Falling off the edge
Some of you may remember the story of a desperate mother of 8 children who lived on the edge. I guess everyone has her breaking point as last week she just took off abandoning her children. The humiliation and despair had reached the point of no return.Her children...
in the name of a mother
It is the time of the year when in India we are meant to remember the dears ones that have left us and gone to another world. Normally people feed the poor or give alms; some have elaborate pujas (religious ceremonies). For a few years after the death of my parents I...
women in charge
Amidst friendly quipping about choice of room and placement of things interspersed with exclamations of delight and horror so typical of women notwithstanding their age, the final shifting to our new premises was completed yesterday.Things settled and work began in...
a prayer for an princess
V is a beautiful autistic girl. I knew her when she was just a child some 8 years ago when her shrill voice used to echo in my home when she and her parents came visiting. Her repetitive blabber and her endearing ways touched many a heart and I use to call her...
social entreprise, sustainability and the funding saga
It has been 8 years since pwhy began and it has been 8 years since I have spent almost every waking moment worrying about funding and devising ways to meet the monthly requirement to keep project why alive.Right from day one I knew that we had to one day become self...
tender minds
The recent court decision to compress pre-primary classes - aka nursery and KG - into one year seems bewildering. True that they have raised the nursery age to 4 but knowing the pressure a child has to deal with once in class I, one year of preparation seems very...
a new journey begins
The recent demolition of the Lohar basti is a harbinger of days to come. We have, over the past five years, witnessed many a demolition drive of this very basti. Bulldozers came, tenements were brought down, but each time they were rebuilt as money changed hands and...
will it; won’t it
The will it; won't it game that has now been played for years at end came to a final closure for the Lohar camp next to the Kalkaji bus depot. Yesterday the small basti of thirty odd tenements was finally raised to the ground to make way for the much awaited...
more heart matters
In her bright school uniform and sporting a sparkling smile she looks just line another school girl. However if you look at her again you see her little chest rising at an unnatural pace and realise that she can barely breathe. She has a hole in her heart and was what...
a breath of fresh air
It was once again time to make the one hour car journey to Utpal's school for his PTM. And in spite of this being the nth time, the excitement was palpable.With little Kiran the true blue childhood pal, I had packed the proverbial bag of goodies that contained all...
when the heart takes over
S decided to sell his kidney because life had become unberable after his business failed. It must have been a pondered decision and one that must have taken a lot of grit and determination. What happened next is what heroic tales are made of. When S realised that the...
full circle
It was almost three years ago that two women of substance set up our Okhla school. The school was set up in a garbage dump for all the right reasons and much of what we set out to do was achieved and somehow we felt that nothing would or could disturb the pattern we...
a bonny bundle of joy
Prakash is a bonny four month old, a far cry from his elder brother Manoj who came to us almost two years back and reminded me of a garden gnome with his big head and emaciated body.When we came to know that Manoj's mom mas pregnant again, we set out to chart a road...
the sting that lost its bite
The latest sting school. operation turned out lost all its bite when the reporter in question was arrested. I am referring to the case of the school teacher accused of waylaying girls students in Delhi. Though the story had created furore and even rioting when aired,...
the baby factory
The baby factory that was exposed in another now famous sting operation looked like a horror movie. Young minor girls from poor states brought to Delhi and then made to produce babies that were then sold! The reason for this is two-fold: the abject poverty on one hand...
the boy in the red shirt
I would like to share two small almost negligible incidents that happened yesterday.While showing the project to a visitor we stopped by our tiny Govindpuri primary centre. The room was so tiny that some of us remained outside where a bunch of young lads sat...
only a matter a of degree
The recent imbroglio over the issuing of degrees to students of India's prime medical school is a tragic reminder of the prevailing state of affairs in this country. The drama recently enacted on the streets and in front of cameras had shades of both Kafka and Marx...
whose reponsibility is it anyway
Very often in the nightmare that Delhi traffic has become, one can see ambulances flashing their lights and blaring their sirens to no avail. Many times other vehicles could slow down and move aside and give them way but somehow they don't. The ambulance just has to...
give me a wet one!
The last few posts have been grim and and bleak so I thought that one needed to share some happy times, and no one can compete with our dear Popples when it comes adding a ray of sunshine to one's life.After almost two years Utpal came home for his Rakhi break. Home...
startling statistics
A report based on government data for the period 1994 - 2004 reveals the startling fact that over 800 million people or 75% of India's population lives on a per capita income of less than 2o rs a day. The report goes on to say that a person whose consumption is less...
feudal atavism
Many incidents of incomprehensible and inhuman rage made the headlines in recent days. On each occasion I held on to my urge to react as I felt that my words would have no or little effect. However the pictures aired yesterday on all leading channels broke my...
another miracle
Our lohar friends have always held a special place in our hearts. We have known them for over 7 years and have been impressed by their wise ways and their humane qualities more than once.In the last few months we saw a sharp decile in the number of children attending...
an incredible night
Welcome to the why women centre!Though the why women centre was born out of necessity it truly came alive last night when Firdaush our energetic volunteer from Paris decided to spend a night with the girls. It was a fun filled night but one where plans were made,...
the (mis)rule of law
Champa may soon lose her home, one she has lived in since she was a very tiny girl. Champa lives at the ill famed transit camp with her mother who works in homes as a maid.For the past few days Champa has not been able to comprehend why her mom has not gone to work....
the three wise volunteers of pwhy
One of the biggest asset of pwhy has been its band of volunteers. They have come from every corner of the planet and each one has left his or her mark. This summer we were truly spoilt as we had not one, not two but three superb volunteers: Lucy, Xiong and Firdaush.At...
slain not fed
The recent spat between a young athlete's coach and his mother has led to a child's future being held to ransom. It is true that in Budhia's case a solution will be found as he he is a media celebrity but the whole issue opens up a disturbing debate.In an answer to a...
to hear or not to hear
R and S are hearing impaired. R is 19 and S 14. They are both students of our special section and are real live wires. In the last years they have learnt many things from tailoring to cooking, from paper craft to weaving. R is a talented artist and S can cut and...
the neutrality syndrome
Yesterday India celebrated its 61st independence day amidst much fanfare and media hype. Once again promises were made from the rampart of the historic Red Fort and huge allocations were pledged to education and agriculture. Newspapers dutifully listed all...
number nine..
Over the past 7 years now, we at project why have been doggedly teaching batch after batch of slum children with a measure of success, if success is to be determined by examinations results. Many have passed out of school and joined the working world, others have...
back home
Little mehajabi is back home after a successful open heart surgery. For the first time in her tiny life she sleeps soundly, her breathing normal. Soon she will be returning to where she came from and resume the simple life her parents live in the confines of a...
reality hurts…
"Goodness is the only investment that never fails." said Henry David Thoreau and till very recent times I felt that way. Look with your heart, a maxim borrowed from the Little Prince is one I followed with conviction and I guess that is also why a project aimed at...
reality bites
Our decision to close down one of our primary centres may have perplexed some of our friends and well wishers. I must confess that it was not an easy one but the writing was on the wall and we had to stand by our initial mission: that of empowering parents to take...
cameos of another life..
Recent days have seen a plethora of disturbing images flashed across our TV screens: a 17 year old boy gets beaten to death by his teacher for not sitting properly; 5 disabled men consume poison in public as they lose their source of livelihood; a one day old baby is...
equal in justice
The sentencing of Sanjay Dutt yesterday once again renewed one's faith in the rule of law. As the court drama enfolded on TV channels one did tend to feel a surge of sympathy for the actor who has endeared himself in recent times as the genial Munabhai and quite...
reinventing ourselves
In a previous post, I had related how tings had changed in pwhy calling for a realignment of our forces and the need to reinvent ourselves. As fate would have it, I fell sick soon after writing that post and was forced to remain away from pwhy for almost three...
a tale of survival in India at 60
Yesterday morning Mehajabi came by project why with her mom. Today she will be going to the hospital and if all goes well, should be admitted for her open heart surgery.It has been a long journey for this little girl and her family. She was born a year ago in the well...
the silence is killing
A few minutes back an email from a dear friend entitled: the silence is killing dropped by my mailbox.It is true that it has been over 20 days since I last wrote a post. The reason: a nasty viral flu that got the better of me.The last three weeks were spent between...
all grown up
It is always with a tinge of sadness that a parent sees his child walk out of the parental home with confidence and determination. And yet it is something every wishes for its child and strives for.Seven years ago, when we seeded project why, our dream was to one day...