Determined to Learn

Determined to Learn

“They tell me I will never get married.” Those are the words uttered by Asmeen when she first met Anita, school teacher at the Bawana tuition center. When Asmeen was five years old she fell on the corner of a bed and her left eye got injured. Her family did not have the means to treat her properly so Asmeen lost her eye.

Asmeen never got a chance to go to school, and being blind in one eye, her prospects for the future looked bleak. Any kind of handicap is a major hurdle in looking for a bridegroom. That was until Asmeen ran into Anita. Anita is a very devoted HOPE worldwide staff member who takes her job seriously. For Anita, teaching children goes beyond academics.

Anita reached out to Asmeen and invited her to join the tuition center even though Asmeen had never had any formal schooling. At the age of thirteen she knew far less than the younger children at the school.

Asmeen is a very determined young woman though. She comes to the tuition center every day. In her first month she learnt her alphabet, and she started to read and count. The plight of illiterate women in India is very sad; they are easy targets for exploitation. If Asmeen perseveres and learns to read and write she will be able to protect herself and be more self reliant. She will also be able to get a job.

Who knows what the future now holds? With a determined attitude and the support of the dedicated HOPE staff Asmeen’s life may have taken a significant turn for the better.

Hope in the Heart of a Child

Hope in the Heart of a Child


It is always amazing how children raised in horrific circumstances can display admirable resilience and courage. The smiles on their faces stand in contrast the more blasee attitude of wealthier people...

I met Madhipul (12) and his little brother Deepak (7) at the Bawana Tuition Center of HOPE worldwide just outside Delhi. The tattered rags on their backs belied the infectious joy on their faces and the devotion they show in their studies.

Madhiphul seemed very protective of his younger sibling, a phenomenon I have observed countless times as I visit the slums of India. Families stand together in the face of incredible poverty. The older kids protect the younger ones. Madhipul's story broke my heart and also gave me hope...

The two brothers come from a large family of 10 children. Their father is in bad health (andnot surprisingly battles depression) so he doesn't work. Their mother contracted tuberculosis several years ago and so is very weak physically. She cannot work either, not that this would be a possibility anyhow in this very traditional community. Women are not encouraged to work outside the home.

Madhiphul shared with me another reason the family might be grieving. A couple of years ago the brothers were running to catch a moving train. This is a very common practise here in India, and yet extremely dangerous. On Mumbai trains alone 17 people die every day. As the boys were running Madhiphul's older brother slipped and fell under the train. His body was cut to pieces right in front of his siblings.

What struck me about Madhiphul was his spirit. He had a constant smile on his face and Manoj his teacher told me how dedicated he was to his studies. Due to the fact he has never had any formal education Madhiphul has to sit in the first standard class with his younger brother. Hs infectious joy is a sight to behold. I wanted to cry as I heard Madhipul's story but I couldn't allow myself to do so as I looked into his eyes. They were full of hope.

You see, Madhipul wants to become a doctor. Whether that happens or not depends a lot on the hope living in his heart right now. I have witnessed so much determination in the lives of people here in India, so nothing would surprise me. The odds are great, but who knows?

Our encouragement, our support, financial or through volunteerism, can make a huge difference to children such as Madhipul. It gives them a running start. The rest is up to them.

Madhipul and his little brother Deepak

From Class Troubler to Class Teacher

Pappu, from Class Trouble to Class Teacher

Pappu was one of the multitudes of children who ran around the Yamuna Pushta slum over ten years ago. Unschooled and unruly he had a hard time settling down in class. Most of the kids who attend our slum schools have never had any kind of formal education so sitting in a classroom all day is more than they can manage sometimes.

Sheila, one of his teachers, remembers him well. “He was one of those children who would distract the whole class. He was a challenge to teach.” She does smile though as she recalls those early days. Pappu had a spark about him and he won over the hearts of his teachers.

The love and care of the staff worked miracles with this child. As the years went by he did settle down and finished his schooling. Amazingly he is now one of the teachers at the HOPE worldwide Bawana School just outside Delhi. He is a poised young man who is pursuing his higher education. He is also giving back, teaching young slum children who remind him of what he used to be.

When we go beyond the call of duty and really care about the children we teach we may raise up young men and women who will in turn take care of their community. Our work can sustain itself and be multiplied if we look beyond the challenges.

"I want to go to School!"

" I want to go to school!"


Those were the words uttered by Shikha from the time she was a young child. Unfortunately she was raised in a traditional Indian family in the provincial city of Moradabad where young girls are usually not encouraged to attend school. Even if they do in most cases they do not study beyond the 8th standard.


Shikha is the eldest of four siblings and her father's ambition for her was to take care of the family cow. Cows are treated with reverence in India and this was an important job in Shikha's father's eyes. But Shikha was a determined young woman!


Seeing her daughter's single mindedness Shikha's mum remembered how as a young girl she had also wished to go to school but was not allowed to do so. She was married at the age of sixteen and quickly became a mother. She made a decision her daughter would not suffer the same fate.

So mother and daughter made a pact. Shikha's life would expand beyond the little house they lived in. Shikha did go to school. She even managed to get a bachelor's degree by correspondence which is quite an achievement for a girl from her background.

That is when Shikha heard about the vocational training centre run by HOPE worldwide . She joined and completed a computer literacy course. She grew in her confidence through the life skills which were imparted to her at the center. She also received a lot of helpful counseling.
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Now Shikha works as a consultant for a well known insurance company. She is independent financially and although she still lives at home she has a bright future ahead of her.

India is changing ; it is developing fast. Some of the most crucial agents of change are the young people who refuse to be limited. They have big dreams and they show tremendous courage in fighting through daunting obstacles. It took a lot of determination for a young girl like Shika to get an education. She succeeded partly thanks to the opportunities offered by HOPE worldwide . We provided the stepping stone on the way to financial independence.

Sponsor-a-Child

It costs rs 600 (9 euros) a month to fully cover the cost of one child's education. That includes the cost of books, uniform, teachers' salary, etc...
What do we do with $10? Go out for a meal, watch a movie, buy a T-shirt? It can educate one child for a month here in New Delhi. When these children complete their school education they can support their entire family. Education of the children is the key out of poverty, and Indians know that. They push their kids to study. Education is treasured. Teachers are respected. Kids love school here. They even turn up during the school holidays, in full uniform!
If you or anyone you know wants to sponsor a child let me know. We'll match them with one of our students.

Tigri School Christmas Party

The day before Xmas we had a party for the kids at the Tigri school. We met upstairs in our yet to be renovated first floor where we will hopefully move in one of these days...
We had a tree, lots of singing, dance performances by the kids, snacks, etc.
The most moving thing was the children's gratitude. Maria and Sheila had put together little gift packages for the children, just a few pencils or a piece of soap. The kids were so fired up. Some of them kept thanking us again and again.
When I think of the abundance of presents kids get in some parts of the world it is very touching to see children receive such a modest offering with so much gratitude.

I thoroughly enjoyed my morning there. The kids had a lot of fun too.

Too big of a difference...

Scenario number one...

I eat some bad food on Friday evening. I start getting sick on Saturday morning. I have diarrhea all day Saturday. By 2 am on Sunday morning I feel faint, I am breaking out in sweat, my heart is racing, and I feel (literally) I am going to die. I know I am completely dehydrated. I wake Mark up, I tell him I need to go to a hospital urgently. We get in our car, drive to a nice hospital, get admitted immediately. The doctors put me on a drip, check my heart, blood, etc. I stay on a drip for three hours. I receive two bottles of glucose solution, two bottles of antibiotics, and I have a nice clean bed to lie on. At 5.30 am I go home with a list of medicines for the next few days. The nice hospital has a 24 hour chemist. We pay (total cost rs 2500 / $ 50) and I go home in my car. Back in bed by 6, rest the whole day. Monday I am back on my feet.

Scenario number two...

Sunita (imaginary name) eats some bad food on Friday night. By Saturday morning she is sick and has diarrhea all day. At 2 am on Sunday morning she feels she is going to die but she doesn't understand what is happening because she is uneducated and no one has ever explained to her the symptoms of dehydration. She stays in bed and faints. Finally her husband wakes up in the morning and finds her unconscious. He tries to carry her out of the house. He does not own a vehicle and they live in a slum where there is no access for public transport. He desperately searches for a rickshaw but he has so little money it takes him 20 mn to find one willing to take him to the hospital. The nearest hospital is 10 km away and it is a government hospital. When they finally get there they find a queue of people in front of them and they have to wait for their turn. Sunita's husband pleads with a passing doctor who ignores him. Then finally he finds a helpful nurse who pushes them to the front of the queue. But then they have to fill a form and it takes another 20mn. By then Sunita is pale and lifeless. Eventually she gets to the emrgency ward. After much delay a doctor appears, prescribes a glucose drip and goes off. Sunita's husband has to leave his wife and run to the nearest chemist to buy the glucose bottle, needle, and the paraphenalia needed. He has no money but a kind stranger helps him. By the time he gets back it is too late. Sunita has passed away. She is lying on the dirty bed and the nurses urge her husband to take the body away as the bed is needed for the next desperate person.
Exaggerated? No. Millions die of diarrhea every year in the third world. It is all preventable.

What are we going to do about it?