Sunday, January 30, 2011

India - New Delhi Update from Sujata

Seema, Girish Karan, Mangal Radhey, Bhawna Rinki Kamlesh, Bimlesh
Rachna, Naina Anjali Amarchand Deepak Aman Ram
Some of them are siblings - as indicated and some have older siblings in our other groups.
Their parents are all doing odd jobs - pulling rickshaws, ironing clothes, working as house help, plumber, construction workers, etc... They are all very poor - mostly migrants from very poor states - Bihar and Uttar Pradesh - essentially daily wagers...
They do not have proper houses/rooms to live in... not very different from the photographs of dwelling units in Kenya... but certainly marginally better conditions...
The lack of money forces the parents to have more and more children so that they could all start earning and contributing...Education is not a priority... However, counselling of parents for investing in their children's education(provided free by the government) for the promise of a better life is their sole motivation. Their motivation needs to be reinforced from time to time.... :-))
Our RWA has now agreed to help us get some more space for accommodating more children...I don't know how and where but at least their concurrence means a lot...Will keep you in the loop o'course...

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

New Delhi India

A Ray of Hope purchases new clothes for Sujata's "babies" more photographs to follow.

In Sadness - Dorothy Tyler

It is with much sadness that I must relate to you on the passing of our dear friend Dorothy. The deepest sympathies of us all have been extended to her son and family.


Dorothy Tyler (née Newstead)


June 24th, 1911 – January 18th, 2011


Dorothy Tyler, Jun 24th, 1911 – Jan 18th, 2011, educational publisher of Church Road, Hanwell, has died suddenly in her hundredth year, of heart failure after a fall. She was daughter of William and Nell Newstead of Kenton Mandeville, Somerset, and widow of David William Tyler, educational publisher of Hanwell, London. Dorothy (Doff) had a full life as a teacher, mother, co-founder of the non-profit publishers: Pictorial Charts Educational Trust, CND activist, volunteer, gardener, sculptor and musician. After her husband’s early death in 1968, she took over as director of the company until her retirement at age 70, when she volunteered at the Ivy Occupational Club, and as archivist at the Gunnersbury Museum until 2008, and took up playing the cello and sculpture in a variety of media. She is survived by her two children, Christopher Tyler of San Francisco, California and Helen Tyler of Greenford, Middlesex, and by her grandson, Austin Tyler of Paris, France. Funeral at Mortlake Crematorium, Wed, Jan 26th, 2011. Donations may be made to the Royal National Institute for the Blind or the David Tyler Trust (c/o Lloyds Bank, West Ealing). Her indomitable spirit will always be an inspiration to us all.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Kenya - Kitale

Thanks to David Tyler Trust - finances sent to construct an education centre/meeting house.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

India and Nepal

Finances sent to purchase clothes for disadvantaged children in New Delhi India and educational supplies Metta Centre Nepal - thanks to Santa's wee Village and David Tyler Trust

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Kitale Kenya In 2011 we will make a difference here !!!!

We just need to support Moses and  Maureen.
In Kitale, Kenya - we have two angels - Moses and Maureen - they strive with much love to tackle so many challenges and tribulations be it deprived villages, prisons, street children, homeless, hungry. For a long time we had no good line of communication - now we have and will attempt to make a difference. It is our intention to build a one classroom school over the next month - and my mind races with other ideas
Album here

Inside their new home.

Saturday, January 01, 2011

Deep Foundation from Sujata

DEEP Foundation - Current Projects (as on 22/12/2010)

Setting up an informal school environment for the children of nomadic shepherds(Bakkarwals) in Jammu & Kashmir :

Because of their nomadic lifestyles, these children are not accepted in mainline schools. Our goal is to provide tented 'mobile' schools (offering primary school level education) that can travel with them from one camp to another, along with a teacher from their own community.

The first pilot project has been initiated for the Bakkarwal(nomadic shepherd) community that we are working with. They travel to the Alpine pastures at Tarsar Lake in the summer months, via the beautiful valley at Liddervat. In the month of October each year, they migrate back to their base camp at village Pingagala in Treyaat, district Rajouri in Kashmir. The teacher being trained, supported and empowered is the self motivated shepherd, Mohammed Bashir.

We are grateful to A Ray of Hope and David Tyler Trust for supporting us in this initiative.

www.unesco.co.uk , http://www.unesco.8m.com/BKI/myalbum.html

Project NEEV

NEEV - DEEP Foundation's education initiative for the underpriviliged children, is not about conventional education. Some of our students may be attending conventional Government run schools. NEEV is like a second school where the children come in for 2 hours in the evening to learn life skills and get support on their functional literacy skills, while also having a lot of fun. We at DEEP aspire to make these two hours the ones that they look forward to the most, every single day.
The first class of NEEV was attended by 35 children of age groups ranging from 5 years to 15 years. The first 'school' is located in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

http://www.deepfoundation.in/blogs/Admin/my-blog-category/34/project-neev-takes-wing-on-16th-march-2010

Supporting a playschool, Masoom, in Srinagar, Kashmir, catering to the children of small time artisans, masons, carpenters and other workers :

These children are between 2-7 years of age. We are supporting, equipping and empowering the teacher with teaching aids and innovative training techniques. The focus is on providing a value based education that offers a lot of joy to the tender minds.

Educating the men and women in Budgam district of J&K on sheep and goat rearing:

Keeping their orthodox lifestyles and cultures in mind, we are offering them, especially their ladies, a viable, home based employment opportunity.

Integrated Development of Small Ruminants

Working with NABARD and The Ministry of Agriculture(Dept. of Animal Husbandry, Government of India), in promoting sheep and goat rearing/breeding as a viable business opportunity amongst the weaker sections of society in Jammu & Kashmir. Development of small ruminants in an integrated manner holds great potential for generating employment and enhancing rural prosperity. Our goal is to later duplicate the model across other states in India.

The project entails capacity building and training of farmers, forming Self Help Groups(Micro Financing) and act as guardians for the new rearers/growers.

DEEP Foundation has been assigned District Rajouri of Jammu & Kashmir State. We are also a member of the State Level Sanctioning and Monitoring Comittee.

In the first phase of implementation of the project, we have identified and trained 60 beneficiaries from 7 blocks, in two training programmes. We have reached out to about 55 villages from far flung areas so far.Other Initiatives

• Fund raising initiatives for supporting our ongoing projects, promoting craftsmen and weavers.

• Providing new opportunities and a fun filled platform to children with special abilities that aim at teaching them how to negotiate outdoor space, meet new people and experience different spaces. We are working with self-help parent groups.

Future Projects

• Setting up a mobile dispensary that would provide medical assistance to the nomadic shepherd community in far flung areas.

• Training the shepherds about first aid - both for themselves as well as for their flock.

• Assisting the community with veteranery expertise from time to time.

• Reviving forgotten handicraft skills typical to the bakkarwal tribes, thereby involving the women of the community and empowering them to generate income.

Nepal - Dental care camp

Nepal - Dental care camp This dental health camp is one day camp for the students of Bal batika school. The main objective of the camp is t...