The story of Babli Kumari crafted by Help a Child of India’s intervention

Babli Kumari is a College student from a small village in Madhepura dictrict, Bihar. The people in her village are illiterate and Babli Kumari is the first girl in her village to act as a change agent in her village. Help a Child of India guided Babli Kumari and trained her to become the voice of her community to reach them to access health services.

She facilitates village meetings every month, inviting her friends, pregnant, lactating mothers to attend in the meeting. She has developed a friends circle and influenced them to maintain cleanliness. She has become a voice for the girls on gender violence and girl child protection issues. She is smart enough to talk to any government official who visits her village.

Help a Child of India is making a positive impact in the lives of girl children across the country. You can sponsor a girl child and be the reason for helping many Babli Kumaris to realise their dreams. To sponsor a child, click  http://www.helpachildofindia.org/child/?c=FB&p=13

Karuppu Thratchai – The 1st generation school goer

This is Karuppu Thratchai (Black Grape). That’s how her parents named her. She belongs to the Sembattayar Tribe in Chennai. The tribe earn their living by beating themselves with whips. Karuppu Thratchai is the first girl in her community to be admitted in School.

There is a visible change in the Sembattayar Community due to Help a Child of India’s intervention in the community. Many of her friends are attending school and they are able to read and write. Her community people have now started to understand the need of maintaining hygiene.

Once they used to eat rats, cats and dogs and lived like Barbarians. Now they have changed a lot because of the change they see in the lives of their children. The community has now got bank accounts and ration cards with our intervention.

You can join hands with us and make a visible change in many communities like this by sponsoring children like Karuppu Thratchai.

Click here to sponsor a child http://www.helpachildofindia.org/child/?c=FB&p=13

Girl Child Protection Campaign

Help a Child of India launched a Campaign for Girl Child Protection on 24^th November, 2013.  Two Children’s Bands, ‘Minor Chords’ and ‘CeeGees’ staged a lively Music Concert on the occasion.  The families and friends of the performing children gathered enthusiastically to witness the children in action.

Over 500 deprived children drawn from various areas in and around Chennai attended the program.  Thanks to Sathyabama University for sponsoring their participation.  Mrs. Harinarayanan sponsored the snacks packs to the children.  Well-wishers and donors joined the audience and rendered support to the cause.

In spite of several measures and strict laws, safety and security of girl children continues to be the concern across the country. The episodes of Nirbhayas and Abhayas exposes how unprotected are the girl children, particularly those who have to pursue education and employment in exploitive urban environment.  Attacks and abuses are unabated. Once incident follows another with spine-chilling details.

Help a Child of India intends to spread the message of protection to the girl children in the society at large and equip the girls and the parents to bravely counter the exploitation. The launch provided an opportunity to re-enforce  the commitment of Help a Child to the cause of the girl children.

Just a few snaps for your attention:

1) Mr. L.R. Joshi, Chief Executive Officer, Help a Child of India,  welcoming the audience.

2) The girl children of Chennai Child Development Project of Help a Child presenting choreography.

3) Jerusha in her best as the Master of the Ceremony at the event.

4) ‘Minor Chords’ (age 6-14) rendering songs, including theme song, ‘Rise up India’.

5) Mr.Kishore Victor, architect of ‘Minor Chords’.

6) Miss. Sheeba Truman, Voice Trainer of ‘Minor Chords’ in a stunning performance.

7) ‘CeeGees’ enthralling the audience.

8) Mr. Godwin Jebakumar, brain behind ‘CeeGees’.

9) Launch of the Girl Child Protection Campaign.

10) Dr. Prateep V.Phillip, IPS., Additional Director General of Police, Economic Offences, launching the Girl Child Campaign with a passionate call to address the issues of the girl children.

 

11) Dr. Fatima Vasanth, the Principal and the Secretary of the College of Social Work endorsing the Campaign and urgency of it.

12) Audience expressing their solidarity with the girl children at the launch of the Campaign.

13) Mr. M.K. Paul, a popular Tamil Singer singing with his children.  He was a sponsored child of Help a Child for many years.

14) Mr. M.K. Paul rendering a vibrant solo echoing: “ I would have been on the roadside platform but for God’s support through Help a Child of India and now I stand on the holy platform.”

15) Ms. Eunice Lily Pearl , Program Manager of Help a Child making an appeal to the audience to lend support to the cause.

You could also make a difference in the lives of girl children in our country by

1) Sponsoring a Child at Rs 500 per month or Rs 6000 per year and enable her to have education and all round development

or

2) Offering a One Time Donation of Rs________ .

Cheques can be drawn in favour of “Help a Child of India” and can be sent to

# 10, 7th Street, I Block, Vallalar Kudiyiruppu, Annanagar West, Chennai – 600 040, INDIA
Phone Number : 044 – 42645074

If you like to make an Online Donation, please Click here [ Online Donation ]

No Contribution is too small for us. What we value is your participation in this journey.

– A Report by Prason. S, Marketing Manager, Help a Child of India.

Heroes of Uttarakhand

This gallery contains 42 photos.

June 2013 was a dreadful month for Uttarakhand. Nature played havoc in Uttarakhand that cost more than 10000 lives. The floods ransacked the whole place. Thousands of people lost their near and dear ones, houses, jobs. The landslides that usually … Continue reading →

It all comes back…

Anywhere, any time, when I’m looking for something that I could work on, be it writing or a presentation, My mom says, “do that one…”

“That one?”

Well it’s up to you now to find out what ‘that one’ is ?

Clue: This is a short, true story that my mom always tells me.

So here we go…

A Glass of Milk

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house.

However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water! She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk

He drank it slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you?”

You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”

He said … “Then I thank you from my heart.”

He had been ready to give up and quit. But as he left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also.

Many years later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. 

Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.

He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, and then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room.

She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill.

She read these words…

                                                                                     “Paid in full with one glass of milk”
                                                                                Dr. Howard Kelly

(author unknown)

That glass of milk created someone like Howard Kelly. How much more can your small contributions do? You will never know! It might come back to you sooner than you know.

Just one life, but only things best done are going to last. So…

Make a difference today! 🙂

Divya Thiagarajan

Opera singer sings for a cause

Shekina Shawn is India’s Numero Uno Opera Singer. India is not much exposed to Opera singing. Shekina’s vocal range is simply mind boggling. She is gonna do a concert on 22 April 2012 in Chennai (Museum Theatre). The money raised from the tickets will be used to support children in poverty through Help A Child Of India.

Opera Night

Date and Time: Sunday, April 22, at 7.15 p.m.

Venue: Museum Theatre

A recital of famous opera arias covering various time periods, from the baroque to the modern, including those by Mozart, Rossini, Purcell, Schubert, and Bizet.

Donor passes can be availed by contacting 

Prason – 98439 66865

Pramod – 89399 46969

Please click the photo to read Shekina’s interview with the Hindu

Help a Child of India at Ramee Mall

What a brilliant way to kick-start a mall! Help a Child of India was a part of Ramee Mall’s Opening Day celebrations. The new Mall collaborated with Help a Child of India on the 20th and 21st of December 2011 and put up a wonderful program. This program catered to people of all age groups.

The crowds were enchanted to the musical performances from bands like Marijuana, Goldfish, Strings with Wings, Organised Chaos and El Fe Choir.

A beautiful mélange of loud and soft music entertained the passing crowd—music that soothed the ears of some and metal that made some dance. Hats off to the bands! Entertainment did not just stop with music. A magician marveled the crowd by performing some mind blowing magic tricks that made the people go, “WOW”. It was incredible!

The next big surprise was the mascots. Everyone had to ‘make way’ for Noddy, Dora and Donald duck for their funky dance moves. Young and old danced with them without worrying about petty issues like having two left feet and such.

Help a Child of India put up a signature board at the Mall. After all the fun and frolic, when the people went to the first floor, they were greeted by young, vibrant volunteers who encouraged them to sign the board if they wished to show solidarity with the poor children in India. At the end of the event, about four hundred people had signed up.

Standing between the signature board and the entertainment stage, I observe people singing, performing magic tricks, eating chocolates and brownies, dancing and having a gala time on one side and people signing to show support towards the work of Help a Child of India on the other. It is then that it occurs to me that the poor in our country do not know how a brownie tastes. They don’t know what it is like to be in an air conditioned room. They haven’t gone shopping at Shopping Malls. In a day when everything is on fast forward track, the poor are stuck way behind in the race. I begin to wonder, “How many people really care?” Like showers of rain on a hot summer day, it’s refreshing to know that there are people who care and that I am a part of a Team that is committed to serving the poor. What a blessing indeed!

-Jerusha Diamond Margaret. V

Jerusha is pursuing her Masters degree in Communications. She volunteers for the Communications Department of Help a Child of India.

Goodbye Thatha

My husband and I regularly travel to work together and we are in the habit of parking the bike at a private parking lot behind the mount railway station and then proceeding to work.

In our daily sorjourn, I always remember the old man who sits in the parking lot .He obviously owns the place, he used to just sit on a chair glued to a tiny television set. Everday morning and evening I would find him there. His job was to collect the parking fees from the regular customers .

What was really unusual about him was his real warm smile which he confers on one and all. I noticed he was not much of a talker, still after wishing my husband he would keep staring in my direction till i raised my hand to wish him ,then he would smile his charming toothless smile and raise his hands in acknowledgement .I realize that this was a sort of daily ritual with us. I  have never really noticed him all that much and wished him more out of a sense of duty.I also remember that there were days when I could find no reason to smile. Still the feeble attempt I make to reciprocate put me in a better frame of mind.

I realize now how lonely it must have been for him just sitting there watching people come and go. He was seemingly insignificant, but what a difference that smile made in a world where we encounter so many plastic smiles and  faces…..

Last week when we had dropped in there, he was not his usual self. He had purple bruises all over his face and body, still he made a feeble attempt to raise his hands to wish us .We asked his son (grumpy sort of chap!) what was the matter with thatha and was told that he had had a fall from his bed…..

Today we went to leave our bike there as usual and found no bikes parked, instead a lot of chairs were arranged in the compound . On enquiry we learnt that thatha had passed away.

Dont know why I feel a sense of loss.I really did not know him all that well….he was just a nameless person,  but still he made a difference to me!.Just wanted to write this coz thats the only thing I could do to remember a really sweet old man who smiled his way to my heart…..

goodbye thatha.

-Susanna

An auto driver with a difference

I followed the usual routine while commuting to work this morning (2nd Aug 2011).Got off at Nungambakkam station and being really late, tried to find an auto to take me to Anna nagar. Many autos whizzed past and did not notice me trying hard to get their attention in the crowded road. One middle aged auto driver came to a stop and asked me to quickly get in as the traffic constable was eyeing him a little warily. I enquired after his charges and having haggled for a fair price settled down to enjoy a nice quiet journey.

The auto driver seemed to be of the really chatty kind and started a conversation almost as soon as we took off. He wanted to know all kind of things, as to where did I come from, whether I worked in an IT firm or a government office. I was not exactly in a very chatty frame of mind, but neverthless not wanting to be rude I answered with as much patience as possible. He did not entirely understand the meaning of an NGO, so I just told him we help children who are underpriveleged from different parts of our country.

There was silence for the first time in fifteen minutes.Then he asked me how the children were helped and so I  told him that we get people to sponsor a child for Rs.500 a month and that the child receives nutrition,education and health care  through that amount.

Again a moment of silence then he queried if people really contributed to such causes and what if their families did not support the cause. I just told him that one need not be rich but just had a heart to help others in need. Silence for the rest of the journey. As I got off the auto and paid him, he smiled and put his hands inside his pocket and drew out whatever change he  had (I saw he did not count) and gave it to me and said ‘its for the children you help’ . I was a little dumbstruck and could only mumble out a thanks

…he just continued to smile and said ‘I seldom take this route madam and I may not see you again but I wish you all the best in the wonderful work you do’ .You could mention this as a little gift from an auto driver called Kumar……………. Auto drivers always reminds one of being fleeced,unreasonable fares, haggling but here was an auto driver with a heart……… may his tribe increase.

If You have a heart to lend a helping hand to a child living in poverty, you can sponsor a child by clicking this [link]

To Help a child , Contact us at

Child Support, Help A Child of India, # 10, 7th Street, I Block, Vallalar Kudiyiruppu, Annanagar West, Chennai – 600 040, INDIA

~ Susanna Benagas

When I grow Big, I would be a Chartered Accountant

77% of Indians live on less than  20 a day. Roshan Singh comes from such a background. He had 4 siblings and his parents found it hard to make a living. To add salt to injury, his father deserted them and his mom faced the Herculean task of carrying the entire burden of her family on her shoulders. She started working as a daily laborer and she was not able to support her children.

It is at this juncture (1992) Help A Child of India started helping Roshan. Roshan was a very bright lad. He used to say, “When I grow Big, I would be a Chartered Accountant and I would take care of my mother”. People around him would make fun of him for his statement. Yet none of their sarcastic comments bogged him down. He was determined to make his dream come true. He shamed all his distractors by successfully completing his CA and is now settled well with a good job. He is taking care of his mother now.

There are many more Roshans in India with great ambitions and dreams. One such dream can become true with your thoughtfulness. You can sponsor a child by clicking this [link]

To Help a child , Contact us at

Child Support, Help A Child of India, # 10, 7th Street, I Block, Vallalar Kudiyiruppu, Annanagar West, Chennai – 600 040, INDIA

We are just a call away – 044-42645074