« May / June 2009 » |
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IntroductionThe heat in Goa continued to build during May and a few showers hit Goa at the start of June, which provided a refreshing break from the relentless heat that had engulfed the state. The children were making the most of their spare time during the school holidays, some just enjoying the freedom to play without worrying about exams, and several went to their native places to join in with traditional celebrations.We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. If you have any queries or comments, then please contact us via the website http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com/Contact-Us.htm. To provide extra safety to the children we have changed or removed their names in this and all future newsletters. |
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What's Been HappeningNew School Term April, May and June at "The Mango House" has been a hive of activity as we rushed around buying the new school materials, making the school uniforms, buying and filling the school bags and visiting the schools for new admissions. Aloysius, Trupti and Savita have done most of the work, Aloysius being in charge of talking to parents and schools, Trupti our teacher has sorted all the school resources and made sure every child received the correct items depending on their standard, and finally Savita who was in charge of measuring and stitching of all the non standard school uniforms. This year we have helped around 180 children, which is more than the previous two years added together. It's a great accomplishment for us and I would like to thank everyone who helped by donating items for their school bags and those who funded the educational programme. A special thank you goes out to Chantel (Xandev) and the Herrod Foundation for donating towards the children's educational needs. One of the main reasons for children not attending school is the financial one. The government does actually provide items for the children but this is often months late. This year we provided the children with 2 sets of uniforms, raincoat, school bag, text books and a specially printed Children Walking Tall pencil case full of pencils, pens, ruler, pencil sharpener, rubber, pencil crayons and felts. Providing the resources is not the end either, we continue to track their attendance and achievements and work closely with all the schools. To encourage the children to attend we also provide extra rice quota's for the children. For children who don't miss a days school in 2 weeks we provide the family with a kilo of rice, for those who have between 1 and 3 days absence in 2 weeks the receive 1/2 a kilo. We have also started providing all the school going children in the two local slums with a cooked lunch. The food is cooked at the house and is packaged up and taken down to the slum 5 days a weeks. The menu is exactly the same menu as we provide at the house, and is another encouragement for the children and the families in the slum. Child Bride - RachnaThis year we have tried to help two girls who have had underage illegal marriages. Rachna, the latest one came to "The Mango House" for just one day before her family bundled her into a car late at night and returned her back to the village in the next state. That night we received a call from the slum but by the time Robert reached it, it was too late and she had gone.A few days later Rachna managed to call us from a local coin box saying that she didn't want to stay in her home village, but could be done without family support, especially as we had no idea where she was. The next day she called up again from her aunties house and informed us that she was OK and her divorce was being organised, although her family could be heard in the background, which made us sceptical. About a month later we were surprised when Rachna and her family arrived back to Goa. Her parents were concerned that their name was being held at the Women and Child police station in Panjim and wanted Rachna to clear things up. Savita and Robert took Rachna down to the police station and her family followed by bus. Rachna was confident that she wanted her freedom at the start but unfortunately succumbed to family pressure and decided to close the case, it was a shock to everyone but without family support there is little we or the police can do. Child Bride - Savitri Savitri was the first child bride we were able to help back in February, if you recall, Ali and Robert were joined by her mother, brother and friend who showed us the way to their small village in Karnataka. Having the help of family members made it all possible, although not as much as we hoped as we were all hauled into the local police station with the police threatening us with kidnapping. Still not sure how a mother can kidnap her own daughter who is being held against her will in an illegal marriage... After several hours we were able to go and returned Savitri and her mother to Karaswada.As it was the middle of the school year Savitri couldn't return to school straight away so she spent the whole day at the Mango House and helped with the little ones in the morning and joined in with the older children when they returned from school. The change in her has been amazing, Savitri had made a shell to protect herself against the physical and mental abuse during her marriage. But now she is lively, loud and always has a smile on her face, the difference is amazing. Savitri and 3 other Mango House girls have now started at a new school for their 5th standard. The change in school protects her from unnecessary questions about the last two years. She has settled in really well and often comes to The Mango house with her new friends from school. Slum Children's Bank SchemeWe never imagined that our children's bank scheme would be such a success. More than 60 children are actively using their bank accounts, transactions are only a few rupees in or out but the children are learning the importance of saving and the possibilities this holds. As the project has been such a success we have appointed one of the children as the bank manager. Her job involves keeping the books and money in order and working closely with Savita who tallies everything at the end of the week. The banks continues to provide a whopping 10% interest rate on savings and allows the children instant access to their savings.As well as the children saving up for a new dress or football, the bank also allows us to provide small loans to parents, children and staff. These loans are either based on trust or security. Before having this option many families used to obtain loans from neighbours or shop keepers who charged ridiculously high rates of 10% or more per month. The money generated from The Mango House scheme is put back into the bank to continue giving a high rate of interest for the children. We have several children who don't even attend the house who save money with us and it's probably our recession beating interest rate of 10% which keeps the children saving. The children are able to access their money any time during the day and all transactions is countersigned by the bank manager Volunteer ExperiencesWe have been inundated with volunteer experiences over the last few months which has been great. We really appreciate the time volunteers take to write their thoughts for our website. Below are extracts from the eight new volunteer experiences. For the full volunteer experiences then visit our website.Claire MurrayExtracts from Claire's volunteer experience...."Working with children was very tiring as they have incredible energy but you soon learn to adapt and it is well worth the initial tiredness! Being a nurse, i was able to help to deal with many of the children's health ailments. Initially i felt out of my depth as i had no prior experience with paediatric nursing or tropical medicine. However within one week i felt confident with many of the more complex dermatological/general illnesses presented to me." "One of the proudest days of my life was seeing the children running into the house after their first day back at school, all dressed in their uniforms. It is the simple things out of the whole experience that made it all so incredibly life changing. It was these beautiful children who taught me about love and gave me hope for a better way. I would recommend this challenging yet highly rewarding experience to everyone." Ester DenesovaExtracts from Ester's volunteer experience...."When I first arrived at the Mango House, I was positive, I would never learn the names of all the children. I started to remember their names by the clothes they wore. When I was satisfied, remembering most of them, they've got a new set of clothes and I was lost again :-)" "My favourite time at the charity was lunch time, not only because Saroja is the best cook, but to see the little one's coming for more and more food, with plates bigger then themselves and knowing it's probably all they will get to eat that day...it was great feeling to know, that the charity provides nutritious food and they go home with full bellies." Lisa & BeyaExtracts from Lisa & Beya's volunteer experience...."Beya and I, (Beya is my 6 year old daughter, she was 5 when we arrived and had the chance to celebrate her 6 Birthday at CWT) arrived at CWT after a really long journey, and were taken straight away to the slums, after all there's nothing like getting thrown in at the deep end. My initial impression and that of Beya's was of how cute and friendly all the kids were, even if there living conditions are less then desirable." "CWT has changed my outlook on many things and allowed me to develop in ways that I never new were possible. I think being a mother and seeing other peoples kids living without sanitation, not being able to go to school, being forced to work etc really gives you a kick that so many of us need. " "If you’re not interested in getting “down and dirty” and really stuck in then it's best if you stay at home or go to another charity. These kids deserve your time and commitment 100%, anything less and you’re not only letting yourself down but most importantly the kids." Lucy HuntExtracts from Lucy's volunteer experience...."We visited the slums on a regular basis armed with a first aid kit. We would set up a mini –clinic with a floor mat and soon we would be surrounded by lots of children shouting ‘hello!’ and pointing at cuts and bruises. We would spend a few hours dealing with wounds and identifying sick children who needed hospital care. I was amazed by how the heat and living conditions could change simple things like insect bites into huge infected unrecognisable wounds! In terms of general volunteering, children walking tall is an excellent experience for anyone who wants to have a sense of changing lives for the better and also having a great time. Working at the charity is both physically and mentally demanding and volunteers need to be prepared for hard work." Ben QuineExtracts from Ben's volunteer experience...."Spending several hours in the slums on a daily basis gave me the greatest insight I could have asked for into the real conditions the children live in and how particularly bad they can be especially during the monsoon. While at mango house in clean clothes and after a shower you can be fooled into thinking that these kids are from solid back grounds, their politeness and happiness doesn’t tell their true stories. " "What mango house provides is a key service to the children of a community that would usually be ignored. The fun, safety and love that mango house offer the children makes an inconceivable amount of difference to the children’s life. To have been a small part in that was a great pleasure and something that is totally unforgettable. I have all the intentions to return to mango house in future as the bonds and fondness’s that grows for the children is not something that you leave in India. " Kiren SahotaExtracts from Kiren's volunteer experience...."To be honest my first day is a bit of a blur, however the main thing I do remember is the energy and exuberance that exuded from Mango House. As I walked up to the gate I had children from the veranda and the tree house waving with their big gorgeous smiles and shouting their Hellos from where they were - Really a beautiful moment". After a quick whistle stop tour of Mango House and a quick intro to the rest of the amazing team the day’s activities began." "If you are thinking about working for Children Walking Tall then congratulations, you are thinking about embarking on something that will be an experience that you will never forget. CWT is a charity that actually achieves and does everything it says it strives to do." Lindsay McGinnExtract From Lindsay McGinn's India Volunteer Experience..I can’t say enough about the children at MH. They are sweet, happy, playful, smart, talented and sometimes a little naughty. They are eager to learn and play and quick to smile and laugh. Tears and harsh words are infrequent occurrences at MH. The kids are so tough and often quite stoic in the face of nasty cuts, bruises and infections. It’s quite inspirational. Knowing where these kids come from, and how difficult life in the slum must be, watching these kids triumph in the face of adversity is extraordinary and makes all our problems seem trivial in comparison. I couldn’t recommend this experience more. I hope you enjoy your time at MH as much as I did. Paul ThornExtract From Lindsay McGinn's India Volunteer Experience.."I spent three months at the Mango House a year ago (2008), and have just been lucky enough to go back for another month. It was wonderful to see all the children again. A few have moved on (or sadly been sent to go out to work by their families), but most of the gang are still there, and there were many new kids to get to know. I didn't really know how much they would remember me (a year is a long time to young kids after all), and was really pleased when they all ran up to say hello and give me a hug as I arrived." |
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WebsiteFacebook Cause Children Walking Tall now has a facebook cause we you can add to your profile on the social networking site Facebook. Unfortunately we can not link in to the donations side of the facebook application as this is restricted to charities based in the US/Canada but it does allow people to support us by joining and sharing us with others.If you are on facebook then do join our cause and become part of the group to show your support. You will join others who also want to support us and it's a great way to keep in contact with volunteers (old and new) and to keep up to date with the charity. Pictures
Volunteer ExperiencesWe have had a eight new volunteer experiences recently which have been uploaded to the India Volunteers Experiences section of the website. We always ask volunteers to put pen to paper to let new volunteers know what to expect when they arrive for their 3 month slot. If you are interested in volunteering then do please read about the ups and the downs that the volunteers face..Exchange Rates For Goa / IndiaWe have updated the exchange rate system on our website so that you can verify the exchange rate at any time through the Goa section of the charity website. We have an inline converter that is automatically set to UK Pounds and Rupees courtesy of GoCurrency.com. To check the rate for US Dollars or Euros then just change the from selector on the form. Currency converter for Goa. |
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Fundraising and DonationsIce Cream and A lovely toppingDuring April we were contacted by Amit Marathey who explained that he owned an Ice cream factory in Goa and wanted to help by providing free Ice cream for the children's birthday party each month. We thought it was a brilliant idea so a couple days before the party each month a big van pulls up outside The Mango House and drops of 12 ltrs of ice cream, which is plenty for the children and staff. For the last couple of months we have had big parties in the slums so have needed an extra box which Amit kindly sends. It's great, although a bit tricky giving out the ice cream in the slums. When it's time, we tell all the children to get a container, some bring back bowls or cups, some of the cheeky ones bring back huge dinner plates. They line up and we serve as quickly as possible to make sure it's still cold when they eat it. As well as the ice cream they are all served a piece of cake.In addition to the Monthly Ice Cream and the Fridge Freezer, Amit has also sponsored some new computers for the center. We hope to get these orgnaise a programme to teach computer basics too, a skill that will hopefully benefit the children in the future. EBay For Charity We have registered with MissionFish to allow us to receive donations from eBay sales. You can now sell an item on eBay and donate from 10% to 100% of the final sale price to support our work with street children in India. All you have to do is set up an account; find all those items that are tucked away under your bed and sell them on ebay. If you have something to sell, and want to support Children Walking Tall at the same time, then please select Children Walking Tall to receive a portion of the selling price. Visit Ebay for charity (Children Walking Tall) for more information Thank You to Everybody We would like to thank everybody who has helped to raise funds and awareness over the last two months. It is becoming increasingly difficult to write details about all the donations we receive due to the amount of work involved. If you are kind enough to arrange an event for Children Walking Tall and would like your event to be included in the newsletter, then please write a small paragraph about how the event went and who was involved and send it to us by email. The newsletters are very time consuming to put together so this would be a great help to us and allow more time to be spent helping the children. |
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What Can You Do?Add a Link to our website Do you have your own website, blog or have a say on a company website? If the answer is yes then please add a link to Children Walking Tall. We have a collection of links that you can use, or if you want something designed for an offer, 5% goes to charity, or £1 for every order goes to charity then do let us know and we will make a link that fits your website.
Monthly SponsorshipThe charity has grown so much since it started, making it more important than ever to keep a solid base to work from. With this in mind, we are looking for people to give monthly donations so that a core fund can be relied on each month. This money would help towards feeding the children each day by providing a morning snack, a main meal for lunch, and a second snack in the afternoon. It would also help provide vitamins, health care and allow money to be set aside to pay rent, electricity and the water bills every month.For more Information : http://www.ChildrenWalkingTall.com/Donations.htm Spread The WordAn easy way to help Children Walking Tall is to just spread the word - just let more people know about what we do! If you've received this newsletter by email, then simply forward it to your friends; otherwise send a link to our website, as this and our older newsletters are always available on our website www.ChildrenWalkingTall.com |
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And Finally...Newsletter By EmailIf you have received this email by mistake, or wish to change your newsletter subscription then please fill in the online form on our website ( www.ChildrenWalkingTall.com/Newsletters.htm ).Many Thanks from everyone at Children Walking Tall. Contact UsChildren Walking Tall'The Mango House' H.No 148/3 Near Vrundavan Hospital Karaswada, Mapusa Bardez, Goa Web : www.ChildrenWalkingTall.com Tel : (0091) 9822 124 802 |
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