The day before the long awaited trip is finally here! It is hard to believe 8 months ago we started with a vision to create a social enterprise and that tomorrow, everything will come full circle. International conference calls, tax ID numbers, bank accounts, new member recruitment, fundraising, goal setting, setbacks, reevaluation, visas, vaccinations, and finally success. The experience to get here has been unlike any other college experience.
Stay tuned for the adventure to come! Without a doubt, we will be making and getting the most out of our trip and we’re excited to have you aboard! Thank you so much for all the supporters who believed from the start we could do it! You will see the ripple effects of your generosity spread across the globe as each day, we will be your tour guide into the lives of these children through our blogs.
Today marks the successful completion of our first day. After hours upon hours of delay at the airport, loss of luggage in New York, and a whirlwind day running on adrenaline, we’ve made it to India!
Unfortunately the fun doesn’t stop – we are literally running out the door to receive a new phone for emergencies and have less than 20 minutes to do so. We will certainly keep you posted on our first day’s adventures soon….
Today marks the successful completion of our first day. After hours upon hours of delay at the airport, loss of luggage in New York, and a whirlwind day running on adrenaline, we’ve made it to India!
Unfortunately the fun doesn’t stop – we are literally running out the door to receive a new phone for emergencies and have less than 20 minutes to do so. We will certainly keep you posted on our first day’s adventures soon….
Hey all, Brian here. We left quickly last night in an effort to purchase minutes for an emergency use phone, but to our disappointment it ended in failure due to a hindrance in comprehending Hindi. Needless to say, we’ll be heading back to the marketplace tomorrow evening with our friend, Arushi, who will assist in breaching the language barrier.
Upon arriving in Delhi after an escapade of missed connections and delayed flights, we arrived safely and met Akhilesh Sharma, Children’s Hope India’s project manager. Bernard and Melissa’s luggage were waiting patiently, but the airplane deities were not smiling upon me that night and it ultimately took three days to reclaim the lost luggage. For you hygienic readers out there, you’d be amazed at the wondrous smells one’s body produces when doused in nothing but deodorant, Deet Bug Spray, and an ample amount of 70 SPF Sunscreen for a few days on end without showering! Wednesday’s mission was to visit Prayas Juvenile Aid Center, a remarkable non-profit organization affecting thousands of youth and women throughout India. We were able to sit down and learn much from Amod Kanth, Prayas’ General Secretary and one of its earliest founders. H.N. Sahay, Prayas’ Director for the Institute of Economic Empowerment was able to convey a great deal of information about microfinance and women’s self help groups, two amazing programs with a possibility of transforming the economic landscape of India’s poverty-stricken communities.
Delhi is truly unlike anything I’ve yet to encounter. At the times the constant honking of horns is an entirely different language in and of itself as dozens of miniature cars compete for a six foot space in the middle of the road, coming mere inches from crashing into one another. As four-hundred pound cattle casually walk across a three lane highway we have to smile at such surprising sight. This could never happen in America – but here it’s just another part of life. Nonetheless, the future possibilities for sustainable aid are tremendous and our appetite for knowledge only grows each day. This is an endeavor far greater than any of us could have imagined at the forefront almost seven months ago. I’m excited to wholeheartedly put our minds and bodies to work: after combining a wee bit of humor, an immense amount of Americana zeal, and a fascination for the unknown, this will be one remarkable adventure.
Till next time,
Brian
In suit with previous days, our morning kicked off to an interesting start. I was woken early by Brian who needed to leave for the airport to recover his lost luggage. However, our taxi driver from the previous day was not there and was replaced by a new driver. The language barrier kept our new driver from understanding any of the directions we attemptted to convey so with courage and little hesitation, Brian decided to leave. Two hours later Bernard and I were still waiting patiently for his return to the apartment, with no way of reaching him without a phone, when luckily, Arushi, a college student coordinating with us from Jesus & Mary College, called our housekeeper and agreed to come pick us up. In the meantime she decided to take us to another NGO school her mom volunteers at. We left a note back at the apartment with our housekeeper to instruct the taxi driver where to take Brian to meet us. Although we both felt slightly uneasy, Bernard and I left the apartment and used the extra excursion as an opportunity to learn more while we waited for Brian’s call.
The school we were brought to houses over 100 children and provides them with 2 quality meals, education and some form of vocational training/artistic skill each day. We were mesmerized by the level of artistic abilities demonstrated by the children. They had all been taught how to sew, draw mehandi and design other forms of pottery and marketable skills. By affording impoverished children with these few skills, this NGO offers students the opportunity and ability to succeed in a profession which would otherwise not be available to them. As we went to leave the school, the lyrics from the song the children sung to us resonated within my head…”live in the moment, be happy and grateful for what has been bestowed upon you.”
Finally, with 2 suit cases in his possession and 4 hours later, we were able to reconvene with Brian and head to Shadipur Depot, the Children’s Hope facility. Unfortunately, the rains were so terrible that by the time we reached the colony the roads were too flooded to allow passage to the site. With great disappointment, we decided to drive back in the direction of Arushi’s home to discuss our plans for the following days. The rest of the day was spent traveling through busy Indian traffic, making curriculum copies, shopping for materials and brainstorming on how we can most effectively carry out our program’s mission. At the end of the day, we remained hopeful, confident and excited with anticipation for the commencement of our program.
Signing off,
Melissa
Today marked India’s 61st anniversary of Independence, and what a great time it was to be here! We celebrated its political independence in a unique way: India’s independence from strife and turmoil. Secretary General Kanth, the founder of Prayas, conveyed it best, “Today we do not celebrate our independence from foreigners and outside influences. Today we celebrate India’s independence from poverty, illiteracy, child labor and trafficking, and sicknesses.” The day filled itself with events to personify his words, including cultural dances, songs, and skits performed by the boys and girls of the Jan Shikshan Sansthan Prayas center and Prayas Head Office. Over 10 performances graced the stage, as they embodied themes of celebrating in the moment, living without the fear of child labor, and rejoicing in the culture and country that surrounds them.
In a way, India’s Independence Day also brought a sort of independence for us too as we stepped out of comfort zones and challenged ourselves to new heights. We danced with the children performers on stage to Indian music in front of hundreds of individuals. For the first time, we got to try traditional South Indian food, which spiced our taste buds and enriched our appetite. And most importantly, meetings with top individuals such as Secretary General Kanth, Dr. Ali (Praya’s Executive Director), Ms. Arun Grover (the Director of Jan Shikshan Sansthan Prayas and Praya’s Banker), and Pawar (The Head of Delhi University’s Art Department) launched talks about future plans for micro – financing and additional educational initiatives, making our remaining time here more valuable and precious with followup meetings and dinner arrangements.
Independence Day: Our day to celebrate life, freedom, and the challenges/opportunities we face, overcome, and grow from. In our group’s case, we are excited and ready for the next step in planning to positively touch the lives of India’s children.
Seeing you soon,
Bernard
India’s Independence Day festivities brought forth a happy idealism about freedom from poverty, health anxiety, and despair. It was an afternoon of joyous dancing and celebration that carried into Saturday, the day of Rakhi. Today marked our preliminary expedition to Kathputli Colony in Shadipur Depot, a slum within Pandav Nagar in West Delhi. An artisan colony with a plethora of talented migrant workers skilled in acrobatics, folkdance, and puppetry, it is also home to approximately 2,500 adolescent children victim to societal maltreatment and parental neglect. We were greeted at CHI’s main office with traditional Indian hospitality and offered time for rest, food, and drink before progressing on with our research for the afternoon. Words are unable to reveal the sights witnessed throughout our tour of the community. Children bathed nude in alleyways using collected rainwater from previous afternoons while animal feces littered the streets where food was sold and consumed by the impoverished inhabitants. Nonetheless, these are also immensely proud individuals. At every home visited, puppeteers and craftsmen greeted us warmly and delighted in the opportunity to showcase their skill. Children approached us with grinning smiles and outstretched arms, asking for our name and a willing handshake.
It is necessary to advocate Secretary General Kanth’s message of independence by establishing a firm foundation of education for these children. The remainder of our afternoon was spent forging a relationship with Children’s Hope India’s managers and devising key initiatives to aid in each child’s development. Our initial efforts will be focused on computer education, behavioral development, basic economics, and the importance of personal savings. By uniting with Prayas, aspiring collegiate chapters throughout the United States, and our CHI network, we will achieve the goal of independence from poverty Mr. Kanth laid out so eloquently one day prior. Rather than viewing Kathputli Colony as desolate and impoverished, we are focusing our efforts on the community’s future change-agents: its children.
Cheers,
Brian
Our tentative plans for Sunday afternoon had originally involved visiting one of the “great wonders of the world,” the Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, the travel time from Delhi would take over 9 hours round- trip and did not provide us with enough time to work on polishing the curriculum before the first day of classes. Although we were all a little bummed that we would be missing out on an amazing experience, we all agreed that our semester-long efforts on the curriculum was our primary focus for this trip. We knew that education for the children in Kathputli Colony was the only course for changing the status quo and eradicating the extreme poverty in that region.
Amongst the commotion of typical daytime traffic in India, a motorcyclist rear-ended our taxi car on our way to the marketplace. Luckily, the accident involved no injuries or damage to the vehicle. Torn between shock and humor, the three of us brushed off the minor incident and carried forth with the day. Thus, the rest of the afternoon was spent doing final research in an internet café, performing classroom trial runs and perfecting each of our lesson plans.
That evening, we enjoyed a tasty Indian dinner prepared for us by Dyhan Singh, our cheerful guesthouse cook, and discussed what each of us envisioned for the rest of the trip. With a few minor bumps encountered along the way, we were all pleased with the valuable research we had obtained thus far and shared our confidence in achieving our mission for this visit. We knew that the next few days spent teaching would not only be an unforgettable experience for each of us, but it would build a foundation for the children in Kathputli Colony that could truly transform their lives forever.
Till next time,
Melissa
Curriculum handouts. Check. Pens. Check. Paper. Check. Maps, name tags, stickers, glue, magazines, camcorder. Check. As we headed out the door this morning, checklists sped through all of our heads as we dashed out the door to begin our first day of class! Upon arriving at the site, after taxi dilemmas and detours, we were enthusiastically greeted by the 90+ students at the facility with handshakes and “hello sirs”. Their energy and excitement was so contagious that it made our icebreaker, the 8 count shakedown, and our classes that much more exhilarating, even though we faced a small hurdle with their age groups being at least 5 years younger than we had anticipated. We adjusted our curriculum accordingly, teaching them as much as possible about savings, computers, and discovering their individual strengths, and ended the day with lots of hope and ideas on areas of improvement, which we shared extensively with Akhilesh, the site’s project manager.
Touring CHI/Prayas’ other projects at the site encompassed the remainder of our afternoon. We visited the crèche center, sat in on musical, Hindi, and English classes, and concluded the tour with a meeting with one of the self help groups; men and women with specific skills such as puppet making, wood carving, and dancing, who are grouped together to advise one another and work together to start small shops and businesses in the area.
We learned a great deal today and with three more days of teaching and meetings, we are excited for what is to come!
Signing off,
Bernard
Today marked yet another frenzied – though rewarding – day. Upon arriving at Kathputli Colony and Shadipur Depot’s education facility, we reconvened with the Jesus and Mary College SIFE team and CHI’s directors for our morning assembly. Though originally developed for English speaking Indian students of an older age, our lesson plans were restructured the previous night to work with an entirely new audience: children aged 4 to 11 with little to no English speaking ability. The revisions brought an entirely new element to our preparations; however, flexibility was vital. Bernard, Melissa, and myself all focused on various initiatives throughout the week. Today I laid the foundation designed to formulate their “principles for success.” All the children examined their special talents, recognized the importance of education, and discussed their future and more immediate objectives in an effort to achieve their goals. Melissa took all the children in her class on a “Treasure Hunt” of India where they utilized technology and word processors to expand their knowledge of the world outside of their own village. Bernard focused on a more holistic approach to the children’s education by working on their public speaking skills and encouraging one another to explore their personal strengths.
Immediately after our day of teaching, our team visited & Mary College for a presentation and tour. Bernard and I had served on University of Florida’s Student’s In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team so we were asked to give a small lecture on our experiences, projects, and the overall organizational structure. It’s a great association utilizing business principles to conduct micro-enterprise service projects, so working with another SIFE team across the world was a great opportunity to share best practices and what we had learned throughout our time at UF. After arriving at the college, we were introduced to five students from England traveling to India on a Prime Minister’s Fellowship program. It was great chatting with foreigners like ourselves and sharing our thoughts on the wide range of cultural differences between all of our countries. By afternoon’s end we were able to get them excited about initiating their own SIFE team in addition to discussing our mission with Children’s Hope India. With yet another day complete and only two more remaining, our time in India is approaching its conclusion.
- Brian
Today I woke early with excitement for our third day of teaching at the Children’s Hope facility. With the extraordinary assistance from the Jesus & Mary college students interpreting for us, I truly felt that the students in the computer classes understood the overall objectives from the previous lessons. The classes were divided into two primary groups; one class consisted of students from the Children’s Hope vocational computer training classes and the other group was made up of older students from Kathputli Colony that also attended formal schooling. Not only were all the students very receptive to the curriculum, but they were eager to share their research with the rest of the class and elaborate on the topics with their personal knowledge and experiences.
Following our lessons, we hopped into the taxi and drove to the original Prayas boy shelter home in Jahangirpuri. We were scheduled to meet with Mrs. Arun Grover to learn about the Microfinance program she helped initiate 6 months prior. We were very excited to hear about the success of the program thus far and the opportunities for future expansion to other Prayas and Children’s Hope locations. After our meeting, we were given a tour to see some of the micro-enterprises taking place on the grounds of the facility. These included a print shop for making business cards, folders and certificates, a tailoring studio for sewing women’s clothing and creating student uniforms, a bakery that supplied food for the shelter home and community, a laundry room for cleaning the boys in the shelter’s clothing and a small branch of the local bank that provided older community members the ability to own savings accounts that were not accessible to them beforehand. While each of these micro-enterprises were self-sustaining, they regrettably lacked the ability to provide any substantial profits for the shelter or the students managing the operations.
That evening, the three of us discussed the implications of future Children’s Hope India projects for our local UF chapter. These ranged from helping to expand the Microfinance program to more individuals and locations, to finding a viable business model for all of the micro-enterprises taking place at the facilities we visited, to creating a technology program/software linking various NGO’s needs to donors, to developing a long term global education curriculum contingent to what we had already created. Only time would tell which of these projects would become our next top priority…
Thanks for listening,
Melissa
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