The Difference We Make

After the angsty existential crisis of the last post I thought I should share the other side.

If the amount of poverty, helplessness, and shit luck is overwhelming, than the acts against it are even more so. To see it day in and day out and refuse to become numb, an incredible defiance. Even more surprising, it is not unusual.

Near our hotel there was a stray dog--one of thousands in every city--that was heavily pregnant. It laid in the heat, panting. While waiting for an auto suddenly it's face transformed. It turned Ito a puppy again, tail wagging and body wiggling, as a man came over to greet it. He pet her lovingly for a long time before moving on again to his work or his family or whatever it may be.

I've seen many examples of this. People feeding cats and dogs, pigeons, crows. 

I've also seen them giving money to people on the street, even though they are asked daily. 

One friend called a girl over to his window and handed out a pack of biscuits--one of a handful of boxes I saw stashed in his back window for that purpose.

Another gave a bag of shoes and clothes to a group of men. He did it casually, kindly, innocently, with no pity. In his mind it was simple. He saw a need and he filled it.

These things happen all the time. 

A few weeks ago Subash and I had the absolute privilege to visit the Ashraya Initiative in Pune, India.

Out of all of the non-profits, NGOs, and charities I have heard of, it is by far my favorite. I have never seen a place so pure of intention, and so without a separate agenda. 

You will find it down a winding side street in Pune, across from a series of corproate buildings but in another universe. It's volunteers and employees work with some of the most forgotten and destitute of India--tribal groups that fell through the cracks. It's worth taking a spin through Wikipedia's pages on the "criminal tribes of India" and "denotification acts" for the background on how this happened.

It started as a home for abandoned street children, and in only 10 years has grown to now be home to and raise a dozen children, educated over 200, and give kids a place to come after school for tutoring and playtime that isn't on the street. Their work expanded when they realized kids with sick family members couldn't come to school, and they now have a community health outreach center providing treatment for TB, health advocates, family planning, connections to emergency services, and more. They were able to get one of the children in the area to Mumbai for cancer treatment, they provide home visits and follow ups to ensure compliance, they help pregnant women get hospital care. They also provide workshops to teach professional skills like tailoring to women in the area to try to help prevent child marriage. They give out micro loans to promote business. Many of their employees are local men and women. I could go on and on, it is so astounding to me. 

Besides touring their facilities we got to meet the kids!! Adorable smart funny kids in pressed school uniforms, who were SO excited to speak to Subash in Hindi, and tell me their names. 

They all spoke impeccable English, and have been able to hold their own and excel in difficult classes with far more privileged children. Some of the kids who were with the program when it first started are now in college!!!!!

Their website is www.ashrayainitiative.org and they have all kinds of cool info about their projects. Many many thanks to MK Hazel and everyone else there for giving us such a warm welcome and all the incredible work they do.

Its amazing, really. The direct comparison of what people have done. And what can be.

Sunandan Lele, a famous sports journalist in Pune took us out to breakfast one morning. He told us about some of his charity work and I told him he made me want to be a better person. He told me not to wait.

I will try.