Leah's Crazy Ride Across Iowa + Fundraiser for Schools in India!

The following message is from one of our volunteers in India in 2009.

Hi Friends!

From July 25th-July 31st I will be riding my bike 442 miles across Iowa as a participant in RAGBRAI: http://ragbrai.com/ [cut and paste link]

Besides finishing the week long east to west ride, my goal is to raise at least $442 to donate to One! International, the NGO in India I taught at in 2009.

One! operates two schools in the slums in Mumbai, teaching over 100 children. Its volunteer base is in Canada. The work One! does with the children and families in Mumbai is truly inspiring, worthy, and life-changing for them.


If you're willing to make a donation, you can click the link below for my Giving Page on Canadahelps.org (The picture on the page is me teaching at the Nallasopara school in August 2009).

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=8592

[please cut and paste link]


3.9% of each donation goes to Canadahelps.org in processing fees, so if you'd rather give a donation to me directly, I will send it to One! via check. If you'd like, you can even pledge a certain amount per mile!

I promise to update my blog and/or Facebook on how I'm managing to pedal up all those Iowa hills.


For more information about One! International, please go to:

www.one-international.com

Thanks

Leah

An energetic endeavor, and a generous goal.
Thank you Leah.
Good luck with the trip.
We wish you lots of luck and good weather.

Another Recipe

Here is another recipe from our "super chefs" Sonia and Vijay.

MATTAR PANEER ( Peas with Cheese )

Ingredients
600 grams paneer
3 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes (fresh or can)
2 tsp each of garlic and ginger paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
Handful chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
1 tsp kasuri methi leaves (dried)
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp plain yoghurt
2 cups water

Heat oil in a pan and fry cumin seeds for one minute.
Add crushed tomatoes and garlic and ginger pastes; fry for 2 minutes.
Add cumin and coriander powders; cook for about 5 minutes.
Add peas, salt and 2 cups of water; cover and cook for 15 minutes or till the peas are done.
Add paneer to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add yoghurt, kasuri methi, garam masala, and coriander leaves.
Mix and serve.

Sunil - Good News

In June I told you that Sunil wrote three more of his grade 10 exams. We did not expect to get the results until August, but we have them already.

Sunil passed two of the three exams. He passed English and Business. He did not pass by a huge margin, but that doesn't matter. The important thing is - he passed.

He certainly has the ability to pass the last exam - Math.
He indicated he was nervous and unable to concentrate enough to do good work.
But - he is so committed to this process; he immediately registered to take the math exam again in October 2010.
We may have our first Grade 10 graduate by the end of 2010.
WOW

Tania is here in Canada now. Her physio is proceeding at a very good pace, and she is already walking without crutches. She only uses the crutches if she is going to be in a large crowd of people.
She has set up a schedule for tutoring Sunil on Skype. She will tutor him at 1AM to 4AM our time -the middle of the afternoon for Sunil. She wants to make sure that Sunil is ready in October to write his exam. There was also several chapters that they didn't cover in their previous work together, so this will allow him to complete the work.
It's a good job Tania is a night owl. This schedule doesn't seem to bother her.

The schedule also allows her to connect with Vinita - the boss in India when Tania is in Canada - and teach a couple of other classes as well.

Isn't Skype wonderful.

"First Day"

"First Day" is a poem written by Harper Wall in the spring of 2009 after her family returned to Canada from thier trip to India, and volunteering with One! in Mumbai. She was 9 years old when she wrote the poem.

After we clamber
Into the over-stuffed rickshaw
Trundling on through
The bumpy crowded streets
We are attacked by the pungent aroma
Of dying fish.
We pass by dusty creaky houses
Their owners drying their clothes
On rocks by the crashing waves.

We turn down a side street
Rainbow coloured fruit
Banana mountains
Purple bubbly grapes
People shopping, sacks on their heads
Lines of laundry hanging across the narrow
street
An old dog scavenging for food
People stopping to chat
Eating samosas and baked goods from the
street vendors.

We stop to the sound of laughing children
They hug us and run along side as we enter the
school

Overwhelming noise
Like a busy train station

We start the day with happy excitement
We take the kids out for exercise
laughing
running
pulling us along
I lose myself in their play.
I watch them skip and play soccer
Being pulled by a little girl
Who wants me to skip
I try and fail, much laughter!

Leaving our fun and games
It is time to go back to the school
As we near, they become once again joyful.

Lunchtime!

Touched by their chant
We eat rice and spicy dhal.
After a tiring afternoon
Too quick, it is time to go home.

Exhausted!

Back into a rickshaw and along
The colourful bustling side street
Back onto the road with the fishy smell
Our first day is complete.


For those who have been to Mumbai and the school at Khar Danda, you will be able to identify with both the trip down the lane, and the school.

Great job Harper.