..but for that child the world will change #GivingTuesday #India
Clarisse and Xavier have not ‘adopted’ Utpal legally but are nevertheless his French ‘parents’, and do everything a ‘parent’ would : loving him unconditionally and being there for him. Nothing proves that better than the story of a cricketer of yesteryear who ‘adopted’ the son of their laundry man, providing all the support he needed to succeed. Succeed he did: his latest gift to his ‘adoptive ‘ parents a swank Mercedes Benz. There were no need of papers and documents to seal the relationship all that was needed was love.
A recent article stated the sad fact that adoptions numbers were decreasing in India. The reason stated is paperwork! Another reason” surrogacy. Indians parents prefer adopting babies under one and will never adopt a differently abled child or a sick one. Adoption agencies have a glut of 3 to 4 years waiting for adoption. These will become 5, 6 and then 7 and one day become 18 year old when the law of the land does not give any further protection.
This reality was brought to light when last week a member of the Child Welfare Committee asked us whether we knew families that would be able to act as foster parents to children of dysfunctional families who are institutionalised. They cannot be adopted as they have natural parents. The conditions in institutions in India are far from the enabling environment a child needs to grow in as children with criminal backgrounds are placed with children from abusive homes. The risk of the child going the wrong way looms large. The children in question were from 1 to 10. Though we promised to try we knew it would be difficult if not impossible. And yet we knew how real the danger was.
Reaching out to a child with or without papers is all about love. As someone said: the adoption process can be challenging but love is instant! There are so many children who need us to open our hearts and let them in.
Yes ‘adopting’ a child will not change the world but for that child the world will change
She is back #GivingTuesday
She was barely 5 when she first joined the special section. It must have been in 2004. She could barely walk or talk. She was like a tiny frightened bird that needed to be tamed. As days went by and we got to know her better the smiles came hesitant at first then bigger and bigger. And a few steps and some sounds. The ice was broken. It would not take long before Sapna was like a fist in water in the special section of Project Why. But all was not well for her mom whose story breaks your heart. Do read it. It is the story of too many women in India.
Sapna was happy at Project Why but came the day where the family moved and she left. There was no news. We hoped for the best and prayed for her well being.
A fews days back her father came to the Project. The news was terrible. Sapna’s mom had passed away in March. She had suffered enough. The father asked us if we would have her back and the answer was a loud YES!
So Sapna is back. She is 16 now and really small. But her smile is there larger than ever and she was so thrilled to see us all. She walks now and even speaks. It is a delight to have her back and her old pals Umesh and Anurag are thrilled.
For us it is bittersweet: a gentle reminder of the fragility of her existence. What if something happens to her father? What if he remarries? Endless questions with no answers. A visit to her home was heart wrenching. The family had very little. Her brother Monty has turned for the worse. He told us that he sold ‘slippers’ from midnight to dawn. He seems to have been targeted by predators.
For the time being Sapna is with us. We have convinced Monty to come to the centre in the morning and study some. Though he has paper saying that he has studied till class VII he can barely read or write.
How much will we be able to do for these two lost souls is anyone’s guess but we will give it our best shot. Sapna will be safe with us during the day. We fear for her when she is back home.
Once again the critical need for a residential option like Project Why comes to mind. It was for the Sapna’s of this world.
It’s never too late to do something #GivingTuesday #India
‘The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something‘ wrote Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Wise words indeed. Words that remind us of forgotten intentions and unfulfilled dreams. This post was written after a visit to the Kalka Temple where getting to the deity means coming face to face with beggar children who’s number seems to grow in quantum leaps. Children begging is a shameful reality of urban India.
Every time one walks the perimeter of a temple or stops at a red light, little hands spring from nowhere and seek your attention. No matter how many years go by, the size of the hands never changes. Child begging is thriving. New children take the place of those now to big to tug at your heart.
One has heard of mafias controlling the panhandling business and ensuring a perfect demand and supply equation. This is unequivocal proof of this sad reality. But it does not end there. Actually parents too use their own children in this sordid business. An enquiry on whether it would be possible to teach this multitude of children was turned down as we were told that parents themselves would not allow this to happen as children were those who got brought in the maximum. Without the kids, the family would not earn a day’s wage. School and education are anathema
Even the laws are against us as in a recent amendment to the child labour laws, children under 14 were allowed to help in the family business. Hence the little beggar girl as king for her chocorate is legit.
The only way to solve the problem is to stop giving money and hence with no demand the supply would diminish. That is what Project Why attempted as its first programme: replace the coin by a biscuit. The idea was to have biscuits in nice boxed that could be ‘refilled’ at petrol pumps and hence everyone would be handing over biscuits and not coins. It did not work even though 50 biscuits were sold at one hundred rupees.
As long as we give, they will beg. As long as we give more to children, parents will not allow them to get educated and break the cycle of mendicity and thus will remain beggars producing more beggars to beg. An infernal spiral!
A child seeking alms is something that should disturb each and everyone and make them soul search for a solution.
The solution is simple: remove the demand, stop giving money, stop giving to children: the supply will vanish the moment the business is no more viable
It is time we look at our education policy #GivingTuesday #India
Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime #GivingTuesday #India
Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime. Scars heal but the pain never goes away. And yet child abuse is on the rise. Recent studies show that there has been a 50% rise in the crime against children rate. Increased urbanisation seems to be a contributing factor. We are talking of children akin to those who come to Project Why everyday. Rape of children have become ‘epidemic’ in India’s capital city. Recently a mentally challenged 13 year old was brutally raped and left to die. She battles for her life.
A 8 year old was raped, she escaped death by pretending to be dead. She had seen this happen in a TV serial! One never thought one would give a thumbs up to serial viewing by kids!
Another report states that over 300 000 children across India are drugged, beaten and forced to beg.
The list is endless, each child being one too many, each one making one’s blood go cold.
At Project Why we are aware of this reality.
The first programme Project Why launched was aimed at children begging. The idea was if people gave biscuits instead of coins, the supply-demand equation could be turned on its head. Sadly it did not meet with success. However the plight of beggar children is still one of the most disturbing ones, a deafening Why that remains unanswered.
The case of the mentally challenged child who was abused once again brings to mind Planet Why. The first and most important reason for its existence was to provide safe haven to souls just like this little one. That too remained unachieved.
Project Why has always been, remains and always will be child centric. We are aware that these children are always at risk as they live in harsh conditions. Okhla is a drug haven and children are preferred targets. Teachers keep an extra eye on each child for tell tale signs, ready to intervene when needed.
Child abuse is most often perpetrated within the four walls of home, and thus a well-hidden secret tinged in guilt. Project Why staff is conscious of this and keeps a quiet watch, looking for imperceptible evidence.
Moreover, regular workshops are held for staff and children and ‘good touch’ ‘bad touch’ is an intrinsic part of our curriculum.
We have sadly had some cases. They are far and few between but in the case of a child, one is too many!
A child rights activist rightly said that “Stringent punishment provisions are not just enough. The changing social fabric needs to be studied to take appropriate measures to make systemic changes.” This is long haul. Till then we need to keep our children safe.
To the manor born
Our dearest friend Kabir of Azure Hospitality conjured another miracle. This time an invitation to a ‘posh’ lunch at the new Mamagoto in Connaught Place. For many of us lunch at a restaurant is a mundane affair. This is another story.
Most of the invitees had never been to a restaurant of this kind. Most of them probably never tasted high quality asian cuisine- a far cry from the chow mien or momos now available at every street corner. Many of them had never entered a restaurant of this class.
But the Project Why team team is to the manor born and no one would have guessed that this was a first!
The invitation was for 20 guests so students and teachers from each centre were selected. Every one was beautifully turned out and tasted new foods with enthusiasm. It was a merry party that lunched a the new Mamagoto on that sizzling day.
But all good things come to an end and so did that lunch.
To say that this is a memory that they will carry on their hearts forever is an understatement.
Two of the guests voiced their feelings.
One said this was probably the first and last enjoyable moment of his life.
The other simply said that this lunch was the happiest moment of her existence.
It is touching and humbling to see how an occurrence we take for granted gives such joy to those who rarely experience it.
Thank you Kabir and the Mamagoto team
They came, the saw, they cared #ThrowbackThursday #India
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Today we would like to walk down memory lane and talk of all the visitors we have had over the years. In most cases they return more than once. That is the magic of Project Why: once you walk in you leave a little bit of yourself and take a little bit of us.
We have many kinds of visitors, some who have become die-hard supporters and who make it a point to visit regularly. There are even Project Why tours organised by them! The best way to see how time has passed is to peruse the pictures and look at the children grow.
Some visitors come and share their skills. It could be a magic show, where tables flew and roses appeared, a brass band from France, a Flamenco class, a wall painted on Xmas night or a song written for Project Why and performed with the children. The time and care is touching.
They are of all ages and come from across the globe. A bunch of Cub Scouts from the American school decide to help their Okhla friends paint their school, a group of girls from the American school in Beirut came visiting too. An octogenarian from Australia came to share Mahatma Gandhi’s message.
They come and spend time with children not shying from dirtying their hands. They serve meals to the children at the Yamuna centre and even give pedicures to special kids!
They come bearing gifts or ready to get us what is needed. They respond to our appeals be it for state-of-the-art hearing aids or a roof that needs to be made.
One of the most touching group of visitors were students with special needs from France who came to meet their Indian friends. That day doors and lanes seemed to have grown large enough to welcome the elaborate wheel chairs. It was a magical moment when no language was needed to convey what was felt. Everyone danced and laughed to their heart’s content. Invitations were made and for an instant, one believed that Project Why’s special kids could maybe visit their French friends till reality struck: given the circumstances our kids would never get a passport. But one can dream and who knows? Dreams do come true.
Over the years, we have been privileged and blessed to have so many people come to Project and leave as friends forever. Those who cannot come back remain in touch and in our hearts forever.
Please do read the links in this post. They are precious memories
The Numbers Perspective #GivingTuesday #India
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| Secondary Class at Khader |
The Numbers Perspective! Sounds like a title of a Robert Ludlum thriller doesn’t it? Come to think of it is is a thriller in its own right: the numbers referred to are the (ill)famed marks that a student secures in her or his class XII examination. They will the chart the child’s entire future.
The dentist comes calling #ProjectWhy #India
The dentist comes calling
It was dental checkup time for children from the special section, the creche and the primary section. This was the first dental check up at Project Why and was made possible thanks to our friend Neena Gulabani from the Anubhav Learning Centre. Two young dentists Rinku and Shweta spent the morning peering into small and not so small mouths. The children as always behaved perfectly though one or two of the tiny ones got a bit frightened. The doctors gave the children toothpaste and told them to brush TWICE a day. Some need dental care and we are working towards a solution.
The star of the day however was Ganga. She decided to express her gratitude and ours too by performing a lovely dance for the visiting doctors. It was such a special moment and we invite you to share it with us. What makes this so poignant is that little Ganga has a terrible skin condition that may be life threatening.
Sometimes God’s ways are difficult to understand for us mere mortals!
From Germany with Love #ThrowbackThursday # India
Enjoy some German moments at Project Why.
He who opens a school door, closes a prison #GivingTuesday #India
All children aspire to quality education; it is also their constitutional right. Sadly for many the aspiration remains a dream rarely fulfilled. In India for too many children quality education remains inaccessible. What they get is a wasted array of options all falling short, particularly for those born on the wrong side of the divide.
At Project Why we attempt to better the education imparted in State run schools to the best of our ability. We do somewhat succeed but are aware of the reality that so much more needs to be done to provide the enabling environment a child needs to bloom.
Amidst all our programmes there is a tiny one that ticks all the boxes. Seven children are being quietly educated in a boarding school on the outskirts of Delhi.
Many have been skeptical and even critical of this programme that sounds elitist and out of sync with the approach Project Why believes in. That is not quite the case.
Project Why is a firm believer in the neighbourhood state run school attended by children from diverse social strata. That was true once but over the years the advent and mushrooming of private schools that profess to teach English has seen the migration of many children till what is left in state run schools are the poorest of the poor. State run schools are no more level playing fields.
Yet the belief that children from the poorest homes can excel if given the right environment is something that Project Why believes in. When unforeseen and perilous circumstances arose and a child was in need of a safe environment, it was time to put theories to test and begin our boarding school programme, the best option to secure a enabling environment for a underprivileged child. Six others would follow.
The other question often posed, one that is ethical, was how was the selection of children made and why one and not the other. The answer to this question is that it was circumstances that led to the choice: two third degree burn survivors with dysfunctional homes; a young girl whose heart surgery was sponsored by Project Why and who instead of being in school was found working; a child who was adopted then abandoned. All were children who were at the risk of being exploited and abused.
This may not be a satisfying answer as there are millions of children in the same situation.
The only answer that can be given is that these kids were chosen by someone we like calling the God of Lesser Beings and we were His instrument.
When you see the pictures below, you will realise that some of these kids have been with us for many years, since when they were tiny. Their destiny was linked to that of Project Why. Once we held their hands there was no going back.
Sadafulee so that Project Why children bloom
Her name is Kashmira. She lives in the US and though she has never visited Project Why in person, she had been one of its staunchest supporters. She has walked into Project Why’s heart through a screen! Over the years she has supported our work financially, but more than that, her words of encouragement and love are sent before we ask for them, as if she knew intuitively that they were needed. The precious time she devotes to our children makes her so special.
A few years back she informed us about a jewelry crafting initiative,that she named Sadafulee – ever blooming – that she set for helping our kids. With every pearl she threaded and every knot Kashmira tied she wove dreams for little children she had never met. As she put it so well: “This venture comes from my passion for art and for helping underprivileged children. I plan to donate most of the proceeds from this store to a charity working with slum children in India. I am hoping the universe will help me grow this store to help the children to “always bloom”!
Recently when funds were needed to help Manisha get an artificial arm she was the first to take on the challenge and managed to raise much more than what was needed.
When funds were needed to help a desperate kid she decided to revive Sadafulee. Her absolutely stunning pieces are available through her Facebook Page.
We have no words to express our gratitude and love to Kashmira. The only way we can do it is by continuing the work we do with renewed commitment and energy
Thank you for being there for us, Kashmira
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much #ThrowbackThursday
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
Helen Keller
How true these words are and Project Why is a proof of this. It was in very early days that Anou decided to source 100% of her team from within the community. The decision was instinctive. What was available were women with unfinished educations often due to early marriages, men who had obtained degrees from other states and could not find employment, and people in desperate conditions where a job, however small, meant food on the table. That is where most of Project Why’s team comes from.
In early days there were many doomsayers who believed that this experience would be a disaster and Project Why would have to walk the trodden path. But Project Why stuck to our guns and never looked back.
Project Why’s maverick team rose to meet expectations and performed with commitment, motivation and passion. These are the qualities that stand out and that are not to be found in people coming from the outside. For many, working at Project Why meant giving children the opportunities they never had. That is not all: being from the community they understand the needs and the solutions they offer are appropriate and work. They have allowed Project Why to truly address the real needs of the children.
Moreover we have a team that stays and those who left did for real reasons: relocation, marriage and in a few cases a better job- something we celebrate. Some left to start their own organisations. To be applauded!
n many cases Project Why has allowed many to climb a few rungs of the social ladder. As one staff member who is now married and a mom, told us, though she could get a better paid job in a factory, being called Ma’am on the street by her students and their parents is an honor and worth the lower salary.
Project Why has also prompted many of our staff, mostly women, to complete their unfinished studies. We are very proud of all of them. Some children who have been with us since early years are now teachers at Project Why. We have come a long way.
True, there are some challenges, mostly because all staff members have a very emotional tie to Project Why. Project Why stands with them all the way and it is this that makes the Project Why team formidable and invincible.
We invite you to meet them.
BEIRUT CALLING #GivingTuesday #India
It has been International Month at Project Why. First we had visitors from France, then from Japan and now hold your breath… from Lebanon! A group of twenty young girls from the American Community School: Beirut came to visit Project Why shepherded by our dear friend Chris of Hands Up Holidays. It was truly special to have visitors from a part of the world that has ben torn by war for so long.
As their arrival was delayed ,the visit was limited to the Okhla Centre. In spite of the terrible heat twenty sparkling smiles walked in. Soon the place was filled with palpable vibes. After a short introduction the girls proceeded to meet their Indian counterparts. The visitors were all class X and XI students and being afternoon, the secondary girls were on the roof. It did not take long for the two yet unknown worlds to meet and bond.
The girls danced to Bollywood and Arabic music, each one teaching the other their moves amidst laughter and giggles. All barriers were broken; it was just a bunch of young girls having fun together. There would be card and other games and even visits to homes as the Project Why girls wanted to show their Lebanese friends where hey lived.
Time flew. It was soon time to bid farewell with the hope that one would meet again.
Thank you, Chris for this wonderful opportunity
Enjoy some precious moments of this visit
One year of the Yamuna centre #ThrowbackThursday
有難う 御座います Yoshiki San #GivingTuesday
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| Yoshiki San and Doraemon |
Project Why has a Japanese connection. It goes back to 2003 when Naoko San visited the Project why with the Japanese Volunteer Group. A connection was made, one that lasts till date.
Thus began a relationship with ladies from the land of Doraemon and a bunch of slum children from India. The ladies would come regularly and spend time with the children teaching them the magic of Japanese craft and culture. In August 2005 we all celebrated the Tanabata festival where every child wrote her of his wish on a bright paper and tied it to the bamboo stems our Japanese friends had bought. The children even learnt a Japanese Song.
For the past year the Japanese Volunteer Group has been a steady and committed support. They have been there for us at every step of the way and meet our needs constantly. Be it a water cooler, a fan, mats for the children to sit on, stationery, sweaters and socks to keep warm in winter, our Japanes friends have always called ‘present’ to our need. When the Yamuna centre needed a roof, they collected funds and thus provided shelter from the cold and the heat. They also give the children school bags and supplies, school books, uniforms and sweaters.
A few months ago Ayumi San, a member of the group, contacted us and told us her husband’s company was willing to help us. Yoshiki San visited the Okhla centre a few weeks ago and it was decided that his company would build a shelter on the roof and provide two callers to beat the heat.
Last week Yoshiki San and his team visited the Centre and spent time with the children.
It was a wonderful morning where again many words met. The Japanese, their Indian colleagues and Project Why. Once again we were touched by the gentle mood that prevailed. Somehow whenever the Japanese come there is never a feeling of rush. Time seems to take on a different pace.
Yoshiko San and his team spent quality time with the Okhla and Yamuna children. We were pleasantly surprised to discover his drawing talent as he produced drawing after drawing of the children’s faces. Then it was time for the children to showcase their talent: Sanjay showed his yoga prowess and then the boys performed a stunning dance. Yoshiko San then spoke to the children and gave them wise counsel. He told them to believe in their dreams as dreams come true but for that they needed to study hard and listen to their teachers. The morning ended with a distribution of stationery and cakes.
The guests then moved on to the Yamuna centre. It was lunch time so they decided to serve the lunch. Then it was fun time with more laughter, more sharing and more caring. All barriers were broken as one and all intermingled with ease and joy.
Then it was time for goodbyes and promises to meet again.
So また会いましょう！Yoshiki San, till meet again
Enjoy some of the very special moment of this unforgettable day here:
Things never get back to the day they were #ThrowbackThursday
We would like to share their tiny life stories in the hope that these become their obituaries.
| SONU |
| ROHAN AND PUJA |
In spite of Project Why’s best efforts, the case was closed and the deaths deemed to be an accident. The life of two tiny slum kids is not worth fighting for.
| ARATI |
She joined our crèche and was happy. One summer morning she came to class licking a bright pink candyfloss. She was in good spirits and went to class as usual. Sometime later she felt sick and was vomiting. We tended to her and she was soon back to her normal self. Later that night she got high fever and was taken to the local doctor who recommended she be taken to the hospital a good 40 minutes drive away. She never made it.
What killed Arati? The pain of losing her mother, poor nutrition, inadequate care, an abusive father who beat the children mercilessly, the quack unable to treat her, the long drive to the hospital or simply the total lack of love, one we were unable to make up for.
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| RAJANI |
| ANIL |
| SANDHYA |
Sandhya was what they call a blue or cyanotic baby, where the heart is malformed and the blood deprived of oxygen. Since 1944 a simple surgery called a BT Shunt can repair the damage. For Sandhya’s family the cost was exorbitant, but friends pitched in and she was operated upon. However she did not make it. Maybe she knew that hers was not a life worth living in society’s eyes.
| SAHEEDA |
We had gotten her a state-of-the-art hearing aid and she was discovering new sounds and learning to speak.
One day she went to the village and contracted fever and was hospitalized but was not getting better. The state of medical facilities in our villages is rather poor. Her family brought her back and admitted her in a hospital in Delhi but it was too late. Once again God had other plans.
| NANHE |
Nanhe was born with a simple mind and a broken body where everything seemed wrong. In his short life he lived with excruciating pain and was subjected to humiliating investigations, painful jabs and uncounted operations. But he never lost his smile.
One may wonder what a little broken soul like Nanhe could mean to us, how a little seemingly useless being could become such an important part of one’s life. It is once again a matter of looking with one’s heart. Nanhe was undoubtedly an Angel that the God of Lesser Souls sent our way. His message was simple and clear: no matter what, life is still beautiful and no matter how bad it looks, it is still worth a smile. And the little chap lived by the book; even in his worst moments of pain, he never lost his smile. And when you looked at him smiling you suddenly felt uplifted. No matter where and when, in a hospital ward where he lay or in his tiny hovel Nanhe smiled.
Today he smiles in heaven.
| SOHAIL |
It did not take long for everyone to fall in love with little Sohail, with his huge head, tiny body, shrill voice and incredible smile. He had hydrocephalus, a condition when fluid builds up in the skull and causes the brain to swell and leads to brain damage. Sohail had difficulty in maintaining his balance and walked awkwardly. Yet he loved dancing and would do so leaning against a wall. He was a clever imp!
His parents talked of an operation, actually the placing of a shunt to drain the fluids. This operation was not without risk as it could leave him paralysed. A date was fixed but as is always the case in India, the day given was a year away. In the meantime we began alternative therapies which helped him walk better. We had high hopes.
But that was not to be. A simple fall in his home was all it took for his soul to fly away.
| MANU |
One death we mourn every day is that of Manu, the challenged beggar who was the reason for Project Why to begin. If there was one meaning to his wretched life, it was to teach us all that no life however miserable is worthless and every life has a mission. His was to set up Project Why. This would take more than two decades of wandering in filth, two decades of being riled and abused, two decades of walking the same beat so as not to miss the moment when that person would come and the two would meet.
Manu would live another decade beyond that tryst. His presence would take care of the faltering steps, the doubts and uncertainties, the moments when giving up seemed an option. All it took to get on course was his smile. Any giving up would be an insult to his life.
One day Manu knew it was time to go. The foundations were strong and the edifice would last. It was time for him to report back to his Maker.
For us it was time to honour his memory and ensure Project Why would endure.
God Bless these little souls. Each one marked our lives and made is better people.
May they Rest in Peace
Project Why’s French Connection #GivingTuesday
It was French Week at Project Why. A group of members of Enfances Indiennes, visited Project Why and gave its children a French Break!
Project Why’s French Connection is strong and steadfast. Not surprising as its founder had deep links with France! But the real bond began over a decade ago when the visit of a man with a huge heart led to the setting up a support group in France called Enfances Indiennes. Every alternate a year a group from this organisation visits Delhi and spends time with the children of Project Why.
This year the children were in for a surprise. Enfances Indiennes decided to take some of the children for an outing. But that is not all. This visit would be the coming together of the two Indias. Let me explain. Another man with huge heart -who has been providing lunch to the Yamuna children and spearheaded a donations campaign through his many restaurants across India- decided to board the wagon. The result: a visit to an industrial kitchen and a talk on career options followed by a scrumptious lunch and a special treat for the Yamuna children.
The chefs who brought the food to the children experienced a magical moment as the chefs discovered the little persons they had been cooking for. Their resolve to do more was visible in their eyes. Again one India was meeting another.
There was another added surprise: a visit to the Science Museum and India Gate for all the Yamuna centre kids. These children had NEVER been out of their fields.
Xavier (Enfances Indiennes) and Kabir (Mamagoto) were there too to make the picture perfect.
The Yamuna children, who live in a bubble in the heart of the big city they have never visited set off in the big blue bus. There were many such sights, ones we take for granted and have even stopped seeing. For these kids, however, all was new and welcomed with loud clapping and joyful shrieks. A real eye opener. After visiting India Gate came ice cream time: the famous orange bar! They had completed the rite of passage of every Delhi kid.
The visit to the museum was also exciting. The children were welcomed by the staff of the museum who guided them through the many wonders. Our thoughts go them as a day later this very museum was completely destroyed by fire.
The last event on the calendar was a lunch at Anou’s with the 7 boarding school kids. Everyone had a great time.
Project Why’s French Connection is one of a kind as it has the magic wand that brings the two sides of India together in a celebration of all that is good in the world.
Enjoy some special moments
Into the twilight
Six years ago, I gathered the courage to write a requiem for a dream. The dream was Planet Why the guest house with a difference that would have allowed Project Why to be sustainable. In a nutshell, Planet Why was a guest house indeed, but would have also been home to Project Why’s special needs children when their family support dwindled with time as parents faded away and the next generation took over. The gentle souls once loved and cared for would suddenly find themselves at the mercy of people who considered them a nuisance. That is the plight of mentally challenged people in a country that has scant support for them. They too fade away in a tiny corner of a home where they are not wanted, let alone loved.
This happens across the board, in rich as well as poor homes; the difference is an invisible golden cage versus iron bars.
This was a reality one became aware of very early in Project Why’s journey. Manu was the perfect example.
Hence, no matter what direction the dream took, there was a constant: Planet Why would be a place where the special children of Project Why could live and die with dignity, a place where they were loved and tended to till their last breath.
Planet Why was not to be. At first a series of serendipities made us believe that everything would happen. The land was bought, feasibility studies done, architectural plans drafted, budgets made. However we were unable to find the needed funds, in spite many promises. Finally the dream had to be laid to rest. Manu for whom it all began breathed his last leaving us lost and looking for direction.
Planet Why too was relegated to some obscure corner of our minds.
But dreams have a nagging way of remaining at the surface and need a simple prompt to come alive. They never truly die.
This is what happened recently.
For the past weeks S our die hard special section inmate has been absent. In the initial days we thought it was yet another mood swing and she would be back. When more days passed a phone call was made and we were informed that her mother was sick and wanted Shalu near her. This was understandable as her mother had been ailing for some time. More time passed and it was decided to go and visit her to find out the situation and offer assistance if needed.
The reality left us speechless. S’s mom is in a bad way and the house in being looked after by Shalu. That is not all. There is a baby a few weeks old that is also left in her care. It was heart wrenching to see her scuttle around trying to do her best with a smile, knowing in her heart that her mom is very ill. It was heartbreaking to see the unspoken question in the mother’s eyes” what would happen to her child after she left? It was heart wrenching for us to have no answer.
The girl we saw was a far cry from the often stubborn and yet adorable little woman who is the soul and spirit of her class. A mean dancer S is always at the forefront of every fun activity and can bring a smile on the sternest face.
It was uncanny how everyone who visited her immediately thought of Planet Why! Never was the need of Planet Why more real than at this moment. It was for people like S that Planet Why was conceived. A place where she could dance with abandon into the twilight.
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| The Planet Why Land |
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| This is what Planet Why would have looked like! |
Damyanti (w)rites for Project Why #
Project Why has taught me two values often forgotten: compassion and gratitude. If one is the art of giving, the other is that of receiving. When we talk of giving, our minds tend to veer towards money; often charity is equated to funds and undoubtedly it is a huge part of any charitable venture. Yet the kind of giving I am talking about here is not at all about money.
I write this post to convey my deepest gratitude to a wonderful soul who has never stopped giving to Project Why. I am talking of Damyanti Gosh of Damyanti (w)rites! From the very instant she came into Project Why’s orbit and adopted us as a preferred child, she began giving. This was before she even met any of us in person! Damyanti has always been there for Project Why. She has helped us in every way possible and is still doing so by giving us her time, her knowledge, her counsel, her advice, her love, and even funds when needed most.
Today she is helping us put our house in order and take our first steps on the road to sustainability by giving Project Why a much needed makeover.
When I first met her I was bowled over by her incredible smile that can light up the darkest hour; probably that is the biggest gift of all for me personally. I do not feel alone anymore.
I thank this beautiful soul for a very precious gift. For any writer, creativity is a very personal space you do not want to share with anyone. It is your personal happy place, the bubble you hide in when you want to be just you and one that you jealously guard. Imagine my absolute delight when she told me that she would ‘give’ that space for one whole month to Project Why as part of her A to Z challenge.
For the past 26 days every story in Damyanti’s blog has been a Project Why chronicle, each crafted with love and tenderness. She evokes every aspect of Project Why, be it the people or the causes, with restrained and dainty strokes that make you want to know more. And that is what she has set out to do: take Project Why to the world even if it meant sharing her own personal world.
No words can express the feeling of gratitude that overwhelms me. It is a privilege and honour to know Damyanti. There must be some higher force at work here.