NGOs In The Slums

"Slums" is the word Praveen used to describe where we went today. It is where many live in tents as pictured below and are in the lowest caste. Because their opportunities are practically nil, Praveen and others establish charitable organizations to fill some of the needs. The three we visited today are minute to what is needed. (I find getting the pictures I want very difficult as the taxi moves too fast and we pass the view I'm aiming for before the click records. Saw lots of animals but the only one I was fast enough to aim at was obscured by a motor scooter which zipped up beside me just as the camera clicked. The pic below is probably one of the finer views of shops along the way.) Dad was accosted by another street beggar at the intersection where we have stopped several times. Praveen said that all of the beggars are fake and in a sense like prostitutes in that they have "johns" or "sugar daddies" who expect a largesse and return a piddling amount for them to live.

Praveen, along with one of his associates, CH Malliswari, took us to the slums today (31st July) to learn of three of his pet projects which he would like the Church to support. We saw very little need as these two and the one mentioned below are very good at finding donors, which is how they make their living as well as support their charities which are all worthwhile. We will have to stretch our imaginations to determine how any one of them might fit into the Church's willingness to contribute according to its value system and their actual need. Praveen understands the Church requirements but he is hopeful that as new missionaries we can come up with a way to help. We might do something through an Area initiative (smaller and sometimes one-time things) but it appears the donors they've already secured are taking care of their needs.

Bikshapathi on left owns the Sri (means "honorable") Kanya Educational Society in the slums. Its decor is a lot Disney and is modern and attractive next to anything we have seen here. Currently, 47 children are enrolled, whom they keep from 8 to 4 and feed, all for free, so that their single mothers can work and provide some kind of living for them. Otherwise, they would all be at home and living off nothing and the children would have no opportunity to go to school because they would not be ready or qualified. They would like to expand the school to the upper story and need furniture.

The teacher kept urging them to say, "Good morning, madam," but they were shy. Only the little beauty, second from the right, kept smiling at me and responded. We were impressed that these three-year olds were sitting quietly and listening to their teacher who was sitting at their level. To the right is another small group. They all learn English as well as Hindi--part of the requirements for school and which they would not learn at home.

Malleswari owns this new home, also in the slums, for 30 abused women and sometimes children. They receive counseling, rehabilitation, and training in tailoring, computers, and embroidery in order to get jobs and be on their own. Only six were in the home when we visited. The others were looking for jobs. It was clean and neat but small for 30. They lay out mattresses or other bedding and sleep side by side, then stack everything to make space available during the day.

We're at a health clinic, manned by a doctor and these helpers and owned by CH Malleswari. (She told me she'd give me a sari to wear to her son's wedding sometime in the next 18 months. I told her I'd love a sari but not sure that I could wear it--they bare the middle.) People are treated and given medications for most ailments for free and then are referred to a hospital if necessary. Malleswari owns another larger clinic as well which sees about 60 patients per day. This one services about half that many because it closes at 2 p.m.