Let Everybody Teach and Inspire You, No Matter How Young

As my time in India begins to near its end, I wanted to share some of the observations I've made about the kids I have been so fortunate to work with and help teach.

Almost every single one of these children is the very first in their families to receive an education. I applaud the parents so much that have chosen to take this new and unknown step and allow their child to attend school. They want their child to learn English, to be literate, to learn about the world, in hopes that they will have a better life than themselves. If their son or daughter does not go to school, it is more likely than not that they will never leave the slums; they simply won't have the skills necessary to hold a decent job. We are hoping that through our endeavors, our small contribution to this large issue, we can help to break the cycle of poverty in the Kalva slums. As well as the literacy and nutrition program our organization has for the kids, we are also implementing the creation of women's groups who not only are paid by the organization to cook and cater to the schools, but who will also receive aid in making their own arts and crafts to advertise, market, and sell. We are hoping that this enterprise will help uplift and empower these women, giving them a purpose and a job, as well as skill development. But that's a different story.

During my time her with Gabriel Project Mumbai, I have learned ever more that it's not always what you're teaching, but how you're teaching it - the way in which you come across to your students and the unspoken messages you are bringing to them. It had never really occurred to me before, but a few weeks ago, something profound was brought to my attention. Simply the few of us being here meant so much in the way that it is showing these people just how much education means. It is always amazing when walking down the street, someone will ask us what we are doing here and when we tell them, they are absolutely stunned and inspired. Although it doesn't feel like I'm doing much or really even working since it brings me such joy, the locals are always amazed and so incredibly thankful that we have come to do such a nice thing in their country.

The happiness these children have brought me is indescribable. I cannot wait to see their bright little faces every morning and the 20 minute trek through the 100 degree slums is always, always worth it.

After teaching Sunday school classes for a little while in the U.S., it is plain to see that there are huge discrepancies between  these slum children and the typical affluent American child. The amount of respect that these kids have for their elders in general, let alone their teachers, is awe-inspiring. It is something I have rarely seen back in America. Each morning, they all stand up to face us and say "Good morning, teacher," as each of us walks in, and then remain standing until we tell them they can sit. When someone asks them to do something, they do it. They are respectful in class, and it is easy to tell that they have a genuine love of learning.

The classrooms that these children are studying in are made of corrugated metal with cement floors. There are nails sticking out everywhere. The children sit on the floor. Some classes have a small, old ceiling fan to help dissipate the hot, thick air, but many do not even have that. One schoolhouse we taught in was about the size of a closet and was an entire half of someone's house. There were about fifteen kids crammed in this one room, and we all barely fit inside.

Outside of the classroom, I am equally amazed. A lot of the children I see on the streets have absolutely nothing. They live in tiny shacks with dirt floors, no refrigerators, and just enough food to survive on. They have no shoes, and their entertainment consists of walking around outdoors, chasing chickens and poking through trash. The interesting thing? I don't sense much sadness when I walk through the slums. If you read my earlier posts, you will remember I believe that limited distraction can seem like a curse, but actually be a tremendous blessing. These people don't NEED cellphones. They don't need tons and tons of money. These children don't NEED video games or fancy toys or television. They derive their entertainment and their pleasure from the tangible world around them - their environment. At times, the way they play may seem dangerous, sure. Many frollick in the trash-filled streets with no shoes on, digging, playing with sticks and anything else they can find on the ground, filling up plastic bags with rocks, chasing after marbles, and dragging each other around on dirty sacks. But the truth is, they're having fun. You can see it in their faces. They appreciate every little thing that comes their way, which is how I strive to be. They bond with each other, playing games together while shouting and laughing. So yes, these kids are poor, yes, they run around in the streets, but they get to keep those all-too-often-lost-too-soon things called "imaginations."

Because they have so little, the simplest things bring them so much joy. I gave Muskan, a little nursery school girl a small green ball the other day and the way her eyes lit up and that smile spread across her face, well, it nearly brought tears to my eyes. A couple days later when I saw her again, she immediately took the ball out of a small pocket of her bag and I taught her how to play catch, which basically kept us occupied for about thirty minutes. And may I say, it was one of the best thirty minutes of my life.

Two days ago, we taught them about fruit and we had brought some for them to try. Even after seeing the food we'd brought, they stayed calm, and when we passed it out, they would deliver it around the group to the others instead of keeping the first thing in their hand for themselves. They did not snatch, try to steal more, or lie about not getting any. From their behavior, one would never guess how well these children knew hunger.

Today, also, we had a lesson in which we introduced them to pizza. Only one kid out of probably 40 had ever had it before. There were some mixed reactions to it, so it was funny to observe the apparent taste preferences present in different cultures. However, nothing was wasted. These children were appreciative. And most of them loved it, ate their whole piece and said it was delicious.

While handing it out, we saw one little girl putting the pizza away in her lunchbox instead of eating it. When we asked her why she was doing this, she replied "I'm taking it home for my mom."

Lesson? These kids may be dirty... They may have no shoes. But they do have what it takes to capture all of our hearts with their sweet smiles, their integrity, and their hearts.

Erin is a GPM-Entwine Spring 2013 participant. This post is can be found in her personal blog.

Selfish or selflessly altruistic: Mumbai thoughts

In the always forward looking Mumbai, I too am moving forward.  At maximum speed and without bargaining moving forward is a constant.  While on the move “keep to the left” is the same general expression as familiar in the U.S. of “keeping to the right” in the direction of travel.  Keeping left to walk, to drive, to cleanse oneself, to going around a traffic circle and to queuing up.  Luckily eating is done with the right hand only and as a 'righty' I am constantly overfed here.

In India something’s are kind of optional… and when I say ‘something’s’ I mean everything.  There is a minute semblance of law and order here but I along with over one billion Indians am hard-pressed to acknowledge it.  I litter constantly as it is supporting someone’s recycling business, I smoke everywhere because it is filters my air for 5 minutes, and I have even started in street level commerce by charging 5 Rupees per photograph with me.  Here in India one must exploit what they have to increase odds of success.  I wake up each day knowing how fortunate I am to be born, where I was born and lucky for what I have. 

The Babylonian Talmud says, “Sixty pains reach the teeth of one who hears his fellow eating and he has not yet eaten.”  So, while we stagger around on a Saturday night/ Sunday morning in Sth Mumbai after a night out on the town the reality sets in that some may be going to their beds,  fans and WiFi while others are spending their nights under the stars or at least one star (as the air is quite thick with smog- getting only the breeze from passing trains).  As I leave a box of pastries next to  a bidi smoking bookseller who sleeps next to his stock piles of texts, I wonder if I gave the pastries to him because he was hungry or if I just wanted a second free hand to hold on to the other two people I was sandwiched on a motorcycle with.  Whether selfish or selflessly altruistic, I feel and know that even the smallest actions always have a reaction whether or not it is equal and opposite I cannot know. Everybody’s working for the weekend and then next thing you know it s the week ahead already.  And, then the hard work must begin again.

When I am giving free food or pens I fell decent.  But, when giving my time, effort, and sweat I feel amazed.  The politeness and cuteness of teaching children during the week in Kalwa Slum is as unceasing as the fulfillment I get in empowering these young learners as well as the wonderful women who cook for the schools the children attend daily.  I am constantly reminded that India is dangerous both inherently and spur of the moment, maybe it is because of the belief in reincarnation or maybe its just too many people to worry about every basic safety detail.  Nonetheless, with this struggle on top of everything and in the spirit of “keeping to the left” I will finish with a quote by a political and educational revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara, “Many will call me an adventurer - and that I am, only one of a different sort: one of those who risks his skin to prove his platitudes. Let the world change you and you can change the world.”


Josh is a GPM-JDC Spring 2013 fellow

We are simply giving them the opportunity to fulfill their potential

Like seemingly everything else in India, the slums outside Kalva are a place of contrasts.  It is almost unbelievable that this level of poverty exists less than an hour's train ride away from the opulence and cosmopolitan bustle of South Mumbai.  The sadness of seeing a homeless family living on the street outside a Ferrari dealership is jarring.

However, when I walk through the slums every day to teach, the thing that stands out the most to me is not the contrast of wealth and poverty that exists so prevalently and shockingly throughout this city.  It is not the dirt and waste-clogged streams, or the goats and chickens picking through trash along the road.  It is the smiles of the children, the way the people living there takes so much care to keep their tiny homes clean and colorful, the care the women take in preparing food for the children, the kindness and tenacity of the teachers.  It is the humanity of the place that is the most striking thing.  To a certain extent, I expected the heat, the smells, the lack of sanitation.  I did not expect to see a small alley with brightly painted walls and clean laundry catching the slight breeze.  I did not expect the laughing friendliness of the women when we showed up to 'help' them prepare food for the children.

The children themselves are wonderful too.  So smart, so sweet and funny, so excited to be learning with us.  We prepare a lesson every day to present to the class and they learn what we have to teach them far faster than we ever expect, pushing us to be more creative.  It is beginning to feel as if we are providing a service to the wider world as well as to these children, because as these bright and eager children grow up, they have so much to offer - they can become doctors, businessmen, scientists, politicians, or teachers themselves.  We are simply giving them the opportunity to fulfill their potential, and if we did not, the world would be that much poorer. 

Elana is a participant in the Gabriel Project Mumbai-JDC 2013 Spring session

All I can do is give my best efforts each day

Namaskar, Namaste, Shalom, and Hello - this is Mumbai!

Walking into a middle-school class of standing children is an inspiring experience.  The class full of young learners show a strong drive to work hard and respectful of the “Teachar!” inspire me to work harder at literally everything I try to teach in the classes of children living in the slums.

It is hard to grasp the Mise-en-scène of the class rooms deep in the thick of the Kalwa Slums North Mumbai but I can assure you is very basic… very basic. Conditions can only described as dire. But the smile I get when working with these children and their dedicated full-time teachers is ear to ear and completely reverses my grimace.  The staff and organization of the Gabriel Project Mumbai/ JDC/ REAP are dedicated to educating and feeding 500 children per day while supporting the distribution and cooking of the meals.  Even while the chalkboards are just pieces of plywood painted black, and 2/3 of the schoolhouses have little electricity there is a drive present that is so impressive- it is to work hard and succeed.

India is a land of contrast in many ways. The slums that are proverbially “on the other side of the track” are in fact across the tracks. The constantly encroaching slums and the absolute poverty that ensues, contrasts with some of the worlds most wealthy individuals who live in the same city.  In less than one hours journey on public transportation from my classroom in the heart of an 80,000 person slum, one can be in a heart of the 22 million populous of the downtown metropolis with all the joie-de-vivre possible for more than one lifetime…and several reincarnations. The awesome contrast of living and working conditions is just one obvious contrast in India It’s like comparing apples and oranges, or rather mangoes and jack-fruit, but the distinction of the distribution of wealth and the polarized conditions is a constant reminder.
 
One thing that is universal is the goal to have ones next generation live better than the last.  Knowledge is power and the Indian society here thrives on a need for a hierarchical power structure system in everything from street hawkers to doctors to even apartment complex societies.   This stratified system compounds with a motivation that is truly impressive.  Children everywhere in the slums are like thirsty sponges and I am glad to be apart of helping these children learn and absorb as much as possible ranging from geography to singing and everything in between.  All I can do is give my best efforts each day working in the slums and know that it will never be enough because of the will that these children possess to be successful!

Josh, from Moreland Ohio, is one of the new Spring 2013 GPM-JDC fellows.

It's been really exciting to teach in the slums.

It's been really exciting to teach in the slums.  Before we started I had a million questions.  I wasn't sure what we would be teaching them, what is relevant to them, what they already know, what they would find interesting, how much language would be a barrier...

The children are so eager to learn and are learning so fast we almost can't keep up.  We start off at the beginning of the week with what we think are enough activities for the entire week and then by Tuesday or Wednesday we have to think of more things. 

Jessica (left) is a participant in the Gabriel Project Mumbai-JDC 2013 Spring session

‘Slumdog Millionaire’? It's Real Life: A new volunteer’s perspective.

These past few days have been incredible. Words cannot even describe it - but I will do my best. Although I suppose I am used to the traffic here by now, the fact that I still desire to talk about it proves that maybe I'm not... Picture New York City traffic during rush hour, but about ten times more hectic - and that is Mumbai traffic. Now imagine a typical four-way intersection in America with traffic lights, pedestrian crosswalks, lines that tell cars where to stop, etc. Four-way intersections here have none of those. Rush-hour traffic literally results in a giant free-for-all where cars from every direction just charge down the road at each other and usually end up slamming on the brakes to narrowly avoid accidents. The honking? Enough to make one go deaf. Or just completely insane.

When waiting to cross the street, people do not usually stand on the sidewalk like they do in the U.S; they stand IN the street. Indians do not really believe in the concept of pedestrian right-of-way here so if someone is standing in the street, an approaching rickshaw will not slow down, but simply let out a shrieking, blood curdling honk for a few seconds to warn the pedestrian to get back. People push their produce carts and wagons directly through the center of the street. Motorcycles weave in and out between the cars and rickshaws and trucks. (It is not uncommon to see three, four, or even five people on one moped- or to see a very elderly person or young child driving one!) Vehicles are often no more than a few inches away from each other. The air is constantly thick with the smell of pollution - and there is so much smog, the sky here is constantly gray.

Anyway, two days ago marked the first day we visited the slums. We have not started work yet - we start today, but we simply went to introduce ourselves to the students and teachers we will be working with. The schoolhouses were probably the most decent part of the entire slums, and it almost brought tears to my eyes to see these bright children and witness firsthand their love of learning. Attending school could change these kids' lives. If they are not educated enough to be able to hold a real job one day, they will never leave the slums. Education is their only chance - I am so honored and humbled by the fact that I will get to help teach these kids for the next two months with GPM. A Western program called REAP that oversees the literacy classes for the children works with GPM to ensure a free meal is provided to each child per school day. For many, it is the only food they have, and on Sundays, when school is not in session, some of the children will not eat from Saturday until Monday.

Outside of the classrooms, let me just say, it was incredible. It is hard to believe that there are people in this world who live like these people do. Their homes are made of tarps, wooden beams, and scraps of metal. There are stray dogs everywhere.  Unkempt, half-naked children play in the streets (meaning a narrow trash-filled dirt path ). The air smells like a mixture of urine, excrement, rotting garbage and pollution. Farm animals walk down the streets. Families gather in the dirt around small fires, cooking what little food they have. People rummage through the trash on the sides of the street. Many people sit outside their shacks just staring into the sky.

As we began to leave, a huge lump formed in my throat. It was almost sickening to think that we come here, and are doing such good things for these people, but at the end of the day, we get to come back to our comfortable apartment.. and they have to stay. While a lot of them do hold some type of tedious, back-breaking, laborious job such as working the fields or picking up trash at the Kalva train station that marks the beginning of the slums, the large majority of them are too uneducated to even purchase a train ticket and journey into town in search of a better job. They have no skills, very little money, and no self-confidence. They are prisoners of their own poverty.

Once again, my thoughts turned to my hard mattress, my toilet that leaks... and my heart once again swelled with gratefulness. I have seen firsthand the lives of people who have absolutely nothing. We have oh so much to be thankful for, and it is very easy to take our good fortune for granted. We get so caught up in our petty problems, and think that our life is the world, when it's not. The world is so big, and even before I came to India, it puzzled me when I saw people I know worrying and fretting over things these people would love to even have the privilege to worry about. In future, whenever I feel that I have a problem, I will imagine telling it to an emaciated woman picking through garbage on the side of the street, and see what her opinion is on my "tough" life.

I look forward to continuing interaction with these beautiful people, and especially with the precious children. These slums have existed for hundreds of years, and they are the first generation of their people that are working hard to ensure there will be a brighter future ahead of them.

Erin, from Ashville North Carolina, is one of the new GPM-JDC fellows. She has just started the Spring session.

"You come to make a change…and the change comes from within you"

I came with no expectations. That is always a good place to start, no expectations. What I came to experience during my month and half stay in Mumbai, volunteering with The Gabriel Project Mumbai, was something that I definitely did not expect.

The first day that I went into the slums, I was numb to my surroundings. I guess this was a subconscious reaction as I was not ready to take in the reality of the situation. I remember entering the slums and seeing the massive piles of garbage, consisting of old clothes, shoes, food waste and then seeing as the locals were walking around in sandals and sometimes barefoot, after a heavy downpour of the monsoon season. After returning to the slums several times afterwards, the numbness wore off and I became fully aware that this was the reality of people living in the slums. This is how they lived everyday, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and this is when the change within me began.

As I worked with the local women, helping them to prepare food for about 500 school children in the slums, I experienced their compassion for the children. I could see the love and care they put into preparing the children's lunches. I knew that the children would receive their (and our) love from eating such invested meals. When I came to the huts that serve as classrooms, bringing the hot food to the children and serving them their meals, I was so touched by the children’s humbleness. Each child stood patiently in line until it was their turn to receive a serving of food. No pushing, no shoving, they knew their time would come when they would receive their meal and when they did; a huge smile would appear on their faces. These children knew the value of this meal; they knew how to appreciate the simple, but important, things in life.

Afterwards, I began to teach the children. We usually started with introductions, where each child had to stand up and tell me their names and then their favorite color. Then we would play a numbers game where the children would sit in a circle and would count from one to one hundred, passing a ball around to the child who would say the next sequential number. I loved their enthusiasm when they knew how to say the number in English and then, in turn, received the ball.

Saying goodbye to the children at the end of our lesson was always the hardest part for me. They gave me so much in the little time I had with them that I did not want to part ways, though I knew I would see them the following day.

I came to Mumbai to volunteer, to give something of myself, to help those less fortunate than me, yet I felt that I received so much more than I gave. Maybe this is the paradox of volunteering, you come to make a change and while you do, the change comes from within you. For that, I thank Gabriel Project Mumbai and the wonderful people who I had the privilege to encounter during my volunteer work in the slums. I know now, more than ever, that life is a precious gift and we must appreciate all that we have in our lives.

All the best,

Peninah


Peninah R. participated in the Gabriel Project Mumbai Fall 2012 session.

Indian Jewish young professionals volunteer in the slums of Mumbai - a new joint GPM-JDC project.

The JDC-GPM Internship Program is an exciting new four-month long volunteer opportunity for young Jewish Indian professionals and undergraduate students to work with the children of the Mumbai slums. In this program participants make a meaningful difference and a positive impact on the lives of youth living in the Kalwa slum, North Mumbai, through an organized program of social and learning experiences. The brainchild of JDC Country Director for India, Mandie Winston, this program is the first initiative that brings together young Indian Jews and Jewish volunteers from around the world to collaborate on providing literacy and nutrition in the Mumbai slums.

The Jews of Mumbai, a small but increasingly vibrant and active community of approximately 5000 people, have a strong Jewish culture and identity thanks in part to the vigorous efforts of community leaders, the local JDC and JCC. Gabriel Project Mumbai (GPM) is a collaborative Jewish initiative that provides nutrition and literacy to the children in the slums of Mumbai.

“As a Jewish initiative we are excited that the JDC India shares our vision and has created a program where local Jewish Indian young professionals come together to volunteer with children living in the slums”, said GPM founding director Jacob Sztokman. “This is a fantastic opportunity for participants to take ownership of a great charitable enterprise deep in the slums of Mumbai.”

The JDC-GPM Internship Program with the support of REAP, GPM’s grass root partner in the slums of Mumbai, offers the children living in the slums an opportunity to socialize together in a fun, empowered and enjoyable informal educational setting.

“Participation in the Gabriel Project Mumbai encourages the local community members to reach out beyond their Jewish circle and see the difference they can make to the under-privileged sections of society at large in the true spirit and essence of Tikkun Olam.” Elijah Jacob, Director of JDC India added.

GPM’s International Jewish volunteers also work side by side with their Indian Jewish counterparts in developing an incredible experience for the children living in the slums. “The JDC-GPM Internship Program has two implications: it gives the youth the opportunity to give back to society while  identifying with the concept of Tikun Olam and it will also help them grow into responsible individuals who will continue to care for service in more ways", said Salome Abraham Program Coordinator for Young Adults, Service and Leadership Initiatives, JDC India.

“The JDC-GPM Internship Program is a way for the young Jewish Indian adults to better understand our neighbors, help children in need while exploring the Jewish values of gemilut chasadim (acts of kindness), tzedakah (charity) and social justice,”  added Sigalith Isaac, GPM Program Coordinator. “As the participants are starting their careers and families, social justice, charity and helping others will be a strong foundation to the lives they are building.”

Celebrating accomplishments; passionate to do more! GPM Achievements in 2012

Gabriel Project Mumbai started working to alleviate poverty, provide nutrition and support literacy in the slums of Mumbai in June 2012. In the last seven months GPM has:

• Provided 84,000 nutritious hot meals to 500 children ages 5-12 attending classes in the slums.
• Enabled 336,000 hours of learning for children living in the slums. These classes were provided by the devoted and skilled teachers of our partner organization REAP
• Dedicated over 270 volunteer hours to the children living in the slums. Jewish volunteers from around the world as well as Indian Jewish volunteers have provided these informal classes in English, Math, Science and Hygiene
• Supported the economic betterment of 160 women working in the food-industry thanks to a local micro- financing program, thus helping the women to support their families and strengthen the slum community
• Involved over 26 Jewish volunteers from around the world and Jewish Indians in volunteering with children in the slums
• Delivered 500 drinking water bottles so the children in the slums can bring water to class every day.
• Provided  60 hours of classes in Jewish Social Justice values, Jewish Indian History, spoken Hindi and Indian Culture for our local and international Jewish volunteers.
• Developed 2 strong partnerships with JDC & JDC Entwine to bring Jewish young adults from around the world and local Jewish Indian young adults to volunteer with the Hindu and Muslim children living in absolute poverty in the slums of Mumbai. We have also nurtured a dynamic partnership with a fantastic local NGO, 'REAP' that provides dedicated, professional and nurturing teachers in the slums.

We are extremely grateful for the partner organizations who help us help the children. Thanks to the wonderfully dedicated and professional teachers and coordinators at REAP who are devoted to the welfare of the children and allow us to work alongside them. We also are grateful to the wonderful people at the JDC and JDC Entwine for their support in volunteer recruitment, promoting GPM's mission and strong belief in helping others and alleviating  poverty around the world.

Please join us in our campaign to provide nutritious meals and quality education to the children living in the slums of India. Join us to fight malnutrition and illiteracy and help us give these wonderful children a better future!

Check out more about the Gabriel Project Mumbai's nutrition and literacy support programs at our website, or at http://www.gabrielprojectmumbai.org.