੋ ਆਪਣੀ ਮਾਂ ਬੋਲੀ ਦੀ ਹੋਂਦ ਲਈ ਕੁਰਬਾਨੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਗਏ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਹੀ ਸਮਿਆਂ ‘ਚ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਮਾਂ ਬੋਲੀ ਦੇ ਸਪੂਤ ਅਪਣੇ ਸੰਘਰਸ਼ ਨੂੰ ਕਾਮਯਾਬ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰ ਸਕੇ। ਯੂ.ਐੱਨ.ਓ ਨੇ ਬੰਗਾਲੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਮਾਂ ਬੋਲੀ ਨੂੰ ਲੈਕੇ ਕੀਤੀ ਕੁਰਬਾਨੀ ਦੀ ਇਸ ਤਾਰੀਖ਼ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਂ ਬੋਲੀ ਦਿਹਾੜੇ ਵਜੋਂ ਅਹਿਮੀਅਤ ਦਿੱਤੀ।

ਯੂ.ਐੱਨ.ਓ ਮੁਤਾਬਕ ਇਸ ਸੰਸਾਰ ‘ਚ 7000 ਭਾਸ਼ਾਵਾਂ ‘ਚੋਂ 50 ਫੀਸਦੀ ਅਪਣੀ ਕੁਝ ਪੀੜ੍ਹੀਆਂ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਹੋਂਦ ‘ਚ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋਣਗੀਆ। ਆਓ ਆਪਾਂ ਅਹਿਦ ਕਰੀਏ ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਮਾਂਬੋਲੀ ਸਾਡੀਆਂ ਆਉਣ ਵਾਲ਼ੀਆਂ ਪੀੜੀਆਂ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਜਿਉਂਦੀ ਰਹੇਗੀ।

International Mother Language Day has been observed yearly since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The date represents the day in 1952 when students from different educational institutions such as Dhaka University, Jagannath University, and Dhaka Medical College demonstrated for the recognition of their language, Bengali, as one of the two national languages of the then (East) Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka (near High Court), which is the capital of present-day Bangladesh. 

We salute all who have lived and died, loving and honoring their mother tongues. The martyrs of 1952 Bangladesh who died for the Bengali language are in our hearts this month and more. 
 
I hope you will celebrate this important month with us and do something profound to honor our beautiful and rich mother language - Punjabi. I also hope you will enjoy the beautiful resources we have created to celebrate Maboli Punjabi this month and every day of the year with your children -- be it our books or audiobooks or youtube videos of hundreds of children performing on our books.
 

Yours truly,

Gurmeet Kaur
www.folktalesofpunjab.com
www.pippal.org 

Dear Friend, 

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

Your support in the past has made us instill pride in the Punjabi language and the love for Punjab in the hearts of Punjabi children that are continuously being bombarded by anti-Punjabiyat propaganda. 

It is that time of the year that I call upon your support. It is only once a year that I knock at your door to support our projects in Punjab. Your one-time or recurring donation via DVN allows us to bring our books to thousands of children in Punjab and continue to create more books for children in Diaspora. If you have kept in touch via DVN or social media you have seen the pictures of the faces and libraries we have touched both via The Valiant and the Undivided Punjab Edition and the 11 books we have printed in the last 9 years. 

This year we also printed and are distributing 5000 copies of a booklet that educates Punjab about its environmental degradation and the steps that can be taken to reverse it . More information on Naroa Punjab booklet can be found here.  

So, as DVNWEEK 2022 starts on November 11th, I am counting on your support. The first 25 donations of $400 to the organization will be matched by DVN if they are made timely.  I am asking you to please bring your family members onboard and donate as much as you can so we can benefit from the match. If you want to donate more than $400 please split it between your family members or friends.

Please make sure to donate first thing at 12 pm (noon, EST)  on November 11th 2022 before their funds run out. It will take you less than 10 minutes. DVN week runs from Nov. 11 to 20th so I encourage you to donate during this week even if you missed the match. 

Here are the links to two of our projects on DVN to donate. You can donate to either or both projects. 

Donate to the Valiant Jaswant Singh Khalra

Donate to the Fascinating Folktales of Punjab 

Please review the summary on the right hand side of the checkout page to ensure that the match was applied correctly. The matching code will be active beginning at 12PM EST on November 11th, 2022. 

Please share this invite with everyone who believes in this work. 

Thank You,

Gurmeet Kaur 
www.pippal.org
www.folktalesofpunjab.com 

Dear Supporter,

Have you read this poem by Dr. Surjit Patar?

ਪਿੱਛੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਰਿਜ਼ਕ ਦੇ
ਆਇਆ ਨੰਦ ਕਿਸ਼ੋਰ
ਚੱਲ ਕੇ ਦੂਰ ਬਿਹਾਰ ਤੋਂ
ਗੱਡੀ ਬੈਠ ਸਿਆਲਦਾ
ਨਾਲ ਬਥੇਰੇ ਹੋਰ

ਰਾਮਕਲੀ ਵੀ ਨਾਲ ਸੀ
ਸੁਘੜ ਲੁਗਾਈ ਓਸ ਦੀ
ਲੁਧਿਆਣੇ ਦੇ ਕੋਲ ਹੀ
ਇਕ ਪਿੰਡ ਬਾੜੇਵਾਲ ਵਿਚ
ਜੜ੍ਹ ਲੱਗੀ ਤੇ ਪੁੰਗਰੀ

ਰਾਮਕਲੀ ਦੀ ਕੁੱਖ 'ਚੋਂ
ਜਨਮੀ ਬੇਟੀ ਓਸ ਦੀ
ਨਾਂ ਧਰਿਆ ਸੀ ਮਾਧੁਰੀ
ਕੱਲ੍ਹ ਮੈਂ ਦੇਖੀ ਮਾਧੁਰੀ
ਓਸੇ ਪਿੰਡ ਸਕੂਲ ਵਿਚ

ਗੁੱਤਾਂ ਬੰਨ੍ਹ ਕੇ ਰਿਬਨ ਵਿਚ
ਸੁਹਣੀ ਪੱਟੀ ਪੋਚ ਕੇ
ਊੜਾ ਐੜਾ ਲਿਖ ਰਹੀ
ਊੜਾ ਐੜਾ ਲਿਖ ਰਹੀ
ਬੇਟੀ ਨੰਦ ਕਿਸ਼ੋਰ ਦੀ

ਕਿੰਨਾ ਗੂੜ੍ਹਾ ਸਾਕ ਹੈ
ਅੱਖਰਾਂ ਤੇ ਰਿਜ਼ਕ ਦਾ

ਏਸੇ ਪਿੰਡ ਦੇ ਲਾਡਲੇ
ਪੋਤੇ ਅੱਛਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ
ਆਪਣੇ ਪਿਓ ਦੀ ਕਾਰ ਵਿਚ
ਬਹਿ ਲੁਧਿਆਣੇ ਆਂਵਦੇ
ਕੌਨਵੈਂਟ ਵਿਚ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਹੇ

ਏ.ਬੀ.ਸੀ.ਡੀ. ਸਿੱਖਦੇ
ਏ.ਬੀ.ਸੀ.ਡੀ. ਸਿੱਖਦੇ
ਪੋਤੇ ਅੱਛਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ
ਕਿੰਨਾ ਗੂੜ੍ਹਾ ਸਾਕ ਹੈ
ਅੱਖਰ ਅਤੇ ਅਕਾਂਖਿਆ

ਪਿੱਛੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਰਿਜ਼ਕ ਦੇ
ਆਇਆ ਨੰਦ ਕਿਸ਼ੋਰ - ਡਾ. ਸੁਰਜੀਤ ਪਾਤਰ

When our own are abandoning their Maboli Punjabi in favor of English and Hindi at a very fast pace in Punjab - it is the immigrant children in Punjab's government schools that will carry the light forward. So we make sure that we touch these children and inspire them to learn this beautiful language as we do to our own children in the diaspora. 

I am sharing a picture from a session that was recently held at GPS Lachru (Patiala district) on September 15, 2022.  During the session our volunteer Simranjeet Singh narrated stories from the book followed by a discussion and a question-answer session in which children participated with a lot of enthusiasm. After the session, children promised that they will reduce their screen time at home and request their parents and grandparents for bed time stories. Two copies of Sanjha Punjab edition were donated to the school. One for children to take home on rotation basis and one - a teacher's copy. 

The school has only nine students who come from economically weaker section and is a single-teacher school. It lacks many basic amenities yet has a lot of potential. Majority of village kids go to private schools in the area. The story of Lachru school is the story of many government run schools in Punjab. Providing them with at least one great bilingual book that engages them and inspires them to excel in the Punjabi language while teaching them good english seems like a small thing to do - but we hope that this seed will ignite a love for the land and the language in their hearts. 

In the past three months we have been to many schools and reached out to many children - but this story stood out and I wanted to share it with you.

I know it breaks your heart. It does mine too. 

But we do all we can. We hope to print the Punjab editions for our other books very soon so we have more material for our children back home. In the next few months we will also share another cool project with you. Please stay tuned. 

Thank you for your support as always - we couldn't do it without you.

Gurmeet Kaur

 
www.folktalesofpunjab.com

www.pippal.org 

Dear Supporter,

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

You would be delighted to read from a young activist, Manat Kaur, who took a few months off, after her graduation from high school in Sandiego, California, to spend time volunteering in Punjab. The love of Punjab and Punjabi pulled her to her homeland and she reached out to us to be able to volunteer for our cause. While there, she spent sometime studying the education system in the government schools of Punjab and connecting children to the love of the language through our books as well as donating them for their libraries. Here are some pictures and a report from Manat. Please notice how scantily the libraries are stocked with Punjabi language books. Thank You, for your support that allows us to bring this gift in Punjabi to the children of Punjab.

Gurmeet Kaur 

www.folktalesofpunjab.com

Over the last few weeks, I’ve really enjoyed reading the Folktales of Punjab storybooks to students across schools in the Patiala region. I’ve been reading traditional Punjabi stories from the Sanjha Punjab book which is a compilation of several traditional Punjabi folk tales translated into English and Shahmukhi (Urdu script) as well. The stories consist of a bird who turns to others for help after she loses her food, a farmer who must prevent a bird from eating his crops, and a lamb who must find a way to safely traverse the forest after animals threaten to eat him. The book gives me the opportunity to discuss the stories in both English and Punjabi, which is a great way for kids to broaden knowledge in both languages. 

The students have found the stories to be very engaging. Often, I can’t even hear myself reading since they drown out my voice while shouting to complete the rhymes! They’re a big fan of the illustrations and we frequently end up on tangents about which animal or tree is the prettiest. 

The interactions with the students helped me learn more about the Punjab education system, status of the Punjabi language, and youth aspirations. I have been impressed by the schools that I have visited thus far in the pinds. The facilities and infrastructure all seem to be well-run and maintained.

I found that students attending rural schools were far more likely to speak pure Punjabi, while students at the urban schools were more likely to communicate with each other and the teacher in Hindi. 

I was disappointed to hear from one of the students that their teacher actively discouraged them from speaking Punjabi both in school and at home so that they could instead learn Hindi. When I asked this same student to speak with me in Punjabi and not Hindi he insisted he had been speaking Punjabi throughout our conversation. I was surprised to see that he, and a couple of other students like him, could not even distinguish between Punjabi and Hindi despite having grown up in Punjab.

In the rural schools, the students spoke beautiful Punjabi. I actually learned a lot of new vocabulary and cultural elements through talking to them. My highlight was when an eight-year-old boy refused to turn on the light and another girl told him “tere taa lacchan hi maare hain” with so much attitude I felt like I was watching a Punjabi movie.

The biggest challenge I encountered was that children’s aspirations for the future simply weren’t big enough. Students predominantly answered that they wanted to do IELTS to go abroad, become a police officer, or join the army. It made me realize that students in Punjab need exposure to role models in a variety of fields so that they know all that is possible for them.

Overall, I was impressed by their energy and love for learning. And of course, they were adorable! Kids enthusiastically invited me to spend the summer with them at their relatives' houses, sang me poems and Punjabi songs, and brought out their own books to read me some of their favorite Punjabi stories. I’m excited to continue spending time with more students in the coming weeks!

Manat Kaur

---

These are the schools that Manak Kaur visited and distributed books to along with her magical inspiration. 

Akal Academy Bhunsal

Primary School Sangatpura

Primary School Khusropur

Primary School Seel

Primary School Dhaderian

Dear Supporter 

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

I recently got an opportunity to visit Gujranwala in West Punjab - the home of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. I was also fortunate to visit the Haveli where he was born - built by his grandfather Charat Singh, the chief of the Sukerchakia misl. 

I was invited to speak about Maboli Punjabi at the Learning Hub College - a system of six schools and colleges with great education. I spoke to students at many grade levels and did storytelling sessions for them from the Undivided Punjab Edition as well as gifted all our books to the system to continue inculcating the love of the Punjabi language. 

My amazing hosts arranged with the DC office to open up the locked Haveli to hold a storytelling session there with the senior girls. You can imagine the emotions I went through. When I first entered the haveli - I cried -  at the fortune to visit the great Maharaja's childhood place, at the glory of our past, at the forlorn Sarkar-e-Khalsa.

But mostly because this place of such historical value - It is in ruins, plundered and encroached, many parts demolished and converted to residences, businesses, mosques and madrassas. What remains is not stable, waiting to demolish itself. No organizations are looking to preserve it. 

I cried more at the frustrations that Maharaja Ranjit Singh - the great son of the soil who gave huge grants to preserve mosques, gurdwaras and temples of his kingdom - is disowned by everyone and his own places and legacy suffer such atrocious neglect. 

The students I spoke to - didn't even have a clue about him. So we changed course. For two hours straight I told them tales of the great Maharaja - they came to me one by one as if I was his personal storyteller -- the girls were mesmerized -- by him, by their own legacy and by the power and sweetness of the Punjabi boli. By the end of the session they were left changed. Them vying for my autographs on any paper they could grab, even the 50 and 100 Rs bills - spoke volumes. But what I will always remember is when they said - "Ghar jaa key asaan sabh toN pehlaa apNey ghar valiaa nu set karnaa e - jinna ney saanu eh kujh nahin dassiaa..." 

My sincere hope is that these girls will be the change agents for preserving in West Punjab, the Punjabi language and the legacy of Ranjit Singh.

You have enabled this transformational hope through my work. Thank You for your continued love and support. 

Gurmeet Kaur 

www.folktalesofpunjab.com 

Dear Supporter,

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh,

This picture takes me to my childhood - ribboned pigtails, school uniform, immense desire to learn and read good books in my #motherlanguage; but no-one taught me #Punjabi nor I ever got to see such beautiful books in it. The stress of learning an alien language not sopken at home, i.e. English stole the whole childhood away. Such dual-language books would have made my life so much easier and richer - reading would have been a pleasure not a pain. 

So it delights me to see how these bilingual books are empowering our children in Punjab. Learning both the languages in a playful way - is the way to do it. Reminds me of the praise that is included at the back of this book:

"Gurmeet Kaur's books make me want to go back to the primary school and start reading all over again." - Dr. Surjit Patar

ਅਪਣਾ ਬਚਪਨ ਯਾਦ ਆ ਗਿਆ - ਕਰੇਲੇ, ਵਰਦੀ, ਭੋਲ਼ਾਪਣ, ਪੜ੍ਹਨ ਦੀ ਚਾਹ - ਪਰ ਮਾਂਬੋਲੀ ਕਿਸੇ ਸਿਖਾਈ ਹੀ ਨਹੀਂ - ਨਾ ਹੀ ਕਦੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿਚ ਇਜੇਹੀਆਂ ਸੁਹਣੀਆਂ ਕਿਤਾਬਾਂ ਵੇਖਣ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲ਼ੀਆਂ - ਅੰਗ੍ਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਸਿੱਖਣ ਦੇ ਖੌ ਨੇ ਬਚਪਨ ਖੋ ਲਿਆ - ਇਹੋ ਜਿਹੀਆਂ ਦੋ-ਭਾਸ਼ੀ ਕਿਤਾਬਾਂ ਹੁੰਦੀਆਂ ਤੇ ਜਾਨ ਕਿੰਨੀ ਸੌਖੀ ਹੋਣੀ ਸੀ ਤੇ ਬੋਲੀ ਕਿੰਨੀ ਅਮੀਰ।

“ਗੁਰਮੀਤ ਕੌਰ ਦੀਆਂ ਕਿਤਾਬਾਂ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ ਜੀ ਕਰਦਾ ਏ - ਮੁੜ ਕੱਚੀ-ਪੱਕੀ ਪੜ੍ਹਨ ਬਹਿ ਜਾਵਾਂ” - ਸੁਰਜੀਤ ਪਾਤਰ

We have recently teamed up with Sanjhi Sikhia in Punjab - another non-profit organization which will be using our books to provide creative reading materials to government elementary schools in order to encourage learning in both languages. This picture is from one of their engagements at the GPS Chauth 64 in Patiala district. Last month they invited me to do a workshop with their volunteers on the imortance of learning in Mother Tongue. 

You may visit the seminar here. We discussed many ways to overcome the social and political hurdles in the way of our mother language. May be your will have more ideas to contribute. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a70WrfJN0Ek 

I would love to hear on how you are engaging your children or grandchildren with learning in the mother tongue. 

We will continue to strenghten your support for this project by working hard with our partners on the ground. We will keep you updated. Until then, have a blessed 2022. 

Sincerely, 
Gurmeet Kaur 
@FolktalesofPunjab
www.folktalesofpunjab.com
pic: Harnoor Singh
via: Simranjit Singh Bhullar #SanjhiSikhiya at GPS Chauth 64 Patiala

Dear Supporter,

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! 

Thank You, for your support this week to our projects on the Dasvandh Network.

Today is the last day of the #Dasvandhweek and DVN will contribute $50 for each new donor we bring to our cause; $100 if they start a recurring donation for as little as $10/mo.

So may I kindly request that you encourage a friend or a family member who has not donated to our cause before to contribute?

Since 2018, with this support, we have reached thousands of youth through our books in Punjab - either via subsidizing them heavily or giving them free of cost to libraries, schools and even at the Farmers Protest Morcha. If you are following up on our updates and Social Media pages - you probably know by now what a difference they are making.

Please encourage giving - any amount helps. But please do it NOW - so DVN can match the funds. Please don't delay as every match makes a big difference. 

https://www.dvnetwork.org/folktales

Thank you so much for all you have done this far. 

Guru Ang Sang,

Gurmeet Kaur
@Team PiPPAL

PS: If you would like to learn more about our other project - The Valiant Jaswant Singh Khalra book's Punjab distribution please click here: 

www.dvnetwork.org/valiant 

Dear Supporter,

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! 

Overwhelmed by the pressure of learning Hindi and English, being put to shame for excelling in their own Mother-language -- these books have been a respite for thousands of children in Punjab -- re-igniting the love for the language and instilling a sense of pride in them and the credit goes to you. (And they teach them good English too as they are bilingual.)

Thank You, for your support in the past to our projects on the Dasvandh Network. We hope that you have been in touch via DVN updates or through our Social Media pages on what we have accomplished with your support thus far. 

In short, we have reached thousands of youth through our books in Punjab - either via subsidizing them heavily or giving them free of cost to libraries, schools and even at the Farmers Protest Morcha. We have shared pictures and testimonials from all age groups, all genders and educational backgrounds - our books have been so educational and life changing, you should be proud of this support.

Now that Covid restrictions are easing up - we plan to amplify our outreach with your help, ofcourse and expand the project to include other #FolktalesofPunjab books.

This week, DVN will be matching your one-time donations while matching funds last upto $400 per donation per person. 

Please consider giving - any amount helps. But please do it NOW - so DVN can match the funds. Please don't delay as every match makes a big difference. If you would like to give more, please consider asking your family member to do so. 

https://www.dvnetwork.org/folktales

May we also ask you to please take a few minutes after you have donated to reach out to at least five more friends and request them to make a contribution? 

This is the only week that we do our fundraising but it sustains us through the whole year because we have zero overhead expenses. All your donations go into creating these wonderful books and making them reach the masses. 

Thank you so much for your dasvandh. We know that you have a choice of many causes. But your strong belief in our educational endeavor to empower our Panth and Punjab, makes us want to continue our mission with more strength. May Waheguru bless you with Chardi Kala. 

Guru Ang Sang,

Gurmeet Kaur
@Team PiPPAL

PS: If you would like to learn more about our other project - The Valiant Jaswant Singh Khalra book's Punjab distribution please click here: 

www.dvnetwork.org/valiant 

www.pippal.org
www.folktalesofpunjab.com

www.facebook.com/ FolktalesOfPunjab/
www.facebook.com/pippalorg/

Dear Friend,

Schools have thankfully re-opened in Punjab. Children are back to connecting with each other, real teachers, and books. And we have resumed reaching out to them via our Engage Punjab project that takes the Fascinating Folktales of Punjab books to the government elementary schools. 

Simranjit Singh, our Punjab volunteer, has been visiting schools for the last three years now, engaging children in story telling sessions and conversation around the tales, the land of Punjab and our Maboli. "Most of these children come from underprivileged and backwards strata of the society," he reports. "They don't have access to beautiful and engaging books such as these, that even the children in private schools would envy. They have a  thirst for knowledge but not many avenues ... their excitement while holding and reading from these books cannot be explained." 

Simran leaves multiple copies with the teacher, for  their library and for lending to the children to take home so the children can read to their siblings and parents. 

Because these books are bilingual it gives  them an opportunity to read and learn the English language as well. 

Because these books have Shahmukhi script as well, if the children are ambitious - sky's the limit as far as learning is concerned. 

Soon, we will be printing our books 6-8 in Punjab as well and children will have access to more dual-language books that are world class, a source of entertainment, learning, and bonding with each other and connecting generations together. 

Thank you, for all your support and believing in us.

Gurmeet Kaur 

www.pippal.org
www.folktalesofpunjab.com

www.facebook.com/FolktalesOfPunjab/

Dear Friend,

While the Punjabi language is continually being degraded in private schools in East Punjab, where it is an optional subject after grade eight in CBSC and ICSE schools with Hindi slowly replacing it and while the students in such schools are being punished for speaking in Punjabi -- our hopes rest on the government schools in Punjab where it is the language of choice and a language loved and respected. [ See news item on CBSC rejecting Punjab Government's ask to make Punjabi compulsory till grade 10 here ]

Yet, the government run elementary schools do not have beautiful and engaging books that the children can hold in their hands and be proud of their mother - language and its script. 

There are certainly no books that are dual-language, that teach them both great Punjabi and good English - at once. Those that are beautifully illustrated, playful, attractive and give wings to children's imaginations, teach them good values while teaching them basic things about the Undivided Punjab -- it's two scripts and our common heritage.

So, we continue to doing our part to instill the pride for Punjabi and Punjab amongst these children so they can stand up for their Mother language and homeland when the time comes.

Our volunteer on ground Simranjit Singh continues to go to the government primary schools and does storytelling sessions for children from our Undivided Punjab edition and donating books to their schools, encouraging children to borrow them from their teacher thereby instilling a culture of reading at home. 

If the kids are ambitious, they further explore the Shahmukhi script. They learn good English through translations. This books becomes a whole world for them.

And we have you to thank for doing your part so we can continue to do ours. This year we will be reprinting another batch of 3000 books and continue to distribute them.

Please don't forget to go to our Facebook Page to check out more pictures.

Chardi Kala,

Gurmeet Kaur
www.folktalesofpunjab.com
www.pippal.org

Dear Friend,

A lot of Government Primary Schools in Punjab don't have libraries. Others don't have books that attract children and inspire them to read. There are certainly no books that are dual -language, heavily illustrated, playful, attractive and those that give wings to children's imaginations, teach them good values while teaching them basic things about the Undivided Punjab -- it's two scripts and common heritage.

 So when Simranjit Singh goes to government primary schools and does storytelling sessions for children from our Undivided Punjab edition, they are not only mesimerized, they are inspired to learn - good Punjabi, good English, know about Shahmukhi and much more. 

By donating books to their schools and encouraging them to borrow them from their teacher we instill a culture of reading at home. 

If the kids are ambitious, they further explore the Shahmukhi script. They learn good English through translations. This books becomes a whole world for them.

And we have you to thank for doing your part so we can continue to do ours. This year we will be reprinting another batch of 3000 books and continue to distribute them.

Please don't forget to go to our Facebook Page to check out some of the pictures.

Chardi Kala,

Gurmeet Kaur
www.folktalesofpunjab.com
www.pippal.org

Dear Supporter,
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Thank You for your support to the Fascinating Folktales of Punjab. Have you heard about our new and exciting book on the life and times of Jaswant Singh Khalra that teaches children about the history of 20th century Punjab in an inspiring way? 

Please click here to watch the book trailer and learn more about how we want to take this book to every child in Punjab.

https://www.dvnetwork.org/projects/the-valiant---jaswant-singh-khalra-punjab-distribution

From NOW (Nov. 13 2020 12:00 EST) until the funds run out into The Dasvandh Week, your donations to our project will be matched (see details below).

Upto $250 per person will be matched by DVN until their matching funds run out and the code DVWEEK20 is entered. 

Please remember:
Matching Code, DVWEEK20, during the checkout process must be entered at checkout to receive matching fundsSingle donor matching limit is $250.

If you want to donate more, please split the donation with your family members or friends. Please ask your friends or family members to do the same. Any amount is appreciated. 

Thank You,

Gurmeet Kaur
Team Pippal
www.pippal.org

https://www.dvnetwork.org/projects/the-valiant---jaswant-singh-khalra-punjab-distribution

Dear Friend,

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh,

I know it's been a while that we had a chance to interact. At DVN you will shortly hear about our upcoming project - The first of its kind but I wanted you to hear it directly from me. 

Here is a  video trailer of the upcoming book(s) for your children ages 12+ that I have been dilligently working on. This is the book you had always wanted -  many of you have written to me to write on 1984. Recently, I got an opportunity to do just that through an illustrated biography on the life and times of our hero The Valiant - Jaswant Singh Khalra. You can find more information about the book on www.pippal.org

Back to the Fascinating Folktales of Punjab - Engage Punjab Project. We have almost run out of our first edition prints, we have been busy distributing the books in Punjab even as Covid has slowed us down some. Your donations will help us print another edition for the upcoming year.

Here is an interesting review of our Undivided Punjab Edition that we recently ran into that we thought you may enjoy,

Book Review By Naujawani

Hope you stay safe this winter and get to read a lot of cool books.

Much Love,

Gurmeet Kaur

www.pippal.org

www.folktalesofpunjab.com

Dear Supporter,

Since we launched our Audio Stories for Children, we have had thousands of hours of listening from SoundCloud and hundreds of direct downloads from parents around the world. Finally our children have beautiful audio stories in their Ma-Boli Punjabi to listen to -- Stories, that get their imagination going, while teaching them important language skills and good values in an entertaining and engaging way.
 

The audio versions are absolutely free for everyone to listen, download, or share. Have you shared them with your families and friends yet?
 

Listen to them Online - 

Or Download them from our website for Offline listening:

http://www.folktalesofpunjab.com/audio/

ਹੁਣ ਆਡੀਓ ਵਿਚ - ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੋਹਣੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਮੋਹਣੀਆਂ ਬਾਤਾਂ ਕਲਪਨਾ ਦੇ ਉਸ ਦੇਸ ਵੱਲ ਨੂੰ ਲੈ ਜਾਣਗੀਆਂ ਜਿੱਥੇ ਮਾਣਸ, ਜੀਅ-ਜੰਤ, ਪੰਛੀ-ਜਨੌਰ, ਵਣ-ਤ੍ਰਿਣ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿਚ ਪਿਆਰ ਦੀਆਂ ਬਾਤਾਂ ਪਾਉੰਦੇ ਵਿਸਮਦੇ ਨੇ।
ਸੁਣੋ, ਸਾਂਝੀਆਂ ਕਰੋ ਤੇ ਡਾਊਨਲੋਡ ਕਰੋ!
 

Enjoy!
Gurmeet Kaur
Author, Fascinating Folktales of Punjab

www.folktalesofpunjab.com

ਹੁਣ ਆਡੀਓ ਵਿਚ - ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੋਹਣੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਮੋਹਣੀਆਂ ਬਾਤਾਂ ਕਲਪਨਾ ਦੇ ਉਸ ਦੇਸ ਵੱਲ ਨੂੰ ਲੈ ਜਾਣਗੀਆਂ ਜਿੱਥੇ ਮਾਣਸ, ਜੀਅ-ਜੰਤ, ਪੰਛੀ-ਜਨੌਰ, ਵਣ-ਤ੍ਰਿਣ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿਚ ਪਿਆਰ ਦੀਆਂ ਬਾਤਾਂ ਪਾਉੰਦੇ ਵਿਸਮਦੇ ਨੇ।
ਸੁਣੋ, ਸਾਂਝੀਆਂ ਕਰੋ ਤੇ ਡਾਊਨਲੋਡ ਕਰੋ!
 
Dear Supporter,

How often has this happened?  Your children are in a long car ride or getting ready to go to bed and you wished that they had beautiful audio stories in their Ma-Boli Punjabi to listen to -- Stories, that get their imagination going, while teaching your children important language skills and good values in an entertaining and engaging way.
 
Your wish has come true.

For the last two years, My team and I have been working hard to complete the audio version of the Fascinating Folktales of Punjab books on request of many parents who are second or third generation Punjabis and have difficulty pronouncing the 'Theth Punjabi' in these books or simply because they love the way I narrate these stories.

These stories will transport children to their Punjab - where animals and birds, human beings and trees - all interact with each other in Punjabi -- the language of love.

The audio versions are absolutely free for everyone to listen, download, or share.
 
Enjoy!
Gurmeet Kaur
Author, Fascinating Folktales of Punjab
Listen / Download Here

Parent Review

Fascinating Folktales of Punjab series are stories written at a level, same as the scripts written for Hollywood animated films for children. Absolutely childlike with heights of intellect in them, which makes them age-appropriate for ALL.

The author, Gurmeet Kaur, has made them twice as lively in the audio version by adding her expressive voice along with a true sentiment from the heart.

Music composer, Jitin Bajwa, has created exactly what artists Susanna Dong and Chaaya Prabhat have created for printed version of these stories; simply a mesmerizing resonance for the words through musical instruments and through
paint brush, respectively.

And last but not the least is Liv Kaur, who pops up out of nowhere at the end of audio version of each story, just to make you crave for another.
- H. Singh, U.S.A

Listen / Download Here
 

Dear Friend,

Wish you a very happy 2019.

Our team has been busy not only taking the Fascinating Folktales to the schools of Punjab that you can see the testemonies of on our Youtube channel and Facebook Page but also - on another important mission that we need your support on.

I was in Kartapur Sahib, West Punjab (the last earthly abode of Baba Nanak) in Feb. 2018 and felt a deep connection to the sacred space because unlike East Punjab the Gurdwara Sahib complex and the fields of Baba Nanak still made you travel back in time and connect to the time and space of Guru Sahib. 

With Kartarpur Corridor opening news, I got a bit worried when I saw the overly commercialized plans for the village. Long story short, after knocking on several doors to take the preservation of the sacred place - I decided to do something about it. I cannot in my lifetime bear to see this important place become a city of marbleized structures in the name of religous tourism that has spoiled the serenity of Darbar Sahib, Amritsar and Nankana Sahib.

I have written to a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan. Please read my letter here, draft your own and send along. All the details on addresses etc. are provided.

👉https://bit.ly/2VIqUyA👈

I have also set up a Facebook Page - ਥਾਨ ਸੁਹਾਵਾ - Kartarpur - The Abode Blissful and stared on Online Petition. Please be a part of this noble cause. Spare a few minutes - read about our ask, connect with us, spread the word, write letters, sign and forward the petiton. 

I appreciate you being there for this cause for the sake of our heritage and our future generations.

Many Thanks,

Gurmeet Kaur 

www.folktalesofpunjab.com

Dear Friends,

Thank You, for supporting our project. Your contributions are at work already. We celebrated Gurpurab in Nankana Sahib by gifting books to children from Peshawar, Sindh, Baluchistan, Lahore and ofcourse the ones that live right there at the Janam Asthan. In East Punjab, we continue to reach out to government schools in the remotest areas without access to good Punjabi literature for children. 

With our Sanjha Punjab Edition, we hope to revive a lost dream in the children of Punjab — of the love of Undivided Punjab and its beautiful Mother Language Punjabi..and to instill in them that Punjabiyat transcends religious, class, geographical and dialectical boundaries.

Please see more pictures from the field and meet some of the children from both sides of the fence here. It will bring a smile on your face. Click Here.

Happy commencement of the 550th year.

Gurmeet Kaur

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