Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Swimming the width of the Engish Channel for underprivileged children!

Lucy, a UK medical student has set her goal in raising awareness and funds for Gabriel Project Mumbai's nutrition, health and literacy projects for underprivileged children living in the slums of Mumbai. Lucy and her friend Bess volunteered with Gabriel Project Mumbai in the Kalwa slums in August 2013.

Lucy's goal is to swim the equivalent of the English Channel (22miles/36km). That's 2,000 pool laps!! And she will be undertaking this endeavor after a full day interning in her hospital placement; what a commitment! You can help Lucy by sponsoring her, spur her on and receive updates on her progress at  http://www.rootfunding.com/campaign/4254
 
"This wonderful organization is very important to me and I spent some time in India this past summer working on their project out there. GPM works day in day out to feed and educate hundreds of children who live in Mumbai's slums. They rely on kind donations which is why I have decided to raise money on their behalf."

UPDATE - November 7, 2013:
Lucy is right on schedule. Twenty days have passed and she is half way to her goal, already swimming 970 pool laps (12miles/20km)! See her pic below:



Lucy and Bess with one of the Kawa REAP classes

Lucy (with a kid on her lap) and Bess with a nursery class

Helping to serve the children their mid-day meal





Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Welcome Leah Robinson - year long GPM-JDC fellow!

Leah Robinson is working with children as an Entwine Global JSC Fellow in Mumbai, as part of the Gabriel Project Mumbai (GPM) and in the local Jewish community.

At GPM, Leah is working with four annual cohorts of Multi-Week JSC fellows serving with underprivileged children in the slums of Mumbai. She is involved with programming and informal education curriculum development as part of REAP’s literacy initiative for marginalized children.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Leah Robinson recently graduated from Middlebury College with a B.A. in Sociology and Psychology. During her time at Middlebury, Leah served on the Hillel board of directors and was involved in service groups including DREAM (a mentoring organization for at-risk children), Dance Marathon, and Girl Scouts. A passionate cook, Leah is also excited to have the opportunity to learn more about Indian cooking while preparing food for the kids, and to learn if camp songs translated to Hindi will be as big of a hit in Mumbai as they were when translated to Spanish and Samoan in other parts of the world.

Welcome Leah to GPM!
Decorating the Sukkah

Leah, Kimberly and Salome

Leah at the Gateway to India

Walking in the ways of Gandhi

Sunday, September 1, 2013

10 Inspiring photos of GPM Summer volunteers in the slums of Mumbai

Have a look at 10 inspiring photos of the wonderfully inspiring work of JDC Entwine fellows volunteering with GPM this past summer. Brittany, Roxanne, Rachel, Sami, Brianna and Melissa --you guys are awesome!


After class--so much fun!

Sami and the girls

Effie and the kids

'The Insey Winsey Spider'

Sami and Emunah at the Mumbai JCC

At Bayiti - JDC run old age home in Panvel Mumbai

Jewish children and children from the slums learning and playing together at the Mumbai JCC!

Melissa teaching the kids a fun science lesson

Pimkey's class

Brittany and a friend

Rachel and the guys

Roxanne and her posse
Brianna and her buddy