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4.7.2010
Happy 4th Birthday Baal Dan! | Comments
This morning, I woke up thinking of a memory... I was dancing with children in a small orphanage classroom. Singing "Old MacDonald had a farm"... This was in 2005 and I was volunteering at Mother Teresa's orphanage in Calcutta. The days were long, hot and tiring and I would often come home late covered in grime and many other things! I never would have imagined then, that 4 years later I would be helping so many more children with a charity called Baal Dan. At the time, all I wanted to do was bring in better art supplies for the kids, give them some new clothes and take them all home of course!
This journey of starting a charity, traveling around India, discovering more children who touch my heart and whose faces I cannot forget has been amazing. My life changed in one pivotal moment in 2005 in Darjeeling after talking to a street child - Shonam - who was begging, and wondering what could he be if he had the chance to have a home, a school to go to, enough food?
Is it a lofty vision to imagine a world where there are no street children? Where every child can have a home, a school, enough to eat? I don't think so. It is what drives me. Everyday.
Last night, I had a hard and stressful day. I had a lot on my mind for Baal Dan, what to do next and of course I was missing the children. I got a message that some children we feed Pediasure to everyday - our Pipe Babies - had lost their mother. She died suddenly, leaving 2 more children as orphans. I was on my phone, and came across this Japanese proverb: "Beginning is easy. Continuing is hard."
And so I continue with Baal Dan, ever thankful for every penny that is donated for children in need. Ever grateful for the hundreds of friends and strangers that bless me with their generosity and trust me to be a channel of grace and good for children who need help.
The people that have helped me the most in the past 4 years - my parents. Without their love, support and them housing and feeding me - I could not have done what I have done with Baal Dan. Because of their love - I have been able to do this work.
I would also like to thank God and Mother Teresa. Her simple wisdom and grace has changed my life. I have leaned upon her more than anyone and she has never left my side. Thank you.
Thank you to all the angels in Dallas, in America and all over the world who have helped me with Baal Dan. Together we are doing something very special for a lot of children. As Mother Teresa said, "God does not require us to succeed. He only requires that we try."
Baal Dan may not be the biggest charity, but I am proud of our purity, transparency and the love we put into our work. Thank you. Dhanyavaad and Happy Birthday Baal Dan! Love, Tanya Pinto
4.5.2010
Congratulations Rita and Karthik Srinivasan! | Comments
A big congratulations to my friend Rita Shroff who married Dr. Karthik Srinivasan this past Saturday, April 3 at a beautiful ceremony in Dallas. Rita and her family honored Baal Dan as part of their wedding ceremony and Rita has been a volunteer, supporter and true friend since 2007. Thank you so much to Rita and Karthik and the Shroff Family for their generosity to Baal Dan and for helping our babies! Rita and Karthik are now the 5th couple to make Baal Dan a part of their wedding!
Incidentally, I think the first time the happy couple met was at a Baal Dan fundraiser in Dallas :-) God bless you both and thank you for your support!
3.30.2010
Upcoming Baal Dan Events | Comments
Dallas
April 8: Hosted by Dustin Ballard and the wonderful Jim and Liz Baron from Blue Mesa, there will be a Happy Hour for Baal Dan at Blue Mesa opposite North Park Mall. To attend, email Dustin Ballard - dustin_ballard@richards.com
April 15: David Charney and Laura Simon are hosting their annual fundraiser for Baal Dan at Flavors Indian Restaurant in Addison. To attend, please email Laura Simon - laurasimon@gmail.com
April 24-25: Robin Garland from Project Mala UK will be visiting Dallas for meetings with the Baal Dan team. For details email Tanya Pinto - Tanya@baaldan.com
New York
April 29: The Baal Dan New York Chapter is hosting its annual fundraiser. For details, email "Anita Krishnakumar" - krishnaa@stjohns.edu
Chicago
June 3-5 (date TBD): The newly formed Baal Dan Chicago Chapter will be hosting its first event in early June. To join the team or attend, Amol Tripathi - atripath@gmail.com
2.4.2010
Trevor Hall Supports Baal Dan | Comments
I am a huge supporter of the beautiful singer, Trevor Hall. He loves India, helps children there, and has been helping Baal Dan too. Here are some details of his tour. I will be seeing him in Chicago on Feb 13!
TREVOR HALL WINTER TOUR 2010
Trevor Hall, just back from India is on the road here in the US with his band on his winter cross country tour and will probably hit a city near you. Check out myspace.com/trevorhall and join the Facebook events for more details. Lots of new songs and good times! Most shows are all-ages! Trevor will be supporting Baal Dan on this tour.
2/04/2010 Provo, UT – Club Velour
2/05/2010 Steamboat Springs, CO – Ghost Ranch Saloon
2/06/2010 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
2/09/2010 Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews
2/10/2010 St. Louis, MO – Firebird
2/11/2010 Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
2/12/2010 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
2/13/2010 Chicago, IL – Schubas
2/14/2010 Chicago, IL – Schubas
2/17/2010 Baltimore, MD – 8x10
2/18/2010 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
2/19/2010 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
2/20/2010 Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall
2/21/2010 Allston, MA – Harper’s Ferry
2/24/2010 Philadelphia, PA – Tin Angel
2/25/2010 Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java
2/26/2010 Columbus, OH – The Basement
2/27/2010 Charlotte, NC – Double Door
2/28/2010 Atlanta, GA – Smith’s Olde Bar
3/03/2010 Austin, TX – Stubb’s Bar-B-Q
3/05/2010 Santa Fe, NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
3/06/2010 Phoenix, AZ – The Compound
3/07/2010 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
3/13/2010 Los Angeles – Dakota Live
3/14/2010 Ventura, CA – Zoey’s Loft
1.13.2010
Thank you Hockaday Girls! | Comments
Every year since 2006, Hudson (7) and Scout (5) Johnson give me two freezer bags stuffed with children's toys and little treasures. They collect their toys for the children of Baal Dan. These little treasures are magical, because when I am in India, I get to hand them out one by one to children who might be in orphanages or living on the street. These tiny toys represent more than just something to play with. They are given from the hearts of these two little girls in Dallas and touch the hearts of the little orphans in India. I am just the transporter of this love! This year, Hudson and Scouty did even more than give their precious toys away to children in need in India. They recruited their friends to do so as well. Ed and Tina Johnson who are their parents and my friends, showed up at my office armed with bags and bags of tiny toys. I would like to gratefully thank the following families and children who gave up their treasures so generously for children so far away: The Gums, The Afterguts, The Allans, The Carters, The Johnsons, The Grinnells, The Harmons, The Baileys, The Partelis', The Framjees, The Weeldryers and The Stevensons. Thank you so much!
10.15.2009
TEDxSMU | Comments
On October 9 and 10, I was given the wonderful opportunity to present at TEDxSMU. This was the first TEDx event hosted in Dallas and there was an amazing line up of speakers from all over the world. I was given a time slot of 3 minutes in which to make a presentation about: "What will change everything?". I presented a hypothesis about how to address India's chronic problem with malnourished children (over 40% of kids in India are malnourished, that is more than in Sub-Saharan Africa). My solution? Use short-term therapeutic feeding with a food like "Plumpy Nut" or peanut butter-based food, you can have a long-term impact on a child's health. With only 3 minutes, it was a great challenge and great fun to pack in a powerful message, and in short I wanted to communicate that we must not be scared by statistics, but try to address these big issues with simple, impactful solutions.
Huge thanks to Jim Young Jr. and Sharon Lyle for this amazing opportunity, Mr. & Mrs. Jim Young for all their encouragement and Dean Jeffrey Orsak for his support.
Official website: http://www.tedxsmu.org
Articles featuring Tanya Pinto:
http://cohabitat.us/tedxsmu-was-a-great-experience-to-be-a-part-of/#more-313
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2009/oct/11/inaugural-tedxsmu-event-expands-horizons-local-thi/
http://lewister.blogspot.com/2009/10/recapping-tedxsmu-2009.html
Photos of the event: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tedxsmu/collections/
8.30.2009
Intern Quotes | Comments
These are a collection of quotes from the Baal Dan summer interns:
"When I look at the Baal Dan project as a whole,
I am filled with humility and the underlying theme of hope.
It showed me what one could achieve,
When passion sparks action and belief.
Above all it dawned on me,
That life is more than what happens to me.
To dream then achieve, then dream again,
It is all about the little difference we each can create"
- Elroy Dsilva
"I learned a lot through the Baal Dan Intern project, about both Brand Planning and the charity itself. It was interesting to be part of a process where each intern really fulfilled the roles of his or her discipline as a contribution to the group. From speaking with past participants and researching the charity, I learned how just a little effort can make a huge difference for these children in India. I also realized how respected and inspiring Tanya is for putting 100% into her efforts to help."
-Liz Miller
"Working on the Baal Dan project was definitely one of the most memorable experiences of this internship. Even though it was an intense project, it was so much fun to see everyone fighting to come up with the best idea to help this amazing charity. In the end, it didn't really matter which team won because we were all working toward the same goal: to help these children in India as much as possible. I think everyone learned a lot from Tanya's guidance, and her passion for the organization was an inspiration for us all."
-Brooke Cowlishaw
"I loved being able to witness the outcome of everyone's efforts. Team A and Team B both created viable work that culminated into tangible and monetary results through adversely different outlets, all of which were united by the common desire to help Baal Dan - to help the children in India. I will never stop acting as a "catalyst" for Baal Dan."
-Kaitlin Chu
"It was really interesting working on Baal Dan from a charity and advertising standpoint. From the charity standpoint there was information that I didn't know and at the end of the project I felt like I had made a small dent in Tanya's overall goal. It is an amazing charity that does great work and just letting my friends know about what I was working on made me feel like I was accomplishing something for the organization. From an advertising perspective it forces you to think more strategically and creatively when you have obstacles. When working with a lot of different brands during the internship, it was refreshing to work on a brand like Baal Dan whose only aim is to help children in India."
-Beth Thomas
"Working on Baal Dan made me realize the power of communication. It made me realize that we can use our talents for advertising, marketing, public relations, etc. to come together and make a difference for a cause that doesn't care about it's bottom line, but rather how many mouths they fed, or how many children they were able to educate. There is more power in what we do than I think even we knew before we started it."
-Katherine Kahn
"The Baal Dan intern project was a great opportunity for me to grow and delve deeper into the nonprofit world. Left all on our own, we were forced to make the results ourselves and explore unique outlets to make sure our message was heard. I was so proud of all of the earned media the PR team was able to receive for our Lilly Pulitzer event and believe our hard work showed in the final project."
-Marley Wing
"Working on Baal Dan helped me understand the big picture of branding. It's impossible to make a successful presentation without teamwork, having all your pieces in place and having leaders that can pull everything together. No matter how differently people think, no idea is a bad one - there's simply ideas that get chosen and those that don't. Additionally, this experience taught me that no one need be defined by their title, department, etc. While we each may believe we understand our roles to a greater extent than others, the distinctions are so blurred it is easy to find yourself crossing over into "someone else's" work. Also, I now understand why services like Desktype exist. Editing slides to make them perfect and uniform was a treat."
-Greg Miller
7.16.2009
BAAL DAN FEATURED ON VOICE OF AMERICA | Comments
Thanks to Greg Falkus from Voice of America for putting together an amazing story about Baal Dan. Click here to watch the video, read the story or download the MP3.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-07-10-voa28.cfm
7.6.2009
BAAL DAN FEATURED IN ADVOCATE MAGAZINE | Comments
Baal Dan and our great friends at Blue Mesa were featured in Advocate Magazine this month! Stop into Blue Mesa today and when you buy a "Taco for the Cause" you are supporting Baal Dan. In July, the featured Taco is a mouthwatering "Grilled Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Maple Ancho Sauce and Warm Corn Relish".
http://www.advocatemag.com/lake-highlands/magazine/What_Gives_LH.html?c=y
7.6.2009
BAAL DAN FEATURED ON NET-IP.ORG | Comments
Thanks to Latha Nehru and Pooja for making this story happen about Baal Dan!
http://www.netip.org/blog/2009/07/05/netip-salutes-tanya-pinto-a-south-asian-that-inspires-us-to-create-believe-and-achieve/
4.9.2009
Baal Dan Featured on LifeScript.com | Comments
Baal Dan was featured in an article on lifescript.com
http://www.lifescript.com/Soul/Self/Well-being/Real-Life_Heroes_2_Tales_of_Hope.aspx
4.9.2009
DAILY CANDY FEATURES BAAL DAN! | Comments
Baal Dan was featured in this weekend's edition of Daily Candy! Many thanks to Hannah Abney for helping with this!
http://www.dailycandy.com/dallas/article/42449/The+Weekend+Guide
4.8.2009
Donating Required Minimum Distributions from your IRA to Baal Dan | Comments
I got this information from a member of our Advisory Board, which might be of interest...
If you are over age 70-1/2 and are looking for ways to contribute to Baal Dan while at the same time easing your income and/or estate taxes consider the following:
Congress extended a provision in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 allowing IRA owners 70-1/2 or older to make direct transfers of up to $100,000 per year from their IRA directly to a charity like Baal Dan. Many charitably inclined individuals are using this method to satisfy their gifting objective. If you take your Required Minimum Distribution from your IRA you are taxed on this distribution using ordinary income tax rates. So your contribution to Baal Dan would be reduced by the amount of this ordinary income tax.
However, if you contribute that same amount of money directly to a charity like Baal Dan, you pay no income tax. Of course you don’t get any charitable tax deduction either since you paid no income tax. By contributing directly to a charity, the charity gets the full amount of your distribution since no income tax is paid. This might not only lower your adjusted gross income, it might also avoid or lessen the amount of Social Security benefits that are taxed.
To take advantage of this provision, the transfer must be made directly from the IRA to the charity. This can easily be accomplished with a letter of instructions to your IRA administrator tell them you want to withdraw so many dollars from your IRA and have that money paid directly to Baal Dan.
(Please consult your tax advisor for more information)
4.7.2009
HAPPY THIRD ANNIVERSARY BAAL DAN! | Comments
“Well, Baal Dan is finally out of the terrible two’s!” said my dear friend Marina this weekend. And she is right! If anyone had told me a few years ago that I would be running a charity that has chapters in Dallas, Oklahoma, Austin and New York… that we are helping children in Calcutta, Kerala, Hyderabad and other cities in India, I would have said – you are dreaming! But the good thing is that we have all had big dreams and little dreams for Baal Dan, and today as I reflect on the past 3 years, I can say that we will not stop dreaming.
The last year has taught me many lessons about my own capabilities, capacity for work and also what it means to be dedicated – no matter what the obstacles are.
I am so grateful to the people that help me so much with Baal Dan. My Board, Advisory Board, Committees, Volunteers and most of all my family and friends.
But the people I sincerely wish to thank today are all the caretakers that are entrusted to watch over the children Baal Dan helps. From sweet Sister Mary who takes care of little Kuldeep in Jaipur, to Brother Xavier and his gentle care of some of the most delicate children from the red light areas, to Sister Cyril and her unrelenting tenacity and will for the street kids in Calcutta.
There are many real heroes that do the real work day in and day out to help these children. They are our hands and feet on the ground in India – they are the instruments of the divine, just as everyone who gives to Baal Dan here in America is. Mother Teresa used to say that she was just a “small pencil” in the hand of God. I say that my hands move across this keyboard not because they are mine, but because this is a calling, and with no agenda other than to help children in need, I am so happy and proud of what we have all been able to do in the last 3 years. Dhanyavaad!
3.29.2009
NEW VIDEOS POSTED! | Comments
Click here to view two new videos from Baal Dan's work in 2008.
3.22.2009
HELP FUNDRAISE WITH YOUR OWN DONATION BOX! | Comments
You can now order your very own Baal Dan donation box! Our Pennies for Baal Dan program is a quick and easy way to help promote our cause. Click here to get yours now!
3.13.2009
CHILD HUNGER PERSISTS IN INDIA | Comments
The NY Times posted this article today about child hunger in India. Baal Dan is striving to provide feeding programs for impoverished children and I have also developed a model that can tackle the issue of malnutrition. I am currently looking for sponsors for this model and a team to implement nutritional feeding in the slums in Hyderabad, so if you are interested, please email me at tanya@baaldan.com
Here is the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/world/asia/13malnutrition.html?_r=1&hp
1.12.2009
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE | Comments
If there every was a movie that shows the truth about what a street child in India goes through, Slumdog Millionaire is it. This is not only one of the best movies I have ever seen, but it touched my heart in that it depicted so many situations that children in need go through in India. Baal Dan has helped children in every situation in the movie - from the slums, the orphanages, the streets, the railway stations, tourist areas, from the police. I think that every single donor of Baal Dan's would be touched by seeing this movie so that they can see exactly what these children face. One of the questions people ask me after seeing the movie is about abuse and corruption at orphanages. Yes - it does happen, just like it is portrayed in the movie. I have traveled all over India and personally visited over 60 different orphanages. They range from the great, the good and places that I still have nightmares about. That is why I started Baal Dan and take so many measures to do personal visits, unannounced audits, background checks and so many things to try to make sure that the children are really getting excellent care. I have seen it all, and there are some amazing projects for children in India, that need and deserve support.
I really hope that Slumdog Millionaire continues to have success and raise awareness for the plight of street children everywhere. Please go and see this movie - you won't regret it!
7.26.2008
BLUE MESA FUNDRAISER | Comments
All are welcome to attend a fundraiser at Blue Mesa on Northwest Highway, on Wednesday, July 30, from 6 pm to 8 pm. Many thanks to Jim and Liz Baron, owners of Blue Mesa and Suzy Schwartz for hosting this event.
6.29.2008
AMMA IN DALLAS | Comments
Today, I had the honor of receiving darshan (blessing) from Amma, "The Hugging Saint" from India. She has come to Dallas 19 times, and this is the 4th time I have gone to see her. If you don't know about how great a humanitarian Amma is, here is some information from Amma.org.
God bless you Amma - the world is blessed to have you.
FROM AMMA.ORG: AMMA'S HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES
"As a child, I always wanted to know the cause of misery of mankind and thought that if sorrow is a truth, then there must be a cause and a way out." Amma explains.
"I realize my purpose is to console - to personally wipe away tears through selfless love, compassion, and service." - Amma
Amma has inspired innumerable humanitarian activities all over the world. Some of them are free food and clothing programs, charitable hospitals, hospices, disaster relief programs, free homes for the poor and the needy, medical camps, orphanage, schools, educational institutions, widows' pension scheme, free legal advice, preservation of nature and so on. The list is long and growing everyday.
Amma says, "Compassion to the poor and the needy is our duty to God." Through the example of her own life Amma has inspired people from all over the world to walk in the path of selfless-service and compassion towards all beings.
6.18.2008
INDIA WINS AT CANNES | Comments
Most of you know that I work in advertising, and recently I went to India on an advertising project for one of my clients here in the US. The Indian advertising industry is very dynamic, with some very talented people. In fact,an Indian ad agency JWT - won the Grand Prix at Cannes Advertising Festival for a campaign called "Lead India".
Click here to learn more
As part of the campaign a number of videos were created on the issue of street children which you may find interesting -
click here to watch them.
4.7.2008
HAPPY SECOND ANNIVERSARY BAAL DAN! | Comments
Baal Dan Charities celebrates its second anniversary today! In the last two years thanks to the support of people all over the world, we have helped over 2,000 children. People from America, the UK, Italy, Ireland, Australia, Japan and many other places have given to Baal Dan to help children in need in India.
I am constantly surprised by the outpouring of support and prayers that I receive from people who visit Baaldan.com and are touched by the work that we do. Nothing is the same in my life since I started Baal Dan. I think I have received much more than I have given through meeting some amazing people and spending time with some of the most beautiful children on earth.
As I reflect on the lessons I have learned in the last two years, one that stands out would be that people are full of surprises. A single Mum who can barely make ends meet, makes a donation to help children so faraway. A child in Dallas goes around her bedroom collecting toys and treasures to send to a child in Calcutta. A businessman and his wife keeps articles he finds about Mother Teresa and other inspirational charities and mails them to me once in a while. A boss and a client who need me allow me to go to India to make a difference demonstrating grace that I can never repay. And, my own family tirelessly supports me with help, encouragement and constant and unfailing faith in this purpose of my life. People are surprising.
The last two years have been a gift from God. A writer friend I have was talking about someone he knows who is struggling right now, and said, "She is looking to find her Baal Dan in life..." I hope you can all find what I have found in the last 2 years thanks to God and the faith of many, many people.
Let's make this year great!
2.1.2008
THANKS BLUE MESA AND CUERVO! | Comments
Thank you so much to Blue Mesa Northpark and Cuervo Tequila for sponsoring a great dinner last night for Baal Dan. The turnout was great and I would also like to thank my friends from The Richards Group who came out to support Baal Dan: Alma, Aivy, Marie, Amanda and Sarah!
I have been busy with work lately but will have more exciting news to share about Baal Dan in the coming weeks so please stay tuned!
1.3.2008
NBC SPOTLIGHT STORY ON BAAL DAN | Comments
Click here to view the story!
Click here to read the article.
1.1.2008
BAAL DAN TO BE FEATURED ON NBC NEWS | Comments
Tune in to see the first ever news story on Baal Dan! The story will air in Dallas/Fort Worth on January 3rd at 4 pm and again on January 6th at 8 am. It will also be part of a half hour special on January 26.
Click here to see the NBC blog about Baal Dan.
Thank you to Reginald Hardwick at NBC for this great opportunity for Baal Dan to gain more awareness in Dallas/Fort Worth and to Liz and Jim Baron at Blue Mesa for all their support.
12.31.2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR! | Comments
On the eve of 2008, I have been recalling just how much I have had to be thankful for in 2007. Surrounded by the love and protection of my family and friends, I have been able to grow Baal Dan and reach out to more children in need. I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and I hope that 2008 will bring many more blessings. There are new photos posted on the "Who we help" section of the website, and I wanted to say the biggest thank you of all to my brother Neil, who has spent the last week of his holidays glued to the computer helping to sort the thousands of photos I took, label them and update the website. This is not an easy task and Neil has worked so hard to present Baal Dan's work in India. Happy 2008 everyone!
12.21.2007
HOME SWEET HOME | Comments
Hi Everyone,
I am back in Dallas, Texas safe and sound albeit tired, rundown and recovering from being sick. I know it has been a while since my last blog update, and for that I apologize. This was caused by a combination of factors: lack of Internet access at some of the places I stayed towards the end of my trip, and getting pretty sick the last 10 days. I had a throat and chest infection followed by a serious case of food poisoning!
Thank you to everyone who took care of me in Delhi and Bombay - I am very much loved and there were many, many people who called, emailed, visited and nurtured me when I was sick. Now that I am back in Dallas and going over the hundreds of photos of the trip and receipts of all the things I bought it seems very surreal. Part of my heart is with the children in India, but at the same time it feels so good to be back home too. I missed my family very much and I think I do need a holiday now!
I have gotten a few reports from my various project on the kids and how they are enjoying the things that Baal Dan was able to provide. I am looking forward to hearing how Christmas morning is in Calcutta for the 340 children who will receive the individual Baal Dan Christmas Bundles full of toys and other goodies. I wish I could be there to see their faces.
TO everyone that has been reading the blog, emailing me and sending me love and prayers - THANK YOU! This was a very successful mission trip for Baal Dan and your support means more to me than you know.
Also, a very special thank you to Stan Richards and the entire Richards Group - truly the most generous agency in the world! I was sad to miss the end of year stairwell and it meant so much to me to have everyone at TRG know just how much they helped children so far away. I look forward to seeing everyone back at the agency next week when I return to work.
As I left the Loreto school for the last time and I started to cry because I knew I would miss the children so much, Puja, (an 18-year old Rainbow, who has been living at Loreto for over 10 years), said to me, "Don't cry. Just come back!" And that is my Christmas wish for 2007.
Love, Tanya
12.5.2007
THANK YOU | Comments
Hi everyone. Thank you so much to everyone who voted and stayed up late to make sure that Baal Dan won the Search Kindly poll. I really appreciate your efforts and this is a great way for us to raise funds through the Internet.
I also wanted to let you know that I have posted several new blog posts below with updates on the Railway Boys of Sealdah and Parivaar. Please scroll down and you will see the updates.
My time in Calcutta has come to an end and I have just arrived in Delhi. It was hard to say goodbye to the children, but I know I will see them again one day.
I have found one great project in Delhi that helps 60 street children (age 4-14) here called Faith Foundation and Baal Dan will be providing a "Winter Clothes" package for each child. Each package will have a blanket, sweater, muffler and shoes. In addition we will be using some money for vitamin C and supplements for the kids as well. There is so much need in another parts of India, and I want to use my time in India to find the best projects that need help. Faith Foundation was started by a woman from Calcutta who spent 7 years volunteering at Mother Teresa's projects. I will provide more information on this in the end of year report. Thank you again to everyone who helped me in Calcutta and please scroll down to read more updates!
12.4.2007
STUDENT CHAPTER BANQUET | Comments
The Baal Dan Student Chapter at UT Austin recently held another very successful event - The 1st Annual Baal Danquet, A cultural showcase with Indian food and performances. The event was held on campus and featured performances by: Texas Bhangra, Hum A Capella, Nritya Sangam, and Sunjay Devarajan.
Thank you to all the members who helped make this even such a big success!! Click here to view photos.
12.4.2007
THE RAILWAY BOYS STOLE MY HEART | Comments
It sounds like the title of a country song, but when I visited the CiniAsha railway boys of Sealdah station yesterday, I think I left my heart with them. The boys were so cute and naughty and high energy. It was hilarious as they proudly showed me the brand new (and thank goodness spotlessly clean) toilet that Baal Dan provided! I told them that it had better stay nice and clean, and they promised to keep it that way. We played a game of “carom” and despite their tips and guidance I lost big-time (I am so hopeless at games) and they would just shake their heads at me as I would make one wrong move after another!
At one point, a cell phone started ringing and I noticed a few boys dancing to the beat of the cell phone ring tune. I asked if they had a radio and was told that it broke a while ago, so Baal Dan will provide 3 small FM radios for them to play in the shelter because they love to dance and sing.
There are two shelters at the train station. One for older kids, and one for younger kids which makes a lot more sense and is safer for the kids who live at the train station. The younger boys were so cute, and they had just had showers and were busy clamoring in front of the mirror to comb their hair, and put on moisturizer – wow - boys are so much more vain than girls! Then they showed me how they have “prayer time”. Basically they all sit in rows cross-legged with the hand folded in their lap. They close their eyes, take a few deep breaths and sit very still for 5 whole minutes. These boys are aged 3-7 so this was very impressive that they can stay so quiet. After that they sang me a song and I did not want to leave them at all.
While I was at the shelter I talked to their counselor who explained the different types of therapy and rehabilitation they provide for these very vulnerable children. Some of these boys are orphans, some are runaways, some have been abused physically and sexually, some have been forced to take drugs and others have been abandoned. Each case is unique, but the goal of the railway shelter is to be the first point of contact for the child, and to slowly earn the child’s trust and then move the child into a Halfway House in the city area and then into school and a routine. This process can take months depending on the child and some do runaway again. However with program improvements and some infrastructure development and staffing CiniAsha is making great improvements in the care it is able to provide.
I noticed that the children were wearing tattered clothes and I asked if Baal Dan could provide clothes for them. The answer was surprising. Apparently when the boys are given new clothes they keep them packed up very carefully and don’t want to wear them or “spoil them”. Because they are not used to having anything new, they feel shy and uncomfortable using the brand new clothes, despite the counselors gently talking to them and explaining that they can use the clothes.
Thank you so much to Veena and the counselors for spending so much time with me and also to the sweet railway boys. I will come back and I will never forget them.
12.4.2007
HALFWAY HOUSE KARATE | Comments
I spent some time watching the CiniAsha Halfway House girls do karate and show me their moves. The girls have a different physical activity every day to help their emotions and get out their frustration as part of their rehabilitation. Some of these girls are orphans, but some have been victims of abuse or are runaways.
The littlest one was 4 and she was so funny to watch doing karate, because she had so much gusto, that anytime she tried to do a karate kick or move she would launch her whole body into the move and topple over. Anytime she did lunges to the side she would end up on her bum!
Baal Dan provided these girls with underwear, soap, shampoo, detergent, some toys and other essentials.
12.4.2007
LORETO UPDATE | Comments
I got an update from sweet Sohani – the student that I feature in the Loreto video from last year who talks about how Loreto takes in street children. Sohani said that in the past year, the kids are doing really well and used all the stuff that Baal Dan provided. She told me that the children did remember me, even the little ones, and throughout the year they would ask where the "fair girl with black hair in a ponytail" was which made me feel really good, because I think of them and miss them so much during the year. I know I will have to say goodbye to them soon, and that is going to be very hard for me.
Yesterday I gave the Loreto babies soft toys – monkeys with long arms that had Velcro so they could be fastened to their backs or arms. The kids LOVED the monkeys so much (thanks Aparna for the bargaining on the street for those soft toys) and were so excited! I also gave out some sweets and played with the kids for a little while. Thanks again to volunteer Rachel for all your help with the lists and books.
12.4.2007
ST. VINCENT’S GIRLS | Comments
I spent the evening with 40 girls from the St. Vincent’s Home and had a great time. Baal Dan provided the girls with sports stuff (basketballs, soccer balls, skipping ropes) and if the girls are very good, there will be lots more surprises for them on Christmas morning!
Thanks also to Aparna and Brandon for thoughtfully selecting the things that the girls need most – they looked so happy with everything and I know they will be thrilled when Christmas comes. Thank you also to Sister Mary George and Mother Superior for being so kind to me and letting me show up late all the time! (The traffic is so bad, I always end up at St. Vincents in the evening!)
12.4.2007
PEACEFUL PARIVAAR | Comments
"The whole aim of life is to continuously grow and to manifest the possibilities in each one of us." Mr. Vinayak Lohani on the teachings of Swami Vivekananda.
I visited one of my projects, Parivaar (means "family" in Hindi) where there are 275 children. This project is run as an ashram and based on the teachings of service of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. As I spent the day learning about the different aspects of Parivaar and their approach to the care of the children they have, I was not only impressed but I learnt so much as well.
One of the first things that Parivaar does is to remove the label of "under-privileged" or "destitute" from their children. They simply refer to the children at Parivaar as children. Mr. Vinayak who runs Parivaar explained, "When you remove the label of 'destitute' you stop the child thinking that they cannot come up in the world." The children compete with each other in the school work and sports, just as any other children would and succeed based on their own hard work and merit. This gives them confidence in their own abilities and also based on the fact that each soul is potentially divine and has unlimited potential.
Of all the orphanages I have visited, Parivaar has a serenity and peacefulness that has to be seen to be believed. About 30 km outside of Calcutta, Parivaar is nestled away in a country area down a winding road, backed by acres of greenery and land. There are lots of palm trees, farm animals and even a small pond with fish and the orphanage and school itself is all bare simplicity, clean and neat and above all – calm.
My soul literally felt nurtured as I spent some time at Parivaar, not just because I was inspired by the many quotes and teachings of Swami Vivekananda on the walls but because I could also see that the children were very well cared for, clean and studious too. Even the children’s diet has been specially formulated by a nutritionist and has lots of variety (not something you see at most orphanages who feed the kids the same thing every day). I ate lunch at Parivaar and the food was simple, nutritious and tasty.
Also, Parivaar has a nurse on staff 24-hours a day and when a child first comes in, the child is given a full medical examination with 16 blood and medical tests to evaluate the child’s health. Parivaar also has group medical insurance (again, something that is not often done at orphanages) ensuring that in emergencies the children can get the care they need and the orphanage does not have to face high medical bills. (On a side note, the nurse took care of me too that day! I had lots of mosquito bites and was feeling a little feverish and ill and the nurse gave me some medicine and cream to help me feel better, which I did thanks to her tender care!)
The children at Parivaar come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some are orphans, some have only one parent alive who is very poor, others may have been given up by their families or removed from the home due to abuse. The other great thing about Parivaar is that all the children in one family are admitted – therefore no siblings get separated, because as Mr. Vinayak said, “Why should only one child in a poor family have a chance to succeed and not the other siblings?” In fact, Parivaar has lots of siblings including a family of 4 sisters.
Parivaar has so many very bright kids. One example is an extremely bright student, Shubham, who at 14 has already won several chess competitions, scores high in maths and science and is an accomplished artist. He is even so responsible that he is the “manager” of his dorm and even attends monthly staff meetings to discuss dorm management issues and needs! I have no doubt he will go very far in whatever he chooses to do.
I am so happy to say that thanks to all of you, Baal Dan provided 275 sweaters, 30 cots (wooden beds for the kids to sleep on), lockers (metal stackable lockers for the children’s belongings) and in the near future we will be providing 2 water filters for Parivaar. Every dorm in Parivaar has water filters to ensure that the children are protected from water-borne disease and infections.
This trip for me has been such an intense and wonderful experience. I have learnt so much, and sometimes things have been really hard to face, to do, and accomplish. India is so complex. There is so much going on all the time that it can be overwhelming. But at Parivaar I could breathe. I could rest in the energy of purity and goodness and I felt that these children will succeed in life.
"Don’t look back. Look forward with infinite energy, infinite enthusiasm, infinite daring, and infinite patience – then alone can great deeds be accomplished." – Swami Vivekananda.
Thank you Mr. Vinayak, Mr. Saha and the team at Parivaar for all the wonderful work you do for the children.
11.29.2007
UPDATE FROM INDIA | Comments
Hi everyone. The email has been down where I am staying and my days have been really long so I have not had time to come to a cyber cafe. In the last few days, alot has been accomplished for Baal Dan. I used a room kindly lent to me by the Loreto School as my home base and large amouts of deliveries have been made. In the meantime, Loreto volunteers (absolute angels) Rachel, Carol, Nadia and Moya helped me unpack everything, count all the goods, make batches by age group of child and then by project and then we all began the painstaking, back-aching process of making over 280 individual bundles for each and every child.
Each bundle contains some toys (by age group), toilteries, stationary (pens, crayons, pencils) and other goodies. We also made bundles and lists for each and every project that goods are going to so there is absolute transparency in terms of where all the things we bought end up. Mother Teresa said, "Do small things with great love." In the past few days, I have seen how much love and joy there can be in doing the smallest of tasks - like counting out and sorting over 2000 pairs of underwear, or labeling bags for each child. This for me is what Baal Dan is about. I was getting excited just imaging the kids opening up each bundle! I also have to say that at times I was brought to tears (of joy) as yet another delivery would show up of say, 5000 bars of soap, or 200,000 sachets of shampoo.
Compared to last year I have been able to double the amount of stuff purchased and I have to say it is pretty impressive. We filled a classroom from floor to ceiling and the inside area too. We had five deliveries brought over in buses or trucks and so many people were a part of this whole process. From my driver Dennis, to the project managers working on lists, to Aparna and Brandon shopping and continuing to stay in touch, to the cute Irish Belvedere High School guys who helped me carry stuff up two flights of stairs to the home base, to Rachel, Carol, Nadia, Moya, Mrs. Marcely, Theresa and countless others who helped - this has been a very busy week. The best moment I had was when we packed a small open-bed truck/lorry to the brim with blankets, sheets, washing powder, soap, clothes, underwear, food and countless other items to be taken to the children at New Life, New Hope. Thank you again to everyone that gave money to Baal Dan. When I send the final list of purchases I hope you will be proud to see how far your money went here in Calcutta.
Thank you to everyone that helped me especially Rachel and Carol who have worked so hard for Baal Dan and the children.
Oh by the way, because all this delivering and sorting was going on at the school we had lots of excited little spies and vistors (the kids) peering through windows and sneaking into where we had all the stuff to have a peak. Two babies - Priyanka and Ria even camped outside the door for a full half hour just waiting to see if they could sneak inside! Needless to say their faces just lit up when they saw the boxes of toys and goodies! I had to tell them - "go, go now - you will see all of this soon enough!" :-)
11.26.2007
VOTE FOR BAAL DAN ON SEARCH KINDLY! | Comments
Baal Dan is on the poll for Charity of the Month for December at SearchKindly.org! Voting ends this Sunday (Dec 2), so please vote as much as you can this week!
Searchkindly.org is a site with a google search page that makes money off of advertisements on the website. Each month, all the money that is made is donated towards one particular charity (the winner of the voting poll). If we win this poll, it means that we receive all money raised on the Search Kindly website in December ($500-$1000).
11.25.2007
THANK YOU APARNA AND BRANDON!! | Comments
Thank you so much to Aparna Lal and Brandon Wulz for volunteering for the Baal Dan 2007 Mission Trip. I was so impressed by the absolute unconditional love and respect you showed the kids. You were both so generous, kind and loving to all the children and this touched me the most. The kids loved you so much too which was evident from how easily and quickly they bonded with you both.
The “renegade feeding” was great, and I am so happy you both got to experience that, and I will also never forget our Bengali dinner with the creepy whole fish and prawn being brought to the table!
Apu – I will never forget seeing you giving out the cookies to the New Hope kids and how loving and you were to the kids as well as your relentless, tireless bargaining and budgeting, “Fudu & Gudu”, you telling off the other blanket guy and the mosquitoes in the damn toiletry shop. I will also never forget the Birla and Kalighat pujas and you feeding me pineapple slices while I was negotiating the school bags price!
Brandon a.k.a David Beckham – I will never forget how all the girls loved you so much, our competition for who gets Priyanka, how Ria ate every single thing in sight and “bellies”. I know we will never forget The Puke Bus!
Thank you both for helping to make this trip so successful for me, for all your hard work shopping and bargaining for the children. You did not just take care of the children, you both took care of me and really nurtured me too. You also both seemed to always be feeding me as well! I felt SO happy and relaxed on this trip and you both had everything to do with that. For what you have given the children, Baal Dan and me – may God bless you a thousand times over. And may you also be blessed with 10 daughters and may they all marry well :-)
I miss you both already!!
11.25.2007
GETTING THERE IS ALL THE FUN, RIGHT? | Comments
A small yellow school bus is rattling down a dusty road. There are 75 kids and 5 adults crammed into this 40-seater bus which is slowly ambling its way down a dirty road filled with potholes in the middle of nowhere. There are kids crammed into the aisle and each kid has at least one another kid on their lap. The kids are all singing loudly (and I mean Very Loudly) Hindi pop songs. I am crammed in the front seat with Nadia (a volunteer) and we each have a kid on our lap and at least 3 children piled at my feet sitting on the steps of the bus. The children are all in their best dresses and everyone on the bus is sweating profusely. I have no idea where we are going, how long it will take and what is supposed to happen today. Earlier that week I asked if I could take the Loreto Rainbow street kids on a fun outing and was told, “Don’t worry Miss. Tanya, you just come to the school in the morning and we will arrange EVERYTHING for you and the children.”
Everyone is laughing and as we narrowly miss other cars, rickshaws, bicycles and cows. At one point Brandon asks someone, "How much further?" The answer: "Only Ten Minutes!" Ah yes, in IST (Indian Stretchable Time) this means at least another 40 minutes. At this point, some kid yells, "Plastic - Plastic!!", and a well-prepared older Rainbow kid pulls out a small plastic bag which is passed quickly over heads and seats getting to the child who requested it just in time for her to puke into it. And then suddenly there are more calls for “Plastic! Plastic!” the bags start circulating, and pretty soon more and more kids on the bus are throwing up one by one. Finally “Our Puke Bus” as Brandon affectionately called it, finally comes to a sudden halt outside an unassuming little park.
The doors of the bus burst open and we all tumbled and squeezed our way out – sweaty - drained and smelling like… well… But then the kids squealed in delight as they saw the “amusement park” and immediately scattered in all directions to start playing. Brandon and I surveyed the area dubiously. By American standards this “amusement park” is probably a bit bigger than your average Dallas apartment-complex playground complete with one rickety swing set, a rusted merry-go-round circa 1930, a slide, a “tower” with stairs, and a small pond (complete with murky green water) and paddling boat. We drove for over an hour to get to this? But for these kids this could have been The Magic Kingdom.
As soon as we got there, someone asked me if I had arranged snacks for the children. “Well, no,” I replied, “I was told that Everything would be arranged. Can’t we just buy something here for the kids?” I said shifting into Account Exec mode. “Oh, no Didi (sister) – there are no snacks here. We must go and get some. Please come now!” said a smiling Rainbow 18-year old Rainbow girl pulling me away from the playground. I reluctantly left the kids and got back on the P.B. in search of snacks. I asked if there was anything close by and the driver said, “Yes, yes – there is a market only Ten Minutes away.”
Almost two hours later I returned with soft drinks, chips and cookies which were purchased from 6 shops in a small village that had about 6 shops. (I was shopping for 150 kids in total) and to buy 150 snacks from small stalls in this little village (and village is a BIG word to use for this place) is a story I will never tell.
By the time I got back, Brandon looked exhausted and asked me why I had been gone for so long. He had been playing with the kids nonstop. Then he says, “Well, you were gone so long you even missed the kids eating their snacks.” Ah yes – snacks were indeed provided for the kids after all.
The rest of the day we played, we sang, and the kids slurped up chai served in little plastic cups and we had so much fun. We went “boating” (again I use the term loosely) and both Brandon and I got a workout pushing the kids around on the creaking, rusted, in-need-of-WD140-merry-go-round (the kids called it hullabaloo). I sang every nursery rhyme I knew, played chase and numerous other games and by the time 5 pm rolled around Brandon and I were covered in dirt, sweat and we were exhausted. Brandon said to me, “I don’t think I have ever been this dirty before.” To which I replied “Welcome to Calcutta!”
It was a fantastic day and I have so many great memories. Little Priyanka trying on Brandon’s sunglasses and shoes and flirting with him. The older girls asking me if I was 19 (yippee) and for the first time in a long time, I spent an entire day (minus the 2-hour shopping trip) playing all day long. It was getting dark when we got back on the bus to leave and unbelievably it seemed like there was even less air and space in the P.B. than in the morning. We all smelled awful but luckily there were no more puking incidents on the bus ride home. However… the girls did sing Very Loudly nonstop for the entire ride – the loudest kid I think was sitting directly behind my head. They sang everything from Hindi pop to the Hare Krishna mantra to Celine Dion’s “My heart will go on…” One girl fell asleep on my lap for the entire ride and when she finally woke up I had drool all over me.
Brandon and I got off Puke Bus at New Market area - Very Happy, Very Tired and Very Dirty. My first stop was to a small shop on the street to buy a kurta top and skirt to change into immediately!! I have so much that happens in each day on these mission trips, but as long as live I think I will never forget that bus ride!
11.23.2007
BIG BAGRI SHOPPING DAY | Comments
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I have spent the last two days giving thanks for many things. For everyone who gave even one dollar to Baal Dan, and for every child that I have been able to help here in India.
Yesterday, Aparna, Brandon and I started our day at the Loreto School. I was having 50 blankets delivered that we had to count, check to make sure they were in good condition and pay for. As well, I had over 3000 pieces of underwear (panties, vests, socks etc.) delivered to the school that also needed to be counted and paid for. Aparna and Brandon also got to spend some time playing with the Rainbow street children who were still recovering from their big night of excitement for their school concert.
After that, the three of us, along with Mrs. Marceline and 3 helpers piled into my car and a school bus lent to us by Loreto School to go to a giant chaotic wholesale market called "Bagri Market". Aparna and I tackled buying toiletries (over 2000 soaps, shampoo sachets etc.) while Brandon went in search of toys. At one point he called me from the 5th floor of a building that I did not even know existed to tell me that he had found some great deals. Aparna was again showing her fanstatic bargaining skills, and made sure that all the vendors gave us a great price.
After morning of shopping, we came back with: toiletries, umbrellas, school bags, basketballs and other sports stuff, lots of toys, boy's shirts and countless other items. From the market, we had a very late lunch, and then got to do another renegade feeding program giving out 40 boxes of chinese fried rice with chicken and bags of chocolate cookies.
I think Aparna and Brandon were amazed by the experience of giving food out on the streets but also a little surprised by how many kids rushed to us and how they clamoured and grabbed for the food. Brandon asked me why I just don't do more renegade feeding programs because clearly these little street children are hungry and need the food. I explained that part of it was my own time and resources, but also just feeding these street kids does not do much to help to "teach them how to fish" or create a better future for them. These children are known street dwellers and their mothers might have 5 or 6 kids.
They don't go to school and probably never will, so they too might stay on the street. Every case is complicated and unique but I do want to address the issue of hunger and feeding programs with my dream of building a soup kitchen for children one day. But at the same time I want to invest in programs where these extremely poor children and orphans are actually in the care of someone responsible and are also going to school. School is what will change their future.
Anyway, much to think about...
Today we take the Loreto kids on a special outing :-)
11.22.2007
SHOP TILL YOU DROP | Comments
After the scare of possible strikes and riots in Calcutta and the army coming into town, the whole situation calmed down very quickly and life was back to normal yesterday. Some schools remained closed which created an advantage for us in that the traffic was pretty light as Aparna and I made our way to Wellington Square market to buy sweaters, woolen vests, track suit sets (hoodies and track pants) and blankets for the children. This part of Calcutta is lined with stalls with many sellers who come from Tibet and Nepal to sell their woolen clothes in Cal at the start of Winter.
Aparna's impeccable Hindi and great bargaining skills came in very handy as she patiently bargained, cajoled and convinced each vendor to bring down the price, throw in an extra discount here and there and she even got one vendor to deliver the blankets straight to the Loreto school! The shopping was hard work but very pleasant and I got an extra blessing. One vendor - a 20-something Tibetan man called Fudu and his assistant Gudu had a great selection of high quality children's sweaters and track suit sets. When we saw the labels, we learned that the purchase of these clothes would also directly benefit Tibetan refugees. The Tibetan issue is one that is very, very close to my heart. I have studied Buddhism since the age of 13, have visited several Buddhist temples and read Tibetan texts and in 2005 just before leaving NYC for my sabbatical in India, had the great honor of seeing the Dalai Lama in NYC at a special mass held at Unity Church on Riverside. Fudu said he would also refer me to an orphanage in Simla which helps Tibetan children.
After shopping, another volunteer, Brandon Wulz arrived in Calcutta. Brandon is from Dallas, but currently works in Hyderabad. Both Aparna and Brandon have paid all their own travel expenses and taken vacation days to come and help Baal Dan this year.
After a quick lunch in New Market, Aparna spotted a shop selling track pants and after painstaking bargaining and recounting our purchase several times and getting lost on the way back to the car (my fault - sorry) we had really completed a successful day's shopping.
Then it was off to the Netaji Stadium to watch a show put on by the children of Loreto in celebration of their 150th anniversary. The kids were so cute and we saw an amazing display of traditional Indian dances from all parts of India, colors and singing.
After that, I took a chance and called St. Vincent's Home for Girls to try to schedule a visit. I asked if we could come and see the girls right then and the Sister agreed even though it was after 6.30 pm. We visited the little home for 37 girls aged 8-18 connected to a church and were very impressed. The girls follow a strict routine each day waking at 5 am, going to Mass and then off to school. The girls are extremely smart, well educated and one even spoke 7 languages! The Sister asked for a small list of things (mosquito nets, school bags, underwear) and was very kind to let us visit so late. While I talked to the Sisters, Aparna and Brandon had a great time talking to the girls.
I realized how much I needed help this trip and how lucky I am to have Aparna and Brandon with me. Thank you!!
I have to go now to begin our BIG BAGRI SHOPPING DAY...
11.21.2007
NEW LIGHT IN CALCUTTA | Comments
This morning I met with a Calcutta documentary film maker, Sunil Lucas who has made many films in partnership with NGO's. Sunil specializes in "social issues communication" and I learnt so much from the stories he told of his over 20 years of experience in covering and highlighting various social issues in India. Did you know the country with the highest child suicide rate in the world is Japan, followed by India? And the highest child suicide rate in India is in Calcutta. There are so many issues affecting children here including: child trafficking, child abuse, suicide and child labor.
After meeting with Sunil, we made our way to see a project called 'New Light, New Hope' run by Brother Xavier, Missionaries of the World. Aparna Lal, a childhood friend of mine from Dubai accompanied me as she will be spending the next few days with me to volunteer for Baal Dan. I was also accompanied by a local volunteer, Shruti and as we made our way to this project we encountered serious traffic jams as the roads were closed. In a neighboring street, a serious riot broke out and roads started to close. Pretty soon I was getting text messages and calls from people in Calcutta asking me my exact location and telling me to be careful as violence was breaking out in the city. We were in standstill traffic for over an hour (all the cars had turned their engines off and were bumper to bumper) as we heard more reports of the roads being blocked off. My trusty driver Dennis, then managed to reverse down the road we were on, and Aparna even jumped out of the car to ask the other cars to let us through. Finally Dennis did a 3-point turn almost on the pavement and we got on to a side street. Another hour and a half later we finally made it to the New Life project.
What we went through was well worth the harrowing day, because we saw a home for 200 children from the Red Light area in Calcutta that have been taken in by Brother Xavier. He told us that the children of prostitutes grow up in unimaginable conditions, and often witness abuse and are victims of abuse and molestation as well. He decided to start a night shelter where children of prostitutes could be kept out of harm's way and over the years and many dangerous situations, even when he himself was threatened by dangerous people, he was able to slowly take in more children. Today New Life has 5 small homes for children and 130 of these kids are even going to school.
Brother Xavier starts by taking in these kids and for the first 3 months they are given an "orientation course". They are taught basic hygiene, how to bathe, use a toilet, use a mosquito net, eat properly and are given bridging courses in English and Bengali. They are then moved into one of the small homes the project has and are sent to English or Bengali schools as soon as possible. They are even provided with tutoring on a one to one level. As soon as we entered one of the homes we were greeted by a few very cute and very affectionate little 6 year olds. I was struck by how gentle and loving the kids were and how serene they seemed.
Having visited and evaluated more than 30 projects since starting Baal Dan, I have learned to recognize very quickly how well children are cared for in an orphanage. These kids were clearly well settled and very much at ease. There were twin girls, Sita and Gita, who are 18-months old and the youngest of the kids. Gita was sleeping in a little wooden bunk bed, while Sita toddled around fussing and wanting to be held. The other children were playing around in a start of what will be the next site for a house on the project's property and the rest of the kids were sitting at a long table under a tin roof being tutored in English and Maths.
We spent the whole afternoon at this place playing with kids, giving out the cookies and sweets I bought yesterday and Aparna and Shruti were in their element with the children. I literally lost track of time completely because I was so engrossed with the children and learning more about them from Brother Xavier. When I finally realized that the kids must be getting tired and we should go it was almost 4 pm. We reluctantly said goodbye and walked over to where our car was parked near the boy's home. As we drove away we all commented on the purity of Brother Xavier and how we all felt that the children were so loving and affectionate.
When I meet people like Brother Xavier and I spend time with children like this who have gone through so much trauma and abuse and can still be loving and kind and gentle - I am humbled. I was in the presence of angels today and I felt very small and blessed to witness what I did. When I asked what was needed most for the kids, Brother asked for simple things like toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and blankets. Thank God for Baal Dan that I am able to meet people like this in the world and do such small things for them.
11.20.2007
THE SHOPPING HAS BEGUN... | Comments
Today I spent the morning doing the first round of shopping for the kids. First on my list was biscuits/cookies for the children. I bought several bags of cookies today and other snack foods. The average price per bag of about 20 large sugar cookies was 20 rupees - about 50 cents. I also bought some candies, caramels and I found some very fun, small chocolates in the shape of Nemo (Finding Nemo) for only 2 rupees each. After some haggling, I even got a great discount! I also bought some warm undershirts/vests for the girls at Shishu Bhavan Orphanage as the weather is getting colder and some hankies too (these are used more than Kleenex here). I am still finalizing the lists from a few of the orphanages, but will do a bit of shopping every day before I get a big bus to do the major purchases of blankets, toiletries, toys and clothing which will be really fun! More later this week...
11.19.2007
FEEDING LOTS OF KIDS | Comments
Hi everyone! The Internet has been down this week at the place where I am staying and I have realized how dependent I am on email and Google! Anyway, in the short time that I have online this morning, here is a quick update.
On Sunday, I met two children that Baal Dan is sponoring education for, Roselin (8) and Rayallen (12). There was a church clothing distribution program and the kids came to see me. We spent some time together and I learnt more about their lives. Roselin's father had been in the tea trade business and was laid off and could not find work in the same line, so had to switch to being a driver. The family is very poor and was almost on the brink of destitution when an organization called "CAISS" stepped in to provide aid. CAISS approached me for help to sponsor Roselin, and for $250 I am able to provide her school fees, uniforms, food and expenses for a full year. Her father had tears in his eyes as he thanked me and Baal Dan and said that he could not stand it if he had to pull his daughter out of school because he was unemployed and he was so grateful for the sponsorship. Roselin is a straight A student and is getting straight A's. Her favorite subject is Maths, and she wants to be a teacher for poor children one day. After I spent some time with the kids, I went home and rested for a while as my first week had really been busy.
Yesterday, I went the best orphanage I have ever seen called Future Hope for 160 boys. It is run by a British man called Tim Landridge and he has created an innovative, progressive and high quality home for the boys. I spent the morning with the kids and they took me on a tour of this special place. I will write more about it in the future, but yesterday I was very entertained by the boys. (So far this trip I have been mostly with girls) and the boys were great fun, BIG flirts and I had so much fun with them. Two little boys grabbed me by the hand and they took me on the tour of the place showing me everything, including a giant teddy bear that someone had donated which lay squashed and looked more like a "teddy bear mattress" now! The kids are thriving and happy and I left on such a high from being there - and also very tired as the boys demanded alot of attention!
I also did my first "renegade" Baal Dan soup kitchen. Two volunteers from WFCS/St. James helped me buy 40 small boxes of milk, and 40 small boxes of chicken biryani (mixed chicken, rice, potato). We then made small Baal Dan bundles of the milk and rice in black plastic bags and kept them in the trunk of my car. At around 5 pm, we drove into a very poor and slight unsafe area and went onto the streets where there are alot of street dwellers (families who make their homes on the pavement) and started talking to the street kids. At first I just filmed the area and the kids started to gather round us and some of their mothers. Once we had a group of about 30 kids we took them across the road to where the car was and made them form a line (they were actually very well behaved and sweet). Then one by one, we handed them the Baal Dan bundle of food and explained that it was for their "khanna" (food) and they were very thrilled. A few of them wanted food to take back for their parents, but we did not bring enough and I wanted to make sure each child had a meal first. A crowd did start to form around us, and it was getting dark, so we quickly packed up the car and then went to another street close to the church and gave out the remainder of the meals.
To feed 40 kids in this way only cost 2150 rupees (about $56) which was amazing and well worth it. I saw some incredibly sad things including a few babies sleeping on the pavement, half naked, sick and painfully thin. Babies as young as 5 months old. I just did not know what to do. I wanted to pick them up off the street, but these street children do have parents (even though they are so poor) so all I am able to do is to provide aid on the spot.
There is so much need here. And although the street kids are happy and playful despite living in such poverty, they are vey malnourished and suffer from neglect and abuse too. I think I am going to try this "renegade feeding" program again in another area, (and please don't worry, because I am not by myself and was well protected by the local volunteers who came with me). This week I have two volunteers arriving and the big shopping will begin. I am not sure when I will have online access again, so thank you for all your well wishes and please pray for the children.
11.17.2007
A DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET | Comments
This morning I went to Mother Teresa's orphanage, Shishu Bhavan to see my girls, Duli and Isha. We had a great time together and I got them some shoes, sweaters, bangles and a wristwatch (one pink and one red) as they are almost 10 years old now and should have their own watch.
Then, I went to St. James Church where Baal Dan sponsored a pilot "soup kitchen" style feeding program for 150 slum children. We provided: rice, dahl, chicken curry, chutney, a plastic plate and cup they could take home, ice cream and a small toy. I led the kids in a "dance" (I love to dance) before the meal was served to some crazy Indian pop music which they loved and it was the best experience of my life to be able to see these children have a good meal. The kids there were as young as babies through to about 8 years old and some were painfully thin, some had no clothes on at all (had I known they were in this bad condition I would have provided clothes today as well today).
The entire feeding program was organized by the Women's Fellowship of St. James (WFCS) and they did all the catering, shopping and organizing for this. They did an amazing job - especially Lynnette Dean, whom I have to thank for making my dream and vision of Baal Dan come to fruition today. I can't wait to share the photos and videos of the feeding program. My heart was so full. The children were so calm and well behaved and they all wanted to share their food. They are so generous. So many of them refused to be served rice, asking that the child sitting next to them be given more than they were. Generosity like this cannot be taught. It is in the soul, and these kids deeply affected me today.
I want to do more of these feeding programs. For the 150 kids we fed today, there were probably at least 600 more in the same area that also need aid.
Don't know when the next update will be but hopefully the Internet will get fixed soon. (For those of you who have emailed me, I am doing just fine, and still have a cough but otherwise managing. Besides, after today, I think I am on an all time hi). Lots of love to all of you. Thank you to everyone who has given to Baal Dan - today you would have been so proud of what you have done.
11.17.2007
LOTS TO TELL BUT NOT ENOUGH TIME... | Comments
I am writing this update from an Internet cafe as the internet is down in the place where I am staying. The cyclone did not hit Calcutta, but unfortunately did hit Bangladesh doing some damage.
I spent the morning yesterday at Loreto School and met all the kids we sponsored for school fees. They are all in kindergarten or grade 1 and they were really cute. The teacher explained to me that the children have no idea they are "being sponsored" in order to preserve their equality in class. She said that no child should be made to feel different just because they may come from a poor background, which is absolutely true.
After that I visited a beautiful small school/orphanage for 40 street children in the Tollygunge area of Calcutta. Girls aged from 4 to 14 live in an attic area connected to a church and the children are cared for by an order of Franciscan nuns. I spent a few hours there making a list of needs for kids. They need milk, fruit and some blankets. When I saw where they slept - on straw mats on a cement floor, I almost cried. We will get proper mattresses for these kids, as no child should have to sleep in such conditions.
Finally, I met with the head of CiniAsha - an Indian NGO who I worked with last year to help the Railway Children and Halfway House for Girls. This year we went over the list of needs, and Baal Dan will be paying for the installation of a brand new toilet/latrine and sink in the Railway Boy's Shelter. I had wanted to do this since last year, but now have the time to get organized and see to the proper installation of these things. In addition Baal Dan will give underwear, food and toys to these 100 kids.
It was a long day but I accomplished a lot and can't wait to do the major shopping for the kids.
11.15.2007
CYCLONE CALCUTTA | Comments
No, I am not referring to my arrival - Calcutta is under a cyclone warning which is expected to hit tonight. Today there was heavy rain and winds, and traffic was probably the worst I experienced in my whole life. Not only did traffic stop this morning for a motorocade for a visiting official, but I literally was in the car for almost two hours while traffic did not move. Interestingly enough, my car was stuck immediately adjacent to a beautiful church called "Saint Teresa of Avila Church" and there was a statue of Mother Teresa in the front holding a child. A small back room in this very church was the first place where Mother Teresa first started her charity work.
Today I visited Loreto Rainbow School and met with Sister Cyril and the staff. There are 300 street children living at the school full time, and another 400 children that are so impoverished that the school feeds them everyday. I got to the school just when the kids were coming down for lunch and because it was raining it was really chaotic but a lot of fun too. For those of you who have heard me talk about baby Priyanka in my Baal Dan presentations, I got to see her, but she was exhausted from her morning at school and was curled up in the corner of a small porch area on a little mat napping peacefully (oblivious to the chaos of 700 kids around her). I took a photo but have no way to post them right now, but she is still as cute as ever and all the kids have grown so much in the past year.
One of the social workers for the Rainbow kids came up to me and said, "Tanya guess what? The medicines you gave us last year are still being used and we have not finished them all yet - thank you so much!" Amazing - given that a year's supply of medicines for 700 kids cost less than $300 US and has lasted more than a year!
I will be back at the Loreto in the coming days as that will be my base for doing the purchasing and bundling of goods for the kids. I also have a really, really cool fun outing/extravaganza planned for the children this year (last year was the zoo trip) which I will write about later.
This afternoon, I visited another project for street children that I am evaluating, and spent some time with a volunteer, Shruti (22), who helped me last year, who told me of 40 children in a slum town near Calcutta that are in desperate need of help. In fact, I was told that these kids are literally starving to death and I am trying to figure out some ways to get them the help that they need. These kids are so destitute that the only food they are eating is from garbage piles eating things like rotting banana peels. It makes me so upset to hear about children in this situation and I will update you on what I am able to do, but I feel blessed knowing that I will be able to provide them with aid thanks to Baal Dan.
With the cyclone approaching, I am not sure how tomorrow will pan out, but I will be back at Loreto to meet the 16 children I have sponsored with school fees, as well as the visiting another project for street children that I will be evaluating.
BTW Groupers - parallels exist in every city... I saw a sign for "SMU" a university in Calcutta, but it was the "Sikkim Manipal University" and at one of the street kids projects there was a mural for kids with a giant painted red airplane called "SkyQueen" :-)
**Another note - the exchange rate this year is sadly much worse than last year. Now $1 = 38 rupees - vs 43 rupees last year.
11.14.2007
CHILDREN'S DAY IN CALCUTTA | Comments
I forgot that yesterday - November 14 - in India was National Children's Day (a perfect day to start the Baal Dan work) and when I went to Shishu Bhavan orphanage most of the kids were on an excursion at a park, so I will go back again this week. I was informed that all of the kids I worked with in 2005 have been adopted (Yay Seattle Crew - Lisa, Diane, and Liz!) and although there are 250 kids in the orphanage currently, in the last year over 100 children were adopted which is fantastic news. Yesterday I also met with volunteers from the Art of Living Foundation that are hoping to help me on this trip. They were telling me about some very poor rural/tribal schools that need help which I will do more research on. The jet lag hit me last night, but then I was wide awake from midnight to this morning! Today I need to get a cell phone, visit Loreto School and another project that I am looking at supporting. The weather here is pretty nice, but the traffic is awful! A 2 km trip can take an hour because of traffic. I also had my first meeting on IST (Indian Standard Time a.k.a. people will be up to an hour late for meetings) which was frustrating but just a fact of life here. More later...
11.14.2007
IN CALCUTTA | Comments
I arrived safely in Calcutta a few hours ago. Thank you to everyone who emailed or called me before I left to wish me well for this trip. I really appreciate all the love and support I receive for Baal Dan. After two days of flying I am feeling a little tired but i am so happy to be here. What a year it has been. After all the hard work, the fundraising and planning, I am back in Calcutta. It still feels surreal that I am here and doing what I am doing. Two years ago when I arrived in Calcutta for the first time to volunteer at Mother Teresa's orphanage, I could never have even imagined that I would one day do something like Baal Dan. Today I will get a cell phone, and my first stop will be where I started - Mother House - the resting place of Mother Teresa to say prayers and pay my respects to this beautiful Saint, and then of course I will stop in at Mother Teresa's orphanage Shishu Bhavan Orphanage to check in on the children. After that I will make a schedule and set up meetings (like a good account person) and then begin. Thank you again to everyone and I will update this blog as often as possible. A big Namaste to the Skybus team - thank you Judy and Carmen for your thoughtful care package and the Johnson, Snell and Antos Families for everything you have done for Baal Dan and the kids.
11.12.2007
VOTE FOR BAAL DAN ON SEARCH KINDLY | Comments
Baal Dan has once again been nominated to be the charity of the month on SearchKindly.org. Please visit the website and vote for Baal Dan!
Baal Dan will be on the voting ballot for the remainder of this week and again during the last week of the month. If we win the final poll, all money raised on SearchKindly in December will be donated to Baal Dan!
11.8.2007
CHILDREN SHARING ACROSS THE WORLD | Comments
For the second year in a row, sweet little Hudson and Scout Johnson have prepared small gift bags and donated the contents of their piggy banks to help babies and children in Calcutta. Goody bags stuffed full of childhood treasures like stickers, badges, small dolls, hair bobbles, yo-yo's, tiaras and countless other toys. Last year when I gave out the toys to some of the children at the Loreto school they started asking me about Hudson and Scout and even kissed the photos of the girls as a thank you. It was truly magical to see how two children in Dallas, Texas were able to touch the lives of children so faraway in Calcutta, India. I can't wait to give out these toys again, and I can't even express how blessed I am have to have friends like Ed and Tina Johnson and their beautiful daughters in my life supporting Baal Dan.
10.26.2007
THANK YOU GREENWOOD HILLS ELEMENTARY | Comments
Thank you to Laura Simon and the kids in her 4th grade class for hosting me at their school today. The kids are learning about making a difference and are excited about helping children in India and I had a great time answering all their questions about the children in India.
Click here to view the photos!
10.24.2007
THANK YOU SUZY, JIM & BLUE MESA | Comments
Thank you to Suzy and Jim Schwartz and Jim and Liz Baron for hosting a fabulous and successful fundraiser last night at Blue Mesa, Addison at Village on the Parkway. Almost 40 people attended and were served complimentary drinks and appetizers before Suzy made a short introduction about Baal Dan. I then presented my vision and mission with Baal Dan and told a few stories about my experience working at an orphanage. Then, Jim Baron, the owner of Blue Mesa who actually lived in India for 6 months made a beautiful speech about Baal Dan and the work for the children, and said that it did not matter that this was for children in India, it mattered that it was for children, and it was a very pure mission. Afterwards we had lots of time to meet all the guests and everyone was so kind, supportive and generous. I also want to thank Tiffany Zimmerman and Charles Ribaudo for helping at the event, and also to Linda and David Charney who came out again with some friends to support Baal Dan. Everyone's positive energy, trust and support of Baal Dan will indeed carry me into a successful mission trip for 2007!
Click here to view the photos!
10.4.2007
THANK YOU BUKHARA GRILLE! | Comments
Thank you to Bukhara Grille Restaurant, and Linda and David Charney for hosting a wonderful fundraiser last night. Over 65 people enjoyed a delicious buffet of Indian food and got a chance to learn more about Baal Dan. David talked about why he was inspired to help Baal Dan, his own experience in India, and how wonderful the people in India were to him. I talked about my story of the "$50" that started Baal Dan, and I read a quote from last week's Newsweek issue dedicated to the issue of global poverty. People think that poverty is an overwhelming issue to deal with, but there are ways to change the world. Simple ways. Bill Gates said, "The easiest way to decrease infant mortality is to keep babies warm and dry." This is in fact the simple ethos behind Baal Dan. By providing these impoverished children with the simple things they need like blankets, cough medicine or clean underwear, we can stop infections, improve their quality of life and give them a chance at survival.
The evening was so much fun and the food was fantastic. To those of you looking for a great Indian restaurant - please go to Bukhara Grille, Richardson, and mention Baal Dan. Thank you also to Rita Shroff, Peter Stettner, Charles Ribaudo and my parents for helping out at the event. Photos will be posted soon!
9.9.2007
SUPPORT BAAL DAN ON FACEBOOK | Comments
Baal Dan has been added as a "cause" on facebook. Show your support by joining our cause, recruiting/inviting others to join, or by making a donation directly on facebook.
This is a great opportunity to help spread the word about Baal Dan, so please help us out!
Click here to view the facebook page.
8.16.2007
THANK YOU SARAH AND MARK | Comments
I was so touched when Sarah Morin and Mark Geyer gave a donation to Baal Dan in honor of their wedding which was held on May 18, 2007 in Houston, Texas. Sarah has also helped children in need overseas, and from the first time I met her, she was genuinely committed to helping Baal Dan. Thank you Sarah and Mark for making Baal Dan a part of your big day. When your love can touch others, even children as faraway as in Calcutta, it must be very special. God bless you always!
Click here to see photos!
8.5.2007
BAAL DAN SUMMER INTERNS | Comments
This Summer, 21 interns at The Richards Group, in Dallas did a three-week team project on how they would use advertising to raise $1 million for Baal Dan.
Two teams presented on Friday, July 20, to a panel of agency judges and Baal Dan Board members.
The day was a lot of fun and both teams came up with fantastic ideas for Baal Dan. Also participating were "alums" from last year's Baal Dan intern group.
Congratulations to the winning team, "Dal Nam":
Bryan Au-Young
Sarah Crotty
Hannah Davis
Jamie Freeman
Elizabeth Holbrook
Amanda Montgomery
Blair Paterson
Courtney Phillips
Halley Ralls
Shelby Rawlings
And also to runner-up team, "AdVocacy":
Kristin Englehart
Jennifer Kalinowski
Greg Share
Catherine Cobb
Aivy Nguyen
Erin Leigh Cross
Tim Forman
Dylan Frederick
Keven Behboody
Mary Beth Terrell
Jordan Trigilio
Also, thanks to Charles Ribaudo, Jim Young, Allison Horton, Sean Jecko, David Rowe and Cory Davies for judging. As well as alums, Chelsea Hughes, Paige Phillips, Ryan Higgins, Brian Stout, Tiffani Kiger and Zac Pritchett. Thanks to all that participated and to the interns for their energy and enthusiasm.
8.3.2007
THANK YOU COLLIN!! | Comments
Thank you to everyone who voted on Whoneedsmymoney.com. Baal Dan won with the highest number of votes, and will receive a donation of $1,230 from Collin who started this amazing site. Thank you Collin for your generosity, and thank you Jordan for finding this opportunity for Baal Dan!
7.11.2007
WE NEED YOUR VOTES! | Comments
A great opportunity for the Baal Dan has surfaced and you have a
chance to help achieve it. A very generous man has decided to start a viral blog and donate a growing sum of money to the best, most voted-on cause. Click here to vote now!
This link will take you to the direct site where you can read the background and vote for the story. The "contest" description is on the right of the page.
Voting is simple, and takes only seconds.
Here's how it works:
Once you have read the story, or are ready to vote, look for the 5 yellow stars just under the "Baal Dan Charities..." title at the top.
Rate the story by clicking on the amount of stars you feel necessary and this will automatically add your vote. The more votes and higher the star-rating, the more chance we have to receive this donation and better such a great cause!
Voting closes July 31st, so please, visit the site and vote to help out. Go even further and send it to as many people as possible.
Thank you for your time and support, and to Jordan Trigilio for
uncovering this great way to raise money for Baal Dan using the power of the Internet and viral marketing!
Dhanyavaad = Thank you
6.26.2007
HELPING KIDS IN NEED | Comments
My friend Brandon recently relocated from Dallas to take a job in India. He has already been making strides to help the many children in need in his new Indian hometown of Hyderabad. I am so proud of the work he is doing, and also to see how big companies like Deloitte & Touche support employees who want to make a difference in the community. If you work at a company that might be looking for a way to make a difference to kids in need, and give their employees a chance to volunteer their time, please let me know. As you can see from Brandon's blog, even one day can make a difference not just to the kids - but to the people who get to help them as well. Well done Brandon, and I will see you in India!
6.12.2007
A WEEK OF EVENTS | Comments
This week, I presented Baal Dan at the Rotary Club of East Dallas, the Rotary Club of Plano West and The Network of Indian Professionals Mix N'Mingle. It was a great week of fundraising and building awareness in the Dallas community. By far the most interesting question I was asked about Baal Dan was, "Do you plan to do Baal Dan all your life." My answer was of course, "Yes." As long as there are children in need, and children facing inequities in this world, I will try my best to help them.
Click here to view photos from the NetIP presentation.
5.24.2007
NET-IP HOSTS BAAL DAN EVENT | Comments
The Network of Indian Professionals-Dallas (NetIP-Dallas) is an organization dedicated to the overall achievement and advancement of South Asian professionals. Their June Mix ‘n Mingle event will benefit Baal Dan, and will be held at Metro Grill (4425 N Central Expressway,
Dallas, TX 75205) on June 8 at 8.30 pm.
For details go to: http://www.netip-dallas.org or email rita@netip-dallas.org
No RSVP necessary
$5 suggested donation (members and non-members)
To volunteer at the Baal Dan booth at the event, email tanya@baaldan.com
5.2.2007
OUR CHILDREN IN NEED IN DALLAS | Comments
I started Baal Dan to help children in need, no matter where they were from. This week, I was so happy because I got to spend just a little bit of time with some amazing little kids in Dallas. Charles and I had the honor of going to the Mi Escuelita Preschool to read to the "Class Five" kids. I read a story called “Miss Moo Goes To the Zoo” which the kids loved as they had just been to the Dallas Zoo. Charles read a story called “The Giving Tree”. Mi Escuelita Preschool is an early childhood program dedicated to teaching English and developing early learning skills to at-risk children of all cultures for preparation toward a successful school experience. It is located in Dallas on Maple Avenue, and the school is really doing amazing work to help kids at risk right here in Dallas. You can visit: www.miescuelita.org for more information on the wonderful work this school is doing. Dhanyavaad to Roshani for organizing this visit.
5.2.2007
THANK YOU TO MAGNOLIA | Comments
This weekend, a group of volunteers and I had a booth at the Magnolia Cinema to promote Baal Dan. Thanks to everyone that stopped by. We got great feedback on the movie, "After the Wedding" and sold some Baal Dan t-shirts. Dhanyavaad: My parents, Charles, Nisha, Michelle and Karthi for helping out!
4.24.2007
FILM ABOUT STREET CHILDREN NOW SHOWING! | Comments
"After the Wedding" was nominated for several awards including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and is currently showing at The Magnolia Theater in Dallas. It is a movie in which the main character runs an orphanage in India, with vivid and touching scenes of street children and they life they have. Baal Dan will have a booth at the theater this weekend at various show times this weekend (April 28-29) to raise awareness about the plight of street children in the world and the work we do. It was very emotional for me to watch this movie and see the street kids. For those of you that wonder what the kids are like, this movie does a fantastic job of showing how the children are. Check out this great movie and see more of the street children that Baal Dan was created to help.
If you are interested in volunteering at the booth this weekend, email tanya@baaldan.com as soon as possible – Help would be most welcome!
About the movie:
Far from home, Jacob (Casino Royale villain, Mads Mikkelsen), runs a struggling orphanage in one India’s poorest regions. Desperate to save the orphanage from closure, he returns to Denmark to meet Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard) a wealthy businessman and potential benefactor. Jorgen offers Jacob a seemingly innocent invitation to attend his daughter’s wedding. What appears to be nothing more than a friendly gesture sets in motion an increasingly devastating series of surprises, revelations, and confessions that will forever change their lives. Sweeping, yet entirely intimate, AFTER THE WEDDING is a shattering portrait of a family struggling with the fragility of life and the search for connection, healing, and forgiveness.
Information:
Magnolia Theatre
Movie Main Website
Showtimes: 12:00 noon, 2:40 pm, 5:10 pm, 7:50 pm, 10:20 pm
Landmark Magnolia Theatre located at West Village, 3699 McKinney Avenue, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75204, 214-764-9106
4.10.2007
HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY BAAL DAN! | Comments
On April 7, 2007, I celebrated Baal Dan's first anniversary in a very meaningful way. My friends, Gita and Manish got married in Dallas in a beautiful traditional Hindu ceremony on April 7. They chose to give a contribution to Baal Dan in honor of their wedding and guests. Each guest at the reception had a small placecard about Baal Dan at their table. In one year, I could not have imagined that Baal Dan would receive so much love and support, and I want to thank Gita and Manish so much for honoring me with this gift on Baal Dan's one year anniversary. God bless you both always.
4.5.2007
UT DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT | Comments
The Baal Dan student chapter at UT recently held a dodgeball tournament as another fundraising event. There were 22 teams that competed in the event (about 150 people at the event altogether!), some teams representing other student organizations, and others just consisting of a group of friends. Everybody had a lot of fun, and the winners and runner ups also received prizes. The student chapter plans on making this an annual event, and will hopefully have even more teams participating next year!
Click here to view photos from the event!
4.1.2007
WASHINGTON DC AWARDS | Comments
"Bring peace to the world by bringing peace to yourself." A quote from His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the Art of Living Foundation. I attended the national reception on Wednesday, March 28, and was so impressed and awed by the work that that Art of Living does in the world to uplift human values. Going to the Kennedy Center was so exciting for me, as this was my first time to visit Washington DC. There was a VIP reception beforehand where special guests included Senators and Committee members of the US Government. During the event there were speeches (some impromptu from Senators) that lauded the work that Sri Sri has done to make this world a better place. I spent the next day sightseeing and learning more about the history of this great country. My favorite memory from this week: getting the chance to meditate with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the Kennedy Center - the energy of the room and that night was so beautiful, and I feel blessed to have been given that opportunity.
Click here to view photos.
4.1.2007
BAAL DAN WINS SEARCH KINDLY POLL | Comments
A huge Dhanyavaad to all those of you who voted to help Baal Dan become the charity of the month on SearchKindly.org. So many of you emailed me to say that you had been voting every 8 hours, and I am so grateful for your enthusiasm and support. I now ask you to do one more thing: make SearchKindly.org your home page (which raises $3 a month) to help raise money for Baal Dan throughout April. At the end of the month, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Baal Dan by Search Kindly.
Thank you again to everyone who stayed up late last night to vote before midnight! I really appreciate it.
3.27.2007
BAAL DAN STUDENT CHAPTER FUNDRAISER | Comments
Click here to view the photos from the recent fundraiser held by Baal Dan Charities-Student Chapter at The University of Texas at Austin's annual 40 Acres Fest. The members sold bubble tea and applied mehndi (henna tattoos) to raise money for Baal Dan. 40 Acres Fest is an annual event on the UT campus that features various booths created by student organizations, music, and other activities.
3.26.2007
ART OF LIVING AWARD VIDEOS | Comments
Click here to view the videos from the Art of Living Silver Jubilee event where Tanya, founder of Baal Dan, won the Sri-Sri Ravi Shankar Award for Uplifting Human Values.
3.25.2007
A BEAUTIFUL QUOTE | Comments
Someone who donated online recently sent me a beautiful quote from India: "Manava Sevaye Madhava Seva" - "Helping Man is like Helping God". She sent this to me when she donated, and I wanted to share this beautiful thought. I am so blessed with Baal Dan to come across such generous and remarkable people.
3.22.2007
DONATION DINNERS | Comments
On Tuesday, March 21st, my friend David Charney hosted a fundraising dinner for Baal Dan. He invited almost 30 of his friends and contacts to a buffet dinner at a new Indian restaurant called Flavors, on Beltline Road in Addison. Everyone paid a set price for the buffet and a donation of $10 or more went to Baal Dan. I got to talk to everyone about Baal Dan and my projects in India and upcoming project in South Africa, and had so much fun meeting new people in Dallas. There were even a couple of kids who came! The dinner was a great success and I want to thank David Charney for his time and efforts in organizing this for me, and Rita Shroff and Nikhil Mehdiratta from Net-Ip for helping me at the event. Thank you also to Flavors for the wonderful dinner!
If you are interested in hosting a dinner then please let me know.
It is an easy way to spread the word about Baal Dan and meet new people.
3.22.2007
ROTARY SPREADS THE WORD | Comments
Raj and I made a presentation to the Rotary Club of Carrollton Farmer's Branch. There were almost 70 people in attendance and the lunchtime presentation was about 35 minutes long. There was an excellent response from the Club and they are going to look into how they might support Baal Dan.
In addition, they donated a book to the Carrollton Farmer’s Branch Library in my name as a thank you for taking the time to present to them, which was lovely. I want to thank Dr. Charles McAdams for remembering me from a presentation I gave last year and inviting me to his Club!
3.15.2007
HEROES OF HUMANITY AWARD 03.14.07 | Comments
Last night was a very special milestone for Baal Dan. The awards ceremony was held at the Irving Arts Center and I want to thank all the people that took the time to come out for the evening. My parents, brother Neil, Nisha Madhani and her Mum, Charles Ribaudo and Jim Young from Jambo, and Susan Goss and Klaire Hensley from The Richards Group. I also want to thanks Karyl Frick and Dean Hensley for attending.
But big thanks goes to Raj Narayanan who gave a wonderful speech about me and Baal Dan's work. I just can't thank Raj enough for all he has done for me - he is truly a blessing in my life.
Bill Wallace, who was the Master of Ceremonies for the event said wonderful things about Baal Dan and actually called me back up to the podium to tell the story about the $50 that got me started on this path. In addition, the past President of the Art of Living Foundation, John Osborne, gave a wonderful Keynote address about the values of the organization and service. He even used an example about Mother Teresa and how she required her novices to answer two questions before they committed to serving the poor. The first was: Do I love the poor? And the second: Do I feel that it is my privilege to be in a position to love and serve the poor. There was even a very powerful guided meditation. The thing I loved most about winning this award, was that it all about human values and was rooted in spirituality. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said: "The only true security that can be found in this world lies in giving love..." and I know that it is my love for street children and orphans that motivates me with Baal Dan.
Thank you again to everyone that came to the awards ceremony and to The Art of Living Foundation for this great honor. Click here to view photos from the event.
3.8.2007
VOTE FOR BAAL DAN ON SEARCHKINDLY.ORG | Comments
Searchkindly.org is a site with a google search page that makes money off of advertisements on the website. Each month, all the money that is made is donated towards one particular charity. Right now there is a poll for which charity should be selected for April - so please visit http://searchkindly.org and vote for Baal Dan! You can vote once every 8 hours, and if you make it your homepage you can also help raise a lot of money for a good cause no matter which charity is selected in the end.
3.4.2007
AUDREY HEPBURN'S DRESS | Comments
I have always loved Audrey Hepburn, and I thought it was so touching that the proceeds from the auction of her famous black dress from the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" would go to benefit a school in Calcutta.
Audrey Hepburn dedicated the later part of her life to work for Unicef.
You can read more at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17382705/
3.3.2007
A SPECIAL AWARD FOR BAAL DAN | Comments
I was just informed that I have won an award for "Sri-Sri Ravi Shankar Award For Uplifting Human Values". Sri Sri Ravi Shankar founded the Art of Living Foundation (AOLF), an international nonprofit educational, charitable, and humanitarian organization which operates in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. If you have time, I would be honored if you could attend the awards ceremony below in Irving. There will also be another awards ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on March 28, which I am very excited about.
OPEN INVITATION
It is with great pleasure that we invite you to attend the Art of Living Foundation's "Silver Jubilee" event at the Irving Art Center on Wednesday March 14th , 2007 at 7:00PM.
To mark the occasion of 25 years of service to humanity, The Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) has launched a nationwide initiative for a Violence-Free, Stress-Free America. Believing in the motto:"Serve society by strengthening the individual. Build a better world by building better people."
The AOLF will be presenting the following members of the Dallas community with the Sri-Sri Ravi Shankar Award for Uplifting Human Values:
- Bob Hopkins, founder of PAVE and Philanthropy World Magazine
- Tanya Pinto, founder of Baal Dan, a non profit organization which helps orphans
- Police Corporal, Charles Young, winner of several commendations and outstanding local volunteer
Tickets are free; however seats are reserved so please RSVP to dallas@us.artofliving.org
Click the links below to view the invitations and to read more about Art of the Living.
Art of Living Silver Jubilee Celebration in Dallas Campaign for a Violence-Free and Stress-Free America, Washington Founder of the Art of the Living Foundation
3.2.2007
HOMELESS CHILDREN | Comments
Recently someone asked me why I don’t use the term, "homeless" to describe the children I help. To be honest, I’m not sure why I never have. Clearly, these children are homeless, but I think what people need to understand is that these kids fall into three categories:
* Children ON the Street: Forming the largest category, these are children who might have family, but are destitute and survive by begging or working.
* Children OF the Street: These children are a group who have chosen the street as their home and it is there that they seek shelter.
* Abandoned Children: These children are entirely on their own, not only for material survival but also psychologically.
Whether a child is a "street child" or "homeless" or an orphan all means the same thing – these are children that do not have adequate access to things that we consider to be basic to survival – food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education. And these are the children I most want to help.
2.8.2007
BIKRAM YOGA AND BAAL DAN | Comments
Bikram Yoga Dallas has committed to raising funds for Baal Dan this year by encouraging their students to participate in a 60 Day Challenge and getting their friends and family to support them by donating money to Baal Dan. Karen Buckner who runs the studio has been very interested in helping Baal Dan grow and she really has a sincere interest in helping orphans and street children. I believe in all types of yoga and have practiced yoga for many years. Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word "Yuj" which means to unite. The practice of yoga is intended to unite oneself with God. There are many different forms of yoga. In America, we are most familiar with Hatha Yoga - the physical practice of yoga that helps to purify the body and spirit. There is also Karma Yoga, the yoga of action or work - often dedicated to working on a cause higher than oneself. I often begin a yoga class by dedicating my practice for the benefit of others, or to some specific wish I have for others. This is how hatha yoga and karma yoga come together - ultimately to dedicate one's efforts to the Divine. I am so blessed to have the support of Bikram Yoga Dallas and I am honored that their students and teachers have decided to dedicate and enlarge the efforts of their yoga practice for the benefit of Baal Dan - uniting their hatha and karma yoga practice. Thank you very much to all the students participating in the 60 Day Challenge and know that your yoga will benefit children in India and Africa that are very much in need.
2.7.2007
RETURN ON INVESTMENT | Comments
Charles and I were talking about how we can evaluate the work that Baal Dan is doing. From a business perspective, the Return on Investment (ROI) you get from Baal Dan is pretty compelling for a number of reasons. For example with the money I raised last year, I was able to help 1,500 children, and buy so much because of the favorable exchange rate in India. I could not have done anything on that scale here in the US. In addition, the market need is so much greater in India, where there is such a large base of people living in poverty. In my two weeks in India, I personally saw over 2,000 orphans and street children. And these are children that will most likely never be adopted. The need is so great, and the cost of giving aid is fairly low. With the Baal Dan model of buying food and goods that are needed and investing in schools and organizations that care for street children, I can see a way to slowly break the cycle of poverty with food and education. That in itself is a pretty big ROI.
2.7.2007
QUICK UPDATE | Comments
I know it has been a while since the last blog post, but I have been busy making plans for 2007. So far, this year, we formed a Chapter at UT Austin, a group on Facebook and I am trying to enlist as many people as possible to begin penny collections for Baal Dan. If you have any questions or are interested in helping out please let me know. I have not yet decided when the next mission trip will be, but much will depend on my own work schedule. Right now, I am focused on getting plans in place for the year regarding distributions and fundraising. Please email me if you have any questions. Dhanyavaad!
1.5.2007
THANKS TO ROTARY ADDISON | Comments
Thank you so much to Rotary Addison, and President Fritzie Roop for once again allowing me to talk about Baal Dan at the weekly club meeting. I was able to share results from the trip, some of the things I learned and how my goals for 2007.
Thank you so much to Rotary Addison for their warm welcome, and supporting me with Baal Dan.
1.3.2007
BAAL DAN ON YOU TUBE | Comments
The videos that are in the 2006 Results section are also now on You Tube! Please forward them onto as many people as possible to spread the word about Baal Dan's work.
12.30.2006
THE BIGGEST DHANYAVAAD OF ALL | Comments
You will probably notice that Baaldan.com is updated now with photos, stories, videos and results from my recent trip to Calcutta. All the video editing and production, as well as the site updates were done in their entirety by my brother Neil (22) and Nisha (22). Neil is a student at UT Austin, and Nisha is a recent Radio, TV and Film School Grad also from UT. Since I came back from Calcutta just under two weeks ago, they have taken care of going through hours of footage, hundreds of photos and all my stories to put together what I think is a wonderful presentation of what this trip achieved. Being in advertising and working on creative production, I have to say that Neil and Nisha did an outstanding job on the site and I love how Nisha captured the sweetness and spirit of the children in the videos. I thank you both with all my heart and God bless you always and forever.
12.28.2006
GANDHI STILL INSPIRES | Comments
This inspiring ad won the EPICA award for the best ad.
12.18.2006
BACK IN DALLAS | Comments
I am back in Dallas and have the jet lag. I will post photos as soon as I can. Thank you to all those of you who have given me such a warm welcome back. It is good to be home!
12.10.2006
LEAVING CALCUTTA | Comments
Today I spent my last day in Calcutta with the kids I worked with last year at Shishu Bhavan orphanage. We played in the little park, sang songs and I got to spend some time with each one of them individually which meant alot to me. Then, I went to Mother House and had some quiet time for reflection at Mother Teresa's tomb. She said, "Let there be kindness in your eyes and in your heart," and so many other wise things. This time in Calcutta has really been a whirlwind of activity and non-stop work. Today, my last day was strangely quiet. Raj left last night and really all I had to do today was pack and get ready for my next stop, Bombay, the city where I was born. I did not leave without visiting my favorite shop, "Oxford Bookshop" and of course have a conversation with a few little street boys who will risk their lives following tourists across Park Street for some sweets or money. One little scamp held my hand as I crossed the street chattering away about how he wanted some money in exchange for some chewing gum! So... did I accomplish what I wanted to? Yes and no. Yes, because what was only an idea in my mind 8 months ago, to raise a little money to buy some things for street kids did indeed manifest into something more. No, because there is much more that I want to do and that can be done for these children. I am off to Bombay to visit family and perhaps an NGO or two, and then will make my way back to the USA. I'm not sure how often I will update this blog during the next few days of travel but for those of you that have taken the time to read about Baal Dan, Dhanyavaad!
12.9.2006
ZOO DAY | Comments
This morning we arrived at the big street school to take 100 children to the Calcutta Alipore Zoo. Raj and I were told to be at the school by 10 am, and we showed up at 9.30 am. But there was no sign of the kids or the bus we had arranged. After waiting a while, a teenage girl who works in the school office started chatting to me. She asked me, "Why are you here Didi?" So I explained that I was taking some of the kids to the zoo. And she said, "But Didi, the kids and the bus left already for the zoo." A few calls later and the bus (plus the kids) returned to pick Raj and I up! The bus was a pretty big "tour bus" and the kids were very well behaved as the driver blared Hindi techno music at full blast the entire 40 minute drive to the zoo. After giving each kid a small Baal Dan stamp on their wrist (nightclub style) which they loved, Raj bought the 100 tickets and got all of us into the zoo. The first thing we did was find a patch of grass, and I sang a few songs with the kids and asked them what their favorite animals were. Then we gave them each a banana and an orange to eat. Once they were done eating, we walked in a big group to the flamingoes lake which they loved and then made our way to the big cats.
There were about 8 adults including two volunteers from Rotaract that showed up, but it was still pretty hard to keep track of 100 kids. As Raj said, at any given time we had "a hundred kids, plus or minus five". The kids scattered in all directions pretty quickly and I tried not to get too worried about them. The teacher from the school said, "Don't worry - they need us and love us, they won't loose us." Which made me feel better - I guess! My favorite part of the day was when we saw the lion's den, and the littlest one in the school, Priyanka, who is 2 started shouting, "Lion... Lion... Wake up!" at the top of her voice. The lion who had been dozing eventually did raise its head to look around as little fearless Priyanka continued to call out to him. Priyanka was left on the doorstep of the school in the middle of the night when she was about 4 months old. This little orphan in her bright sundress and straw hat is the pudgy little darling of the school and she is everyone's baby. She is spoiled rotten by everyone and she chattered non-stop the entire day saying, "Dekie, Dekie" to everything, which means "look at this".
After visiting every exhibit (except the bear cage which scared everyone including me) we found our little patch of grass again and gave the kids all a piece of cake. Finally a Rotaract volunteer led the kids in a game and we let them play for a little while. One of the teachers asked me very nicely, "please could the children stay and play as they never really get to leave the school", and it again dawned on me that a trip to the zoo is really one of the biggest events in these kids' lives. We finally climbed on board the bus and most of us snoozed on the journey back to the school.
For 100 kids from the street, I have to tell you how amazed I was at the children's behavior. They never raised their voices, stayed with their buddies, and were better behaved than most kids I have seen (especially the naughty one's in Australia). They had such a look of peace and contentment on their faces and they seemed truly happy. These kids have the most amazing eyes. When you look in their eyes, you see that they are old souls, wise to the world with inner strength that is hard as steel. Yet, they are still babies who want affection, to hold your hand or offer you a bite of whatever they are eating. Sometimes they would just run up and give me a hug or hold my leg and then runaway. I love these babies so much and today was really for me what I want Baal Dan to be about. To feed the bodies, minds and souls of these children. To give food, but also to give them a chance to be kids and wake up a lion or two.
12.8.2006
BUNDLING | Comments
I am so exhausted. Today, I went to the street school which had given me the use of a large classroom to do all the bundling of the things I bought. The classroom was filled along the permieter with several hundred boxes. Pencils, toothbrushes, soaps, toy cars, and the other thousands of things we were able to buy. In addition, a crate-load of over 2100 pieces of underwear, socks and vests were delivered as well as 600 heavy wool blankets. The plan was that I was supposed to be met by a college group of volunteers in the morning to help me do the sorting and bundling. Not one person showed up, except a lovely Irish lady called Perpetua who has been a volunteer at the school for the last few months. To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement as I had expected at least 7 people to show up. I've learned though in the last few weeks that here, the "say/do" ratio here is not so good.
So, Perpetua, Mrs. Marcely, another teacher from the school, and I worked all day assembling by hand over 300 bundles for each street child at the school. (There are almost a thousand children here though...). Each bundle had: a soap, toothbrush, tooth powder, book, pencil, eraser, crayon set, simple toy, t-shirt, handkerchief and shampoo sachet. Basics for us I know, but this will be their Christmas gift this year. Puts things in perspective, doesn't it? When a child cherishes a bar of soap for their very own. Anyway, we spent the morning bundling, while Raj sorted out the medicine and food distributions and paperwork.
We worked until 4pm and then took a break to do a small presentation to the children. About 100 of them assembled in the little school courtyard and I told them that people in America faraway care for them and have sent them these gifts. Then I presented each child with a little care bundle. I got lots of "thank you Auntie's", "thank you Didi" (big sister) and plenty of hugs and kisses. Then I presented Sister Cyril with two special bundles. The two ziploc bags assembled for me from two kids in Dallas,who collected little treasures (stickers, dolls, toys) from their own rooms for the kids in Calcutta. I told the sister that for each week, whomever has been the best child can have a treat from the bag, and if a new child comes in from the street they can have a treat as well. After the presentation the kids sang a song and we gave them each a toffee which got the loudest and rowdiest round of applause by far. After that, Raj and I rushed across town to another NGO which takes care of street children in a halfway house and a railway platform and presented them with blankets, medicines, t-shirts and a special selection of toys for the kids at the railway that really stole our hearts.
Today, I think we did more than ever could have been expected of 4 people (Raj, Perpetua, Mrs. Marcely and Sister Cyril), and how we got it done, I will never know. The shopping, braving the crowds, bargaining, getting goods, bundling and handing the things to the kids has been extremely intense and physically taxing. I had a fever of over 100 most of the day and a bad cough (due to the pollution) and Raj has also been unwell. But, I am glad I went through this experience and did all of this myself with Raj's help because I have learned more than I possibly could have imagined. To all the people that gave even $1, I can't wait to show you how much I was able to do with it here in Calcutta. I will hold the memory of being in that room filled with things in my heart forever and I will never forget how it felt to give each child a small bundle of things most people would never imagine would be considered a treasure. We gave "small things with great love", and we showed these kids that they are cared for - and that they are loved very much.
12.7.2006
ONLY HUMAN | Comments
I have not been very well the last few days with the fever and today I could not go to the market to do the last of the shopping. Raj went with a couple of helpers from the street school and got some toys for the kids including: balls, dolls, cars and "ABC" board games. We also placed an order for LOTS of underwear and socks. I only have tomorrow to do the bundling and distribution and Saturday to spend with the kids, so time has really run out. I feel at this point, very, very tired. This trip has been tough for a number of reasons - the environment, delays, crowds, strikes, illness and the general "organized chaos" that pervades every aspect of life in India. I think I have done as much as I physically could have on this trip and I have learnt alot. I have to thank Raj too for being such a trooper as he too has not been feeling too well on this trip. Calcutta is a tough place, that is for sure.
12.6.2006
ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK... | Comments
The problem with trying to do anything here is that you need a minimum of two hours to do even simple things. Plus, you have to go to about 10 different places to get each thing (there is no one stop shopping here). I am exhausted and quickly running out of time. The two days I lost because of the "bund" and my travel delays have pushed my schedule to the limit. Today was another frustrating day of dealing with the traffic and trying to check some things off the list (girl's t-shirts). Then we attended a Rotary meeting at 6 pm to discuss some long term sustainable projects. I am bracing myself for tomorrow - the final shopping day, at what is one of the world's busiest, smelliest and craziest wholesale markets. And, no - there will be no photos of this shopping expedition because there is barely enough room to walk through the mass of people at this place, let alone trying to take a photo. I keep thinking of the U2 song, "Beautiful Day", because that is how I feel being here - especially the line about being stuck in traffic.
12.5.2006
BUND DAY | Comments
Today there is another strike day or "bund" so everything in the city is shut down. I am feeling a little run down, so I am going to use this day to catch up on some rest as I have been on-the-go for days now. (Congratulations to Sae and Andy Coulston on the arrival of sweet baby Miku!)
12.4.2006
THE WHEELS ON THE BUS... | Comments
I am exhausted, but today was a first for me. I filled a bus (a real bus) jam-packed (seats, floor, ceiling) with things for the kids. Blankets, pencils, soap, toothbrushes and tooth powder (they don't use toothpaste often). It was a long day and frustrating at times due to the traffic jams, pollution and general chaos, but the vision I had for Baal Dan is happening. More shopping to go...
12.3.2006
CHILDREN WITHOUT A CHILDHOOD | Comments
This morning I interviewed a few families who are being assisted by a small non-profit agency. The families consisted mainly of single mothers and kids aged between 8 and 15 who need financial assistance and rations. While one step removed from Baal Dan's core mission of helping street kids and orphans I was deeply touched by the situations these families in need face. I met a woman who lost her husband and suddenly was faced with debts, no savings and two children to get through school. Her monthly income is less than 800 rupees and she is desperate to find work. She lamented, "All my life I have never needed to accept charity. My husband took care of everything, but after I lost him, we had nothing." After meeting these families, we headed to a village called Behala about 1 hour outside of Calcutta. There I visited an orphanage home for 215 kids between 5 and 15 years old. It was a calm, clean place and the kids were very sweet.Everyday this week I have visited orphanages, shelters, NGO's, halfway houses and homes for children who are street children or orphans. Each time I hear numbers like, "We have 700 kids", "215 kids", "1,600 kids"... I just can't begin to fathom how many children there are without parents and without a real home. The numbers are staggering in Calcutta alone, and I am a little in shock after this week myself at seeing the number of kids in need. Of course I use the statistic "18 million street children" quite often, but to have this reinforced everyday while I am here is quite hard to bear. Please pause for a moment and consider how you would feel visiting an orphanage and seeing more than 200 kids right in front of you shyly waving hello, saying "Namaskar" and wanting to hold your hand. Then realize that these kids will likely live out their childhood in this very orphanage. A social worker today told me, "These kids need love. That is the most important thing. Not food or clothes." Please take a moment and send these kids some love and a prayer for a happy childhood.
12.2.2006
COOLER WEATHER IN CALCUTTA | Comments
Yesterday I spent a few hours at the big school for street children that I plan to support with Baal Dan. The kids and I played on the steps in the courtyard and they were really sweet. They saw me push my hair out of my eyes at one point, and then two of them (little 5 year old girls) kept stroking my hair and everytime my bangs/fringe got in the way, they would ever so gently push my hair out of the way. After getting an extensive list of food items, clothing, school supplies and medicines that are needed I started to plan out the rest of next week. We began purchasing medicines yesterday and will continue to do so for the next couple of days before beginning the packaging and bundling process. The medicines needed here are in some ways typical of what is needed for a basic clinic (antibiotics, cough syrups, fever meds), however there are some specific meds needed for kids off the street such as: scabies treatments, Neosporin for all the wounds they have and protein supplements as they are malnourished. There is a group called Rotaract - a college/junior Rotary club that will be helping me this week. They are a great group of college kids that will be helping me with all the purchasing and bundling. This morning I will be meeting some very poor children that are under the care of an NGO and in the afternoon, Raj and I will be visiting an orphanage for children aged between 5 and 18 about an hour outside of Calcutta. The weather here is really cool - in fact people are saying this is a much cooler Winter than previous years. There is also alot of pollution in the air from so many cars and the fumes at times are overwhelming. It is sometimes hard to breathe, and often I will have a sore throat or watery eyes. The cooler weather is harder on the street kids as they need blankets and sweaters. I can't imagine having to sleep outside (be it in Dallas or in Calcutta) in the Winter, so please say a prayer for these little ones that live without even basic shelter. I hope one day Baal Dan can help in this regard.
12.1.2006
PHOTOS? | Comments
I know you want to see photos, but right now I don't have a way to post them online from here...
12.1.2006
I'M MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE... | Comments
Now that I have done some extensive research on how best to help the children, I'll be making a master list and budget of all the things I need to buy in bulk. I have everything from cooking oil, toothbrushes, towels, socks, crayons, mattresses, medicines and plates on my list. The current exchange rate is $1=44 rupees.
12.1.2006
AND BOYS WILL BE BOYS... | Comments
I visited two shelters for street kids who live at Sealdah railway station. Train stations are a huge hub for street kids as they have many places for the kids to hide, and also many kids who have run away from home stay at the station instead of stepping out into what might be an unknown scary city. Not that the railway station is not scary. There are homeless people, drug dealers (all too keen to get the kids hooked on drugs and then pimp them out) and sexual predators for both girls and boys. I took in the sight of a 3 year-old girl wearing a filthy blue dress with a wide sash who had made her home in a metal partition on the side of train platform. A naked baby toddling around, while his mother begged on the side of the station. A 14 year-old boy whom the Field Worker I went with knew for the past 5 years. He had an angelic face and the most gentle brown eyes. He recently started doing some drugs, but "not alot" he told us, and we tried to make him promise to stop. Then there were two rascals aged 10 and 12 who pulled me into a game of "carrom" (popular Indian board game) who hung out at the shelter on and off. And then there was Tinku (7, a street smart little bloke who followed us around everywhere and every time I tried to take a photo, he was determined to pull my camera out of my hands so he could see himself on the screen. He would grab my arms, call out "Auntie" incessantly and hug me. He just seemed to ache for attention and affection.We visited two shelters and the boys did anything but sit still (unlike the girls). So what is the hope for these children who are orphans, but who will never be adopted? As they gain the trust of the 24/7 field workers at the shelter who befriend them and talk to them, they slowly start to realize that they need to be in the shelter all the time instead of roaming around the dangerous station at night. As they get accustomed to staying in the shelter and building a friendship with the staff, they are told about schools they could go to and place where they will always be safe (the halfway house in the city). Eventually the goal is to take these little street urchins into a proper orphanage or shelter and get them into bridge courses for school so they can rebuild their lives. These kids were so friendly, naughty and happy, that I found it difficult to believe that they lived on a railway platform and were in so much danger. One showed me how fast he could spin a top, while another climbed up the outide of the shelter up to the windows just to get my attention. And then there was Tinku who ran all the way from his shelter to the second shelter we visited just to get another look at the digital camera. He brought a pal with him this time. A scrawny little boy wearing a faded yellow soccer shirt and carrying a black duffle bag across this shoulder. This fellow walked by my side almost to the outside of the station just smiling and not saying a word, while Tinku pestered Raj and held his hand some of the way. After waving goodbyes, I had to turn and leave. I looked back once and there they all were standing in a group still waving at me. I will return to the pitiful little shelter with supplies of blankets and clothes. Oh, and some board games for them to play and cricket bats of course. "I'll be back," has a whole new meaning for me now.
12.1.2006
GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS... | Comments
A visit to a halfway house for girls provided to be a very civilized affair. Once the door to the room where the girls stay was opened, there were about 20 girls aged between 3 and 14 who simply stared at Raj and I. Only the littlest one, Raju (3) threw her arms around me and wanted me to pick her up. I sat down on a low bench and the girls immediately piled in front of me sitting crosslegged. There was silence as I studied them and they studied me. There was simply nothing else to do to break the silence than for me to start singing the well worn tune, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", complete with hand movements and starry skies. That broke the ice and the girls started teaching me their secret handshakes and singing other songs. I asked the social worker why these little street urchins were so well behaved (as usually these kids are really naughty). She explained that when they come in to the halfway house, they quickly fall into a strict daily routine of meals and play which gives them structure, and they are assigned a counselor to work with them daily. This adult attention and interaction gives them a sense of security and over time they become alot calmer. They also do dance classes which helps them expend any pent up energy and emotions. Commonsense I guess, but when kids have no adult care or love, they need to act up. I left the girls with a promise to come back with goodies that I just can't wait to give them. Essentials like medicines for their little sick bay, blankets and maybe some girly things like hair barrettes and bangles too! They are girls after all...
12.1.2006
WHERE TO BEGIN? | Comments
I know it has been a few days since my last update. I have been on-the-go from 6.00 am until 11.00 pm, so this has been the first chance I have gotten to update this blog. I've spent the last few days evaluating a number of existing programs, NGO's, churches and schools that help street children. I have identified quite a few doing great work in Calcutta and that are in need of supplies - everything from blankets as it is Winter to cooking oil for the children's meals. In addition, I have met with two Rotary clubs in Calcutta that want to develop a joint project with Baal Dan and a great little group called Rotaract - the college kids branch of Rotary that will be helping with shopping and assembling supplies next week. People here have been great and very supportive. I think the fact that I am alone and this is the first trip for Baal Dan has really made people take an interest and reach out and help. I will say that although my schedule has been non-stop, I feel like I am learning so much about how to develop Baal Dan and the environment here in Calcutta. I feel as if my 3 months volunteering here last year was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of my own learning and development.
11.28.2006
BEEN AROUND THE WORLD... | Comments
If you want to experience bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours on end, then Calcutta is the place to go. I hit the road this morning at 7.00 am with my trusty driver Mahmood to make a trip out to an area called Dum Dum over an hour away. The dusty, packed streets were filled with small street stalls selling everything from chickens to shoes, decorated cows roaming around (sacred in India as a source of life) and people on bikes, rickshaws and mopeds. I visited two different places: a very large school that up until recently was also an orphanage, the small school in Dum Dum some of you have heard me talk about to evaluate needs and if and how they cater to street children. Then I headed back into town at peak hour lunch time traffic to visit 2 more schools, and grab lunch - a roll (fried bread with vegetable filling - very oily and very yummy) and a coffee to keep me going. Next a visit to 2 more schools, a mission house where I met some college kids from the UK on a volunteering trip and a meeting with a Pastor who referred me to a couple of other places. After that I visited a very large NGO catering to street children and railway children and got to see their girls' halfway house. There were about 15 girls aged between 4 and 9, and they were very friendly. At one point, one of the girls pushed everyone to the edges of the little room they lived in, tied the ends of her little red dress into a knot and then said, "Look this, look this!" Then, she started doing cartwheels, flips and backbends finishing with a perfect gymnastics flourish complete with arms raised. A moment of dramatic silence and then the other girls burst into loud, roudy applause.
Then after that, I met with a group that has some health projects and then another group that runs a night shelter. I am doing all these evaluations to see if there are any existing programs that serve the same purpose as Baal Dan. This process is lengthy, tiring and tough in order to weed out untrustworthy places. Once I am done with this, I can move on to the bulk phase which I am looking forward to. Oh - I was in the car, and some street kids between 6 and 8 came up to the window, and started chatting. They of course asked for "chocolate please aunty" and they had a little dog with them called "Thommy". Another street boy about 8, asked me for money, but when I gave him an apple he looked at me, nodded a few times as if to say, "yes please" and then ran away. Finally I met an 18 year-old living in a night shelter that provides him with school fees, meals and a place to live as he has been in orphanage care most of his life (from 1995). He was very quick, and asked how old I was immediately when I met him, to which I replied "That's one question you ought not to ask a woman", which was met by, "Why not? I like to break the rules." He was brought up by his grandmother who could not afford to care for him and had it not been for the orphanage school that looked after him, (the one I visited earlier that is no longer an orphanage) he would have been destitute all these years. I am so focused on helping the little ones that I sometimes forget that the little ones grow up, and need help to get through school, high school and maybe even college in order to really build a strong future. To all those kids that have succeeded in life without the support of parents, without a home, I salute you.
11.27.2006
A DOOR HAS OPENED... | Comments
Today I was given a lead to what could be a major distribution point for Baal Dan. A school in Calcutta dedicated entirely to street children. Serving almost 1,000 children, providing 700 meals every day and taking in ANY child in need. Babies, teenagers, children with parents that cannot work or are victims of parents who are alcohlics, or simply street children. Furthermore, the visonary person who runs this school is tapped into other small slum schools in the outskirts of Calcutta that teach street children. I wish I could post photos right now of what I saw at this school. Kids filling their metal bowls with steaming hot rice and dahl (lentils) and darting in and out of the hallways. Oh - and the best idea I have heard so far on this trip. Using school classroom as night rooms/shelter for street kids. After all, most classrooms lie empty from 3.00 pm until 8.00 am, and if the kids can be encouraged to say at school to get an education, are provided a meal and a place to sleep it helps to get them off the street and onto a better start in life. Another brilliant idea from this project - training the older children to be teachers as part of their schooling, so they will always have a vocation, and the school needs less of a volunteer roster. I am sure I will have more to report on this opportunity for Baal Dan later this week. I did alot of running around today, all the while drinking in the vibrant sights, sounds and smells of my beloved Calcutta. I did see street kids, but more than that, the poverty always gets to me. But there is one thing I realized today in my first full day in action for Baal Dan; I am blessed to have come back to this city to help in a different way, and also to have visited the kids at the orphanage so I could rest easier knowing that so many of them have now been adopted. Tomorrow, my day starts at 7.00 am, so I need to get some rest.
11.27.2006
SHISHU BHAVAN UPDATE | Comments
I went to Shishu Bhavan this afternoon and I have wonderful news to report. Of the 27 kids I worked with in the little classroom, all of them have been adopted, and the only children left at the orphanage. Danney (he is so tall now and so strong, talking more and better eye contact), Isha (taller, but pale today, and was smiling alot), Anandita (very tall and more grown up looking, her scar looks a little lighter), Mangal (much thinner and a little taller, very pensive today but affectionate) and Duli (alot thinner, with even shorter hair and talking alot). It was the afternoon and I walked up the stairs at about 3.30 pm. The Sister who runs the orphanage was there and recognized me. When I came in the room, the kids immediately said "Tanniiiya!" and Duli ran to the alphabet board to point out the letter "T". Then, Mangal and Anandita started singing "Old McDonald" (my song that I used to sing to them) and they remembered the lyrics and dance. Most of the kids I worked with went to Italy: Rema, Sonju, Maina, Milly, Mini and Surekha. Sister said Rema's parents called and said she is fluent in Italian and was top of her class. Rema is so smart and poised. Once after a shift, I was saying goodbye to the kids and Rema called me back and said, "Tomorrow. You bring me Jewelry." A true little princess. The sister said there are less than 100 kids left now. So, whatever the hold up was on adoptions when I was there is over - thank God!! I am so thankful that so many of our kids have been adopted. It is amazing that of the 27 kids we had in the classroom, now only 5 are left but all slated for adoption too. They are doing so well and they are so smart and talkative! I have thought about these children every single day since I left Calcutta and probably will always think of them. I am so happy that most of them now have been adopted.
11.26.2006
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM! | Comments
Darling Mum, Happy Birthday! I send you all my love. Thank you for all your love and support for Baal Dan!! For those of you that don't know - my Mum's Dad was an orphan and the inspiration behind me even making the decision to go to Calcutta to volunteer at an orphanage last year.
11.26.2006
IN CALCUTTA | Comments
Well I am finally here, and I am so happy to be here! I arrived last night at around 8.00 pm, slept well, and now on to a busy day. My first stop is Mother House and then Shishu Bhavan orphanage. On the way from the airport I had a discussion with a contact here about India's recent decision to ban child labor. I asked if any difference has been made thus far, apart from the recognition that this is a problem that has to be solved. So far, people involved in social services are happy that at least now there is a ban. The results have yet to be reported. Let's hope this law makes a difference.
11.25.2006
I'M NOT THERE YET | Comments
After big delays in Dallas on Wednesday, my flight finally made it to New York, however I missed my international connection. So, I spent a night in New York, and now I am in Dubai, the city where I grew up. I have to stay here a couple of nights, as there are no daily flights to Calcutta, the next one is on Sunday. The good news about the delay? I will gotten over the brunt of my jet lag by the time I get to Calcutta, which means that I can hit the ground running. The bad news – a couple of precious days lost. The day I left was pretty stressful, but I realized that the degree of graciousness I display in dealing with these delays will be good preparation for the patience I will have to display with all the logistics I have to deal with in India.
The Dubai Chapter of Baal Dan got off to a great start this year, led by Aparna Lal. Apu and I grew up together (and it is her place I am crashing at for my unexpected 2-night delay in Dubai). Even though it is the middle of the day here, I feel a little groggy with jet lag.
A special hello and thank you to people I met so far on this journey – Al Lemus, pilot for Jet Blue and Mahmood – thank you for the assistance at the airport. But I save the biggest thanks for Charlie and Patsy Valier – thank you for helping me out in NYC. Your generosity really meant a lot to me and I am so grateful for your help.
11.17.2006
PENNIES FOR BAAL DAN UPDATE | Comments
How many pennies can you collect in about 4 weeks with three collection jars? Over $300 dollars worth! Thank you SO much to Karen Vogel for starting this campaign and to Jess Vasquez and Jamie Lilley and all the Groupers who contributed their pennies. We were all pretty amazed at how many pennies were collected in such a short time. If you would like to start penny collections of your own for Baal Dan, please email me. Thank you once again my sweet Pod mates. Those pennies will go a long way in India.
11.16.2006
TWO BIG HEARTS | Comments
Two large Ziploc bags stuffed with pennies, soft toys, hair clips, marbles, stickers, baubles and countless other treasures. Hudson and Scout Johnson collected all these things for me to take to the kids in India. They went around their bedrooms and collected all their favorite things to send to Calcutta. 
To a child that has nothing, a small bracelet, or a toy car is a chance to escape into a different world. At the orphanage I would see how the kids would keep and play with even the most worthless things. A piece of string would become a necklace, a shiny sweet wrapper - a window to look through and a toilet roll holder - a telescope. You might say that kids all over the world use their imaginations to change the way they look at the world. I would agree, but with one difference. Most of our kids here have countless toys, television, cartoons and experiences to create their world with. For a child in an orphanage, who might have one pair of clothes, not even one toy to call their own, and maybe a few outings a year, a marble or a hair clip can change their whole world. I know that Hudson and Scout are too young to realize the impact their treasures will have on the kids in Calcutta, but I want to thank them so much for their pure and generous hearts. God bless you girls and your Mum and Dad too!
11.16.2006
CIAO CALCUTTA! | Comments
I made a good friend last year from Italy, Silvia, who was also a volunteer for Mother Teresa. She has been helping to spread the word about Baal Dan in Italy and I got the sweetest email from a fellow volunteer, Federica. Her first trip to Calcutta was in February 1999, and her last trip was in February 2004. Click here to check out her website. She even had her wedding dress made at a tailor shop in Calcutta's famous Sudder Street! Grazie Federica for supporting Baal Dan!
11.14.2006
BAAL DAN IS ON YOU TUBE | Comments
Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88plX1pErCI
Please share this video with your friends!
11.11.2006
GOOD OR BIG? | Comments
I was in a meeting with Stan Richards yesterday and he said that when he started his agency, The Richards Group, he knew he could have made the choice to be good or to be big. He said, "I decided that if made the choice to be good, then big would take care of itself." I know this comment comes a little out of context, but his wise words meant alot to me. When you focus on doing your best work, and on really enjoying what you do, then the rewards will come. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to learn this firsthand in my career. Mother Teresa's quote "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one," was so pivotal in inspiring me to start Baal Dan, and I think Stan's focus on "being good" - on creating the best work, instead of worrying about outside factors is undoubtedly what has allowed his agency to flourish.
11.9.2006
KIDS HELPING KIDS | Comments
I got a donation yesterday that really touched my heart. Maggie (8) and Ella (6) Gotway sent me all the money from their piggy banks to help the children in India. I was so touched by their offering and how pure and generous of heart these kids are. Thank you so much girls – I will make sure that the kids in Calcutta know that they have children thousands of miles away that care about them so much.
11.9.2006
TRG SUPPORTS BAAL DAN | Comments
Yesterday we had a small fundraiser at The Richards Group, the advertising agency where I work. We sold quite a few t-shirts and got to tell a great group of people about Baal Dan. I also finally got to show the people I work with photos from my sabbatical. I get so much moral support from the people I work with every day, especially my Pod family. A big Dhanyavaad to (in cube order): Sue Goss, Karen Vogel, Klaire Frick, Steve Colwill, Phillip Lee, Bennett Holloway, Todd Tucker and Chelsea Hughes.
11.6.2006
STREET CHILDREN IN AFRICA | Comments
While Baal Dan is focusing on the plight of street children in India, I hope that one day with enough funds I can do more to help poor children and orphans in Africa as well. I just read an article about a Children's Club/Shelter being built in Malawi - a town that recently got lots of attention when Madonna adopted a baby from an orphanage there. The article cites frequent abuse of street children, and I know in the research that I have done, this problem is also prevalent in India. At least now with this shelter, these kids will have somewhere to go, and somewhere to sleep. One day, I hope that Baal Dan can provide similar assistance for these children
in need.
10.25.2006
FUNDRAISING PARTY | Comments
A fundraising party hosted by Rotary Addison was held on Saturday night to support Baal Dan. The event was held at Raj's house and many thanks to him and the generous people at Rotary for making this first fundraising party for Baal Dan so successful!
Click on a picture below to enlarge:
10.20.2006
DIWALI | Comments
Tomorrow is Diwali - the Hindu New Year. I was so blessed to be in India last year to celebrate Diwali and see the city of Calcutta bathed under the light of fireworks and sparklers.
Today on BBC there was an interesting article about Diwali and its impact on children. Read through to the end of the article where there are a few stories about street children. Despite the growing affluence in India, there are still way too many children in need. The article states: "For millions of Indian children, it's a struggle merely to earn money, let alone spend it. The United Nations estimates that between 12 and 60 million children here work to make a living, despite a recent ban on child labour. Armaan is a scavenger in Mumbai. He collects used plastic bottles from Mumbai's filthy canals and sells them to shops nearby. He makes $2 a day doing this work. He says he would like to go to school, but cannot afford to. India's children may be its future, but as yet, not all of them are included in the country's economic growth."
Article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6067416.stm
10.19.2006
T-SHIRTS | Comments
Harry Rogers owns Best Print, Dallas and has done a fabulous job with printing the Baal Dan t-shirts. Harry is from the UK and has two adorable kids, Lily (6) and Max (5). If you ever need t-shirts - Harry is The Best! Email me for details.
10.11.2006
GENEROUS GENERATION | Comments
Last night I went to an event hosted by DFWIMA, where the Chief Revenue Officer of Facebook, Mike Murphy, talked about the power of social networking. Facebook is used primarily by 18-24 year olds and Mike Murphy referenced a number of research studies about this dynamic demographic group. Studies have shown this group to be: "The most generous generation of our time," he said, and I have found this to be true. The first donors, volunteers and supporters of Baal Dan have all been under the age of 24. I am so appreciative of the enthusiasm of the interns who worked with me this summer, and my brother Neil who handles the website and development. This will be the generation that knows no boundaries in communication - and wants to make a difference.
10.7.2006
BIRTHDAY BLOG | Comments
October is a special month for me, because my birthday is on October 7 - the same date that Mother Teresa started her order - the Missionaries of Charity in 1950. This came as a surprise to me last year when I showed up for work at the orphanage and there was a celebration going on. I thought it was honor of my birthday – but actually it was the 55th anniversary of the Missionaries of Charity! So much has happened to me in the last year. I have traveled around the world, met some amazing people and started Baal Dan. But nothing has touched me more in the past year of my life than the blessings and intercession of Mother Teresa. Thank you Mother Teresa for all the blessings you have bestowed upon me and for the good you have done in this world.
9.25.2006
MYSTIC INDIA | Comments
If you have always wanted to go to India, there is an amazing new IMAX film in theaters now called "Mystic India". By far one of the most colorful vibrant films I have ever seen, this is one-hour movie finally does India some justice. You will get to see temples, forest and the far ranges of the Indian landscape which might be impossible to journey in one lifetime. The best thing about the film is that the story is infused with spirituality and yoga - which is the very core of the Indian culture.
www.mysticindia.com
9.21.2006
LOVE AS THE REASON FOR ALL THINGS | Comments
This week, a very special friend of mine, Teresa Chang, gave me a valuable gift for Baal Dan which moved me greatly. In a card to me she wrote: "In our faith, we believe it is in giving that we receive. And what a joy it is to be able to give and make a difference in this world, one person and one step at a time." Teresa is engaged to be married to Derek Bumpas on October 14, 2006 and I am so honored to be part of their wedding. She truly cherishes love and inspires those around her to love more. She quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson to me last night: "To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." Teresa, I would like you to know that because of your gift you have more than succeeded. Thank you and God bless you and Derek always.
9.19.2006
PENNIES FOR BAAL DAN UPDATE | Comments
It looks like collection points for Pennies for Baal Dan have been started by a number of different people, but today I got a fun surprise. Maggie Jalufka Sova, donated a huge amount of pennies to Baal Dan. Enough pennies to make $25 - I could hardly lift the box they came in - they were so heavy! Maggie is also the author of a spiritual book called Spirit of the Eagle: How Keeping a Journal Will Lift You to Greater Heights.
Maggie is on her way to move to Tel Aviv, Israel and I would like to wish both her and her husband Nir prosperity and happiness for their move and many blessings! Keep soaring Maggie!
9.19.2006
ENTREPRENEURIAL PHILANTHROPY | Comments
I attended a talk by Ray Nasher, on "Entrepreneurial Philanthropy" hosted by Dallas Social Venture Partners at the Nasher Sculpture Center. Ray Nasher has accomplished so much in his life and contributed significantly to the arts.
When asked how and why he got into philanthropy, I was struck by his humble response about how his parents who had emigrated from Russia instilled a love of the arts in him. He referenced the fact that in those days, people had almost a "utopian consideration" for each other, and helped those in need in their community.
Mr. Nasher said he felt that everyone should have an “important interest outside of their employment” - whether it is volunteering or supporting a cause. Why? To be fulfilled as a person and to try to better the society in which they live.
I couldn't agree more, which is the reason I started Baal Dan. I love my career in advertising, but I needed to do something more. I got the chance to talk to Mr. Nasher briefly afterwards and told him that I went to India last year on sabbatical to volunteer at Mother Teresa's orphanage. He looked me square in the eye, smiled, and in his broad Boston accent said, "Did you have a fabulous time?" Yes, Mr. Nasher I had the time of my life.
9.19.2006
ROTARY UPDATE | Comments
The amazing people of Rotary Addison have agreed to support Baal Dan for the 2006 mission trip! They are sending a volunteer with me to Calcutta, fundraising and lining up a Rotary club in Calcutta to help me when I get there. Dhanyavaad Rotary Addison and a special thank you to Raj Narayanan for his commitment to Baal Dan. God bless you!
8.26.2006
ROTARY ADDISON | Comments
I gave my first public talk today about Baal Dan to Rotary Addison
. I was a guest of Raj Narayanan and he gave me the opportunity to talk to his club members about Baal Dan and my experience last year in India. I am hoping that Rotary can be part of my 2006 trip to Calcutta and I was so overwhelmed by the enthusiastic reception I got and the kindness that was extended to me by this group. Rotary's mission is: To effect change in the community. I think this club's members ought to be recognized for their contribution to the community and especially their efforts with Bryan's House in Dallas which is an orphanage and also helps kids with AIDS/HIV. I would like to thank Rotary Addison and Raj for giving me an opportunity to talk about Baal Dan and the warm reception I received. God bless all of you for the contribution you are making and Dhanyavaad!
Click on a picture below to enlarge:
8.23.2006
JEWELRY THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE | Comments They had a stall at their local town fair, and even sold their delicate earrings door-to-door to raise money. They gave all the proceeds of their jewelry sales to Unicef. I was so honored when the girls contacted me and said they wanted to send me earrings to sell for Baal Dan. I have already sold most of the earrings and all the proceeds will go towards Baal Dan and help children in need. Please contact us for more information if you are interested in purchasing some. Below are some photos of the jewelry. Click on any of the photos to enlarge the image.
Madhavi (age 12) and Kavitha (age 11) are two girls with BIG hearts that are making a difference to help children in need. One day, after visiting a jewelry-making shop in their home town of New Jersey, they were inspired to make earrings of their own and start a little business - with one big difference. All the proceeds would go to help children in need.
8.19.2006
Voices Against Poverty | Comments
Tim Stapleton who runs Atllas, an advertising agency in Atlanta developed a powerful campaign for Voices Against Poverty. It was presented at a recent press conference and I think it is beautiful and arresting work. I hope that this campaign succeeds and that poverty in Africa can be wiped out by 2015. Click here to view an image of one of the ads.
8.3.2006
India changes laws on child labor | Comments
In today's Financial Times it was reported that India is clamping down on child labor making it illegal for children under 14 to work in households, spas and hotels from October 10. While these steps are to be commended, referenced also is the International Labor Organization report that there are 122 million working children (aged 5-14) in Asia Pacific with 44 million of them in India - giving it the world's largest child workforce.
I found this to be even more distrurbing: "...many of the schools serving the poor were of such low quality that the expected return on education was not equal to the sacrifice of income made during school years." I think that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, so hopefully by investing in schools that do take the poorest of the poor and keep those children motivated and educated, small steps can be made to reduce child labor.
(Source: India extends prohibitions on employing children by Jo Johnson, The Financial Times, 08/03/06.
7.28.2006
Thank you TRG Interns | Comments
For the past three weeks, 16 interns at The Richards Group worked on a pro bono project for Baal Dan. I would like to thank them for their energy, enthusiasm and ideas. I was honored to work with them, and their insights and devotion to Baal Dan were amazing.
Thank you for helping me with Baal Dan. I will always be grateful for the time and energy you spent working to make this little charity of mine the best it can be.
Sincere thanks as well to Sean Jecko and Allison Horton as well for their time.
Team ChariTRG:
Tiffani Kiger, Temple Ruff, Rachel Brooks, Ryan Higgins, Michael Maldonado, Zac Pritchett, Brian Stout, Patrick Malone.
Team Moxie:
Davith Kuch, Paige Phillips, Tara Davis, Kathleen Meek, Chelsea Hughes, Nazli Khorrami, Amber Olson, Cecelia Stewart.
7.3.2006
AMMA | Comments
Yesterday I went to see Amma, the "hugging saint". Amma is a great humanitarian and has given over $22 million dollars for Tsunami relief. Her focus on meditation, spiritual unity and helping the poor have inspired many people around the world. Learn more about Amma at www.amma.org.
7.1.2006
INDIA INC. | Comments
India has been in the news a lot lately. The June 26th issue of Time Magazine featured a cover story called "India Inc". In one article, author Shekhar Kapur talks about the class divide that exists in India, something that struck me deeply.
"This must be one of the few places on earth where the rich try to work off a few pounds in the gym, step outside and are confronted by a barefoot child of skin and bones begging for something to eat."
With Warren Buffett's recent announcement about his BIG donation to the Gates Foundation, I have a renewed sense of hope that world attention will shift towards how we can all collectively reduce inequities in this world. I am inspired that Baal Dan can play a part in helping to make sure that no child has to live on the streets.
6.15.2006
"HELLO CHOCOLATE!" | Comments
When I was in Calcutta volunteering, often at lunch I would walk from Shishu Bhavan to Sudder Street where most of the other volunteers lived in hostels. I was staying with relatives in the Queens Park area so I caught a bus straight to work and had little opportunity to mingle with other volunteers.
One of my best friends in Calcutta was Lisa. A beautiful, gentle girl from Seattle that was 20 years old and a nursing student. She was down to earth, very friendly, kind and always cheerful. She had a can-do attitude and NEVER complained. On a trip to Darjeeling, when we were freezing cold, had not showered in 4 days, and nothing was going right, Lisa would be the one to say, “It will be just fine.” On the many occasions when I was tired and simply could not do anymore, she would say in that sweet gentle voice, “Tanya, you’re doing great.” The girl's capacity to look at the glass half full was endless.
One humid afternoon, we were making the familiar walk through the winding alleys from AJC Bose Road to Sudder Street when some street kids started following us. We attracted more attention from the beggars because Lisa was white. A couple of seven year-old boys were playfully running after us and started calling out, “Hello Mummy”. Oh, how cute. Lisa and I looked at each other smiling and commented on how cute the little street kids were. They must be orphans too. Then we heard one of them say, “Hello Money” and hold out his hand. “Well, that’s funny.” Lisa said. “I love how they don’t even pause between the words, hello and money. It’s not even a question.” We could not stop giggling. It was sad but true in a way. Their shouts of “Hello Money” were soon followed by “Hello Chocolate!” Kids are kids after all. They can be on the streets with no shoes, no school to go to, nothing, and they want candy.
After that day, when Lisa and I met we would always say, “Hello Money.”
“Hello Chocolate.”
6.8.2006
ADOPTION FROM INDIA 101
Many people have asked me about adopting from Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Calcutta, and I must admit, until today I did not have clear understanding of the adoption process despite the fact that I spent three months in an orphanage.
I met with Marsha K. Fogarty and Dr. Bhanu Ivatury and they gave me the 'Adoption from India 101' on the rules, processes and politics behind international adoption.
The reason why there are no US adoptions from Shishu Bhavan, Calcutta, is that currently Shishu Bhavan does not have the appropriate license (they did in the past) for adoption with the U.S.
The adoption process for India is complicated and my meeting with Marsha and Dr. Bhanu really showed me what people go through. There I was, immersed in the world of these orphans for three months, wondering and wishing they could be adopted. Now I have a glimpse of what it takes to adopt a child, and I hope and pray for anyone taking on this process that all obstacles are removed on their path to adopting a child.
After this meeting, I am encouraged by one thought. I cannot take on systems, big social issues or worry about complicated logistics. I want to help the street children in whatever small ways I can, and if I can help one child that will be a blessing. I love how Mother Teresa’s approach was centered on God alone and I love the way she looked at seemingly large problems, and broke them down by focusing on serving the immediate need. By her simple and powerful statement that guides me daily; “If you can’t feed a hundred people, feed just one.”
6.5.2006
"POORISM"
My friend Ram, sent me this article about “poorism” and how tours are being conducted in Delhi railways stations for tourists to look at street kids.
This article disturbed me for a number of reasons mostly because it shows a lack of respect for these kids. Granted, the proceeds from these tours go to a charity that helps these children, but in a place that is so corrupt this worries me.
Check out the article and let me know what you think at tanya@baaldan.com
5.18.2006
18 MILLION STREET CHILDREN IN INDIA
I use this fact to try to explain the enormity of the situation I saw in India. I think this is really hard for people to fathom, especially here in the US, because while we do have poverty here, how many children, or babies have you seen living on the streets? With no food, shelter or clothing? How many 7 year-olds have you seen begging for food?
Seeing these kids deeply affected me, and I could not help thinking that in this day and age, with all the wealth that we have, there should be no reason why ANY child has to go without clean water, food, shelter, clothing and education.
India has over 1 billion people, and while the country is progressing rapidly in some areas, there are not enough systems in place to deal with over population and a huge base of poverty. These kids need help and our dollar goes a long way in India.
5.18.2006
THANK YOU BRAD
Thank you so very much to Brad Sarmiento who created the logo and web site for Baal Dan. Brad, thank you for your generosity, your big heart and for your friendship. You have turned this little idea of mine into a reality. I know you will be blessed a thousand times over for your generosity and I thank you for your talent, time and precious energy.
Love always,
Tanya
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