How a small town in India can help you to achieve your NY resolutions

Happy 2018 to you and to our many friends and supporters.

If you are like me, you are contemplating the year ahead and setting some goals for all that you hope to achieve over the next 12 months. Just yesterday I tweeted a great NY Times article* (click here) which summarised some great research on self control. The article shows that self control based on ‘willpower’ wanes over time, and thus 90% of us tend to very quickly give up on the new year’s resolutions. Willpower alone, can actually be detrimental to our health, due to the added stress that we place on ourselves… it’s easy to give up and not persevere when we just focus on a large goal.

The research suggests that when your goal is correlated with a long term future focussed outcome, and linked with gratitude, compassion, and empathy, people significantly increase their perseverance and have a 30% greater chance of achieving their resolution. As we value the future more, we are less needy of instant gratification, we persevere and we are more patient.

Add to this, a degree of reflectiveness where you break your achievements into short term successes and celebrate and take pride in your efforts, your resolution is more likely to be achieved. 

So what’s the key to a successful resolution, and what does this have to do with www.projecthelpindia.co? I suppose I just want you to consider how you might link one of your New Year’s resolutions to a worthy cause that is future focussed and gives you plenty of authentic opportunities to show compassion, grow empathy and in doing so, be mindful and grateful for your personal life circumstances. Each one of us is already ‘better off’ than someone else, so why not start 2018, being thankful for all you have. Through a stance and mindset of being grateful and optimistic for all that your future promises, commit to making a difference in someone else’s life.

Just in December our supporters contributed to making all of the following possible because of the hard work of Amit and Daisy Samuel and our staff team in Kotdwara;

-       We distributed warm winter clothes to the 220 children who come to our 6 small schools

-       We blessed our teachers with Christmas gifts (a warm blanket each)

-       We had a Christmas pizza party with the girls who attend our Technology Centre

-       We blessed a number of homeless people, mostly elderly, disabled and/or suffering mental health problems, by talking with them, and giving them warm clothes, blankets and food hampers.

-       We worked with the police to present community anti-trafficking and anti-drug awareness programs.

In December we also received some wonderful accolades;

-       We received an award from the Senior Superintendent of Police recognising and thanking us for the help we give them with the anti-human trafficking and anti-drug programs. This fantastic achievement was highlighted on the news of local television.

-       One of the Hindi newspapers commended our work in a feature article on 25th December

Back to the NY Times article which also goes on to show that people who focus on dispositions that enhance self control also combat another problem of modern life: loneliness.

“Today, more than half of all Americans report feeling lonely …But study after study has shown that those who are seen as grateful, warm and justifiably confident draw others to them. Because these emotions automatically make us less selfish, they help ensure that we can form relationships with people who will be there to support us, when we need it.”

 As you start this new year, we would be delighted if you set yourself a resolution to align your goals with our goals.  We really need our friends to commit to setting a financial goal across 2018. At www.projecthelpindia.co we have big plans for 2018, and we cannot do this without the help, support and ongoing generosity.

A final quote from the NY Times, which I love…

“So as 2018 commences, take more time to cultivate these emotions. Reflect on what you are grateful to have been given. Allow your mind to step into the shoes of those in need and feel for them. Take pride in the small achievements on the path to your goals. Doing so will ensure that every future New Year’s Eve will have more to celebrate than regret.”

Thank you for being a part of our story, and for making a difference in the lives of people who really are some of the world’s poorest of the poor.

Happy New Year. May your hopes and resolutions for 2018 be blessed and with no regrets. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to know more about how you can connect with our people and projects.

Love Doug and Rowena 

Baby girl found dead on the roadside

Just this week I was sent a very distressing photo of a baby girl found dead by the side of the road. The photo is very upsetting and reminds me of the harsh realities of a life of poverty. If this was Australia, the news would make national headlines. Similarly, in Kotdwara, people are saddened by this news, but many are not surprised.

Why? Because when you are very poor, you may have the mindset that you can’t afford to have a girl. Girl’s are expensive, especially the cost of a dowry at wedding time when the parents of the bride are expected to pay a dowry to the parents of the groom. Also, girls are regarded as not being as employable and they certainly do not bring in the income to the family as much as young men.

This is why we are working with women in Kotdwara. Our programs seek to place value on women and to empower them in all aspects of life.

Kotdwara Women’s Shine Conference in April

We are excited to be bringing a team from Australia with us to Kotdwara this April, for the first ever Women’s Conference. Kotdwara has never seen anything like this. We are developing this idea from scratch and it certainly is unchartered territory for the Conference hosts -Daisy Samuel and Rowena Thomas.

We anticipate that more than 250 women will attend our one-day Shine Conference. Delegates will include women from Kotdwara and many others who will travel from neighbouring towns and cities. Women from the slums that we help will attend. Also, women from the local police, lawyers, social workers, media and wives of politicians have been invited.

Our sessions will be motivational with talks focussing on raising awareness of human trafficking, sexual health, the value of education, parenting, and careers. Women will share their stories and they will be pampered and blessed with nice food for the day.

Imagine the power and impact this will have! Our prayer is that women will be equipped in such a way that perhaps, just perhaps, a poor young mother will have many other options available to her, so that she will not be forced to leave her precious baby to die on the side of the road.

Our conference will cost a minimum of $2500. Might you please consider making a donation towards this?

Floods, Modern Day Slavery and the new luxury of doing a poo

Life in Kotdwara is harsh when you are impacted by poverty. It’s a vicious cycle. Poverty has tentacles that entwine and relentlessly drag you down, coming at you from all directions.

Thank you for helping the poorest of the poor. Because of your generosity and support, Kotdwarahelp brings hope and light in the midst of people's darkness and suffering. Our work is strategic. We plan, budget and respond to the many needs and challenges that we anticipate. We also budget to respond to the unexpected ... reaching out to the plight and circumstances of some beautiful people. 

Floods – Thank you for your generosity

This week we have seen the ongoing devastation of the monsoon floods, which sadly have continued throughout the week. We are thankful for the many people who have been so kind and generous in donating to our floods appeal. We have raised $2380 in just one week. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

The 2 kids (top left) are Sadhna and Prachi, they attend our city centre school and they lost everything when the floods swept through their home in the middle of the night. We are helping their family and many others. We will keep you updated with how your donation will help these people.

Modern Day Slavery and a good news story

You may have heard in the news this week that the incidence of modern day slavery is more prevalent than ever in human history. A UK National Crime Agency Report released this month, estimated a significant number of people subjected by slavery across England.

“People are being exploited on an hourly and daily basis. The full scale and extent of it, we don’t know. But what we have found is that in every medium-to-large town and every city in the UK, we have found evidence of vulnerable people being exploited,”

“Human trafficking and modern slavery destroy lives. They are terrible abuses of human rights, shamefully robbing people of their dignity, causing total misery to the victims, their families and our communities. We all need to work together to stop it.” (The Guardian, 11th August)

Without a doubt the same is true in Australia …and certainly in India! The challenge in India is that slavery is deeply engrained in the culture of the place, where it is accepted and goes unquestioned by many. Kotdwarahelp helps the local anti-human trafficking police team, and this week this young man (green and blue) was rescued from a miserable circumstance. He went missing in 2015 and for 2 years he has been subject to forced labour in another town in Uttrakhand. His very poor family was tricked into believing that he was getting a very good job. Yet it was quite the opposite and he was forced to work in terrible conditions. He could not escape. 

We are thankful for the police team who do an amazing job, both rescuing victims and stopping the crime, yet their resources are limited. We work with the police promoting and delivering education awareness campaigns within the slums and poor communities.

When you need to do a poo

Where do you go, when you live in a very remote village in the foothills of the Himalayas? Sadly for many people on the outskirts of Kotdwara, when you need to do a poo, you venture into the jungle... where there are creatures like cobras, wild elephants and even tigers! 

It's worse if you are a child, young girl or woman. There is a fair risk that you could be raped. This is the reality of life in this part of the world and this is why we are so excited to have built toilets in the three villages where we have education projects. 

We had plans to build just 3 toilets but thanks to a government grant, our money was doubled. We have built a girls toilet and a boys toilet. 2 in each village, 6 in total! They cost us $1200 ($2400 all up including the grant). We are incredibly thankful to our friend Imby Langenbach (@karmmehq) who specifically donated money to Kotdwarahelp for this purpose.

Kids and women, can now do a poo in peace and safety. The things we take for granted in Australia hey! Next time you do a poo, or girls when you change a pad or tampon, contemplate how your donation can make a significant difference in the life of someone in Kotdwara. 

Thank you for being a part of our story.

EMERGENCY FLOOD RELIEF

These images were taken on Friday after a torrential monsoon storm hit on Thursday night (3rd August 2017). Sadly lives were lost and we have been told that some children were lost and swept away. Many slum houses were washed away also. 

The local authorities have been distributing emergency help and food but we really need to do more than this. Kotdwarahelp has been counselling people and supporting them in their distress, shock, trauma and grief. 

Once the waters subside, this is when the relief effort will need to crank up a couple of notches. With our limited resources, we will be working with the slum families who we help through our school and regular projects. These are our friends, the people who everyone else tends to forget about ...they are the poorest of the poor.

We anticipate that Kotdwarahelp will be helping in the following ways, over the next couple of weeks;

* providing healthy meals to those who are in need

* responding to any disease outbreaks

* helping to re-build houses

* purchasing tarps

* providing emergency relief packs with blankets and other essentials for the kids and families.

It's early days and the full extend of the problem has not yet been assessed. But we know that there is much work to be done, and people's lives and sense of hope and security restored.

Today is Sunday and thankfully the sun is shining.

Would you be able to make these people's lives a little brighter? If you could make a special donation, it would really make a difference. 

2 Shout Outs - Help and Happiness

It's early days for our start-up classroom in Village Khunibar

#1 We are shouting out with happiness

#2 We are shouting out for help

I hope this finds you well, snug and warm as the winter days set upon us in Australia. I am writing to tell you some exciting news. I continue to be amazed at the many opportunities that present as we work hard for www.kotdwarahelp.org.

#1 We are shouting out with happiness

Towards the end of May we started our sixth ‘school’ in the Village of Khunibhar, located on the edge of Kotdwara town. This is the place that I wrote to you the story about how in April I spoke one night at a community gathering about domestic violence, the dangers of alcohol and drugs. My message challenged the men to value women and I spoke about how education transforms the lives of children by bringing hope to their future.

Well we have earned the respect of the community and local police who have allowed us to start up this small classroom in a house in Khunibhar. It is not really a 'school' as such. However, the thirty children who have been attending six days a week, call it their school. For two hours a day, these kids come to learn and be cared for. They have a wonderful teacher named Hament. He is a warm and gentle Christian man. Hament is passionate about reaching out to these children with kindness and their future is now looking a little brighter.

We are incredibly thankful for our growing base of supporters, who because of their generosity we are able to start this ‘school’, to pay for the teachers’ salary and buy the necessary resources.

#2 We are shouting out for help

Two years ago, we bought a car for Amit to drive up into the jungles where we have three remote education centres. Earlier this year the State Government of Uttrakhand banned diesel fuelled cars older than 15 years. Unfortunately, this has meant that Amit can no longer drive the car. Fortunately, he can sell the car in another state, just a short distance away for a pretty good price.

We need to buy a new car as a matter of urgency. A vehicle is needed for Amit and others to travel up into the mountain foothills to visit our projects and to care for people in these communities. Presently, he uses his motor bike but this is difficult, and it can be dangerous. Earlier this year our sports teacher Amrit, while heading for his lessons with the village children, was attacked on his bike by a wild deer in the jungle. Amrit sustained a broken shoulder bone, and was lucky that his injuries were not worse.

We are going to take a step of faith and commit to buying a jeep. This 4-wheel drive jeep will allow us to visit our projects in all weather conditions, especially in the monsoon season when the roads are a terrible mess.

Might you be able to help us to repay a loan for the jeep? The jeep will cost approximately 9 lac rupees (900 000 rupees=$18 000AUD). This week we are hoping to negotiate a deal to make a 15% deposit. Following this, our monthly repayments across 3 years, will be 25 000 rupees ($500AUD). We have not signed any contracts yet but we are keen. I appreciate that this is a significant sum, but I am shouting out for some help. Would you please consider making a regular monthly donation over 3 years, or making a generous one off donation of $1000? Ultimately, the larger our initial deposit, the less interest our organisation will pay for the loan.

I am sorry that your donation will not be tax deductible but I am working towards this. Hopefully by the end of 2017 I will be successful.

Opportunities abound as we move forward and look to the future. www.kotdwarahelp.org is turning the pages of the story of many people whose lives we are impacting, and we are thankful.

I believe that there is a new chapter ahead for www.kotdwarahelp.org as momentum gathers, and our projects grow and expand. We appreciate the significant part that you play in our story of lives being changed. Hope and love are powerful and make all the hard work and sacrifice so very worthwhile.

A wonderful story of a one little girl rescued

It is a blessing to partner with you as we make a difference in the lives of others. The days seem to roll by ever so quickly and I can’t believe that another month has passed. May was certainly a very busy month for our team in Kotdwara.

One of the things I love about our projects in Kotdwara, is that as we work towards some ‘big picture’ plans and dreams, we also impact some very needy lives and their specific individual circumstances. Through our 6 school centres, each week we educate and feed 220 children, and in doing this we care for their families and communities as well. As we ‘do life’ with these people, we share their stories and our lives are certainly all the richer because of this. www.kotdwarahelp is definitely a two-way relationship.

Over 5 months of sheer hell for Pooja

Pooja is 9 years old and she attends our riverside slum school.

This past month Pooja was rescued by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of Kotdwara. Pooja lives in the slums of Kotdwara with her father, mother and 4 brothers. Because her father was not well, Pooja was sent to live at her uncle’s house. This is where she really came into trouble. We are told that her uncle would allegedly perform various superstitious and taboo practices on this poor little girl. Another woman who was friends with the uncle lured Pooja and took her to another town called Haridwar about 50 kms away. Pooja was to be sold into the sex industry and the woman and the uncle stood to make money from this transaction. After spending 5 months in Haridwar, hidden away and subjected to the most disgraceful of circumstances, the Kotdwara Anti-Human Trafficking Police Unit were able to locate and rescue Pooja. On her return to Kotdwara, Project Help was asked to provide the support and counselling that this little girl desperately needed. Pooja has now been reunited with her family.

Pooja and her family receive counselling from the Project Help team, and she has also been lavished with a number of little surprises like a box of chocolates, ice-cream, a new dress and some toys. We were told that she had never been given a box of chocolates before and she was thoroughly delighted. Pooja comes to our slum school each day where she experiences the love and care from her classmates and especially from her teacher Kiran.

Pooja needs ongoing help and support. The impact of this trauma has been significant and much psychological distress has been caused. What is incredible however, is this little girl’s smile. We are praying that her resilience is strong and that the intervention provided was swift enough to make a lasting difference.

To our Australian supporters …your generous donations make all of this possible. Kotdwarahelp supports the local police and our friends Amit and Daisy are highly respected and called upon whenever a social worker is needed. During our last visit to Kotdwara, we met with the police unit to talk about how we can support them in their work. They asked for the following help. That we;

-       create an anti-trafficking curriculum and workbook for students

-       create an anti-trafficking awareness video to show to students in the schools schools and for parents when they speak in villages

-       purchase a data-projector for the police to use for their presentations

-       Doug has been asked to provide some training to the police and other local NGOs to support them in the delivery of their programs. He anticipates doing this in September or perhaps next April.  They have also expressed their thanks and appreciation of the perspective and encouragement we provide.

Sadly, not all children in India are as fortunate as Pooja. It is estimated that 80 000 children go missing in India every year. It has hard not to be discouraged and to think that this is a hopeless and overwhelming issue. I wonder if we can ever make a difference?

It’s not hard to imagine what would have happened to Pooja and where her life might have ended up if the police had not found her. Pooja’s smile shows that one child rescued and returned to her family is evidence that our combined efforts and very small sacrifices, do make a significant difference.  

One little girl’s life has been restored. Thank you for your part in all of this. 

Back from Kotdwara with stories to share

A word of thanks for your support.

We had another incredible trip to Kotdwara in early April. We had an amazing time, filled with great reward, adventure, tears and fun ...not to mention surviving some pretty bad food poisoning and forty degree temperatures every day.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement in all we are doing. We wish that you could have travelled with us ...perhaps you might one day. Amit and Daisy send their love, prayers and sincere appreciation for your generosity and support. If you have followed our adventures on Instagram and have been inspired in any way, might I sincerely ask you to become a regular financial supporter of www.kotdwarahelp.org.

Our trip has once again reminded us of the enormity of what can be achieved through the combined generosity of many of our friends. We have certainly seen lives changed. We have seen some of the most incredible smiles that you can ever imagine and happiness brought to people who live in terrible poverty and appalling circumstances. We have seen the transforming power of education which impacts not just children but also their families and community, simply by coming to learn at school 2 hours a day. We have seen kids looking nourished because of a healthy plate of food at school. We have even seen the lives of our five cooks changed.

Sadly, we have been distressed and brought to tears having witnessed the abhorrent actions of individuals. However, we have seen how good can triumph evil, and how the trajectory of a life impacted by evil can be altered by acts of goodness and kindness, not necessarily by us, but by people in the community who care. We have seen the impact of growing the leadership of youth and seeing them reach out to others. We have seen the incredible power that comes from encouraging people in their faith and also from reaching out to others who don't necessarily share our beliefs, breaking down barriers, building trust, earning respect, and realising that we all so alike and we have so much in common ...a love for our kids, family, friendship, pride in our homes and for our 'patch' (even in a slum), enjoying a meal after a hard day's work, and prayers for a peaceful and happy life.

We have experienced the delight on children's faces watching them eat their first ever Easter egg and we also witnessed the strange but satisfying curiosity that comes from a toddler wearing a pair of shoes for the very first time. We have held hands and hugged friends who have leprosy ...people who have never experienced beyond their immediate family, the simple affection and warmth that comes from human touch.

In all of these things we have seen the power of love, and this has impacted our lives in ways that words cannot express.

We have been challenged by the notion of #smallstepsbigpurpose. We are humbled and overwhelmed that God is opening so many doors and we are convinced that bigger things are on the horizon for www.kotdwarahelp.org.

We arrive back in Sydney with some very exciting plans for the year ahead ...a women's conference, training for both NGO's and local police, further anti-human trafficking initiatives, and plans for a new education centre in a pretty rough part of town ...with the backing of the police commissioner.

To our friends who already support our work in all sorts of ways we pass on a sincere thank you. None of this, would be possible without your help. You really are a part of this incredible story. There are people in Kotdwara who know that you love them. You have made a significant difference in their lives. They thank you. If only you could meet them!

If you would like to be a part of our story, please reply or send us a message and we will show you how you can become a regular supporter. Please extend your generosity for this very special purpose.

#smallstepsbigpurpose

Love Doug, Rowena and Maisy

'Lion' The Movie and Kotdwara - Life by the Railroads of India

If you haven’t seen the movie ‘Lion’ yet, you should. Because it is a true story, it is particularly emotional.

Saroo Brierley has had an unbelievable life. Born and partly raised in an area called Ganesh Talai in India, he was accidentally separated from his family at age five while out with his brother Guddu. Hoping to find his way back, he hopped on a train, thinking he could navigate his way home. But he couldn't. Instead, he strayed farther and farther away, ending up desperately lost at the Kolkata Railway Terminus, rescued by an orphanage and later adopted by a Tasmanian couple.

Miraculously, years later, Saroo finds his way back to his home town Khandwa, a medium sized town, smack bang in the middle of India.

‘Lion’ raises some powerful themes and incredibly important social justice issues that should not be ignored.  The movie tells us that over 80,000 children go missing each year in India and there are over 11 million children living on the streets in India alone.

People have asked me if ‘Lion’ is like the India I know and have experienced. The answer is ‘yes’ without a doubt!

Back in January 2013, my family also got lost in the crowd at Kolkata railway station. It was a frightening experience to lose sight of our son, for a couple of moments that seemed like eternity. I could only describe this railway station like being stuck in a crowd after the fireworks at Circular Quay, Sydney on New Years Eve.

A BBC World News report estimated that up to 100 children and young people are trafficked through the Kolkata Terminus railway station each and every day. A grim statistic tells us that in 2014 India witnessed a 38.7% rise in human trafficking.

https://scroll.in/article/807092/west-bengal-the-epicentre-of-indias-boom-in-sexual-slavery

Saroo’s hometown of Kandwa, is about 1300km away from Kotdwara. It would take you a full 24 hours to travel this distance by train. Both towns look very similar. The main difference I felt was that the producers of the ‘Lion’ made the location a little too tidy. There did not seem to enough litter, pigs, dogs and cows all over the place. Other than this, it all looked quite similar.

Eric Schmidt US philanthropist says of ‘Lion’ – “this movie is a reminder of how important it is to be a global family, and shows that miracles can happen without borders.”

Our work in Kotdwara brings this same reminder. We are a global family bringing hope to others. We see miracles when we see lives changed. Each week we are educating and feeding 180 children, most of whom would otherwise be working on the streets, on trains, begging, fossicking through rubbish or forced into child labour. We are also supporting the local anti-human trafficking police unit and together we are going into the slums and villages to talk about the many scams and dangers they face. The families we help live in terrible poverty and because of this, the kids are at high risk of being trafficked. It is not uncommon to hear of kids sold to traffickers for just $50US! Education is a key to breaking this cycle.

“miracles can happen without borders”

If you were touched by ‘Lion’ and feel compelled to make a difference, please consider joining the story of www.kotdwarahelp.org  

Thanks to technology and ‘Google Earth’ Saroo found his miracle. Thanks to technology we are connected to Kotwdara and I am talking to our staff a couple of days a week. Technology connects families in remote India with us in Australia. This in itself is a miracle that we would never imagined possible just a few years ago.

Your support, involvement, and financial donation is used carefully and has great impact. Contact us if you would like to know more.

Mum and Dad have set up camp along side the railway tracks here at Kotdwara