I came across the Lemon Tree Initiative video a week or so ago when a friend posted it on Facebook. Praveen’s message that this was one of his favourite hotel chains and that the video gave him more reason to appreciate them had me intrigued. It’s what prompted me to hit the play button.

And man did I smile though it all. I felt good by the end of the video, happy that there was hope for the human race after all, that there were people doing awesome things out there, going the extra mile, making a difference,… If you are wondering what I’m talking about, watch the video now!

The Lemon Tree Group of Hotels runs a very special initiative that provides work places for people with disabilities. THey don’t pity them but celebrate their challenges and make their disabilities their strengths.

As the Founder of Lemon Tree, Patu Keshwani says it all started when two people with disabilities were hired to wash dishes in the kitchen. The job wasn’t given with a grand scheme in mind by rather with the intention of giving an opportunity to people who would not otherwise get a job easily. But over time they realised that people were disabilities were great employees, they also realised that 10% of India’s population is disabled in some form, so they started to look at roles in their organisations where peoples disabilities were irrelevant.

Today they have over 300 employees with disabilities and 90% of these are speech and hearing impaired. They also have over 20 people with orthopedic handicaps. Keshwani says they had given thought to hiring visually impaired people but realised that it would be really difficult for them in an hotel environment where there are a lot of visual ques. Their latest addition to the disabilities list is people with Down Syndrome.

The aim of Lemon Tree is to have 20 to 25% of their workforce as people with disabilities by 2018-19, that’s about 2000 to 3000 people!

The video was just wonderful to watch, the joy and happiness the employees of Lemon Tree seemed to radiate was catchy. It made me smile. Rather than sympathise and pity them, the Lemon Tree initiative gives them must needed strength and confidence to stand-up and be their own person in the world, a chance to earn and live with dignity!

Kudos Lemon Tree, may your tribe increase. I hope more organisations learn from you. 🙂
You can find out more about Lemon Tree Hotels on their website.

P.S. – I found that they also have a Pooch Policy. 😀 Each Lemon Tree Hotel (and they have 25 of them) has adopted one street dog in and around their hotel. The dog is named, vaccinated and loved and cared for by the Lemon Tree team. These guys just make me smile wider and wider. 😀

Alia Bhatt has been the butt of jokes for a while now. Ever since her appearances on Coffee with Karan where she answered a few questions crazily wrong and didn’t know other answers she has been the target of numerous memes and jokes on the internet.

Over the last couple of months, after I heard the first joke about her I’ve been trying to catch up with her interviews. And I’m yet to find one in which she is stupid, silly yes but she’s definitely not stupid.

Daughter of Mahesh Bhatt and sister to Pooja Bhatt, this girl just doesn’t have the genes for stupid. Baby face yes, but not stupid. And if any proof was needed about this, the video she has worked on with AIB says it all. Alia makes a joke of herself so well that one is left wondering about her intelligence at the end. A brilliant way to show the other cheek to all those writing her off.

This is one girl I’m going to be keeping an eye on over the years, she definitely has spunk and attitude. And even if you don’t care about that, watch the video, the storyline and performance by Karan Johar, among other things make it worth it! You’ll be laughing throughout, I promise.

Here’s AIB: Alia Bhatt – Genius of the Year…

What do you think of the video? Alia Bhatt? 😀

Lately I’ve been watching a lot of videos, some I have come across myself on Youtube, others I have found thanks to friends on Facebook. But no matter the mode of finding them, I’ve been wanting to share them forward; recommend them to others to watch.

With this thought in mind I figured I’d start Video Wednesday – a way for me to share one video that I’ve immensely enjoyed every week. It could be a movie video, a song, spoken word, DIY tutorial, funny video,… oh well you get the gist, it could be anything but in video format. 😀 Hope you enjoy the videos I find and share here. 🙂

I came across the SummerHill video on a sustainability group I am a part of. The recommend said it was an “excellent and beautiful film on freedom of children and their education” and that got me interested.

I thought I would watch the first couple of minutes and decide whether to watch the rest, especially after I saw it was 1 hour and 48 minutes long! The first few minutes had me wanting to watch more and so I shelved the movie to watch along with dinner. And oh boy was that a long dinner! 😀

I enjoyed the movie which is the “story of a school of freedom which allows students to pursue their own interests, talents and passions”.  Some bits of it are in your face fake and over dramatized but yet the message is clear and strong. I would so want to be a part of school like SummerHill.

Based on a true story this is a four part television production that has been put together as one. SummerHill does exist in Suffolk, UK and so does it’s founder A. S. Neill’s principle – “Freedom, not Licence.” You can read more about SummerHill on it’s Wikipedia page and check out A.S Neill’s Summerhill School website.

Ok enough of the gyan, now over to the video. Hope you enjoy it. 🙂