'UNTOUCHABLE' CHILDREN

Golu knows that he must open his eyes before sunrise and go out in the streets to collect garbage. He grabs his bag and starts walking. He lives in Varanasi, India, the holy city of Hinduism. He is surrounded by temples, the first religious songs, plastic bags, cows, insects and some goats. He prefers to do his work when the streets are full of objects that can be recycled and sold. While wandering in search of waste nobody looks at him, he is considered “impure” because of his cast and because he is in contact with filth.

For Hindus, caste is not a social or economic fact, but the result of a reincarnation from behavior of one’s previous existence. So, along with one’s family, caste is the main reference for people and places them in a niche that generally determines the rest of their life. Unicef estimates that 15 million dalit children work in conditions of semi-slavery for paltry wages.

Despite the struggle of the Dalits in the twenties which led to the abolition of the class system in 1950, castes were never abolished in practice and some 200 million people are still considered untouchable. They are repudiated, insulted and expelled from public places. According to Human Rights Watch, there are more than 100,000 cases of rape, murder and other atrocities against Dalits in India every year, many of them committed by the police themselves and supported by landowners.

At midmorning, Golu heads back home with a full bag and an empty stomach. He will eat if he’s lucky; otherwise he will have to wait for lunch to eat the only meal of the day. He does not mind eating the same thing. He loves rice and enjoys tasting every last grain.

As most Dalit children, Golu does not have a birth record, so he runs the risk of being kidnapped or sold for cash. Human trafficking, prostitution, the sale of organs or child soldiers are some of the consequences suffered by some, often hidden under the guise of child domestic labor. Any child that has not been registered in the Civil Registry is considered a stateless person. There is no evidence or their age, their origin, or even their existence.

Before going to pick up his younger brother from school, Golu runs around the labyrinthine streets of the city. He goes to the Ganges River, dives in and takes a long bath. As he is thirsty, he takes a sip. The remains of human cremations that take place on the shore, the skeletons of animals, sewage and factory waste have contributed to an alarming contamination of the river. After bathing, Golu gets dressed and runs to the headquarters of the Galician NGO Semilla para el Cambio (Seed for Change), where his brother awaits him.

The school has given a chance to slum children. It can be quite a challenge to find schools that will accept them. Most directors shamelessly close their doors when they know the new students are Dalits. Half of ‘untouchable’ boys and 64% of the girls cannot finish their primary education partly because they are humiliated by their teachers.

Sitting on the ghats, the steps of the Ganges River, Golu goes over the alphabet written in his brother’s book. He knows it by heart, he can recite it faster than he can read it. Feeling self-satisfied, he borrows a kite from a boy and starts jumping and laughing to his heart’s content. Right then, amidst letters and games, is the only time Golu feels like the child he really is.

It is getting dark and Goku must return home. Fearful, he wastes no time so he can hand over to his father the 10 rupees (€0.13) he made selling plastics. He then prepares a large wicker basket with candles and flowers he will sell in the ghats at night. He hurries so that his father won’t get angry. He manages to sell three candles which earn him 30 rupees (€0.40) and thus avoids a beating. He borrows one of the candles, lights it, and lets the breeze and the river carry it away.

They say that once the candle is placed in the Ganges, the water carries what one has asked for. A big moon shines on the ancient waters of the sacred river, with a tiny light that carries away Golu’s wish: ‘to become a doctor and help people’.

Source: elpais.com

THE JOY OF GIVING

The Joy of Giving Week took place at the Fiat Research and Development office in Pune.

Donations were given through the Wish Tree procedure, where wishes are put up on a cardboard tree and people pick a wish, write their name on the back of the wish card, and then drop it in the donation box along with the donation amount mentioned on the card.

To express and display the wishes they fulfilled, a corresponding wish note was put up on the tree in place of card which they put in the donation box. This wish note also had the person’s name to display their contribution to the social cause they chose, and to encourage other people to do the same.

The contribution amount collected from the Wish Tree was Rs. 26800 / €374, and the collection from the Fiat Sodexo box and coupons amounted to Rs. 2310 / €32. We also received donations of various items such as biscuits, puffed rice, rice flakes, rice, wheat flour, sweets, children’s clothes, toys, and educational materials like stationary, books, etc.

We thank Fiat for their valuable support to our social projects. 

CHANGING DEEP-SEATED MINDSETS

The village of Bibipur, or ‘Women’s World’, is an inspiration for thousands of other villages in India. It is located in the state of Haryana, known for its skewed sex ratio in favor of boys, ‘honor’ killings, and the general low status of women. Bibipur, however, has emerged as an example of hope.

The face of Bibipur changed when Sunil Jaglan was appointed head of the village in 2010. From fighting for the rights of women to bringing technology into the lives of the villagers, this admirable leader has left no stone unturned to change the way Haryana villages are perceived.

‘We focused on solving this problem by spreading awareness about women’s issues and bringing women into the limelight. The first step was to organize a general assembly of clan leaders where thousands of village women gathered and talked about the sensitive issue of female feticide. In the general assembly, the women have a chance to speak their minds, which they couldn’t do earlier’, says Jaglan. They even demanded an amendment in the Indian Penal Code to book the culprits of female feticide with charges of murder.

In order to bring more attention to female feticide, Jaglan organized several awareness campaigns and events. He launched an initiative to bring granddaughters and grandmothers together on the same platform to give all generations equal importance. The idea was to bring women of all age groups out to talk about their issues and share their stories.

Also, ‘In villages where people had not even seen a computer, we used technology to spread awareness. We showed them videos on female feticide and organized debates and seminars. Our village has a big stage where we organize regular events. Women actively step up to the podium and talk about their issues’, says Jaglan. But the people of Bibipur do not just believe in talking; forty women-oriented village houses have been created with the purpose of bringing women out of their houses to look for solutions to their concerns together.

Once the city council’s work started giving positive results, the village received recognition and various awards from the government. All the money from prizes was spent on the development of the village, which now has its own website where the latest updates and developments in the village are posted on a regular basis. According to Jaglan, ‘We put the entire system in front of the villagers to maintain transparency and ensure that the council’s funds are being utilized in the right way’.

Bibipur residents have had their share of difficulties too. Jaglan has been under tremendous political pressure and even received a notice of suspension once, but the villagers rallied behind him and started a protest to bring him back into power. Bibipur and its good governance are famous today thanks to the intelligent efforts of its leader and the village residents.

Intelligent efforts are essential.

Source: thebetterindia.com

A-K's NEW OFFICE IN PUNE

In our effort to provide an ever-better response to the needs of our beneficiaries, Asha-Kiran’s office in Pune has moved to larger, more spacious facilities, while still being in a centralized location with respect to our projects.

Our team -Sujata, Kalpana, Nirmiti, Kavita and Subhash- participated fully in the move after painting and getting the space ready. At the end of an intense week of moving and arranging furniture, computers and documents, our office opened its doors once again to continue offering its services to vulnerable social groups in Pune.

NEW COLLABORATION: A-K AND COMMUNITY WOMEN

This month we combined the sales initiative of Asha-Kiran’s bookmarks with an activity for the women in our Community Center in Pune.

As ornaments for the bookmarks will be needed, our collaborator Lina Ramirez devoted several sessions to teach the women how to make them. And since there are a lot to manufacture – eight thousand - the housewives can engage in this activity for some time and get financial compensation for their work.

We hope that their skilled work and the love and care they put into it will result in ample demand for the end product and therefore continued benefits for themselves and their families.

HELL CIRCUS

Each year, hundreds of Nepalese parents sell their children to circuses in India, thinking their children will have a better future. For just $30, the children leave their homes behind only to become slaves. At the circus, they will be exploited, subjected to physical and sexual abuse, and their lives will become a living hell. When they grow up, the girls will be distributed among the showmen as sexual objects.

Philip Holmes, a former lieutenant colonel in the British army, left his former life to fight this scourge and rescue as many circus children as he could. His foundation, The Esther Benjamin Trust, has already rescued hundreds of them. Biker and writer Fabian C. Barrio, supported by Mutua Madrileña, has joined his undertaking.

These little acrobats are potential slaves. ‘We’re talking about children who never leave the fenced structure of the circus. Many child slaves are used for child prostitution, and forced marriages are not uncommon to preserve the circus tradition’, states Fabian.

Fabian met Philip during one of his trips in Nepal. When they met, Philip put Fabian up to date with the extreme situation faced by children there, where his NGO is simply overwhelmed with work. Trained through beatings and after years of forcing their small bodies to exhaustion, many of them end up with disabilities, begging in the streets.

Esther Benjamin Trust rescues about 100 children each year from this living hell. Philip organizes raids constantly, together with a team of volunteers and the police. To date, his NGO has managed to put fifteen traffickers in jail. Unfortunately, trafficking has intensified and new routes toward Africa are emerging.

Once children are rescued, those who are undocumented are taken to Philip Holmes’ shelter home in Kathmandu. There, the children go through a long recovery process because of the disorders engendered by their suffering. Without an ID, it is almost impossible to locate their families. Insecurity, fear, rejection and nightmares accompany them throughout their rehabilitation.

Esther Benjamin Trust’s work is critical for thousands of children who lack a past, a present or a future. Fabian C. Barrio gives his heartfelt thanks to Mutua Madrileña, who ‘from believed in the viability of the expedition and supported me without a second thought. There are twenty million children working in India’s streets, and half of the children in this country are sexually abused at least once in their life’, says Fabian bitterly.

When Fabian is asked what people that can do regarding the rescue of circus children, he answers ‘Spread the word. Stories exist only when people know they happen’.

Source: libertaddigital.com

MENTAL DISORDERS IN INDIA

“Mangala” was rescued by the women who lead The Banyan, an NGO that is home to low-income women suffering from various mental disorders, most of them picked up from the streets. Mangala, who is following a treatment for a severe bipolar disorder which caused her to be cut off from her family, says that ‘In the first few months, I had no idea how to deal with life. Here I found a second chance, a second life. It’s the greatest gift any of us can get’.

The transition Center of the NGO, Adaikalam, is not a run-of-the-mill psychiatric hospital. Women are free to come and go, talk, walk, weep, play, or do various tasks. One of the managers of the Center notes that ‘We are interested in improving care for both men and women, but it is true that women, especially in our society, are especially vulnerable. In fact, many of them are found half-naked in the street, showing clear evidence of having been sexually abused’.

On the terrace, several women sew bags and purses, others make pillows or carefully weave baskets with natural fibers. These are some of the products sold in the Center’s retail shop, which let the women generate their own income. One of the greatest challenges has been to find living arrangements for those who, for various reasons, are unable or unwilling to go back with their families. For them, the organization has developed a program of Community Homes where six or seven women live independently while continuing their treatments under the supervision of The Banyan.

In India, ‘Mental health services are mostly inadequate; these disorders tend to be treated without taking into consideration a complex economic and social context. These diseases are closely linked to poverty, and close to 70% of the population lives on less than two dollars a day while 1.8 million people are homeless’, says the founder of The Banyan.

There is still much help to be exchanged by the human family.

Source: elpais.com