In a previous post Meeting the World Challenge, we had mentioned about She Hope Society and the remarkable work they were doing in rehabilitating the disabled in the Kashmir Valley. In response to that article, we received a note from Diane Emerson who was headed to the Centre to volunteer for a period of 3 months starting in April. Hailing from New Zealand and having traveled all over the world volunteering with various charities and NGOs, Diane expressed a strong interest in sharing her experience with The Better India, so that our readers could get a glimpse of working in an NGO, the ground realities in Kashmir as seen from the eyes of an impartial observer, and life as a traveling volunteer. Here are some of her observations.

About life in Kashmir Valley:

The food is healthy and locally grown and organic. And vegetarianism is common. Even people who do eat meat eat it sparingly.

Children are loved by both parents, and get lots of attention since everyone eats on the floor. I often see fathers walking with their little boys, and their girls. And feeding their children. Caring for children is clearly shared, because they are loved. And there is time for them.

Drunk drivers do not exist here. Alcohol is not sold anywhere. So there is no alcohol-related violence, no party culture. No drunken hooning on the roads at night, no drunks stumbling along the streets, or passed out in the gutter, or making lewd comments to the girls. No bars to go to. No alcoholic fathers making life miserable for their families. No hidden alcoholic mothers. None. So what do people do without alcohol?

People talk to each other. They hang out together, and just spend time together, rather than sit at home and watch TV, or go out to the bars. In the evenings, when so many New Zealanders and Americans are in front of their TV watching the news and getting a big dose of negativity and violence, here they talk to their neighbours and watch the light fade.

About working at the Hope Disability Centre:

Today is a CBR: Community Based Rehabilitation visit. Sami brings hearing testing equipment and we go to a village to find disabled people who need help. The village was Kulharna, and it had been arranged by the newspaper reporter who had stopped by a week before. Our first stop was at a school where there were two disabled teenage boys. The school superintendent asked me my opinion of Kashmir, and was pleased with my answers. Yes. I like it here. For many reasons. And I am finding more all the time. When funds become available, these boys will have surgery. In the meantime, exercises can be done to help.

About the work of the military in the region, and of one commendable army man:

Even though in most of Kashmir the actual voting turnout is only 3 or 4%, here in our Ganderbal district the voting turnout is closer to 60%. I found out one of the reasons why on Friday, when Sami and I visited the top military commander in Ganderbal. Commandant Vivik Sharma believes strongly in eliminating militancy, not just militants. I have learned that in Kashmir the independence fighters are called militants by some; terrorists by others. Commandant Sharma’s job is only to find and stop the militants. But he does more. Much more. He organizes free cataract surgeries, field trips to Delhi for school children, free veterinary training for the small farmers, and locates funds to support efforts like the Hope Disability Centre. He will be reassigned soon. And I think he has chosen to build a cricket stadium in Ganderbal as his lasting contribution to the community. It will be finished next month. But he is most proud of the fact that not one of his soldiers has troubled any of the students at the all girls school right next door. Not once in 3 years.

The Commandant General even requires his men to treat suspected militants with respect and consideration. There was a photo of a militant giving himself up in the room we were sitting in. The military found and took in this Pakistani militant who had come to Kashmir to help liberate the country, and asked him why he had chosen the militant path. The Pakistani said he had heard that Muslims were not allowed to worship at the mosques, and other offenses. So the commandant took him around Ganderbal and showed him the open mosques, and allowed him to talk to the local people about life in Ganderbal District. And the man, who had not killed anyone, ended up joining the army. If all the miliary commanders around the world were like this man, there would be no need for militaries at all.

Diane also brought with her a couple of laptops from New Zealand to train the disabled youth and help them attain life skills to be able to support themselves. The program has met with tremendous popularity and Diane is flooded with more students than she can handle, so that some of the older students also take up the responsibility of teaching the newer entrants.

Follow Diane’s intriguing journey with Hope Disability Centre and her experiences in India at her blog.

The Divya Chaya Trust (DCT) was established in 1984 mainly to help destitute children and women. Their main aim was to support educational and vocational activities at schools in rural areas and encourage educating the orphans and school drop outs.

Their work is significantly differently as they impart career counseling and provide students with opportunities for further studies. The trust holds confidence building therapies in order to enable women to support themselves financially.

Divya Chaya Trust is located at various states across the northern part of India including West Bengal, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and is currently working with various child care homes and ashrams. These include the SD Jain Mahila Ashram and Arya Bal Griha at Delhi, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission situated in West Bengal and Delhi.

The trust has around 49 employees who work full time for the establishment and betterment of their reach. Apart from the above, there are approximately 50 volunteers who are working for the same mission.

Their remarkable achievement for the year 2007-2008 is that they have sponsored educational expenses for 500 children. They also had organized seven career counseling sessions for more than 150 children who had graduated and were looking out for jobs.

Their contribution towards the growth of special children with various disabilities is also outstanding. Although the government claims that of the total disabled population only 2% are educated and very few are employed, the DCT is doing their best overcome these figures and make them more presentable for the country. To achieve the same, the trust has various services which are solely for the disabled. They have a range of options to reach the disabled, which include financial aids, or even providing them with simple basic necessities like a hearing aid, a wheel chair or even a Braille kit. A contribution from our end towards supplying these necessities would definitely be of immense support to them.

The most disappointing fact, however, remains that their total income is severely lower than their expenditure. The trust did loose a significant amount which could have been well avoided, had there been enough contribution made towards the trust from citizens.
Despite this, the trust did not loose hope and has recently built a residential home for the elderly at Haryana.

It is truly incredible to know that citizens of our country are going beyond their reach to dissolve the bridge between the privileged and under privileged by ensuring that primary education and fundamental living necessities are being provided to significant section of people.

Read more about Divya Chandra Trust here: http://www.divyachayatrust.org.in/

NGO write up done by guest reporter Jheel Parekh.

Sittilingi is a remote village in Dharmapuri district, 125 km away from Salem town in Tamil Nadu, which used to be a god forsaken land caught under the spell of quacks and black magic. Noisy drums and fake injections were all they had to cure illnesses. This is when Dr. Regi and Dr. Lalitha took the plunge. This doctor couple went ahead to provide medical services to the tribals of Sittilingi, leaving their promising careers in the cities.

The couple found their calling in service to the underprivileged and wanted to use their knowledge where it was needed the most. Their hunt for the right place to offer their service ended at Sittilingi, a totally neglected and ignored tribal village. They ventured into the village, faced tough resistances and now they have emerged successful in establishing a full-fledged medical center for the tribals. A service beyond praises! 

Regi and Lalitha called their service the Tribal Health Initiative (THI). Their perseverance and continued service has brought about dramatic change in the living conditions of the natives. Infant mortality rate in Sittilingi has reduced to 20/1000 and there are no mothers dying in childbirth for the past 5 years. The nutrition levels of children and the general well being of the people have improved to a great extent.

Another striking fact about the Sittilingi initiative is that the girls who serve as nurses at the medical center are personally trained by Regi and Lalitha. When Regi and Lalitha saw that it was extremely difficult to get nurses to work at this tribal village, they decided to go choose smart and trainable girls from the village. This became such a wonderful uplift to the self esteem of the girls that they are extremely proud to be part of this initiative and to serve their community.

THI’s approach to medical care went one step ahead in educating the people and ‘helping the tribals help themselves’. They wanted to create a general understanding about health and health issues and make the natives acquainted with basic first aid. Today, over 21 neighbouring villages are benefiting from the Tribal Health Initiative that sprung at Sittilingi.  

And, the couple didn’t stop with medical facilities. They organize educational programmes, cultural activities and community development initiatives. There is a library facility that is available for children who also get to listen to motivating stories from a community worker every month.  Truly commendable, right?

It is very heartening to know about the selfless and committed service of Regi and Lalitha and many others who are supporting them. You can visit them at Sittilingi and get to know their service better. We also encourage you to support the initiative by contributing to the cause. Visit http://www.tribalhealth.org/

In our busy lives where our abilities are taken for granted, we forget that living along with us are challenged people who have special needs. Who could better understand the needs of the visually challenged than someone who has suffered it herself? Madhu Singhal is visually impaired by birth. Born into an upper middle class family in Haryana, Madhu had the affluence to lead a comfortable life. But she chose not to be laid back and wanted to do something on her own.

After completing her MA in Hindustani Classical Vocal Music, Madhu came down to Bangalore to undergo specialized training in communication and counseling. To her surprise and much difficulty, she found that there was very little support for her learning needs. In the North, audio recordings of text books were made available for students like her, but here in Bangalore Madhu couldn’t find any such help. Fighting this difficulty she completed her studies and got out only to find that it was extremely difficult for her to get a job. This is when Madhu decided that no one else should suffer what she suffered. And Mitra Jyothi was conceived.

Mitra Jyothi is aimed at empowering the visually impaired by supporting their educational needs, finding suitable jobs and making them independent enough to take charge of their lives. The organization’s most popular initiative is its Talking Book Library. Text books and books for general reading are given a voice by volunteers, and cassettes and CDs are recorded for circulation. Over 22,000 cassettes of more than 2000 books have been recorded till date. Mitra Jyothi set up its own recording studio to provide this service professionally. Notably, Mitra Jyothi’s effort in this front was the first of its kind in Karnataka and over 5000 people have benefited from the library.

The organization is also extensively involved in Braille transcription and providing computer education to the visually impaired. Mitra Jyothi runs a full-fledged job placement cell for its members, a service that has helped its members find suitable jobs in corporates and manufacturing units. Another admirable service is that the organization runs special courses for women to impart independent living skills.

Mitra Jyothi has been serving the needs of the visually challenged for over two decades now. It has extended its services to Kerala, Andhra and Tamil Nadu. Madhu Singhal has nurtured the organization with her selfless commitment that grew beyond her impairments.  Madhu lives independent, travels abroad on her own, spearheads an organization and chairs important positions in various social service organizations – a true role model. What she has achieved can be made possible for more visually challenged people. Help spread the cause.

Visit http://www.mitrajyothi.org/

When I look at the extent of problems and social evils plaguing our world today, I am often disheartened. Like many others, it is hard for me to figure how to start doing my bit to make things better. Then, I stumble upon an inspiring story and I start afresh, with the same vigour. This time my inspiration comes from a foreigner who is working day and night to make the lives of street children in India better. Mary Gothi, along with her husband Dave, founded the Sunshine Ministries in 2005 to make a more permanent difference in the lives of hurting street children of India.

In times when many Indians also shy away from fulfilling their moral responsibility towards their nation, someone like Mary stepping in to contribute whatever she can makes all the difference. Discussing the beginning of this humble journey, Mary explains, “We began Sunshine Kids International in 2005. I had traveled to Mumbai with my husband, Dave (Devendra) for years and just felt we needed to do something more significant and permanent to make a difference in the lives of kids I would meet on the street. Our nephew, Vivek Gothi, was familiar with St. Catherine’s of Siena orphanage in Mumbai and directed us to Brother Joseph there. We decided to run a sponsorship program and the gifts of partners to support St. Catherine’s in many ways. We support their Happy Feet and Happy Home programmes, help pay the salaries of their teachers, counselors and social workers.”

Mary herself is a psychotherapist, which is one reason why she is interested in healing the child, holistically. “Each child is encouraged to discover their heart, the passion God has placed in them to pursue,” she feels.

Overcoming challenges

Mary Gothi and her husband Dave, who is an engineer by profession, are fully committed to the cause of supporting and helping street children live a normal childhood. Mary explains, “We have partnered with St. Catherine’s to helping them build the lives of children who might otherwise never had the opportunity to not only better themselves, but make a real difference in their communities. Many of these children are street kids who now have the chance, through the Project: Age 22, to receive education in the fields of their choice and are encouraged until they are placed in a job at the age of 22! We are supporting this program by helping Americans, who are so blessed financially, to understand what the rest of the world is like and to be willing to leave their comfort zone to make a difference. Raising money for this project has been a constant leap of faith. We are a volunteer-led organization, but I can’t count on that forever!”

Apart from convincing Americans to make a contribution, Mary has also faced the constant challenge of making Indians understand that the caste system does not mean that God wants people trapped or unable to fulfill their potential. Mary often tells people, “God wants every child to have the opportunity to make a difference in the world! Every child, if given the chance, can make India a better place!”

Hardly a foreigner

After learning so much about Mary’s journey, one can’t help but feel uncomfortable in referring to her as a ‘foreigner’ as she has truly become a part of India and is striving to make it better. Mary explains, “I love India, I love my in-laws and I always felt we could do something to make India a better place for the kids I would meet, fall in love with and then leave after my visits, not knowing what would happen to them. I was tired of having a broken heart and had to do something!”

What drove Mary towards this noble work, in spite of being a foreigner? She adds, “Maybe as an ‘outsider’ I see things with different eyes? I could never get used to the poverty I experienced in India or the begging children. I couldn’t believe that this was just their ‘lot in life’ or what God would accept for them. I wanted more for them! Maybe if we found a place we could partner with, we could really make a difference just in our little corner of the world! And that has happened in ways that continue to amaze me.”

Mary’s story doesn’t end here. Sunshine Kids International is only a beginning. Even her daughter Maren and her husband TJ, have adopted a child Lola from India, from Ashraya Home in Bangalore. Because of Lola’s multiple physical deformities, her parents could not take care of her and her special needs. Lola Swapna has been an amazing gift to the family, as has been the family’s priceless care for many children.

Reach out to Mary and Dave at info@sunshinekidsintl.com

WE start the New Year with an article focussing on what we continue to believe holds the key to bring a change in our country: Education. Elementary education has been made compulsory for the children in our country, but what if they still want to study when they grow up and what if they do not have the resources to study?

The parents who do not send their children to school can generally be classified into two groups (a sweeping classification perhaps, but both these groups are large enough to be addressed) – one group comprises of those who are ignorant, who have no idea, no knowledge about the huge change education can bring in their life and their children’s future. The other belongs to the class of economically backward people, who can not afford to send their children to school. But with the upcoming education related laws and rights and efforts of the many, the roots of primary education is getting well-grounded (and we hope will take off as per plans!). However, at a later stage, when children grow up education is not free and there are many who bend their paths as per their financial needs. German Philosopher Erich Fronn had once said “Why should a society feel responsible only for the education of children, and not for the education of all adults of every age?”

Every individual in this society has a story to narrate, some moments to re-live, some past experiences that has turned their lives and there are some great people who have transformed their past experiences into an opportunity for others. Such is the inspiring narration of Mr. MNV. Murali Krishna, founder of Well Wishers Foundation, who is working as a Software Engineer in Deloitte Consulting India Pvt. Ltd. He believes that “The first expression of love is to serve” and says “Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One is for helping yourself and the second for helping others”. When approached by The Better India, he gave a detailed explanation of his organization. Here is an extract of that discussion:

People who are interested to walk the road with Well Wishers Foundation or who require more information can send an email at: nmaradana[at]deloitte[dot]com

In Sanskrit, Punya means merit earned through right thought, word and action. True to the spirit of this word, the team of youngsters behind NGO Punya is involved in doing their bit to bring in a perceptible change in the society through education. Their work is testimony to the fact that anyone and everyone desirous of doing good can do good.

Punya is driven by a vision of an India where every single person is empowered; this they hope to achieve by providing access to quality universal education. At the same time, the team is always looking for opportunities to make a positive impact in any way. They often visit orphanages and special schools along with volunteer groups, so as to create awareness. This also give them an inside perspective of the social conditions in India.

Beginnings of Punya

Punya was founded by Varun V Singhi, a young professional working with a leading IT company Wipro Technologies, in 2009. Why would an IT professional start something like Punya? Varun explains, “All human beings have a conscience. We have a desire to improve the environment around us. Something inside us urges us to contribute, to share and help, to do what we can to ameliorate the lives of our fellow beings, but often we give up or postpone these thoughts not because of money, but due to scarcity of time and lack of focus. Punya started as my humble initiative to build a bridge between the socially conscious people and the people in dire need of help. It is also aimed at revolutionizing and rekindling philanthropic urge in individuals by providing the donors/investors the assurance and satisfaction that their investments will reach the right people at the right time and most importantly, through the right channels.”

Acting on one’s urge ‘to do good’ is probably the first step in becoming the change you wish to see in the world. Why did Varun see this change taking birth through education? He adds, “I focused more on education because I believe that it is the most important enabler for growth and equitable development. Education empowers, particularly, when it offers the most disadvantaged and the most underprivileged the opportunity to influence the very fabric of society. In essence, what education does is to offer everyone the promise of a better life. Hence I targeted education specifically.”

Beyond Education

While Punya intends to make education a reality for the underprivileged, many of the organization’s projects are based on essentials such as ‘food’ and donations for computers, other equipments, etc. It has a very broad approach toward facilitation education, as Varun elaborates, “Punya believes that education cannot be defined by a single dimension. Our approach towards education is multi-dimensional. We not just sponsor the child’s education but also assign him/her a mentor, who guides the student and tracks progress. Our aim is to get involved with the student and make him/her feel more responsible and have a positive attitude towards life. Mentor/Student are then in regular touch with each other to evaluate the growth. This model is inspired from a senior volunteer manager of Big Brother and Big Sisters (a nonprofit) whom I had met two years ago in Boston. I loved the concept and wanted to implement it back home. We want children to realise their potential and build their future. So our focus is not just education but every small thing that helps to facilitate education. Punya’s core belief is to focus on honing the abilities of the disadvantaged children and motivate them to become self dependent.”

People often say that one should earn and spend a good life while young and then reserve the old age for social work, but in today’s pressing times, more and more youngsters like Varun and his team are required as they are the ones who will take the nascent steps of building a better India. Varun rightly says, “I am sure if young youth force of this country gets involved to root out the social evils, which are hampering our growth from within, our country would be the best place to live in!” As evident from such efforts, the change is already happening.

To know more, visit http://punya.org.in/

It was on a hot summer morning in Ludhiana when a high school graduate then, Jalnidh spotted kids form a nearby slum in a park near her home. She asked them, “Padhoge Kya?” (Would you like to study? ) The kids eagerly welcomed the opportunity and started reciting the alphabet. At the end, she bid them goodbye after distributing sweets without the slightest hint that this would begin a new chapter in her as well as the kids’ lives. She had started the class without the intention of continuing it the next day. However, when one of the students asked her the timings for the next class, she couldn’t resist teaching them again.

“I couldn’t think of a reason in the world to reject that innocent invitation by a knowledge hungry kid to teach them’”, Jalnidh told us.

The people in her locality reacted in diverse ways. While most of them discouraged her, there were a few who gave her the necessary push. Unshaken by the disapprovals, Jalnidh kept her spine straight and told everyone that she prioritized imparting education over simply receiving it. There were also some benevolent people who encouraged both Jalnidh and her students by distributing sweets and stationary items.

Thanks to Facebook Jalnidh’s friends read about the noble cause and decided to volunteer. Few became guest teachers at the street school.

Éclair at Ludhiana taught these kids basic manners, proper hygiene, alphabet, rhymes, disaster management, dental hygiene and tooth brushing techniques. It also sensitized them about the ill effects of tobacco and other drugs. Most of all, Éclair taught them how to dream. It provided the stimulus that the kids and their parents needed. Many of Éclair students enrolled themselves in nearby schools.

Éclair now has expanded its branches to Amritsar, Ganganagar and Delhi as well.  It has about 15 spirited young volunteers, mostly college students who teach poor kids in parks in the evenings. The curriculum is flexible and context based. Usually, the volunteers start with alphabet, English or Hindi, according to what is thought as suitable for the kids, for them to get enrolled in nearby schools.

The volunteers from Éclair want more people to join in and impart education to as many children as possible. Here is a brief about the concept, syllabus and other FAQs.

Concept :

Éclair is a street school chain being run by college students in the states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi. The concept is to involve high school students and college students in imparting education to street kids in urban areas, thus channeling their free time and enthusiasm to the strata which needs it.

How to Éclair?

All you need is a park, street kids and a bit of enthusiasm. You don’t even need a room!

What to teach?

After starting with the basic alphabet, the syllabus can vary according to the teachers and students. Counting and basic science is taught through innovative teaching techniques. More than elementary knowledge, these kids are  taught practical skills that they need the most in the kinds of circumstances they live. Activities like how to cross road, knowing traffic lights, how to wash hands, how to brush are organized by the volunteers.

Aim

The aim is to reform the outlook of the kids – they now know what is it to dream and to aspire. Éclair volunteers are doing a good job filling their eyes with hope and empowering their lives with quality education.

What ahead?

Éclair plans to publish an SOP on “how to éclair” and reach out to vacationing school students who can start such small ‘eclairs’ in their community parks nearby. We definitely need volunteers who can start eclairing in their localities so that extensive coverage of street kids is achieved. If Kerala can achieve 100% literacy, why not other states.

While RTE after being enforced in 2011 will allow universal enrolment of kids in schools, éclair has already begun the groundwork for the same – convincing parents, motivating kids by providing elementary education in community parks.

How to get in touch with Éclair?

E-mail: eclairstreets[at]gmail.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_158791800829306

Update: Donations are being accepted till November 7, 2011

Can you think of any better way to celebrate this Diwali than bring light in the lives of school going children in some of the poorest parts of the country? We couldn’t, and that’s why we decided to feature this sparkling initiative today!

Background and Need
While Right to Education Act entitles children to free and compulsory education in India, its scope is often diminished because many children do not have access to light at home to study. As many as 250 million students in India are off-the-grid and many others face severe power shortages at home. These students have no option but to rely on kerosene lamps that not only adversely affect their eyesight due to substandard light, but also expose them to noxious fumes. Kerosene lamps cause  indoor air pollution, which claim the lives of 1.5 million people each year, over half of which are under the age of five (Millennium Development Goals Report 2007).

An affiliate of v-shesh, v-shesh foundation is a non-profit trust that undertakes independent work to facilitate access to opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Impact and Approach
This year in the lead up to Diwali, v-shesh foundation has identified 22 off-grid villages in Orissa (tehsil Bangomunda in district Balangir) for distribution of a clean lighting product. Bangomunda is one of the poorest tehsils in the country and lags behind on all social & economic indicators. This distribution is planned as a pilot to develop an efficient model to connect grantors to those that require socially relevant goods and services.

After evaluating various alternatives, v-shesh Foundation zeroed-in on “Edu-Light”, a solar lamp manufactured by a social enterprise d.light that is priced at Rs 399. Edu-Light is a rugged lamp that provides portable white/ bright light for up to 4 hours with day-time charging in the sun and has been designed for use by school going children.

Solar Lamps are extremely safe and use super-bright LEDs that do not emit any pollutants. A World Bank study in Sudan found that pass rates in an entire village increased from 57 to 100 percent after students were provided with bright solar lighting.

Execution and Timelines
The program aims to reach 5000 school going children at 20 schools. With each lamp costing Rs 399, they will require a sum of Rs 1,995,000. Out of this target they have already raised funds for more than 1000 lamps. V-shesh foundation is currently in the final lag of identifying recipient schools. The selection of schools is based on conversations with local NGOs, village sarpanch and members of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan regarding electricity availability and the socio-economic context of the children, followed by visits to the school to identify recipients.

Contributions will be accepted till October 25, 2011November 7, 2011 after which v-shesh Foundation will place the order for the lamps. This will be followed by distribution of lamps up till November 10.

As an added level of transparency, v-shesh foundation will collect acknowledgements in the form of greeting cards from the direct recipients along with student’s details so that the contributor can interact with the recipient and measure the impact directly. These acknowledgements along with the receipt will be distributed to the donors by November 25.

What happens when 3 enterprising sports journalists, during their rounds covering the local sports scene, come across many under-privileged children who have tremendous potential but cannot afford the right sports gear? Their heart strings are pulled and Project Play is born! The concept couldn’t be simpler – they collect information about kids who are talented but could do with some better gear. Project Play broadcasts these requirements to their donors, sponsors and followers on twitter and facebook. They then collect old, torn, mangled sports gear that the owner no longer needs or uses, fixes it and hands it to the kids. Kudos to Kunaal Majgaonkar, Shail Desai, Jigna Padhiar for coming up with something so simple and effective!

We caught up with Kunaal to ask him a couple of questions about this initiative.

TBI: What inspired Project Play and what is it all about?

As maidan-trotting sports journalists covering the local sports scene, we came across a lot of inspiring stories of children who are beating odds in life and finding solace in sport. The stories always made for fantastic articles but that was that. We wanted to take this a step further and give our two mites. Project Play was an idea born at the maidans and considering our knowledge of the children playing sport, we were sure the sports gear would only reach deserving hands – or legs!

We connect with school coaches too who know their boys inside out. They always keep us posted should there be any deserving child with potential and we get our act together. We are trying to reach out to Municipal schools where sports is not so encouraged because it’s these kids who need an outlet more than anyone considering the tough backgrounds they come from. We realised watching these lil heroes that sports is a lot more than just kicking a ball around..

TBI: What do you hope to achieve with your initiative and how have you gone about it?

The ultimate aim is to make sport accessible to every kid who wants to play it and also ensure that genuine talent is not killed because of lack of gear or opportunities. We have just begun and are taking baby steps but have a lot of plans over the next twelve months.

TBI: Tell us a little about the founders and team behind the Project

There’s Shail Desai, Jigna Padhiar and me with the help of a lot of friends who are running Project Play. Shail and me used to be colleagues at the Times of India before he switched to the Hindustan Times but we’ve managed to keep our newspaper rivalry out of this 🙂
It’s something we both feel about a lot since we are sports journos. Jigna too has a newspaper background but is into serious art and has a job with the Indian Foundation for Arts. Her home is used as our dumpyard where all the sorting and storing of everything we collect is done. She’s the one who usually gives our excited ideas a little practicality! Us apart, we have friends who are always ready to chip in with whatever help.

TBI: How can our readers join in your efforts?

We’re on facebook and twitter and anyone who wants to hand in stuff just needs to drop in a line. We have had people from other cities wanting to give in stuff which has us thinking that we can have a Project Play Bangalore or a Project Play Pune and so on instead of sending things over to Mumbai. So if any reader is keen to take the initiative, we’re only more than happy. We also accept new gear and have a ‘sponsor a sportstar’ program where anyone who wishes could sponsor a kid’s sporting needs.

When Peixin Li took up an internship in Bangalore, as part of her Social Science and Communication course at National University of Singapore, little did she know that she would, in some way, champion the cause of clean sanitation in a remote village in South India. But the 22-year-old’s experiences while traveling here and her work in an organization that connects those with financial resources and the desire to help, with those who need money to improve their lives, inspired her to start an online campaign to “Lend-a-Toilet.”

A third-year student, the Singaporean came to Bangalore a few months ago to do a six-month internship in Public Relations at Milaap, under the NUS Overseas India programme. Milaap was started a few years ago by three urban young men to address the needs of people in rural areas such as clean drinking water, sanitation, electricity, education and healthcare through micro-finance.

“As part of my internship here, I would accompany the people from Milaap for field visits and was really inspired by the organization’s work — acting as facilitator between people who have the money and want to make a contribution for a social cause, and the rural poor who want to take a loan to fulfil their basic needs. During one such field visit, I went to Musiri, a village near Trichy, Tamil Nadu where Milaap was collaborating with an NGO called Guardian to provide sanitation facilities and give loans to build toilets. It was an eye-opener to listen to the experiences of the villagers, the lack of awareness, the difficulties faced and the feedback from those who have benefited from loans. That’s when I decided that I should do my bit to raise funds for clean sanitation,” says Peixin.

As much as it was a cultural shock for her to see people defecating in the open because of lack of toilets, her own experience in India played a huge part in her decision to initiate the campaign. “I have been traveling to various places in India and during one such journey, my friends and I were forced to do our business (answer nature’s call) in the open because there were no toilets for miles together. And that’s not the bad part. When we were doing it behind the bushes there were two guys who were just coming behind us and staring at us. It was not just an inconvenience but harassment and an intrusion of our privacy. It got me thinking about how women in villages in India would be vulnerable to sexual harassment and attacks whenever they go out to answer nature’s call in the open at night,” adds Peixin.

The World’s Biggest Toilet from lipeixin.

The Campaign

Peixin set up a website for her Lend-A-Toilet initiative around November 19 to coincide with World Toilet Day. Through this campaign, she plans to raise funds for toilet loans for eight households in Musiri. Each toilet will cost Rs 10,000 (around US $ 200) and she needs to raise US $ 1,600.

In addition to raising the money, Peixin has also made a short documentary on the issue to raise awareness about the condition of people who do not have access to clean toilets. She hopes that those who visit the website will see the documentary and be inspired to make a loan for building the toilets.

“In the beginning it was difficult because I did not know how I could get people to come forward to provide loans. So I started with those whom I knew — people who are close to me, my friends etc and spread the word through them. Once they contributed, I was hopeful that others would follow suit.”

Milaap, Guardian and the World Toilet Organisation are supporting Peixin in her endeavour. What’s heartening is that the World Toilet Organisation has confirmed that they would match whatever loans she manages to raise so that more needy people can be reached out through the campaign.

When we last spoke to Peixin this is what she said, “I am glad to share with you that my campaign is finally fully funded. In a short 14 days time, a total of 29 loans have been made which total up to US $ 1,600. However, I do not want to stop here. In the remaining days, I hope to raise more loans so that more villagers can benefit! It is not short of a miracle.”

The Lend-a-Toilet campaign will be on till December 2 and those interested in making a loan can check http://lendatoilet.causevox.com

In the freezing January night of Delhi, when the entire city dons their sweaters, monkey-caps and mufflers with a hot cup of tea (which they enjoy holding instead of drinking), there are few under-privileged who cannot afford even a blanket and die – without a roof or cloth on their bare bodies – to add one more to the count of deaths in North India due to cold wave every year. As of 13th January 2011, 159 such under-privileged succumbed to the dance of death this season.

Is there are ray of hope for the rest? Yes, there is. Meet Nirsa – a sweet little girl who makes her living by selling pens, pencils and other knick knacks at the traffic signal near Hazrat Nizamuddin. She has her little space under the flyover near the signal and with younger brother, elder sister and someone she calls “mummy”, that’s what pretty much her world is. At a tender age of 5, she is learning her lessons of life the hard way. Selling pens can hardly help her to survive every single day, eliminating the idea that she can ever dream of getting into a school. The freezing winters of Delhi leave much to be asked for in her ragged old frock. But last winter she found a helping hand in the form of NBDD (NCR Blanket Distribution Drive) volunteer Neha, who distributed blankets to her as well as other people residing in and around that flyover. For NBDD, it’s not about changing the lives of the people but doing something even more basic than that – making them survive – enabling them to fight their battle of survival against Mother Nature.

Ironically, the birth place of the drive isn’t NCR (National Capital Region). NBDD was born out of concern for those dying due to cold and a strong inner drive to do something for them. In 2005, when the winter temperature in Ahmedabad went down below six degrees, the sad news of children dying of cold in the vicinity of IIM-Ahmedabad shook Ankit Gulati, Atul Mehta, Jyoti Bhasin, Amit Lakhotia and few of their other friends. It was then that the group stood up to collect funds, buy blankets, hire an auto and move around the nearby areas of IIM to look for the needy people and distribute blankets to them. This gave birth to the blanket distribution drive that has, till date, distributed more than 8,000 blankets to the poor and needy people in Ahmedabad and Delhi. Today, the primary focus of the drive is the NCR region, where the drive began in 2007 when the core team moved to Delhi to begin their corporate careers and shared the idea with Vipul Kedia – their senior at IIM and a very good friend. Also, being one of the worst affected regions in winters, NCR was a logical and obvious choice for the drive. Since then, Vipul has been spearheading the activities of NBDD in the NCR region.

Expansion
While the drive kicked-off successfully in the initial years, it was soon realized that it should not be restricted to a handful of people. Moreover, it was not practically possible for a bunch of guys to reach out to the needy in the entire NCR region. Hence, the expansion plan started with NBDD started collecting funds from volunteers and asking them to reach out to the needy people in their areas. A single vendor was given the purchase orders and the responsibility to deliver it to the specified location which helped NBDD to procure blankets at the least possible cost.

Today, around 60 to 70 volunteers provide their time and effort to NBDD in the region and help the poor in fighting the cold. Expansion has made it possible for NBDD to reach the remotest areas of NCR – from Ghaziabad to Noida to Gurgaon. This has also helped spread the message of NBDD to different areas of NCR.

In 2010, NBDD partnered with IIMPACT (an initiative by an IIM-A alumnus – 1978 batch – to provide education to the socially and economically underprivileged girls who have no access to schooling) to provide blankets to needy families through IIMPACT’s network. IIMPACT gave an estimate of five thousand blankets for distribution, which provided considerable boost to the goals of NBDD.

Reaching out to the Neediest

Ensuring that the help reaches out only to the neediest has been the principal challenge for NBDD. Since the inception, making sure that the help reaches only to the ones who are actually in need has been the key objective of the drive. In the early days of the drive in Ahmedabad, Ankit and his team would check that the blanket is provided only to the ones who really need it. While some people were found sleeping on the streets without adequate cover, the team used to silently put a blanket on the person and in case there were people around, the person was awakened to let him/her know about it so that no one else can steal the blanket.

This mantra was carried along when the drive shifted to NCR region as well. While the definition of “needy” can be subjective, NBDD core team has always tried to communicate it as best as possible to make sure that every penny spent goes to the right person.

To quote an example which Ankit shares with me – “About a week back, I was in Gurgaon and we couldn’t find many people around. And then I found this couple, with four children actually. For these four children, the man had only one shawl – only one shawl in the Delhi cold and nothing else. What I saw him doing was cut his shawl into a small piece. So I asked him what he was doing. He replied that they had a baby around 2-3 days back and he just has one shawl to cover everyone. He was just making sure that he was cutting some part for the infant and that small cover is for the baby only. This was really moving, so I said “yeh lo, ek blanket lo” (“Here, take one blanket”). He was really touched by the gesture. And then he said, “Sir, ek blanket aur hoga?” (“Sir, would you have one more blanket?”) Since I had two blankets more with me, I handed him over the three blankets. So, a lot of times what happens is when you help such people, they will really thank you and bless you from their hearts, which is what gives you the KICK.”

Having said that, it is also very easy to drift away and not to spend too much effort checking if the beneficiary needs the donation or not. An activity wherein you have to go out and find needy poor can be very exhausting on a freezing winter night. While there are nights when a volunteer does not find a single needy person, there are also times when volunteers encounter a mob of needy people. Doing a check on whether he/she is actually the deserving person is an extra work. Hence, distribution experience might not be always rosy, which essentially means that only serious and dedicated volunteers are able to sustain this activity.

Thus, there is no denial that there would be certain amount of leakages where a person, who received the blanket, may sell it the next day to get himself something else (food, clothes, shelter – worst would be liquor). However, even if the drive is able to save one life, it is worth it.

The Road Ahead
The drive has already spread its wings across the NCR region and is in a self-growth mode through word of mouth. The FB page has increased its awareness across India. Collaboration with IIMPACT will spread it further to the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which are some of the poorest states in India along with Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. As the popularity grows, the idea is to get more and more volunteers into the activity and help save as many lives as possible.

For those who might want to join the drive can contact the core team at ncr.blanket.distribution@gmail.com. The team is more than happy, not only to accept contributions (monetary and voluntary) but even extend help to those who want to start similar initiatives on their own.

Year after year, we celebrate our kids’ birthdays. Year after year, we are straddled with a whole lot of gifts which we do not know what to do with. Most of the times, these are things the kid has no use for. They just clutter the house, get distributed or gather dust in the attics. Surely, there is something better than all this wastage? Now there is!

Welcome to Share My Cake – a unique initiative that aims at creating the “Gen G”, the Giving Generation. Now, not only can your children get the gift they really want on their birthday, but they can also spread their happiness by supporting a cause. Be it helping an under-privileged child get education or preserving the rich wildlife, they can take their pick from 9 causes – Children, Education, Environment, Women, Health, Rural Development, Innovation, Wildlife and Water. This gives parents the opportunity to not only reduce the clutter in their house but also to sensitize their children to the social realities around them.

All you have to do is visit the website www.sharemycake.org with your child to set up the birthday event page, to send invites to your friends and family and select the cause you want to support. You can also choose how much of the total gift contribution you want to share with the cause and how much you want to keep aside for the perfect gift!

The Better India caught up with Lakyntina Lyngdoh Lakshmanan, the founder of Share My Cake, to tell us a little more about her beautiful initiative:

TBI: What made you think of a unique concept like ShareMyCake?

It all started with our children’s birthdays. Whenever we had a birthday celebration at home there are always tons of gifts received and the associated return gifts. There would be around 40 odd toys and books- from 2 birthday celebrations piling up every year, which coupled with gifts received on and off from well meaning friends and family would mean around 50 odd toys and gifts floating in the house. And it always happens that 90% of these toys and books remained virtually untouched for the simple reason that:

• They are mostly duplicates – we have gone through a particular period when we had 5 sets of monopoly games (of different brands), 3 sets of panchatantra tales, etc
• They do not interest the boys beyond opening the wrapper or just 1 day of playing – what i call the toy fatigue.
• Then there were toys sets with a thousand moving parts, where a loss of one small part would render the whole game incomplete and unusable, and would go to a corner to gather dust.
• There were plenty of books too. The boys would like a few, but most were not interesting enough for them. And, there were plenty of duplicates. The books would remain unused and collect dust in one corner of the bookshelf.
• Finally, the boys were getting interested in more exclusive gifts like Wii games, Hobby books (of the expensive kind), etc

It hurt to see so much wastage and we would always try to dispose the unused toys and books in the most optimal manner. We would do a spring cleaning once in six months and we have tried various methods of disposal – for working condition toys we would donate to various charities, the rest (including incomplete good sets) would be given to the garbage collectors.

We were also trying to inculcate in our children the value of frugality and low wastage. And on a broader level, we wanted our children to be sensitive to social realities around them. Even at school, they were formally understanding the world around them and how different elements (individuals, nature, environment, etc) interact with each other and depend on each other, as per the Montessori principles.

Then in 2009, during our half yearly cleaning when we visited an orphanage at Kottivakam Chennai to donate “used” and some new toys (the duplicates), we were greeted warmly by the lady at the orphanage as on previous occasions. This time however, she politely requested us to take back our 15 odd toys, since it would not be enough for 84 kids. She said she would prefer cash instead as that would help her in educating one more child, or feed a younger kid.

We realised then that this cycle of birthday gifting and return-gifting is a lot of waste and can be made better. That was when the idea of ShareMyCake was born.

TBI: How does one have a birthday celebration with Share My Cake?

A child can celebrate a ShareMyCake birthday in 4 easy steps:

Step 1: Sign up – registration
Step 2: Create an invitation – provide birthday details and select cause/ organisation/ percentage of share
Step 3: Send invitations – invitees gets an email invite and visit the event page
Step 4: Celebrate. Make a difference – Invitees gift online and post wishes. Gifts are shared with organisation.

TBI: How did you zero in on the NGOs you have decided to support? Was there any process of due diligence?

As a start we have decided to tie up with a small number of NGOs, total of 15 in all. And we’ve also aligned our due diligence process with the Credibility Alliance, such that we affiliate with those NGOs who meet the “desirable norms” of credibility alliance. We also are cognizant of the size of the organisations with a few exceptions, since we feel that smaller organisations are in dire need of resources with a great social impact. We also try and keep an eye on the geographical spread of the organisations (after all we are a large country)

With this filter in place, we check for statutory compliance and vet the documents. We also satisfy ourselves on their social impact, scope of projects, affiliations, staff size, etc.

Hence we ensure all five aspects of due deligence – identity, objectives and aims, operations, governance and accountability/transparency are met.

TBI: What are the next steps planned for Share My Cake?

Current: We start with reaching the intended audience in schools, mutli-storeyed apparment complexes, gated communities, activity centres, and parents in large office complexes (IT parks); using a variety of collateral – ppts, flyers, posters, et al ; We intend to tie-up with like minded schools, event location chains, activity centers, etc. We are starting with Chennai and will expand to other cities – metros and B class, one at a time – using a volunteer base of moms and also cause champions.

Near Future: Expand the service globally.

Future: Based on our learning and after fine tuning the model with birthdays we will extend our product to include other events viz, Marriages, Anniversaries, Diwali, Christmas and other form of celebrations.

TBI: What is the kind of feedback you have received so far?

It is heartening to see children empowered to support causes close to their heart. Some feedback which we get:

“I want to protect a forest”
“It’s sad that a child is not able to study like us”
“A village must have clean water to drink”
“Animals too have rights and we must help them”
“People must have food”
and
“I love wild animals”

We try and speak to every child who celebrates a ShareMyCake Birthday.

So go ahead, have a meaningful birthday this year and let more people join in the celebrations!

The day I met him, it reminded of a video I saw some time back on YouTube. India is the country with the largest population of beggars in the world – some of them young, some of them handicapped and many of them aged. But a physical disability or age is not necessarily a barrier for people to find work for themselves. Raghu is an example to follow for all of them.

Having lost his legs in his childhood due to polio, and living in a slum area of Ahmedabad with very limited future prospects, Raghu had all the reasons to live an average life of a huge majority of Indians. Instead, he chose to live life differently.

Tulsi Project:

Tulsi Project was one of the first initiatives from Raghu, intended to spread love, peace and harmony in the society, something which the Tulsi (Basil) plant symbolizes in the Indian culture. Whenever Raghu came to know about a dispute in any family, he would simply go there and gift them a Tulsi plant. The attempt was to show people a way to resolve the family differences in a peaceful manner and spread love instead of hatred. The project received overwhelming response from not only the receivers of the Tulsi plants but also from philanthropists who extended their hands to support Raghu in his initiative. To date, Raghu has distributed more than 600 Tulsi plants in various houses in Ahmedabad.

“Tyaag Nu Tiffin” (Food of Sacrifice):

Last year, Raghu took up another initiative – Tyaag nu Tiffin – for those among the lesser privileged who are not capable enough to feed themselves. The idea of Tyaag nu Tiffin took birth when Raghu witnessed one such poor old couple and decided to do something for them. The idea played around his mind for about a month but financial constraints held him back. However, he persisted in his efforts, and once Raghu received the seed funding for the initiative, there was no turning back. He quickly made a team of five individuals (one of them handicapped as well) who devoted some time from their everyday lives to deliver hand-cooked meals to some of the most underprivileged people on streets.

Once the word spread about the initiative, monetary and non-monetary help started pouring in from all the sections of the society – NGOs to individuals to NRIs. However, at times, when there is shortage of funds, he himself contributes in order to make sure that the objective is not missed. To date, Raghu distributes about 14 tiffins daily to the needy people.

Inspiration to Abdul Kalam:

Raghu has also attracted a lot of attention from famous personalities, most notably, honorable former President APJ Abdul Kalam. While Raghu was completely amazed by the simplicity of the Missile Man of India, the honorable former President was also very inspired by the story of the courageous young man and more than that by his dream of seeing every women and children of India – HAPPY.

In addition to his own initiative, Raghu also devotes his time and efforts to various other institutions and initiatives like GramShree, MovedByLove, Manav Sadhna, ESI, Yuva Unstoppable, Sabarmati School and so on. His ambition to spread his thoughts as much as possible and do his little to motivate people in their lives is what drives him.

Going ahead, Raghu wants to spread as much love as possible in the society which is more important for him than the project itself. “If I expand the reach of the project, then there will only be project and no love. I do not want that”. His priority is to spend enough time with each and every individual touched by his project and make sure that the beneficiary not only receives food but also well deserved love and sympathy.

For himself and others like him, he proved that one is disabled only till one does not use his/her abilities.

Namrata Hingorani, an ex-Business Consultant who spent 22 years in the US and UK and has recently relocated to Mumbai wanted to celebrate her 40th birthday in a special way. She met with the Project Chirag team and decided to “light up” a village. It takes INR 3000-4000 to light up one house and each village has anywhere from 15 to 150 houses. She managed to raise more than INR 2.5 Lakhs through friends and family, enough to light up 60+ homes. This is an account of how one person with determination can do something remarkable – without waiting for the “right time” or the “right opportunity” to come along.
This is her personal memoir of the day she went to the village of Dongaripada in Maharashtra and lit up their lives.

March 31st, 2012.  What a day! I’m overwhelmed, elated, inspired and speechless having just returned from rural Maharashtra, where four friends and I joined the incredible Project Chirag team to “light up” 47 houses in the village of Dongaripada, in Dahanu Taluka in Thane District.  Yet another village in India is now out of the dark, and onto a brighter future.

Rewind back two years to March 12th, 2010. Students from HR College in Mumbai lit up 91 houses in Ujjaini village in Thane district with solar lights.  Generations of villagers there had been living in the dark. After they saw what they could do in one village, there was no stopping the growing team of passionate 18 to 22 year olds.  Conceived and co-founded by Jyotirmoy Chaterji “JC”, a few of his friends from HR College and faculty member Ms.Pratibha Pai, the project started as a SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) initiative at HR College under the mentorship of Dr.(Mrs.) Indu Shahani, Principal of HR College & Hon. Sheriff of Mumbai.   This year, they registered as an NGO, Chirag Rural Development Foundation.  A project that started with a few students has today turned into the ‘Chirag Light India Movement’ that has spread across multiple colleges and schools.

A few things that make the project unique:
– It is fully conceptualized and implemented by the youth
– Thus far, the project has been completely run by volunteers
– Project Chirag is targeted towards villages that have no access to electricity and where more than 75% of the population lives under the poverty line
– Differently abled communities are involved in the assembling, testing and maintenance of the solar lamps provided to the villagers
– The project team tirelessly raises funds in creative ways, partnering with corporations as well as schools
– The project members work with rural development NGOs in each state to communicate with the villages where they provide lights

According to some estimates, approximately 400 million people in India do not have access to electricity. The Project Chirag team is not afraid of the challenge.

“As the youth, we really need to step forward to contribute towards solving social problems facing India today and Project Chirag is a platform for the youth to be a part of the India growth story. We are looking forward to this initiative scaling up nationally and internationally in the next couple of years. Our belief is that we don’t need extraordinary people to make a difference, but ordinary people with extraordinary passion” says Jyotirmoy.

Meeting JC and the rest of the Project Chirag team, it’s difficult not to be in awe of the talent and passion of the youth of this country.  It is enough to make even the worst cynic believe in a strong future for India and its ignored rural population that lives so far below the poverty line.

So here I am on March 31st, 2012.

7:15 AM: We gather at a meeting point in Andheri before getting on the Western Express highway out of Mumbai.  I am joined by four friends and 11 members of the Project Chirag team. It’s the first village trip for a few of us, including some of the student volunteers.

9:30 AM: We stop for breakfast at a local rest stop restaurant .  From here, we leave and head to a highway truck stop, where we wait for the team from the rural NGO (Pragati Pratishthan) that works with the villages.  Once they join us with the equipment, we make our way to the village.

11:30 AM: We arrive at Dongaripada village.  The village is only slightly off the highway.  All this while I’ve been really impressed by the roads in this area.  For some reason I expected them to be unpaved, dirt roads but they are probably the best roads I’ve seen in India.  We meet the villagers at the entrance to the village, at the only school in the village that provides education up to the 4th standard.  We are joined by Laxman Kaka, an Adivasi man himself, who has dedicated his life to bettering the lives of villagers in his district.  He helps the Project Chirag team translate and communicate with the villagers.  We each get a hammer, nails, a tool belt and glove and get divided into 3 teams.  Each team gets a walkie talkie to communicate.  The installation procedure is explained to us by JC and the team members who have been on village trips before.  Each household is provided with a solar panel that connects to a stationary light as well as a portable one. As each villager comes up to collect the equipment, he/she (in most cases he) has to sign a log and take ownership of the equipment. The signature in most cases is a fingerprint.

The teams work with a member of each household to install the lights. A member of the household climbs on the roof to hook up the solar panel.  The wire attached to the panel is dropped through the roof into the house.  We attach the stationary light to a central point in the house.  The portable lamp is stored close by and can be charged as necessary.  As simple as that! We move from house to house, in some cases almost a kilometer apart and at times we head back to the central point to join more villagers.

Each house consists of one large room, with no functional separation between the cooking, sleeping and living spaces.  On average, there are 5 members in each household.  We speak to the villagers, who in general are very shy.  Their main source of income is rice farming.  Right now, the fields are barren. The land is dry and cracked.  The kids follow us between houses and we even get some of them to speak on camera. When asked what they are most looking forward to now that they will have light after sunset, their unprompted, unanimous, one word response is “Abhyaas” (studying/reading).

Three hours later, the entire village has light!! For the Project Chirag team, the total has now gone up to 2790 households in 79 villages!!

3:00 PM: We leave the village.  Overwhelmed. Elated.

We drive through beautiful countryside for an hour and arrive at the Pragati Pratishthan center in Jawhar Taluka of Thane District where we are served some delicious local cuisine. This NGO also runs a school for deaf and mute children in the same compound.  We meet some incredible kids who tell us who they are and where they come from by taking turns writing with chalk on a black slate.  We leave and head to a deaf and mute vocational center also run by this NGO. This is where the solar equipment is assembled.  We watch the assembly of the equipment and speak to a 21 year old, who works at this center.  He tells us that he is content because despite only a 4th standard education and what others might consider a disability, he is able to learn new skills and contribute to his family income.

5:00 PM: We start heading back to Mumbai. Inspired. Speechless.

8:30 PM: As the clock strikes 8:30 PM local time across the world, millions switch off their lights in observance of the sixth annual Earth Hour. Somewhere in rural Maharashtra, 47 houses switch on their lights for the first time in history.

9:00 PM: I am back home in Mumbai in my very well lit up room. I turn off the lights and sit in the dark. This has been one of the best days of my life.

To learn more about the “Chirag Light India Movement” and Project Chirag, log on to their website or facebook page.

Nishanth Iyengar recently participated in a Run organized by Jeevarathni, a Foundation having a campus on the outskirts of Bangalore, that houses socially and economically deprived as well as specially abled children. He came away with many pictures that tell a story of how love and care is all these children need to blossom into remarkable individuals.

Jeevarathni foundation was established on the 15th of August, 2010 by Col K.J. Samuel (former Director/Partner of Air Deccan). Housed in a property of 10 acres,  the campus has 10 units to house children along with huge play areas.

The kitchen, which is attached to each of the 10 units. Each unit houses 10 kids and a mother (caretaker).  Each unit is self sufficient. Supplies are bought by the central office and distributed to  the mother once a week. Each mother cooks and cleans the unit that she has been assigned to handle. The mother is responsible for the 10 children living in the house and taking care of all the child’s needs.

Bunk beds for the kids to sleep in.  At present there are 37 children living here. There is a bedroom for the mother attached to the unit. A couple of beds are placed in the mother’s room so that if a child is sick the mother can take care of him or her till they get better.

Col. K.J Samuel – founder of Jeevarathni Foundation. The foundation is named in the memory of his mother who believed in kindness and giving without expectation.

Children from the foundation getting ready for the Run/Walk. Age Range of the children : 2.5 years to 11 years. Majority of  children at the foundation are between 4 to 6 years of age. The children go to the government school near the foundation. The foundation has invested in an Innova to ensure that children reach school comfortably. A tutor has been hired to teach the children at the foundation after school. A teacher in the school is paid by the foundation to ensure that the children from the foundation get adequate attention and learn something in school rather than just spending time in school.

From the Army, Mr Babu, a trustee who is in charge of the Website and PR activity, participating in the run. He is responsible for engaging corporate and friends to ensure the foundation gets the supplies that are needed.

Kids enjoying themselves after the run. Children don’t need cars or Golf Clubs to be happy. Small things that we don’t bother to  pay attention to excites them.

Today Jeevarathni  foundation spends Rs 18,000 to support a child, and is mainly supported by friends and family.
Details : www.Jeevarathni.org
Email : info@Jeevarathni.org
Contact no : +91 98451 07119 / 98450 10532

Not many among us take out the time to help or work with under-privileged or distressed communities, though we very often think about it. But when we do, the learning is enormous and remains with us for the rest of our lives. Sonakshi Kandhari re-lives the few weeks she spent with street girls in a shelter in Bangalore, and shares her experience with us.

Family is a social unit that usually comprises of a set of parents and children, in addition to other members like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and more. It is a safe haven that gives one the emotional strength to withstand the bad times and love that nurtures them to be happy in life. But sometimes the fabric of the family is too thin to support the children, and they have to be taken care of by other kind people. An initiative has been started to help such under-privileged families by the Good Shepherd Congregation which works with young girls and women in distress. They have set up an NGO in Bangalore called Chaithanya.

Chaithanya works towards protecting girls on the street who have been in disadvantaged families or those who have faced the brunt of an abusive family member. It provides residential facilities and vocational training that gives them a direction in life and prevents them from succumbing to means that would cause them harm.

Chaithanya has two programmes. One of them is called “Home Of Love” in which they have the facility to accommodate twenty-five girls. They provide them with day-to-day necessities like food, clothing, shelter, non-formal education and various activities like dancing, painting, karate etc.

They also engage in vocational training programme where in they teach the girls skills like tailoring, cooking, knitting and crochet which is of great help to them all through life. These classes are conducted by volunteers from Ladies of Charity, a voluntary group from St Patrick’s Church Bangalore.

Chaithanya goes a step further – they not only train the children but they also help them by arranging for group sessions that are educational and recreational in nature like picnics. They keep in touch with the parents and inform them about the progress of their child and encourage them to meet her frequently.

I had the opportunity to work there for a duration of three weeks which gave me a chance to interact with the kids and understand how the organization works. They have a schedule which gives them time for a few fun activities with a strict adherence to rules and regulations.

I learnt a lot from the kids while working with them. They know how to be happy with the smallest of things. Their willingness to learn made it evident that they are eager to make something out of their lives. Few of the girls were angry because of the problems life had thrown their way but they still managed to carry on with a smile on their face.

I was volunteering there along with my friends, and we spent three days a week helping them with their studies and on Sunday we spent some time playing with them. The girls were divided according to their age and allocated to our care. I chose coaching the youngest lot. Teaching them was a pleasure.

We would spend an hour teaching them, from four to five in the evening, and after we left they would spend a little more time studying. They would then help the people in the organization and carry out their daily chores. While teaching them, we were guided by a member of the organization who would tell us what to do if we faced any problem.

Working there and spending time with the girls gave me an insight into their life and the problems they face. Young Lakshmi of six was compelled to leave her parents. Being the eldest of three sisters, she was sent to Chaithanya where she could reside and get her basic education. Unfortunately, she started believing that her parents had no love for her and this thought would leave her in tears very often. We used to talk to her very often and convince her that this was not the case, and it was only because of her family’s financial condition that she had been sent away, and that it was for her own good that her parents had done this.

During our free time when we used to play and interact with them, we got to observe their hidden talents. 15-year old Reshma is gifted with a very melodious voice and aspired to be a part of the popular reality show Indian Idol.

The girls who had an aptitude for studying had more ambitious dreams. There were a couple of girls who wanted to know how they could get work in a big company. We explained to them about courses like B.COM and BBM and gave them a brief overview of what they comprised of and how they could apply.

They expressed their gratitude to us in many ways but the most special was by making us a part of their close-knit group. The girls used to refer to me and my friends as “Aka”, which means sister in Kannada.

While we are leading our comfortable lives and getting busy with hectic schedules, we often fail to realise how blessed we are. Going there made me realize that removing a little time for under-privileged kids gives them a lot of happiness. Chaithanya- a Project for Street Girls is just one of many NGOs that we can volunteer with and make a difference in someone’s life.

Chaithanya is situated at Museum road, Bangalore-560 025 Karnataka, India.
Contact Number: +91 80 22383564

Perhaps not many people see the value in educating children of sex workers. But Prerana did. And thanks to their efforts many of these children have been rehabilitated and now have the choice to pursue a different career path from their parents’. Perhaps that is the true worth of an education?

When Pravin Patkar and Priti Patkar began work in Mumbai’s red-light areas in 1986, they were often asked if it was worth “investing” in the education of these children. “Do their mothers care for their children?” was yet another question that would unfailingly crop up.

Well, they went ahead and their work has yielded tremendous dividends. They hold camps, workshops, counseling and do all that a school aims to do. “Give a complete education to the children and enable them to face the world,” is their motto. In recognition of its efforts, Prerana has been selected for UNAIDS for its view to end second generation trafficking of children of red light area-based women.

Changing lives, slowly but steadily

We know that the social stigma associated with the children of prostitutes in India often leaves them with no educational or career options outside of the sex-trafficking industry. It is generally accepted that the only things that manage to escape the Kamathipura slum are tragic images and stories.

Skeptics raised questions centered around the number of children who reached or completed an important milestone of the Indian educational system – the tenth standard exam. Prerana has shown clear results that if appropriate support systems are made available to the mother and the child, then the formal education of the child sustains.

Even today, the common question they often face is, “How come no one has still become a doctor or an engineer?”. In fact, a police officer asked this question to the people from Prerana, who were at the police station in Kamathipura to lodge a complaint against a pimp who had brutally beaten up a three year old child and his mother.

Success stories

Whatever the skeptics may say, the work of Prerana continues undeterred – with proven results. Below are the stories of a few of the children supported by Prerana, which show the varied interests and the success they achieve in their chosen paths. All names have been changed in the interest of privacy.

Sharanya, who is now in her twenties, was referred to Prerana when she was 14 years old. Placed in a shelter facility run in Latur as she is from that region, she has now completed her graduation with 62% marks, with assistance and funds from Prerana.

Shailesh, again in his twenties and an orphan from Kamathipura, completed his Masters in Arts from the Pune University and secured admission to Bachelors in Education at H.K.College in Mumbai by clearing his Common Entrance Test (CET) in 2008. Prerana is sponsoring his education here.

Sharon had gone to Hyderabad in August 2005 to complete a 3 years’ Nursing course at Mother Vanini College of Nursing in Thadepalligudem, Hyderabad.

Madhumita, whose mother was living in the Kamathipura red light district, has now secured admission in the Dahanukar College Mumbai to be a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.

Leela now lives independently with a few friends in a rented house and has enrolled for Masters in Social Work at the S.N.D.T. Women’s University, Mumbai.

Jason is currently pursuing his Masters in Social Work at Jalana in Maharashtra state.

Susheel Kumar, a youth from Prerana, has completed his Bachelor of Science in IT from the Elphinston College Mumbai in the year May 2009. Even as an undergraduate student, he gave back by teaching in Prerana’s study classes in the evening. He has even held workshops where he teaches everyone the use of the internet and how much can be achieved with it.

To me, one of the most inspiring stories is that of KalpanaTambe who has conquered several challenges and even changed the mindsets of people.

She married Kiran, who had proposed to her after knowing her background. They both got married in Bandra Court as soon as she turned eighteen in 2004. Later, they also had a religious ceremony and took the blessings of his parents and grandmother. By then, Laxmi’s mother was no more as she passed away in 2002. Laxmi’s husband works in a courier company and she has done her BA in Psychology from Kalina University, Mumbai. They have a son who is six and a daughter who is two. Her sister too is married and stays in Badlapur where her brother is also studying.

Reflecting on her life, Kalpana said this to me when I spoke to her,

The most difficult thing which I have overcome, thanks to Prerana’s intervention and my mother’s determination and support is getting educated and leading a happily married life. Marriage for me was really important as it has enhanced my self esteem and made me much more confident.

She and her husband also made sure that the entire family knew about her mother. In fact, Kalpana’s husband said that he was proud of Kalpana as she had overcome so many challenges at such a young age.

Kalpana reminded me of Aamir Khan’s program Satyameva Jayate where Sunitha Krishnan, a veteran social worker who combats prostitution in Andhra Pradesh said, “We try our best to educate and empower women and children caught in this trap. However, it is only when society accepts them completely can our mission be really successful.” She went on to say that our society condemns the victims and not the perpetrators of this profession.

After I spoke to Kalpana, I was really happy at her true and complete success in overcoming all the challenges. To me, her story is a concrete and real example of India Shining and I hope to remain her friend always.

In sum

Actually, the work of Prerana also brings us to question how education is evaluated in India. What are the criteria that one uses to understand how well a person is educated? By the pay scales one gets in the job market? By the stamp of respectability? Or, by the freedom to do what one wishes to?

Very often the first major concern of any person pursuing education is how much they will be able to earn after the completion of their course. another important consideration is the title they will hold which will in turn determine their status in the society. The freedom to do what one wishes to; in other words, empowering individuals to make their choices, is, very often not even considered a goal of education.

Paradoxically, while the children from a privileged background grapple with the real purpose of education, Prerana seeks to provide true education to the children to enable them to understand themselves and find the strength to face any challenge in life.

So, the answer to the skeptics who wondered if the effort was worth it is, yes, it is indeed worth it and laudable.

Even if we ourselves are not able to do the kind of work Prerana is doing, we can at least support them and change our mindset.

Read more about Prerana’s work at www.preranaantitrafficking.org

Today we bring you a unique story. A story of two people with exemplary courage, spirit and ideals. A story that shows, more than any Bollywood movie can, that true love has a higher purpose. That marriages can achieve a lot. Even more surprisingly, what mere weddings can achieve a lot! So read, learn and be amazed.

I was thinking that morning – this is one wedding that I want to attend, that I would cherish attending, where I would delight in giving the wedding gift.
I don’t enjoy weddings. I am not into competitive dressing, competitive jewelry showcasing, latest gossip, or assessing if the bride and groom are a ‘match made in heaven’.

But this wedding, the wedding of Thilak and Dhana on June 1st 2012 was different. It was a wedding that ‘made a difference’. How?

1. The wedding reception was a fundraiser for an education fund for underprivileged children. No box gifts were allowed; only donations to the fund.
2. The children from 8 homes in Chennai were invited to the wedding reception. They joined in the celebration just as the rest of us.
3. The bride did not wear any silk clothes or expensive ornaments and the wedding followed a much-researched simple ritual attended by close relatives.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? And yet it is so hard to actually execute! How does a bride tell her family that she does not want to get dressed up and that she wants to marry so that she can adopt? And that the groom wants to pay for the reception from his own pocket – not his parents’ or in-laws’? And that he says No to gifts? Thilak and Dhana waited almost 2 years to convince their family to do just that!

No, Dhana and Thilak were not in love when they first thought of marriage. You see, both of them are uncommon, a little odd. Dhana had been avoiding marriage, for her passion lay with animals and social work. Thilak had decided he would not marry for he was convinced that he could not find a companion who would share his social passion, his adventurous spirit, and his quiet spirituality. But Gods smiled at these two wonderful individuals and brought them together in a way that is so apt!

A little baby girl called Theresa played cupid in this couple’s life. Who is Theresa? She was a non-affected six-month old girl abandoned by her teen-aged HIV+ve mother. She first triggered motherly love in Dhana’s heart. Then Dhana proposed to Thilak, a friend then, to marry her so that she could adopt the baby. Adoption homes try to find parents before the baby turns one year as children find it difficult to adjust to new homes as they grow up. Dhana could not convince her folks in time and Theresa was adopted by another set of loving parents. But the wedding fundraiser in June was in the name of Theresa Educational Fund commemorating the love that brought these two beautiful individuals together.

I have known Thilak for sometime now. I first ran into him at the India Against Corruption movement and thereafter discovered that Thilak had dedicated his life to the welfare of the underprivileged children. He is the co-founder of Sevai Karangal along with Nandan, which monitors and supports eight Children’s homes in the city of Chennai. The organization works with a difference: They don’t just donate. Rather, they ensure people engage with the homes and the children. The monthly social treks conducted by Chennai Trekking Club take Chennaiites to celebrate their birthdays at the Children’s homes or take the children out on joyful treks.

Thilak insists that what children need is attention and love more than anything else – a sense of familiarity, a joy. He raises funds for infrastructure – he had a block built at one of the homes when he noticed the rooms were cramped for the kids. He organized for water filters after he tested the water in a couple of the homes. He raises funds for their school books and stationery and uniforms. He raises funds for their education. He, along with other volunteers, organizes Diwali events at the homes. He also supports an Old Age home. Till date he has channelized close to Rs. 7 lacs to the various homes in about 4 years.

And he monitors closely if the money is being utilized effectively, if the children are being taken care of properly. I remember once I was travelling with him to a meeting, when he asked if I would accompany him to a surprise visit at a home nearby. We bought some goodies for the kids and dropped in. Thilak later explained that these sudden visits help him gauge the real situation and also keeps the pressure on caretakers at the homes.

Besides engagement and funding, the organization has set-up a mentorship project called Navigator, akin to the Big Brother Big Sister program in United States and workshops to improve creative skills in the children.

No, Thilak is not from any rich family. The poor guy shuffles his time between work and passion so that he can sustain himself as well as provide for his passion. Dhana is not a rich girl either. She is rich in her heart.

As these two ordinary citizens of our country took those seven steps to bind themselves in matrimony, they did more than that – they set an example for others to follow, they gave meaning to the structure called marriage, they brought hope in the lives of so many children, they brought faith back to cynical hearts. We salute their spirit and their ideals.

There are several people our society does not accept willingly. The leprosy-affected and the mentally handicapped are some of them. Imagine an entire village dedicated to them, where they can live freely and without prejudice, and receive loving care and attention from dedicated staff. This is what Sahyog Kushtha Yagna Trust in Gujarat attempts to achieve.

What is the perception about any village in India? That it would consist of a religious place, school, health center, well, small homes and many more things. There is a similar village next to Shamaliya, 27 kms along the highway from Himmatnagar to Shamlaji, Sabarkantha district. The village is known as Sahyog, and is spread over an area of 30 acre. The village is established by Sahyog Trust and the residents are suffering from leprosy. It is also home to several mentally challenged people.

Sahyog Kushtha Yagna Trust started its services in year 1988. In all there are 433 leprosy-afflicted persons living like a joint family and trying to fill the emptiness of their isolated life. The largest number of people suffering from leprosy come from Maharashtra, apart from them patients from Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bengal, and Tamil Nadu live here. People and children who have been cured from leprosy also stay and study at Sahyog. There are 239 children of leprosy-affected parents residing there currently.

The virus of leprosy is similar to that of Tuberculosis and 95% of the time it does not spread. Only five out of 100 people are affected by the disease. It can be cured if proper treatment is received. The disease is about to be eradicated from the state of Gujarat. In the year 1988, 28 people out of 10000 suffered from leprosy which now exists only among 0.86 people. The national data shows 2 to 3 people out of 10000 suffering from the disease. “Credit needs to be given to the Gujarat government for bringing down the rate of leprosy in the state”, says Suresh Soni, founder of Sahyog trust.

It seems that Suresh was born to serve the leprosy affected. Born and brought up in a lower middle class family, Suresh completed MSc (Masters in Science) with a First Class, but did not want to live his life as a Maths teacher. He would stay with the leprosy affected at Shram Mandir trust for the entire day. In the year 1988, to help and give support to the affected, he founded Sahyog trust. He and his wife Indira would serve the sick and needy. The annual cost of serving people comes to around one crore and ten lakhs. The trust gets a grant of Rs. 20 lakhs from government, every year there is deficit of Rs. 92 lakhs.

The village has a hospital, an electoral booth, a primary school, a grocery shop. 30% people in the village are completely bedridden. Tea, snacks and food to these people are provided at their home by the staff. People like Abdul Mohammad Hafiz, a retired military officer, also stay happily in this environment. Many patients from all over the country come regularly to Sahyog and sometimes make it their permanent residential address. There are also a few who return to their village once they are cured.

During our visit, there was an addition of Prakash Deshmukh to the Sahyog Family. He is a resident of Kolhapur, Maharashtra. As a kid there were small patches on his body but he ignored them. When it was finally showed to a doctor, it was told that they are signs of leprosy. By then he was married and had kids. As soon as his wife came to know about this, her behavior towards him changed and soon she left him. A lot of effort was made for reconciliation but it was not successful. Prakash’s brothers also disowned him. He travelled all the way from Maharashtra to Gujarat with all the belongings he possessed.

Many people like Prakash get love and compassion from Suresh, his family and 40-45 staff of the trust. The love and affection for this people is reflected from the environment of the village. The area of 30 acre is maintained hygienically. There are beautiful paintings on the walls of each home. There is a basil plant in front of every home and a daily prayer is sung. The lines says “O almighty bless the person who has and is helping us, the place and people at our native should stay happy.”

Apart from the leprosy affected, mentally challenged people also stay at Sahyog. Suresh relates the history of including the mentally challenged to his big family. In 1994, Amri, a mentally retarded girl was raped, which culminated in her pregnancy. She stayed at women protection cell in Godhra. By then she was already 6-7 month pregnant. She was shifted to the women protection home at Vadodara and further transferred to a Mental hospital for better treatment. They refused to admit her as she was pregnant. District hospital also did the same. With the permission of director, Social Welfare and Juvenile board, she reached Sahyog Trust. Amri found a home in this place and delivered a baby boy. The boy studies at the primary school. And Amri? She shares a smile while greeting people in the village.

Today 192 male and 153 female mentally challenged have found a home at Sahyog. Apart from them, 29 visually impaired people are also looked after by the trust. The trust is working hard to make the mentally challenged independent by training them in small job. Suresh states “leprosy affected people suffer themselves, whereas mentally retarded don’t suffer, it’s their family which suffers. They can neither live nor die peacefully.”

Leprosy affected, mentally handicapped and people with other disabilities need constant love and consideration. The effort by the trust is commendable. Suresh and his team are striving to make ends meet. Anyone who wants to contribute towards the cause is welcomed. You can contact them for further information.