Meeting with SHE Scholarship teen students---Visiting NISHTHA villages #5

SHE scholarship students gathered to meet with us and share their dreams

YGB started SHE, Scholarship for Higher Education in 2013. During this visit, I met in total of 64 high school and college students this scholarship is funding in Karantaka and West Bengal states. I knew that each person comes from a very difficult financial background, but I did not realize until I met and listened to each student that YGB's SHE scholarship truly is the only chance they got to continue their education. Most girls in West Bengal would have been married off or sent to work otherwise.

Here are two personal stories that clearly shed light to these poor girls' circumstances. Rekha Naskar lives in Sibsuti Village, south of Kolkotta, West Bental, with her parents. She is the only child. Her father is a seasonal agriculture laborer and barely manages to maintain his family's daily needs. Both her parents are interested in Rekha's education, but due to the absolute lack of money, they had decided not to admit her to school and marry her off. She is only 17 years old. NISHTHA social workers identified Rekha's situation and offered SHE scholarship.

Today she is in Standard XI, equivalent of senior in high school. Rekha's mother told us, "I do not want my daughter to live like me."---sadly, this is the most common message I hear from all the mothers we meet. Equally, I can not help but feeling strong hope that this new generation of daughters can become real change makers in their society.  They have experienced and seen their mother's lives, poverty, gender discrimination and all the socio economic illness associated with poverty. Education is the only key for them to lift up themselves. I am proud to state that YGB is committed to give each person 5 years of scholarship for them to get a degree and advance in their lives.

Madhumita Mondal also lives in Shikhabali Village. Her mother is illiterate and her aging father works as a daily laborer to maintain the family. Some days, they do not even have enough food. Knowing her family's situation, Madhumita decided to stop her education. SHE's support came just in time and she now continues her education with her dream to become a teacher.

As I interviewed each student, I felt so empowered to learn their commitment for higher education with this scholarship. NISHTHA Director Mina Das explained about the reality.  "Drop-out rate for girls in higher education is currently 80%, leading to frequent child marriage or trafficking; female literacy remains at 60.22% in this region. Tutoring in computer and English, as well as social workers’ regular counseling, are needed to guide the girls to becoming strong citizen of society. As of today, a non-governmental organization NISHTHA is supporting nearly 4500 of the most vulnerable girls in this region and has identified girls to benefit immediately from this SHE scholarship.  We expect that at least 70% of SHE recipients will achieve graduation from high school level education."

 
It costs only about $25 a month for these teen students to continue their education in West Bengal and Karanataka states. This program is as significant as micro loans for impoverished mothers. SHE Scholarship seeds an incredible opportunity for these teens to become change makers, real leaders in the community to fight against poverty, injustice and inequality because they know it so well what these social illnesses can do to a human being. 

SHE scholarship program is sponsored by PURE International, YogaFit, anonymous donors and YGB's global community's support. Thank you everyone and this program will develop into a very hopeful project and I will continue to film stories of students to share with you in the coming years. 

"I hit her, because she was late for lunch"----Visiting NISHTHA villages in West Bengal #4

During our visit to YGB's "Sister Aid" micro loan recipient mothers in rural villages in West Bengal, we bumped into one recipient yelling something outside of her mud house. First, we did not understand what was going on. Our partner NISHTHA social worker immediately jumped in and she also started arguing with a man standing in front of the house. Our translator explained that this poor woman just like any other women in this region, prepared breakfast, cleaned the house and went to the field to help her husband's work on their Guava field this morning. As she was so busy with her labor, she got a little delayed to return home to prepare their lunch. Tired and hungry, her husband lost patience and hit her on her right cheek, when she returned home, yelling at her. Obviously, this poor wife got very upset about this incident, which apparently has been going on for sometime. She is YGB's micro loan recipient who also put her loan as an investment to help grow her husband's Guava business together. And this was what she got!!

Unfortunately, this is a reality these rural women have to live with on a daily basis. Gender discrimination remains deep rooted in this region, starting with female infanticide. Census 2011 shows decline of girl population in India under the age of seven, with some estimating that eight million female fetuses may have been aborted in the past decade. When it comes to education, women's literacy in India is 65%, compared to men's literacy of 82%. Child marriage, child labor, rape, and domestic violence continue to threaten women's lives into adulthood. When poor women grow old, there is very little care for them and I witness this all the time in these villages. Older women never wear colorful saris, but rather cover themselves with completely ragged clothes only. It is against this sever reality, that I am truly inspired and proud to share with you how YGB's programs are making a real positive impact on these women's lives.

YGB micro loan recipients form a group or 10-20 women in eighteen villages. These groups have become not only a support platform for their new income earning businesses, but very important social support structure where women are free to discuss their domestic issues and get mutual support. I was happy to learn how NISHTHA social workers guide discussion such as domestic violence with these groups once a month.  YGB is the only organization in this region who is investing in women's empowerment with NISHTHA and it is truly an empowering experience to witness how YGB's global community's support is uplifting so many women's lives here. Micro loans do not only give women means to earn income, but more importantly seed fundamental sense of self-worth and dignity in them.

NISHTHA social worker and YGB fund recipients group "Shkti Prava" discussing Domestic Violence

 

Aparna Mondal is a mother of two daughters, who is also a victim of domestic violence. She energetically told me, "If any husband of our group abuses his wife, we go to him as a group and tell him that if he continues such behavior, we will take appropriate measures. We are not silent any more! I do not want my daughters live like me."

"NARI SHAKTI!!"(Women's Power)--Group's determination is echoed in the village after the meeting

"Atithi Devo Bhav" (Guests are Gods)---Visiting NISHTHA villages in West Bengal #3

"Atithi Devo Bhav" is a long lived India's tradition which remains strong in the rural villages in West Bengal. It means "Treating guests as Gods" in Sanskrit.

YGB "Sister Aid" fund recipient mothers welcome us at each village with a traditional puja

As we visit many poor agrarian villages here, we experience this living tradition all the time. Upon arrival to villages where YGB global community is supporting, women welcome us by gently taking our arms into their village. Once we arrive at the village, a lady blows a conch, and NISHTHA staff Shaumana makes her special sound pursing her lips, echoed by all the other women.

Then they shower us with beautiful fresh flower petals and embrace us with oil candle light and incense. Sometimes, we stand on wood platforms which has hand drawn designs, while all this ceremonial process takes place. We are also often offered seasonal sweets and fresh coconut after the ceremony. There is deep sense of respect for guests, and I often feel "Do I really deserve this?". Our local translator Malay explained that this is a beautiful Indian tradition that welcomes even your adversary and expect nothing from it. But it is also fading fast in city lives and growing nuclear family style.

On the surface, these women have very little, but it makes me wonder "who is really richer?"  In the  West or "developed societies",  we are often too busy to take time for such genuine hospitality, not to mention welcoming people you do not like. What a tradition, what a way of life!!! I continue to feel humbled. 

At lunch time, women in the villages always gather and prepare scrumptious lunch course for us, which consists of at least 5 different thali (small dishes), with chapati and rice. It is all about giving and welcoming, nothing else.

During my visit here in India, St Francis' words continues to repeat in my mind, "By giving, you receive". We are offering financial support to these women, but I receive so much spiritual wealth in return that I can not help but share this kind of precious experience with you all and YGB global community who support YGB's mission. 

As we leave each village, women gather around our auto rickshaw and keep saying "Abar dekha hobe", meaning "Please come back" and then stand there till we disappear from their sight. 

"Living my mother's dream"---Visiting NISHTHA in West Bengal #2

During this visit to NISHTHA villages, I wanted to visit one young girl in particular. 10 year old Joyeeta Biswas whose mother suddenly passed away, one month after I filmed a powerful interview with her in her village in November 2012. She was quite pregnant but looked healthy and beautiful. In her interview, she shared how growing guava was starting to make a profit. She also expressed her strong desire to raise her daughter Joyeeta with good education so that she can have much better life than her own. Ranu wanted Joyeeta to become independent. Joyeeta was eight years old then, a bit shy. The cause of Ranu's sudden death remains unclear, all we know is that she could not stop bleeding as she gave birth to a healthy son. She passed away while being carried away in an ambulance.

When we arrived at her home, I did not recognize Joyeeta, now ten years old and 5 inches or more taller! She was carrying her baby brother at her grandparents' home ground.

Since this tragedy happened, YGB has been supporting Joyeeta's education and health care. Today, Joyeeta is a very articulate young girl. She told us that this tragedy should have never happened and a child like her should have never been left behind like this. Despite of this traumatic experience, Joyeeta is doing extremely well at school and English is her most favorite subject. She is determined to become a doctor, because "This is my mother's dream. I want to live my mother's dream", Joyeeta expressed without any hesitation. She also said, "There is nobody who looks after the elderly here. I want to be a doctor for seniors."

Every morning and evening, Joyeeta prays for her mother, "Mother, I hope you are well. I am doing well."

Joyeeta with her grandparents and baby brother

After her mother's death, she has been in the care of her aunt and her grandparents. Recently her father got a better job, so NISHTHA hopes that he will look after Joyeeta's expenses next year. NISHTHA's social worker and village women group continue to monitor and support Joyeeta's well being to make sure that she will continue her education. Too often, girls who lose their mothers can be sent for child marriage or child labor, as they lose their protector in this region. Girls' education is still not a high priority in poor families. NISHTHA is keeping an eye on Joyeeta and YGB will continue to get updates from them. I hope to continue to visit Joyeeta on my visit here and hope YGB global family can help her reach her dreams!!

You can watch late Ranu Biswas' interview from 2010 in this YGB Film "Sister Aid: NISHTHA"

$15 a month is transforming so many lives!!---Visiting NISHTHA programs in West Bengal 1

YGB's last visit is NISHTHA programs in rural villages, South of Kolkotta. Kolkotta was the capital of India during the British Empire and I am amazed to see recent development of the city with new industrial parks, Metro construction, and traffic like Los Angeles! It seems like the economy is booming here at first sight. However, as we go into rural villages, people's lives remain extremely poor. Here, YGB has launched its direct funding program "Sister Aid" in 2010, partnered with a respected local NGO NISHTHA (which means Devotion in Bengali) who has been serving for the poorest women and girls for the last 35 years, reaching out to 300 poor villages in this area, called Baruipur.

  

Three generations of NISHTHA leaders; Priti Lata Das, Mina Das and Manami Das

For the first time, we met 80 year old Ms. Priti Lata Das whom everyone calls "Shawna Ma" (Golden Mother) with deep admiration. As a young bride herself, Priti saw unimaginable abuse against young child brides in her neighbor communities, which led her to found NISHTHA. At her home, she created a room for nine local child brides to gather so that they can share their experiences in a safe environment, as well as sharing her own knowledge of writing, singing and sawing. Priti just could not tolerate how rural women were treated badly in poor agrarian homes by their own husbands and in-laws.

35 years later, her daughter Mina Das runs NISHTHA with her nieces and about 100 staff, supporting total of nearly10,000 poor girls, women and grand mothers in this region, offering services and support from education, health care, vocational training, day care, ecological education and more. Mina's commitment to empower poor women has truly been a revolutionary undertaking. Mina is dedicating her life to this cause, and she does not take any day off for herself. Mina knows very well that tens of thousands of women's lives are at a danger of being abused at any moment.

Today I am very pleased to witness YGB's "Sister Aid" program's real positive impact.  Last four years, YGB global community has grown tremendously and we now support 209 mothers with micro loans and nobody has defaulted yet!!  This program also offers education fee for one daughter per each micro loan recipient mother. Today, 210 young girls are funded to stay in school to avoid child marriage or child labor. It costs only $15 per month for a mother to start an income earning business or a young girl to continue her education at school. Many of us spend $15 for a casual lunch in the West, while the same amount of money can transform these people's lives so fundamentally. Just imagine, if everyone from the world yoga community donates just $15 per month, how many people can be supported for a real transformation out of poverty, reaching their dreams!

This afternoon, I was so happy to bump into two young micro loan recipients carrying "Yoga Gives Back Sister Aid Project" bag to go to a local bank to deposit their savings. These women never even had a chance to go to a bank before the loan started!!! It took a while for them to feel comfortable to interact with bank clerks, but today, they are very confident with smile. 

NISHTHA Director Mina Das says, "This program is so important as this is the only program to help poor rural women with micro loans for them to start their own income earning work, which is not only giving them economic power but most importantly their self confidence. This program is also very innovative as it does not ask interest to the micro loan borrowers, but requires them to save minimum of 50 rupees per month for their daughters' future education. This is a revolutionary program empowering women and girls."

In three days, we have visited 9 villages out of 18 villages YGB now funds. I am truly inspired to encounter so many women's confident smile, who were so frail and shy a few years ago. When I first met Chaya Naskar, she looked very pale and thin, expressing anxiety about her future. Her husband deserted her and her daughter. She was stuck at her in-law's house who were also not very happy about the situation. She did not even have enough food for themselves. Four years alter,  with a micro loan of 3000 Rupees, she sells vegetable on the street and business is growing. Today, she is making enough profit to care her daughter's heart condition as well as her independence. Though still thin, she looked much healthier and her glowing smile conveyed her confidence and positivity in her life and her daughter's future.

Pompa now hires 150 local women to make ornaments. She built concrete home and toilet.

Some women groups decide to work as a group to make more profit with their business

"Why God did this to me?"---Meeting SHE Scholarship Teen Students at Deenabandhu #3

SHE Scholarship Teen Students at Deenabandhu

Yoga Gives Back launched a new exciting program SHE (Scholarship for Higher Education) in 2013. This five year scholarship now funds 62 financially disadvantaged students at high school and college level so that they can continue and complete their higher education, acquire degrees and get their dream jobs. This scholarship will provide very poor but extremely eager students a life time opportunity for higher education and to become real change makers in their community, India and this world.

Among the graduates from Deenabandhu Elementary School in Chamarajanagar, a town of 1 million and where the majority of families are below the poverty line (earning less than $2 a day). Jayadev and a group of teachers have selected 31 eligible students for this program this year. All the students and supporting teachers gathered to express their gratitude for YGB's support. They each gave us a beautiful hand drawn thank you card and one girl performed a beautiful B… dance.

Most of you, like myself, would not believe what these teenagers have gone through in their lives already. I filmed all students' dreams.

Sandeep is a 19 year old SHE student, who is currently studying very hard to pass the 10th grade exam next March, equivalent to senior in high school.

Sandeep 19 years old

"Education is much more precious than GOLD." Sandeep said with incredibly focused eyes. I interviewed him further about his background with Jayadev's help. What I learned from him was beyond what I could have imagined his story broke my heart. As a young boy Sandeep lived in Deenbandhu orphanage when his mother could not take care of him. When he was 12 years old, his mother returned to Deenbandhu to take him home to live with her. However, his mother had no income earning skills or desire, and she sent Sandeep to work at a construction site to pay their 150 rupee (3 dollar) monthly rent in Bangalore. His mother continued to force him to work for seven years!!  Being a diligent child laborer his employer praised him for his good work, but Sandeep always knew that he was cheated with his payments. "Why God did this to me? Why I can not go to school when all other children are going every morning?" he kept asking himself. After seven years of hard work, one day, he could not take it anymore, he wanted to study!!  Sandeep called Jayadev who gladly welcomed him back to Deenabandhu home to resume his education. 

Ganashree, 18 yrs old, 1st year at local college hoping to become Mathmatics teacher Her family is supported by one elder sister's income after her father died two years ago.

Sandeep is taking private tutoring classes to make up for all the missed years of education. He is extremely eager to get a high school degree next year and hopes to advance to a college and study engineering. "When I become an engineer and make money, I want to help more children like myself. I want to help children in a very difficult situation get an education, raise themselves from the bad circumstances, to dream and to reach their full potential."

Girls Group Students

How did Sandeep come to in touch with his inner calling for education and higher goals for his life, I have to learn more.

I am just so humbled and inspired that a student like Sandeep will have a chance to achieve his goals and in turn help others and ultimately impact the deep rooted socio-economic illness created by vast poverty in India.

I filmed all the students in an effort to learn about their ambitions and dreams for their future with the help of this higher education scholarship. Every student has a very difficult situation at home. The average household income is 11000 rupees a year, about 180 US dollars, or 15 dollars a month!

I was deeply moved to hear each student's determination and gratitude to achieve their higher goals with this opportunity, much like when I listen to impoverished mothers who received micro loans. They all know from the bottom of their heart that this might be the only chance they have got in their lives. We often take so much for granted in our lives, such as education, food, clothes, credit cards, even our family and home. Listening to 31 students voices of honest and pure enthusiasm for their higher education confirmed to me that SHE program has unlimited potential. I can not wait to see how this program will continue to grow with YGB's global community's support like yours!!!

Rohini, 18 years old, 1st year at a local college, wants to become politician to alleviate poverty. Her family is currently suffering from financial hardship from losing a cow as a income earner

If you are interested in supporting these hardworking students, become a YGB member or DONATE!!

I am also grateful for two corporations PURE International and Yoga Fit who took the initiative to fund part of this program with a five year commitment.

Witness YGB Ambassador Anouk's Incredible Journey: Deenabandhu Children's Home #2

   

YGB Ambassador Anouk Prop has been supporting YGB from her hometown Maastricht in the Netherlands as YGB Ambassador for a few years. Being a psychotherapist with a successful private practice and a therapist at a clinic, treating trauma and addition related issues, as well as being an avid Ashtangi and yoga teacher, Anouk wanted to do more than just host a fundraiser class for YGB. This summer Anouk launched her own fundraising campaign "Expedition Kili" as part of YGB's "Thank You Mother India". As the first step of this pioneering effort, Anouk came to volunteer to Deenabandhu Children's Home in October to offer her psychotherapy counseling for children with trauma related issues, as well as offering Yoga for all the children and teachers at this home and Denabandhu Elementary School.  It has been only two months, however I was so impressed to witness a solid regular counseling sessions created by Jayadev, Anouk and Mahesh Kumar, English teacher at Deenabandhu Elementary School. Anouk and Maneesh meet with children with learning problems, dyslexia and trauma related issues on a daily basis. 

I sat and filmed through two sessions, each lasting 1.5 hour at a very slow pace so that each child has a chance to feel deeper within their heart and express their feelings in their own words. Anouk patiently asks questions and Maneesh translates carefully to convey the children's words back to Anouk. Jayadev is very inspired with this program's success which already brought out a  lot of new important information about each child. 

This afternoon, this 13 year boy started to describe about his continued nightmares with unidentified scary faces. In reality, he was at his parents' death scene but never saw their faces after the death. He does not know what really caused their deaths, though he was in the next room watching TV. "Did somebody come in and kill them?"  "Why wasn't I able to help them? " All complex issues are still within him haunting him on a daily basis. He is going through a lot of confusion with deep sorrow. Anouk continues to talk with him and suggests to Jayadev and Maneesh that it is a positive step forward that he is opening up and feeling safe to talk about these deep feelings. As a team, she proposes that they need to guide him to focus on the present and any happy feelings he has. The boy also disclosed that citing Ganesh mantra when scary faces appear in his mind, seems to be helping. Anouk counsels that these small but positive tools should be encouraged to use whenever needed. Anouk also suggested to look for some tangible objects to hang onto when bad moments happen to him, it can be a small ball, smiley face doll, anything.

I was truly inspired how Anouk's work is adding so much to children and teachers at Deenabandhu. Jayadev is very happy how Anouk has brought in this program "Psychology and Yoga" for children. Jayadev believes that "the reality of mind" needs objectivity to be understood, the mechanism of mind. Western psychology is very helpful as it believes that every behavior has a reason. Jayadev had psychological approach since 1990's but having an expert Anouk on the ground for 4 months has definitely shed light to the importance of this approach again. Anouk and Jayadev believe that this approach will be able to bring out self esteem in children. 

Anouk's action and commitment is the best example of how one person can take Yoga Gives Back to a totally different level. By making real commitment to make a difference, she is already making a difference in many children's lives. If we tap into our potential and share with others, we can bring out such incredible positive changes in this word. I am so grateful and happy that Anouk has shown this powerful precedent to us .

As the final step of "Expedition KILI", Anouk will climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise more awareness and funds. What so special about this is that her father and two other friends will also join this incredible endeavor!! To this date, they already raised over 6000 dollars!! Anouk continues to get up before 6am to run 45 minutes and practice Ashtanga Yoga for 1.5 hour every morning as a training for this last big Climb!  Thank you ANOUK for this amazing and empowering effort.

"What is the goal of EDUCATION and YOGA?" ---Visiting Deenabandhu Children's Home #1

Visiting Deenabandhu Trust Home, about 50 km outside of Mysore, in a small town called Chapanajanagar, has become one of the highlights of YGB visits each time. Professor Gugguri Jayadev founded this home for a six orphaned boys in 1991. Today, it houses 100 girls and boys who have absolutely no other place else to go. 

What strikes me the most about this home is its incredibly peaceful air. This home is embraced with many children's happy greetings all day long. Needless to say, every child has suffered a traumatic background before they reached this home.

Professor Jayadev,  Founder of Deenabandhu Children's Home

Morning coffee with spiritual and critical thinker Professor Jayadev is something I treasure and look forward to. Soft spoken with extremely deep knowledge and views regarding education, socio-economic issues of India, and YOGA, he shared with me what the real education should be for every child. Deenabandhu Trust runs this orphanage and a private elementary school for the lowest income families from local community based on Professor Jayadev's conviction that every child has unlimited talent.  The goal of EDUCATION should be to teach a child "WHO I AM" rather than "WHAT I CAN DO", not to teach skills that deal with resources but "to discover the man and woman behind the skills". Just like YOGA should not be just about physical exercises, ASANA, but needs to be coupled with a path to holy thoughts and meaning "how can I be helpful to others? This is the natural state of the human mind", Jayadev says.  The goal of education should be to learn "control on oneself" and not "control of resources/skills", just like YOGA!

 
As we start a day, I learn more about the seriousness of the deep scars each child carries with trauma and difficulties, being abandoned by their parents, forced to accept sudden deaths of parents, having to beg with homeless mothers, etc. However, there is no darkness or desperation about this reality at this home. Rather there is prevailing sense of hope with peace. It is a magical place and maybe one of the most peaceful places I have ever been to.  I always feel so grateful for being 

connected to this home through Yoga Give Back's work and really want to share what I learn and experience here even in a short three day stay visit. So, please check back for future blog posts. You can also learn more about Deenabandhu Children's Home in the latest YGB Film "Deenabandhu: Home of Love and Acceptance.

Children chant and meditate daily at 6am. They memorize various Sanskrit chanting without lessons or books!! They also chant at breakfast, lunch and dinner time.

Lokesh Rao, a graduate of Deenabandhu Trust Home. Always smiling and willing to help everyone!! He has been my best filming assistant each time. He majors in Life Science and will travel to Poland in 2015 to volunteer and stay with host family!! "Olleyadagale (good luck in Kanada)!!"

Manjula, one of the house mothers who cooks all day for children and visitors. Best morning coffee with her smile!!

With YGB Ambassadors Anouk Prop who has been volunteering as a psychotherapist and yoga teacher since October and Kathleen Kastner who joined me for this entire trip, owner of Maya Yoga, Kansas City.  Having three meals with Jayadev is a true treat for us. Thank you!!