My Visit with Shabana Azmi
Today I had lunch with Shabana Azmi at her home. She treated me like a family member and showered me with oodles of love and affection. We spent a very pleasant afternoon together. As soon as I entered her home, she wanted to know the secret of my “trimness”. And insisted that I show her my work out. So I spent the first half hour ..as a exercise consultant, and we did crunches together on the floor. ..she is quite an impulsive lady !
After that we went straight to business. I showed her the Event and the smiles DVD on my portable DVD player. She was so impressed to see Ruhi and Scott Budman .
After that I asked her if she would Endorse HOH in our event if we provide her with a ticket ( incidentally , my good friend Suniti Dhindsa, who is the Northern Head of AIR INDIA, said she can sponsor a First CLASS Air India Ticket )
Her answer was… YES , I t would be an honor. I was very honest about our low over head and that we cannot provide 5 star accommodations. ..
Her answer to that was….. don’t worry, I can stay with any one,
I then offered my home and she readily agreed.
I went ahead and invited her to our HOH event without consulting the Board. I wanted to check the waters ! . … I don’t feel the Board should have a problem if every thing is FREE .
My friend Suniti will sponsor a First Class Air India Ticket and her living expenses in the Bay area will be ZERO cost .
I suggest we keep her for 2 days . One day we can have a very exclusive cocktail event and invite the High Flyers …and charge big money.
The other day , she can be with the regular crowd at our main event !
Again…this is just my 2 cents…. Nothing is final…. But these things have to be planned in advance. She has given me the email and phone number of her Travel Consultant , who books all her US tours.
I suggest that we decide on the date and BOOK her . Her only concern was ..not during Diwali. Lets decide on some dates and present it to her .
I did share this with Vikram and he thought this is an EXCELLENT idea . The theme of our future events should be …..Presenting a star HOH child and having a celebrity to endorse HOH.!
I was very touched , when she introduced me to her mom and praised HOH so…generously ! She insisted, I talk to Rahul Bose and promptly connected me to him on the phone. She was again…gushing about HOH ! She is quite an ICON in her own right and it is really good for HOH to have her …. as a celebrity ambassador . Hoh is truly blessed !
Shabana is planning to visit Mijwan with Nalini and Vikram. I connected her to Vikram Dutt on the phone and she was very impressed. She has kept his film and is going to show it to people ..Wow !
Her mother also showered me with so much love and affection. I shared my trip pictures with her.She compared me to her husband Kaifi Azmi….in her words…. I thought there was only ONE Kaifi Azmi in this world… I am so happy to meet another soul like my husband. I am so humbled by this compliment and THANK the Higher Power for giving me the strength to do HIS work with this A++ team! She literally adopted me as a daughter and wanted me to just stay with them…...but I had to leave since I am going to Akola …my final destination in my Project tour !
Thursday, February 7, 2008
My Trip To Akola ,Blind Project
I took the night train from Mumbai and reached Akola at 6AM. I was so TOUCHED and moved to tears to see the BLIND HEADMASTER , along with his blind teachers, waiting at the platform with a bouquet of flowers.
It felt a little weird and I wondered …who will drive the car?
Luckily, Suresh Bhai,s son has vision and I felt safe.
I reached Suresh Bhais home and was given a very warm welcome. He and his wife went all out to make me comfortable. I learned allot about this DEDICATED, SEVA DAARI and KARM YOGI. Suresh bhai is 70yrs old and was hobbling with a walking stick. If you recall…he was in a major accident. He is the ROCK of Akola and works tirelessly as a volunteer. He is STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW, a NO NONSENSE man..very proud..with bed rock integrity.. I learned , that he has been funding Akola with his own money. He silently does SEVA…with out any publicity or talk . The more I learn about him, from other people….. the MORE RESPECT I have for this man
AT THE SCHOOL
Words cant describe how I feel…… being in a room with 100 blind orphans and blind teachers. I did not know..who?? had vision?? It feels very strange, interacting with Blind people. It makes one appreciate our own eyes..which we take for granted
The blind children are abs “delicious” ( Grins language for UG kids ) There faces are so sweet and it is hard to imagine their DARK/BLACK world ! They sang beautiful songs. incidentally, the Akola team has won the first prize in Maharastra and second prize at the National level. One little girl , sang like a DREAM…pouring her heart/soul into the song ! It was so hard to control my tears !
ABOUT THE INTEGRATED STUDY SCHEME
If you recall, HOH had started/ funded for 25 blind students to go to regular High School.
How do they do it??
They sit with regular students and have cassettes, special tutoring . I would love to learn more and watch how it is done. I met all the 25 students and have each students biodata. They are doing very well . Some speak English and I asked about their dreams/ambition. Some want to be teachers/music teachers etc etc.
God willing….if only HOH could renew this funding … this Project is so AWESOME..it could become one of our FLAG SHIP projects.
Suresh Bhai is a visionary…. And his vision is to integrate more blind kids and also integrate them into Middle School.
Can you imagine….what an awesome project to tell the world..and follow the progress of these kids into main stream society
About the Akola Blind Girls
I was very happy?proud to know that Akola is the only school in Mahatrashtra that is teaching Blind Girls ! I was very impressed by how PROTECTIVE thety are towards these girls. These girls are SEPARTE , they stay upstairs and one needs SPECIAL PERMISSION to even walk upstairs.These poor blind girls are easy target for sexual abuse
THE BRAILLE LIBRARY donated by HOH
Is their pride and joy !Their dream /vision is to get funding for Braille
Printing Machines and soft ware ..to convert any language into Braille…..for education of blind students…..for $9K
THE HIGH LIGHT OF MY TRIP AND LIFE !
I met the 5 success eye surgery students. Their names are Abdul Rahim, Abhishek,.Avinash, Ganesh and Manoj. I had tears in my eyes when I spoke to them. I asked in detail how they felt…… worth writing a book ! Even though they have now partial vision…but it is a GIFT ..a new lease on life for them. I played games with them…asking them the color of my outfit, the number of fingers etc etc. They got all the answers CORRECT ..except one . I showed them a round Britannia biscuit and they called it a GOLD MEDAL ( pretty close) . These kids have won many medals..that is displayed at the entrance of the school.
I just could ot et enough of them. I asked them many many questions…
How did you feel when you got your sight ?
There answers were so ..SIMPLE ..but heart wrenching !
One boy mentioned. He LOVED the tREE and its leaves..and just hugged it. One boy admired the blue sky, the green grass etc etc. Simple , Simple things….the beauty of nature…..that we take for granted !
I asked them andidly..how is it to be BLIND??
They said it is a DARK/BLACK WORLD… with allot of noises and bustle of things happening around them.
They just savour their eyesight and touched my feet….THANKING HOH !
I have recorded their words in my camcorder..
I don’t care what hardship HOH had to go thro…..BUT IT IS WORTH IT !! … the MOST GRATIFYING MOMENT IN MY HOH CAREER!
Imagine giving the gift of vision… an experience of PURE BLISS !
One child was a surgical failure, . It broke my heart , when he said he still CANT SEE AT ALL ! I have asked for a copy of his records to send to Shankara Eye Foundation… where Anil lal as his connections.
They are also going to send me the reports of few more children. Anil had suggested that we could work with SHankara foundation
Some High Lights /success stories of Akola
One student from Akola has joined the TATA CALL CENTER in Mumbai
One student has become the Head Master in another Blind School
One student has become a teacher in Akola school.
One student is playing Cricket at State level..How does a blind student play cricket? I learned that the ball is special… with music and has stones inside it
They won the second prize in National Music Competition
First Prize at the State level in Music
One student won the second Prize in National Sports
Akola is the State CHESS CHAMPION
The TEAM IN AKOLA
It is very SPECIAL. They get A+ for COMMITMENT and DEDICATION. Suresh Bhai has ZERO tolerance and fires people if they are not up to speed . he is truly AWESOME ! ..A VISIONARY..who naturally believes in TQM. I was impressed that NO ONE,from Out side can give the kids food. ..THEY ARE NOT BEGGARS ( Vikrams words )
They have not received Govt Funding for 2 yrs. Suresh Bhai is paying from his own pocket. I was told he stopped the reconstruction in his own home to pay for Akola .
ABOUT FCRA
They showed me the paper work. At this point I told them to show it to Vikram…who will give it to Alok…. Who will put the file on Sahi’s desk… under the name of Saleem Shervani/ HOH / Dr Nilima Sabharwal .
I just hope and pray.. that GOD grants FCRA to these very SPECIAL people
About HEAD MASTER TYDAY
By the end of my trip… I simply fell in love with him. He has an adorable, cheerful personality! He also came to see me off. I asked him many candid questions. He came alone by bus, he has wife who is also totally blind, his 2 ids are Normal and they study in Mumbai.
Before leaving, he recited a special SHAIREE to me which I want to share with you all
“ THAK KE KYOO BAIDHA HAI? URAAN ABHI BAAKI HAI
ZAMEEN KHATAM HUI THO KYA HUA?AASMAN ABH BAAKI HAI”
Why are you sitting tired??
You have TO FLY
So what if the ground is finished…not there for you
The sky is always there to FLY …Wow !
When ever I feel tired now , I shall remember these words.
Incidentally, on my way to Akola in the train… I was feeling very low, frustrated and drained.. feeling like quitting ! .But the sight of this cheerful, blind man at the station…
Immediately UPLIFTED my spirits ! I shall always treasure these words of my new friend , ! ..Bless his heart
I took the night train from Mumbai and reached Akola at 6AM. I was so TOUCHED and moved to tears to see the BLIND HEADMASTER , along with his blind teachers, waiting at the platform with a bouquet of flowers.
It felt a little weird and I wondered …who will drive the car?
Luckily, Suresh Bhai,s son has vision and I felt safe.
I reached Suresh Bhais home and was given a very warm welcome. He and his wife went all out to make me comfortable. I learned allot about this DEDICATED, SEVA DAARI and KARM YOGI. Suresh bhai is 70yrs old and was hobbling with a walking stick. If you recall…he was in a major accident. He is the ROCK of Akola and works tirelessly as a volunteer. He is STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW, a NO NONSENSE man..very proud..with bed rock integrity.. I learned , that he has been funding Akola with his own money. He silently does SEVA…with out any publicity or talk . The more I learn about him, from other people….. the MORE RESPECT I have for this man
AT THE SCHOOL
Words cant describe how I feel…… being in a room with 100 blind orphans and blind teachers. I did not know..who?? had vision?? It feels very strange, interacting with Blind people. It makes one appreciate our own eyes..which we take for granted
The blind children are abs “delicious” ( Grins language for UG kids ) There faces are so sweet and it is hard to imagine their DARK/BLACK world ! They sang beautiful songs. incidentally, the Akola team has won the first prize in Maharastra and second prize at the National level. One little girl , sang like a DREAM…pouring her heart/soul into the song ! It was so hard to control my tears !
ABOUT THE INTEGRATED STUDY SCHEME
If you recall, HOH had started/ funded for 25 blind students to go to regular High School.
How do they do it??
They sit with regular students and have cassettes, special tutoring . I would love to learn more and watch how it is done. I met all the 25 students and have each students biodata. They are doing very well . Some speak English and I asked about their dreams/ambition. Some want to be teachers/music teachers etc etc.
God willing….if only HOH could renew this funding … this Project is so AWESOME..it could become one of our FLAG SHIP projects.
Suresh Bhai is a visionary…. And his vision is to integrate more blind kids and also integrate them into Middle School.
Can you imagine….what an awesome project to tell the world..and follow the progress of these kids into main stream society
About the Akola Blind Girls
I was very happy?proud to know that Akola is the only school in Mahatrashtra that is teaching Blind Girls ! I was very impressed by how PROTECTIVE thety are towards these girls. These girls are SEPARTE , they stay upstairs and one needs SPECIAL PERMISSION to even walk upstairs.These poor blind girls are easy target for sexual abuse
THE BRAILLE LIBRARY donated by HOH
Is their pride and joy !Their dream /vision is to get funding for Braille
Printing Machines and soft ware ..to convert any language into Braille…..for education of blind students…..for $9K
THE HIGH LIGHT OF MY TRIP AND LIFE !
I met the 5 success eye surgery students. Their names are Abdul Rahim, Abhishek,.Avinash, Ganesh and Manoj. I had tears in my eyes when I spoke to them. I asked in detail how they felt…… worth writing a book ! Even though they have now partial vision…but it is a GIFT ..a new lease on life for them. I played games with them…asking them the color of my outfit, the number of fingers etc etc. They got all the answers CORRECT ..except one . I showed them a round Britannia biscuit and they called it a GOLD MEDAL ( pretty close) . These kids have won many medals..that is displayed at the entrance of the school.
I just could ot et enough of them. I asked them many many questions…
How did you feel when you got your sight ?
There answers were so ..SIMPLE ..but heart wrenching !
One boy mentioned. He LOVED the tREE and its leaves..and just hugged it. One boy admired the blue sky, the green grass etc etc. Simple , Simple things….the beauty of nature…..that we take for granted !
I asked them andidly..how is it to be BLIND??
They said it is a DARK/BLACK WORLD… with allot of noises and bustle of things happening around them.
They just savour their eyesight and touched my feet….THANKING HOH !
I have recorded their words in my camcorder..
I don’t care what hardship HOH had to go thro…..BUT IT IS WORTH IT !! … the MOST GRATIFYING MOMENT IN MY HOH CAREER!
Imagine giving the gift of vision… an experience of PURE BLISS !
One child was a surgical failure, . It broke my heart , when he said he still CANT SEE AT ALL ! I have asked for a copy of his records to send to Shankara Eye Foundation… where Anil lal as his connections.
They are also going to send me the reports of few more children. Anil had suggested that we could work with SHankara foundation
Some High Lights /success stories of Akola
One student from Akola has joined the TATA CALL CENTER in Mumbai
One student has become the Head Master in another Blind School
One student has become a teacher in Akola school.
One student is playing Cricket at State level..How does a blind student play cricket? I learned that the ball is special… with music and has stones inside it
They won the second prize in National Music Competition
First Prize at the State level in Music
One student won the second Prize in National Sports
Akola is the State CHESS CHAMPION
The TEAM IN AKOLA
It is very SPECIAL. They get A+ for COMMITMENT and DEDICATION. Suresh Bhai has ZERO tolerance and fires people if they are not up to speed . he is truly AWESOME ! ..A VISIONARY..who naturally believes in TQM. I was impressed that NO ONE,from Out side can give the kids food. ..THEY ARE NOT BEGGARS ( Vikrams words )
They have not received Govt Funding for 2 yrs. Suresh Bhai is paying from his own pocket. I was told he stopped the reconstruction in his own home to pay for Akola .
ABOUT FCRA
They showed me the paper work. At this point I told them to show it to Vikram…who will give it to Alok…. Who will put the file on Sahi’s desk… under the name of Saleem Shervani/ HOH / Dr Nilima Sabharwal .
I just hope and pray.. that GOD grants FCRA to these very SPECIAL people
About HEAD MASTER TYDAY
By the end of my trip… I simply fell in love with him. He has an adorable, cheerful personality! He also came to see me off. I asked him many candid questions. He came alone by bus, he has wife who is also totally blind, his 2 ids are Normal and they study in Mumbai.
Before leaving, he recited a special SHAIREE to me which I want to share with you all
“ THAK KE KYOO BAIDHA HAI? URAAN ABHI BAAKI HAI
ZAMEEN KHATAM HUI THO KYA HUA?AASMAN ABH BAAKI HAI”
Why are you sitting tired??
You have TO FLY
So what if the ground is finished…not there for you
The sky is always there to FLY …Wow !
When ever I feel tired now , I shall remember these words.
Incidentally, on my way to Akola in the train… I was feeling very low, frustrated and drained.. feeling like quitting ! .But the sight of this cheerful, blind man at the station…
Immediately UPLIFTED my spirits ! I shall always treasure these words of my new friend , ! ..Bless his heart
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Nilima's email on her trip to Mysore
MY TRIP TO CHAYA DEVI ASHRAM, MYSORE
I felt very good walking into the new building of CD donated by Infosys. I actually put on my INSPECTOR HAT… to inspect every thing (TQM) style.
In spite of my critical eye, I have to give them A+ for cleanliness and Hygiene. Every thing was spotless …even the outside looked clean, with a sprouting garden.
I inspected the kitchen and was very impressed to see it sparkling and spotless.All the utensils and knives were shining…a real change from the dismal kitchen of CHH..They even have bunk beds (TQM Style)… I can relate to Vikrams vision…. I wish all our projects can reach this level
Then met with all the kids… they are so beautiful! I met the 2 ids that I have been personally following
SHIVANI …she was the mentally challenged kid , who was abandoned in Chamundi hills. I have watched her progress every year.. I am very impressed to see the POSITIVE improvement.
CHETAN… is getting smarter by the day. He talks so confidently and still has dreams to join the army !
I still cant forget his face ..in yr 2001..when I was haunted by his VACANT eyes. Today those same eyes have a gleam in them…full of HOPE for a BRIGHT FUTURE
LOLIT..the academic star has joined Engineering college in Blore
Over all I was very impressed by what I saw.
Iasked Srinivasan…..how do you manage ?
He told me that infosys just gave them the building funds. Now they do not get funds from Infosys.They raise upto $15K/monththro 200-300 donors, who regularly donate….from Rs 100- Rs 1000.
They are struggling…but they can manage.
Shilpi had mentioned ….there was some one who had Rs in India . Pls tell them to donate.. I have the bank information, also Isaac should have it. They could do with some help
Srinivasan…. Is another amazing soul ! …so dedicated, committed and sincere. I got to spend some time with him and gingerely broached the subject of the “Swami Picture”
In my own non threatening, B-9 style , I innocently asked him…why do you have Swamis picture with a garland? Is he dead?my understanding is that garlands are only put on a God or the photograph of a dead person
He then explained to me about the REALATIONSHIP of this Ashram with Swami….Be prepared…..
The story goes as follows……The swami prays to the God Saturn (CHANNI) and every Wednesday and Saturday he meditates for hours and then goes into a trance ..that lasts 10 hours. In that meditative /trance state..he will answer questions and predict peoples future. People stand outside the temple for hours in long lines to meet him. One such person was Srinivasan,who was childless at age 52yrs. The Swami blessed him and told him to start Chaya Devi and adopt the first child.He predicted that CD would blossom and prosper .
Srinivasans 14yr old son…is the FIRST ORPHAN of CD. Since then, Srinivasan has dedicated his heart/body/soul to CD. That Swami is like a God/Guru and they all have FAITH in his blessings !
I know all this might sound like “hog wash” and “FoooFeee” to us, but if we see it from their perspective/ angle it is DEEPLY PROFOUND !
I suggest we respect their belief and leave this topic for now( my 2 cents )
About HEMANT… I agree with Vikram…he is a JEWEL, . his services are being underutilized. He now has become the FCRA GURU. I was so impressed by his knowledge. He knows every detail about FCRA. He gave me a copy of the FCRA status , which he will mail to Alok…who will personally deliver it to Mr Sahi ..with Saleem Shervanis /HOh name on top of the envelope…Lets hope it moves FAST
Nilima Sabharwal wrote:
MY TRIP TO CHENNAI, CHH
SAD AND PATHETIC
These were the words that came to my mind when I entered the home. To begin with….there was very little play ground because the Govt has taken the front portion of the home. The wall was made of pathetic tin with a miserable gate.
Inside I found every thing SAD! The stagnant water that Chris had seen had dried up and they had sprinkled bleach to prevent mosquitos. In addition there were areas where there were puddles of stagnant sewage. I was told that there are SCAVENGERS …who dive into the septic tanks and remove the blockage…UGH! UGH! …What a pathetic job! These poor people have to be DRUNK...To dive inside that GOOP...UGH! UGH!
The blockage is caused by hair, sanitary napkins etc etc. When I heard this…I insisted that the girls be taught NOT to plug the sewage system. They told me that they have counseled the girls…but I personally feel that this is NOT ENOUGH. They have to have some system..some reward …SOME THING ..Like creating HEAD GIRLS and empowering them with a reward system. If Karaikal can do it, UG can do it, Why not CHH??
STRICT HYGEINE COUNSELING is VERY IMPORTANT here!
I then inspected the kitchen and found it..DISMAL !
I know I am sounding like Vikram…may be he is rubbing off on me.
I even checked the knives..they are all OLD and RUSTY !. I pointed this out to Mrs Newton, who is in charge of the kitchen, She said that she will replace it .
Every room looked so run down, there are pot holes on the floor.
In short…CHH looks like a MISERABLE, RUN DOWN PLACE !
I know it is unlike me to be so NEGATIVE, but that is the TRUTH!
But being the POSITIVE that I am…I feel some thing GOOD will come out of this. I now feel very MOTIVATED to help rebuild CHH. I really feel that CHH is like an old, neglected parent. This Parent CHH gave birth to HOH...And we CANNOT ABANDON IT! We HAVE TO UPLIFT/ REBUILD CHH.
Now on the POSITIVE SIDE
Surprisingly… all the kids look healthy. There has been NO SICK CHILD.
Also CHH is one place where the orphans come back and GIVE BACK to the home. Example Shashima..who is a kindergarden teacher , and Mukta , who is teaching English
MY MEETING WITH THE CHH BOARD
It went off very very well. We all are on the same page. They totally understood Vikrams TQM. They are all very eager to comply with all our wishes and requirements.
I was also impressed that they are actively trying to do Fund Raising. They have lined up some companies who will donate funds..Once the Project STARTS. One company has even promised upto 25 laks
They need to GET STARTED
Here HOH can help…by giving them a JUMP START! I suggest..lets give them large sum of $100K and START the Project. Once the Project is in motion…. I sincerely fel…between the 2 Boards.. Th funds can be raised. Vikrams idea which worked in UG…DOLLAR FOR BRICK….will e very appealing for our donors. I really feel we can RAISE THE FUNDS! For that we need to gET STARTED …to show some thing to our donors..again my 2 cents !
There was sadness inside me when I left the place. Some where I felt…CHH..got LEFT BEHIND ! All our other projects have progressed.
There is still not a computer inside the orphanage and they are still trying to find an English teacher!
We really need to get these kids out of this SLUMP and raise the quality with TQM….. I hope HP listens to our prayers!
My meeting with Indrani... President of CHH
I met Indrani in Bangalore . She wooed me off my feet…. I was so over whelmed. She picked me up from the hotel and took me out for dinner to Oberoi...to a very fancy Thai Place . Then she gifted me with gifts…for myself, my kids and Vidya. She gushed and gushed…how THANK FUL she is to HOH. She BLESSED all o us…. Wow! I was quite taken aback… totally unprepared.
She shares the same sentiments…and feels very BAD for CHH. She will comply with all our needs and work with Vikram Dutt at every level. She totally understands TQM… and that also is her dream!
I felt good…. We all are ON THE SAME PAGE...Our cumulative energy is the SAME… all this looks very positive
I felt very good walking into the new building of CD donated by Infosys. I actually put on my INSPECTOR HAT… to inspect every thing (TQM) style.
In spite of my critical eye, I have to give them A+ for cleanliness and Hygiene. Every thing was spotless …even the outside looked clean, with a sprouting garden.
I inspected the kitchen and was very impressed to see it sparkling and spotless.All the utensils and knives were shining…a real change from the dismal kitchen of CHH..They even have bunk beds (TQM Style)… I can relate to Vikrams vision…. I wish all our projects can reach this level
Then met with all the kids… they are so beautiful! I met the 2 ids that I have been personally following
SHIVANI …she was the mentally challenged kid , who was abandoned in Chamundi hills. I have watched her progress every year.. I am very impressed to see the POSITIVE improvement.
CHETAN… is getting smarter by the day. He talks so confidently and still has dreams to join the army !
I still cant forget his face ..in yr 2001..when I was haunted by his VACANT eyes. Today those same eyes have a gleam in them…full of HOPE for a BRIGHT FUTURE
LOLIT..the academic star has joined Engineering college in Blore
Over all I was very impressed by what I saw.
Iasked Srinivasan…..how do you manage ?
He told me that infosys just gave them the building funds. Now they do not get funds from Infosys.They raise upto $15K/monththro 200-300 donors, who regularly donate….from Rs 100- Rs 1000.
They are struggling…but they can manage.
Shilpi had mentioned ….there was some one who had Rs in India . Pls tell them to donate.. I have the bank information, also Isaac should have it. They could do with some help
Srinivasan…. Is another amazing soul ! …so dedicated, committed and sincere. I got to spend some time with him and gingerely broached the subject of the “Swami Picture”
In my own non threatening, B-9 style , I innocently asked him…why do you have Swamis picture with a garland? Is he dead?my understanding is that garlands are only put on a God or the photograph of a dead person
He then explained to me about the REALATIONSHIP of this Ashram with Swami….Be prepared…..
The story goes as follows……The swami prays to the God Saturn (CHANNI) and every Wednesday and Saturday he meditates for hours and then goes into a trance ..that lasts 10 hours. In that meditative /trance state..he will answer questions and predict peoples future. People stand outside the temple for hours in long lines to meet him. One such person was Srinivasan,who was childless at age 52yrs. The Swami blessed him and told him to start Chaya Devi and adopt the first child.He predicted that CD would blossom and prosper .
Srinivasans 14yr old son…is the FIRST ORPHAN of CD. Since then, Srinivasan has dedicated his heart/body/soul to CD. That Swami is like a God/Guru and they all have FAITH in his blessings !
I know all this might sound like “hog wash” and “FoooFeee” to us, but if we see it from their perspective/ angle it is DEEPLY PROFOUND !
I suggest we respect their belief and leave this topic for now( my 2 cents )
About HEMANT… I agree with Vikram…he is a JEWEL, . his services are being underutilized. He now has become the FCRA GURU. I was so impressed by his knowledge. He knows every detail about FCRA. He gave me a copy of the FCRA status , which he will mail to Alok…who will personally deliver it to Mr Sahi ..with Saleem Shervanis /HOh name on top of the envelope…Lets hope it moves FAST
Nilima Sabharwal
MY TRIP TO CHENNAI, CHH
SAD AND PATHETIC
These were the words that came to my mind when I entered the home. To begin with….there was very little play ground because the Govt has taken the front portion of the home. The wall was made of pathetic tin with a miserable gate.
Inside I found every thing SAD! The stagnant water that Chris had seen had dried up and they had sprinkled bleach to prevent mosquitos. In addition there were areas where there were puddles of stagnant sewage. I was told that there are SCAVENGERS …who dive into the septic tanks and remove the blockage…UGH! UGH! …What a pathetic job! These poor people have to be DRUNK...To dive inside that GOOP...UGH! UGH!
The blockage is caused by hair, sanitary napkins etc etc. When I heard this…I insisted that the girls be taught NOT to plug the sewage system. They told me that they have counseled the girls…but I personally feel that this is NOT ENOUGH. They have to have some system..some reward …SOME THING ..Like creating HEAD GIRLS and empowering them with a reward system. If Karaikal can do it, UG can do it, Why not CHH??
STRICT HYGEINE COUNSELING is VERY IMPORTANT here!
I then inspected the kitchen and found it..DISMAL !
I know I am sounding like Vikram…may be he is rubbing off on me.
I even checked the knives..they are all OLD and RUSTY !. I pointed this out to Mrs Newton, who is in charge of the kitchen, She said that she will replace it .
Every room looked so run down, there are pot holes on the floor.
In short…CHH looks like a MISERABLE, RUN DOWN PLACE !
I know it is unlike me to be so NEGATIVE, but that is the TRUTH!
But being the POSITIVE that I am…I feel some thing GOOD will come out of this. I now feel very MOTIVATED to help rebuild CHH. I really feel that CHH is like an old, neglected parent. This Parent CHH gave birth to HOH...And we CANNOT ABANDON IT! We HAVE TO UPLIFT/ REBUILD CHH.
Now on the POSITIVE SIDE
Surprisingly… all the kids look healthy. There has been NO SICK CHILD.
Also CHH is one place where the orphans come back and GIVE BACK to the home. Example Shashima..who is a kindergarden teacher , and Mukta , who is teaching English
MY MEETING WITH THE CHH BOARD
It went off very very well. We all are on the same page. They totally understood Vikrams TQM. They are all very eager to comply with all our wishes and requirements.
I was also impressed that they are actively trying to do Fund Raising. They have lined up some companies who will donate funds..Once the Project STARTS. One company has even promised upto 25 laks
They need to GET STARTED
Here HOH can help…by giving them a JUMP START! I suggest..lets give them large sum of $100K and START the Project. Once the Project is in motion…. I sincerely fel…between the 2 Boards.. Th funds can be raised. Vikrams idea which worked in UG…DOLLAR FOR BRICK….will e very appealing for our donors. I really feel we can RAISE THE FUNDS! For that we need to gET STARTED …to show some thing to our donors..again my 2 cents !
There was sadness inside me when I left the place. Some where I felt…CHH..got LEFT BEHIND ! All our other projects have progressed.
There is still not a computer inside the orphanage and they are still trying to find an English teacher!
We really need to get these kids out of this SLUMP and raise the quality with TQM….. I hope HP listens to our prayers!
My meeting with Indrani... President of CHH
I met Indrani in Bangalore . She wooed me off my feet…. I was so over whelmed. She picked me up from the hotel and took me out for dinner to Oberoi...to a very fancy Thai Place . Then she gifted me with gifts…for myself, my kids and Vidya. She gushed and gushed…how THANK FUL she is to HOH. She BLESSED all o us…. Wow! I was quite taken aback… totally unprepared.
She shares the same sentiments…and feels very BAD for CHH. She will comply with all our needs and work with Vikram Dutt at every level. She totally understands TQM… and that also is her dream!
I felt good…. We all are ON THE SAME PAGE...Our cumulative energy is the SAME… all this looks very positive
Email Post from Nilima on her Karaikal trip
This has been the most productive and action packed trip I have ever made in my life. I accomplished ALLOT in one day. There is so much I want to share with you , that i will have to divide my report into segments
SEGMENT ONE
AMAZING NETWORKING WITH AMAZING SOULS !
We left Chennai ,by road at 6AM . Cameraman and Raja picked me up from Nimmi's house. On the way we stopped at the Auroville Ashram in Pondicherry and I met KATHY .....If you recall I had met the Dean of CIIS(California Institute of Integral Studies), Mr Joseph S at the Diwali function in Gay lords. I further met him at the Indo Chamber of Commerce dinner. Joseph connected me to Kathy, who is the Program director based in Auroville. Students from CIIS have volunteered in her program.
KATHY ....what an amazing soul! She was a practicing Occupational Therapist in Australia. 10 yrs ago she came to Auroville, and has never gone back. She calls it her CALLING !. Afcourse, I connected with her . She is doing amazing work in Auroville with the Community for the destitute kids. She has started day care programs for them. I visited one of them and was very impressed.
Her concept is an experimental Township with Universal Humanity.
She was very excited about HOH and the Karaikal Project..She is a hot bed for human resources from Auroville in the form of Volunteers and Support staff.
Above all, she is some one ,who should be part of the HOH MOVEMENT ....what an awesome lady ! ...to bring into our HOh team.
Her wish list ....is to get funding for a computer Labs for the village kids.She has all the resources in the form of manpower etc etc.
Just imagine another HOh or YL computer lab ??...This will CONNECT HOH with the RICH RESOURCES of the Auroville Ashram.
HOH +CIIS+Auroville + Karaikal.... would be an amazing alliance. Students from S.F/CIIS could go on Internship programs to our projects in Karaikal...I see ALLOT of potential with this alliance...again just my 2 cents .
Incidentally Vikram also met kathy and was mighty impressed.
MARC.....I reached the Ashram in Karaikal and met MARC....another amazing soul !. He is a wealthy construction Lawyer from Netherlands, who one day....got tired of his EMPTY office work....and took off !....to find himself. He travel led to China,Vietnam, Thailand and finally landed in India ...and met Kiran Modi...who had just received 50 laks from Swami Ji. The interesting thing is....Anil, Neelam and myself were there at that award function when UG received that donation. At that time HOh received the award from Shiela Dixit.
That 50 lakhs was given to Swami from a Dutch Organization for Tsunami Relief. That dutch organization, has now appointed Marc to supervise the project for UG....What a small world ! and how we all connect at the RIGHT time !. This project is called SUGAM, which is an off shoot of UG.
Basically, this is a UG project..... right in the Back yard of our Karaikal Project. They are constructing a Community Center ,which will have Vocational Training, Educational/ Computer training Programs.
I really CONNECTED with Marc. He was there with me the whole time. I showed him the smiles film and NBC moving pictures and Bay to Blore series on my portable dvd.
By the end of the day.....he was SOLD on HOH. He now wants to work with HOH and help us anyway he can. In fact , next week he is planning a trip to ATMS.
Wow ! another amazing soul to recruit into HOH and be part of the HOH MOVEMENT
SEGMENT TWO
INAUGURATION OF THE COMPUTER/LIBRARY BUILDING
They had a very simple traditional prayer to inaugurate the YL computer/Library lab.
The lab is beautiful... with fancy green patterned tiles. I met all the 60 kids. I was shown the report card of the 10 ACADEMIC STARS ! These 10 kids are BRILLIANT !...standing FIRST in their class..getting 95% to 100% marks in Math , Science and English.
Can you imagine?.... These same kids , few years ago. could not even speak. They were no better than the FISH in the ocean.
Now these kids have AMBITION.... they shared with me their DREAMS..to become doctors, lawyers , Teachers and IAS officers. I can see these kids being future stars !
I motivated them by telling them about Ruhi...that HOH could one day pick one of them to represent HOH. I could actually see the gleam in their eyes ! I can see these kids benefit ting from the Computer lab.
Before leaving for Karaikal, Vikram had coached me about the Computer Lab and given me the blue print of the UG Computer Lab, which fits TQM standard.. Like Vikram says...why reinvent the wheel?
Jaya Raman was overjoyed and relieved to get the blue Print and is all excited to follow it and comply with all Vikrams instructions. In his words...he thought he had to do it himself
Marc also took a copy of the computer lab for his project . They will now work together...the alliance has already started .
I also interviewed a tutor , who came highly recommended by Marc. He is a tutor at the Sugam Project . I was amused how much Jayaraman was grilling him...jayraman is so INTENSE about his work...he needs a chill pill !
SEGMENT THREE
LOOKING FOR LAND FOR A FUTURE YL HOME
Here I connected with Mr Anbarasan, who is an Engineer with the Karaikal planning Board .He was very knowledgeable and knew all the ins and outs of the land . I saw a couple of plots. The Plot vikram saw and liked , unfortunately does not have the electricity permit yet. These minor details I was able to get from MR A.
The land near the High Way is tooo expensive. The land away is not secure. Finally I like a plot of land which has a beautiful location , opposite a beautiful temple. Also it is close to Sugam community Center and quite close to the Main road. It costs upto 12 lakhs. If we are interested , Jay Raman can negotiate a lower price..but we have to do it soon or else it will be gone ! We need to put some form of down payment soooon !
SEGMENT FOUR
ABOUT THE YL HOME
I shared this with Anil lal and Vikram Dutt. I dont feel the Karaikal team..that consists mainly of JayaRaman and Raja can handle the runnings of a YL home. Mr J shared with me his health problems and family stress. He is NOT comfortable taking on this massive project. He is very MOTIVATED and HAPPY with the Computer Lab and HOH project. In his words....i will do an EXCELLENT JOB !
He seems like an...Anal, compulsive, perfectionist. .a bit of a HOT HEAD ..who cant handle the stress of a YL home. He is wiling to help us in purchasing the land and construction. .but the thought of running such a home is...FREAKING him out !
I have shared this with Isaac, who also agrees with me.
As a PCO of this Project ... Hoh should not do the YL home with the SSPTM group.
I feel we should do the YL home with the Sugam/UG team with Marc supervising it. Also UG has a track record and experience in YL Home .
Isaac is also very happy working with Kiran Modi and myself on this Project. I think this will be a FLAG SHIP project of HOH .
Imagine this amazing alliance team of the future
HOH/YL COMPUTER LAB +YL/UG HOME+ AUROVILLE+CIIS. ...... this sleepy village of Karaikal will WAKE UP ! and be noticed on the SEVA MAP !
I am now heading back to Chennai on the overnight train. They messed up my reservation. ...I am promised a sleeping berth after Trichi. Its good.....cause I cant sleep ! OUCH .....I just saw an army of creepy crawling cock roaches..... that's why ! .....UGH ! UGH !
I plan to tell Saleem right away to inform ...Laloo Prasad ..the RailWay Minister
Anyway, I had an AMAZING DAY and those silly, ugly , creepy creatures cant spoil my mood...cause I am on an HOH HIGH !
Nilima.Sabharwal@kp.org wrote:
I i went to Sallam Baalak with Alok. This Time Alok has been very proactive in accompanying me to all the Projects. Like Vikram said...It is important for all our partners to connect with each other. Alok made an excellent connection with Henu and came up with excellent ideas for their Mentally Challenged children. I have seen Alok, really blossom in front of my own eyes. He has truly become a Consultant in this field.
I met the boys of SB...and I remembered whatAnil lal had said.... the boys all look so ..ANIMATED !
That is true... I felt the same ! way. Each boy had a glow on his face and confidence.The COMMONALITY in all of them......they have DREAMS.....and AMBITION !..to become something in life !
I dont know what it is? But these boys are DIFFERENT . May be it is the "filmy" exposure they get??..But what ever it is .....it is POSITIVE.
One boy is an artist and showed me his paintings. Another boy wanted to be an actor.
I then met the ACADEMIC STARS ! ...2 boys named Vijay and Pankaj
I could not control my tears when I heard their story....
Vijay and his brother are from Tamil Nadu and came to Delhi on a visit with his family. He was barely 5 yrs old when he got separated ...and was LOST in the harsh streets of Delhi...for 10 yrs !!
The Thought of a 5yr child lost with his brother ...is plain hor rific !
for 10 yrs he begged on the streets...living a life of HELL !
All he remembered.. .. was his father is a tailor and both parents were very loving.
SB , rescued him..and he has been with them for the past 3-4 yrs. He has shown amazing academic skills. ...and wants to become a Computer Engineer. He was busy studying when i interviewed him
Looking at kids like Pankaj and Vijay... I seriously feel HOH should have a separate Higher Education fUND...like an independent Project...and fund the education of kids like these.
This will be such a GRATIFYING PROJECT....it will be so easy to raise funds for a Project like this
I am still waiting to hear from Dr Premi Thomas and George Thomas, ! who want to donate towards such a fund. they are currently getting their paper work in order for the trust... again this is just my 2 cents...but lets atleast think about this
I was very DEPRESSED after I left SB..... I apologize... but I have a VIVID IMAGINATION !
I remembered my own kids ..Sonia and Shiv, when they were 5yrs and 3 yrs.
Can you imagine loosing them in the streets of Delhi??...for 10 yrs !
What those poor parents must have gone thro....?The thought makes my heart ache !!
How BLESSED we all are as parents ....that's why.... WE MUST HELP UNFORTUNATE KIDS LIKE THESE !
They recently had one success story....when Tony Blairs wi! fe visited SB, and SB was on the TV news. One parent recognized her ch ild in the crowd after 10yrs.
That is a true MIRACLE !...which does not happen every day.
God Willing..... HP will give the strength to HOh to create miracles for these kids in giving them hOPE for a better life !
that's why I love my HOH trips... I really feel INVIGORATED to do more...and more....for these kids...with the sky being the limit !
SEGMENT ONE
AMAZING NETWORKING WITH AMAZING SOULS !
We left Chennai ,by road at 6AM . Cameraman and Raja picked me up from Nimmi's house. On the way we stopped at the Auroville Ashram in Pondicherry and I met KATHY .....If you recall I had met the Dean of CIIS(California Institute of Integral Studies), Mr Joseph S at the Diwali function in Gay lords. I further met him at the Indo Chamber of Commerce dinner. Joseph connected me to Kathy, who is the Program director based in Auroville. Students from CIIS have volunteered in her program.
KATHY ....what an amazing soul! She was a practicing Occupational Therapist in Australia. 10 yrs ago she came to Auroville, and has never gone back. She calls it her CALLING !. Afcourse, I connected with her . She is doing amazing work in Auroville with the Community for the destitute kids. She has started day care programs for them. I visited one of them and was very impressed.
Her concept is an experimental Township with Universal Humanity.
She was very excited about HOH and the Karaikal Project..She is a hot bed for human resources from Auroville in the form of Volunteers and Support staff.
Above all, she is some one ,who should be part of the HOH MOVEMENT ....what an awesome lady ! ...to bring into our HOh team.
Her wish list ....is to get funding for a computer Labs for the village kids.She has all the resources in the form of manpower etc etc.
Just imagine another HOh or YL computer lab ??...This will CONNECT HOH with the RICH RESOURCES of the Auroville Ashram.
HOH +CIIS+Auroville + Karaikal.... would be an amazing alliance. Students from S.F/CIIS could go on Internship programs to our projects in Karaikal...I see ALLOT of potential with this alliance...again just my 2 cents .
Incidentally Vikram also met kathy and was mighty impressed.
MARC.....I reached the Ashram in Karaikal and met MARC....another amazing soul !. He is a wealthy construction Lawyer from Netherlands, who one day....got tired of his EMPTY office work....and took off !....to find himself. He travel led to China,Vietnam, Thailand and finally landed in India ...and met Kiran Modi...who had just received 50 laks from Swami Ji. The interesting thing is....Anil, Neelam and myself were there at that award function when UG received that donation. At that time HOh received the award from Shiela Dixit.
That 50 lakhs was given to Swami from a Dutch Organization for Tsunami Relief. That dutch organization, has now appointed Marc to supervise the project for UG....What a small world ! and how we all connect at the RIGHT time !. This project is called SUGAM, which is an off shoot of UG.
Basically, this is a UG project..... right in the Back yard of our Karaikal Project. They are constructing a Community Center ,which will have Vocational Training, Educational/ Computer training Programs.
I really CONNECTED with Marc. He was there with me the whole time. I showed him the smiles film and NBC moving pictures and Bay to Blore series on my portable dvd.
By the end of the day.....he was SOLD on HOH. He now wants to work with HOH and help us anyway he can. In fact , next week he is planning a trip to ATMS.
Wow ! another amazing soul to recruit into HOH and be part of the HOH MOVEMENT
SEGMENT TWO
INAUGURATION OF THE COMPUTER/LIBRARY BUILDING
They had a very simple traditional prayer to inaugurate the YL computer/Library lab.
The lab is beautiful... with fancy green patterned tiles. I met all the 60 kids. I was shown the report card of the 10 ACADEMIC STARS ! These 10 kids are BRILLIANT !...standing FIRST in their class..getting 95% to 100% marks in Math , Science and English.
Can you imagine?.... These same kids , few years ago. could not even speak. They were no better than the FISH in the ocean.
Now these kids have AMBITION.... they shared with me their DREAMS..to become doctors, lawyers , Teachers and IAS officers. I can see these kids being future stars !
I motivated them by telling them about Ruhi...that HOH could one day pick one of them to represent HOH. I could actually see the gleam in their eyes ! I can see these kids benefit ting from the Computer lab.
Before leaving for Karaikal, Vikram had coached me about the Computer Lab and given me the blue print of the UG Computer Lab, which fits TQM standard.. Like Vikram says...why reinvent the wheel?
Jaya Raman was overjoyed and relieved to get the blue Print and is all excited to follow it and comply with all Vikrams instructions. In his words...he thought he had to do it himself
Marc also took a copy of the computer lab for his project . They will now work together...the alliance has already started .
I also interviewed a tutor , who came highly recommended by Marc. He is a tutor at the Sugam Project . I was amused how much Jayaraman was grilling him...jayraman is so INTENSE about his work...he needs a chill pill !
SEGMENT THREE
LOOKING FOR LAND FOR A FUTURE YL HOME
Here I connected with Mr Anbarasan, who is an Engineer with the Karaikal planning Board .He was very knowledgeable and knew all the ins and outs of the land . I saw a couple of plots. The Plot vikram saw and liked , unfortunately does not have the electricity permit yet. These minor details I was able to get from MR A.
The land near the High Way is tooo expensive. The land away is not secure. Finally I like a plot of land which has a beautiful location , opposite a beautiful temple. Also it is close to Sugam community Center and quite close to the Main road. It costs upto 12 lakhs. If we are interested , Jay Raman can negotiate a lower price..but we have to do it soon or else it will be gone ! We need to put some form of down payment soooon !
SEGMENT FOUR
ABOUT THE YL HOME
I shared this with Anil lal and Vikram Dutt. I dont feel the Karaikal team..that consists mainly of JayaRaman and Raja can handle the runnings of a YL home. Mr J shared with me his health problems and family stress. He is NOT comfortable taking on this massive project. He is very MOTIVATED and HAPPY with the Computer Lab and HOH project. In his words....i will do an EXCELLENT JOB !
He seems like an...Anal, compulsive, perfectionist. .a bit of a HOT HEAD ..who cant handle the stress of a YL home. He is wiling to help us in purchasing the land and construction. .but the thought of running such a home is...FREAKING him out !
I have shared this with Isaac, who also agrees with me.
As a PCO of this Project ... Hoh should not do the YL home with the SSPTM group.
I feel we should do the YL home with the Sugam/UG team with Marc supervising it. Also UG has a track record and experience in YL Home .
Isaac is also very happy working with Kiran Modi and myself on this Project. I think this will be a FLAG SHIP project of HOH .
Imagine this amazing alliance team of the future
HOH/YL COMPUTER LAB +YL/UG HOME+ AUROVILLE+CIIS. ...... this sleepy village of Karaikal will WAKE UP ! and be noticed on the SEVA MAP !
I am now heading back to Chennai on the overnight train. They messed up my reservation. ...I am promised a sleeping berth after Trichi. Its good.....cause I cant sleep ! OUCH .....I just saw an army of creepy crawling cock roaches..... that's why ! .....UGH ! UGH !
I plan to tell Saleem right away to inform ...Laloo Prasad ..the RailWay Minister
Anyway, I had an AMAZING DAY and those silly, ugly , creepy creatures cant spoil my mood...cause I am on an HOH HIGH !
Nilima.Sabharwal@kp.org wrote:
I i went to Sallam Baalak with Alok. This Time Alok has been very proactive in accompanying me to all the Projects. Like Vikram said...It is important for all our partners to connect with each other. Alok made an excellent connection with Henu and came up with excellent ideas for their Mentally Challenged children. I have seen Alok, really blossom in front of my own eyes. He has truly become a Consultant in this field.
I met the boys of SB...and I remembered whatAnil lal had said.... the boys all look so ..ANIMATED !
That is true... I felt the same ! way. Each boy had a glow on his face and confidence.The COMMONALITY in all of them......they have DREAMS.....and AMBITION !..to become something in life !
I dont know what it is? But these boys are DIFFERENT . May be it is the "filmy" exposure they get??..But what ever it is .....it is POSITIVE.
One boy is an artist and showed me his paintings. Another boy wanted to be an actor.
I then met the ACADEMIC STARS ! ...2 boys named Vijay and Pankaj
I could not control my tears when I heard their story....
Vijay and his brother are from Tamil Nadu and came to Delhi on a visit with his family. He was barely 5 yrs old when he got separated ...and was LOST in the harsh streets of Delhi...for 10 yrs !!
The Thought of a 5yr child lost with his brother ...is plain hor rific !
for 10 yrs he begged on the streets...living a life of HELL !
All he remembered.. .. was his father is a tailor and both parents were very loving.
SB , rescued him..and he has been with them for the past 3-4 yrs. He has shown amazing academic skills. ...and wants to become a Computer Engineer. He was busy studying when i interviewed him
Looking at kids like Pankaj and Vijay... I seriously feel HOH should have a separate Higher Education fUND...like an independent Project...and fund the education of kids like these.
This will be such a GRATIFYING PROJECT....it will be so easy to raise funds for a Project like this
I am still waiting to hear from Dr Premi Thomas and George Thomas, ! who want to donate towards such a fund. they are currently getting their paper work in order for the trust... again this is just my 2 cents...but lets atleast think about this
I was very DEPRESSED after I left SB..... I apologize... but I have a VIVID IMAGINATION !
I remembered my own kids ..Sonia and Shiv, when they were 5yrs and 3 yrs.
Can you imagine loosing them in the streets of Delhi??...for 10 yrs !
What those poor parents must have gone thro....?The thought makes my heart ache !!
How BLESSED we all are as parents ....that's why.... WE MUST HELP UNFORTUNATE KIDS LIKE THESE !
They recently had one success story....when Tony Blairs wi! fe visited SB, and SB was on the TV news. One parent recognized her ch ild in the crowd after 10yrs.
That is a true MIRACLE !...which does not happen every day.
God Willing..... HP will give the strength to HOh to create miracles for these kids in giving them hOPE for a better life !
that's why I love my HOH trips... I really feel INVIGORATED to do more...and more....for these kids...with the sky being the limit !
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