Chloe's Sharing - Turning Slumdogs into Millionaires

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. This is what brings me to India for a 6 weeks service trip.

We all know that there are billions of people living under poverty line but we seldom have the initiative do something for the needy. After watching the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” a few years ago, the pictures of Indian poor’s living conditions stayed in my mind.

In this summer, finally I have got a chance to been to India to explore the situation. Kolkata is famous for Mother Teresa and her Centers while at the same time notorious for its poverty. Besides the poor living condition in the slum area, high unemployment rate is also an issue that's worth concerning. Our programme aims at eradicating poverty by transferring vocation skills to dropout students and uneducated women. Comparing to direct resources distribution, we are hoping that by equipping them with vocational skill, they would be able to improve the standard of living in a long-term and sustainable manner.

Though most of the women in our centre have not been to school, they still have a strong desire to learn in the Women Centre. I was deeply impressed by their attitude and character when I saw how hard they try to absorb new knowledge. It is my honor to have the chance to be their teacher for six weeks.

Another focus of our work is conducting community research in the slum areas and squatter areas. You can never imagine how the environment looks like without stepping into their neighborhood. Without much attention from the general public and the society, there is a vicious cycle of poverty inherented from generations to generations. It is difficult for the children in slum areas to have the chance to leave where they were brought up. I hope the research can address their needs and therefore more helping hands can be given to them.

This service trip is undoubtedly fruitful and rewarding. Though the Indian children and women are not having an abundant life, they are still optimistic and passionate than most of the Hong Kong people. Sometimes I have an impression that we were not going there to teach, but to learn instead. It is such a life-changing experience and I highly recommend HKU students to participate in a local or oversea service trip during the university life.

By:

Chloe Tsang

Faculty of Social Sciences

Major: Government & Laws

Eileen's Sharing - Turning Slumdogs into Millionaire

I'm an ordinary university student who has experienced an unordinary summer in Kolkata India!

This summer, the ten of us from different facilities and with different backgrounds come together and fight for the same goal: to improve the livelihood of the slum people in Kolkata. In the pre-trip session, we tried to apply our knowledge in this program and we learned to stand in the needy's shoes before giving our helping hand.

During the trip, we taught the slum children English and equipped the women with leather work making skills. As what you can imagine, things didn't go on smoothly and we got to change and modify our plan with referring to the limitation in an unfamiliar environment. We learned to communicate with overcoming the language barrier and listen with our heart. You'll definitely understand what the slum people truly need when you do this.

In the post-trip session, we are now arranging for the fair-trade line which helps the slum women to sell there leather work products. What's more, we planned to set up a few stationary donation centers in the school campus in order to collect the unnecessary stationaries from our schoolmates and send them to the slum children in Kolkata.

See what you should, do what you could! You will live a brighter love when you give more.

By:

Eileen Lee

Faculty of Medicine

Major: Chinese Medicine

Health and sanitation sound important as well

Besides the 10 students from The University of Hong Kong, we are so happy to meet  some friends who would like to carry out different projects in Kolkata alongside with our Vocational Program.

There will be a research carried out on the relationship between School absenteeism and infectious diseases. Our students are required to visit FOCUS’s schools, observe the situation, then assist teachers to carry out the school absenteeism data collection the research. We want to generate data and make precautious measures when there is a pandemic.

Maternal Health and Birth Control projects are also planned to caryr out. Our students have to record video clips of women or family talking about disadvantage of having too many kids, and the importance of birth control. Also record some women about the importance of maternal health and prevention of family abuse, etc. After editing the clips, they will organize talks or workshop to the slum women.

Tthe water sanitation is going to be analyzed, we may proceed the installation of water filter in slum family.

The Sequel - Vocational Skills Transfer Program

Sorry for my laziness to update this blog, but in the last few months, Charlotte and I were working intensely on a new program!! Since I have asked FOCUS staff what kind of jobs can Class 10 graduates look for, they said "Not much". Also the unemployment rate is abnormally high in Kolkata, how can this situation encourage children to go to school??

That's why we think teaching them some life-long skills can help them target on more well-paid job, which is a way to end the poverty cycle.

The aim of the Vocational Skills Transfer Program (VSTP) is to provide an opportunity for HKU students to design and launch various talents development programs for post-Class 10 Indian youngsters.  Designing and managing the project alongside with us and the local partner FOCUS, HKU students are given wonderful opportunities to put into practice their specialized academic knowledge and other talents.  Compared to the popular short term teaching program, this Vocational Skill Transfer Program does more than putting volunteers into routine teaching because it is a career-oriented skill transfer program that pinpoints to the need of Indian society.  Proposed skill transfer courses are:

1.      Computer software (Office, Photoshop, video editing)

2.      Computer hardware (assembling, repairing)

3.      Basic Health Care

4.      Conversational English

5.      Tailoring

6.      Zari Work (Embroidering work) and leather work

7.   Machines Repairing

With an exploding population that grows that 1.548% per year (Wiki, 2009), India is expected to surpass China in 2025 with an estimate of 1.6 billion total population.  Massive and widespread unemployment at 8% (Census, December 2007) only means the chance for a stable job is slim for those less competitive secondary school graduates and illiterate women in particular.  In view of this, the above mentioned program is thus proposed for the benefit of both HKU students and Indian community if certain practical skills can be shared among them.

Our program has just started!!!

The 1st group: 6 June - 15 July

The 2nd group: 11 July - 19 August

If you want to support our program, please send us email: impact.for.peace@gmail.com

Sean

Updates of Sponsored Children

Here are the photos we received from FOCUS about the sponsored children, all 50 children are now going to schools, the donations go directly to cover the school fees, uniforms, books and stationaries. We are glad to receive such positive feedback from India counterpart.

Now our students from University of Hong Kong has arrived in Kolkata, besides carry out the Vocational Skills Transfer Program, they will also moderate this Child Education Sponsorship Program, and looks for furthur extension of such meaningful karma!!



Impact For Peace on Youtube

Maybe these videos are quite unflattered, they are the original tapes I recorded when I visited the sponsored children. Authentic and true!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/Impact4Peace

Please have a look and give us comment!! It's my very first time to be a journalist.....

Change a Life Children Sponsorship Program

Due to my promise to my FOCUS friends last time, I decided to go back with a more concrete plan. Through email, I asked Jamil, Biplab and other teachers to pick out 50 most needed children especially girls who wanted to be enrolled in Government school or at the edge of dropping out from school due to financial difficulties. After I received all 50 children profile in later Dec 2010, we started our action by sending email to our friends and asked for their support! Once I arrived Kolkata again in Jan 2011, I visited the families of all 50 children, conducted interviews, took photos as well as video to capture the reality of how difficult the poors are living. Thanks Biplab who acted as translator and accompanied me to visit all the families.

During the visits, I revealed the actual situation of ordinary Indians lives. The whole family, usually more than 6 members live together in tiny rooms (20 sq. meter on average), with shared kitchen and toilet with their neighbors. In the bedroom, there is only one bed, parents always let their kids sleep on the bed while they lay on the floor or under the bed. These kind of small flat rent about 600-1000 rupees per month, but the average family monthly income is just around 3000 rupees. That is not the worst cases, I also witnessed the street families, who are living just under a shelter of cloths and wooden planks. I thought they would be embarrassed and felt insulted when I visited them, however, they still carry smiles and didn’t look as desperate as I thought. Maybe that is the optimistic we should learn.

Concerning about the educational system, there are also divided into kindergarten, primary (Class 1-4), secondary (Class 5-10), high school (Class 11-12) and then college or university. Indian Government promise to provide free education until Class 10, but yet not compulsory. The reasons of parents who are not willing to send their kids to schools are either they cannot afford the extra cost or require them to work. The former reason is more reasonable as there are not much child labour within cities. So, what are the extra costs? Uniform, textbooks, stationeries, extra-curricular activities...etc., which can cost around 1500-2000 rupees per year. Although you will say it can be covered by a monthly family salary, you may forget he or she is not the only child!

However, one thing I found it quite ridiculous is that when the parents can afford sending their kids to formal Government school, they also send them to private tuition which costs around 200-300 rupees per month, it even add more burden to the family. They don’t think the teachers in Government school are teaching well, and the academic result reflects students taking private tuition are achieving higher marks. Therefore, it becomes a trend. I argued with Biplab that I found it quite unnecessary to attend private classes, as it doubles the learning hours in every topics which is very inefficient. “We cannot change the fact now, but in return it is also a way for NGO teacher like me to have some extra income!” Oh, that’s how Indians achieve equilibrium...

In short words, after my investigation, the education fees of one child for one year is around 1800-2000 rupees if they are studying in Government school, whereas it raises up to 5000 rupees in private school. So we are now asking 3000 rupees (US$70/ 50 Euros/ HK$500) as a minimum amount to sponsor one child. You are encouraged to donate more, just state clearly what purpose do you want to provide for your sponsored family, we will try our best to let your words reach FOCUS.

During the sponsored period, FOCUS promised to send us back the recent photos, copy of academic report or even videoes taping the progress of your sponsored kid. FOCUS will also send you the official receipt. FOCUS and I4P are both charity organization, we will not charge any administration or advertisement fees, so that 100% of your donation can reach the poor.

In my eyes, Indian children are absolutely adorable, their big eyes and chocolate-colored skin are the most impressive. Dancing and singing are really their talents, remember gangs of dancers at the background of any classical Bollywood movies (such as Slumdog Millionaire)? If you are impressed of what we are doing, or want to help kids effectively continuing their education, please support our Change a Life Children Sponsorship Program.

Email: impact.for.peace@gmail.com

We hope to hear from you!

By Sean