A great present for vulnerable children this #GivingTuesday

Happy #GivingTuesday from all of us at GPM. It is easy to remember the excitement of going school supply shopping. From new pencils to fresh notebooks, there is a certain thrill to picking out your  materials for the year. 

The GPM students cannot afford school supplies. They do not have have desks to work on in their classrooms. Many children living in the under-served slums and villages of India come to school and sit on the floor to learn. Students bend over uncomfortably while writing and studying. This adversely effects their eyesight and posture which hampers their ability to study in school and to do homework back in their homes. We have also seen children carry their school books in their hands because they can't afford to buy a school bag!
GPM found a local Indian social enterprise that makes a school bag that turns into a desk for only $20! 
We thought that it would be great idea to be able to give each child a school bag that they can use as a desk in class and when they go back to their home to do homework. 
And each desk-bag is inexpensive! For just $20 you can give a child living in the slums a gift that will be used to further their education…and help them on their way to a brighter future.
Please help GPM give this awesome desk-bag to 300 children in our school in the slums. Our goal is to raise $6000 so that each of the 300 children will receive their desk-bags at the start of term on Jan 2018! 

We are excited to give the children in our classes an educational item that would fill their lives with pride; make them feel important while helping with their posture and studies. The desk-bags are light weight, water proof which looks after children’s’ backs while protecting schoolbooks from monsoon rains while walking to class.

Link to donate: https://rootfunding.com/campaigns/gpm-school-bag-to-desks

Research has shown that sitting while leaning over and writing is bad for posture and eye-sight! The amazing desk in the school bag helps children study at school and at home!  

GPM and Sundara celebrate International Hand Washing Day

Although it may have seemed like an ordinary day, October 15th was Global Hand Washing Day. The children in the GPM Joshua Greenberger Learning Center in the Kalwa slums celebrated by participating in a Sundara run hand-washing workshops, plays and received fun lessons on proper hand hygiene. 

GPM children with their Sundara Soap

Demonstration on proper hand washing

It is common practice in many parts of the developed world to wash one's hands multiple times a day, and it is taken for granted how much hand washing plays a role in keeping us healthy. Many people in developing countries are not only unaware of the importance of hand washing, but do not have access to soap. According to UNICEF "Over 300,000 children under five died from diarrhoeal diseases linked to limited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene in 2015." This number is unacceptable and can be prevented simply by washing hands before eating and after going to the bathroom. 

GPM proudly partners with Sundara, a fantastic organization that provides recycled soap to thousands of children in urban slums and under-served rural villages.  Sundara's main focus is to raise awareness around hand hygiene through an innovative approach, bringing excitement to young children and getting the entire community involved. 

Through plays, special trained hygiene ambassadors, interactive activities, and posters children learn the importance of hand-washing. Sundara provides all of the materials, while GPM makes sure that the children are ready to learn. The GPM children and staff had a wonderful time celebrating with Sundara, and look forward to continuing our partnership. 

Sundara's 'Hygiene Ambassadors' explaining good hand-washing techniques

Watching an informative and fun film about hygiene habits

Thanks for the soap Sundara

A fun play where germs are the bad guys and soap is the hero!