HOMES  IN MUMBAI


I don't believe in 'reinventing the wheel' or trying to say something better than someone who has said it so well.  In the Saturday November 24, 2012 issue of The Globe and Mail newspaper, Lisa Rochon wrote an article entitled "In Mumbai, 'monster' home has multiple meanings. I will include some of that article here for you.

Rich man, poor man: What constitutes a home in Mumbai for each is starkly, shockingly different. If you are as wealthy as you are shameless - like Mukesh Ambani, India's ultra-billionaire - home is a 27-story tower resembling a corporate American sky-scraper.........(400,000 square feet) dedicated to one family..
 

Local civic authority has vacated Mumbai, ......It turns out this epic, endless city .........has no true mayor - the title is largely ceremonial.  That means nobody to lead the charge for desperately needed running water and flush toilets for about half the population.  Nobody to advocate for more public transit (there's no subway). Nobody to champion pedestrians' rights, which currently rank at zero compared with cars". Instead, a chief administrator charged with overseeing the entire state of Maharashtra governs Mumbai.  That's a dangerous power vacuum.
Mumbai is estimated to contain more poor people than any other city in the world.  About 2.5 million of its people live on less than $13 (US) a month, according to its 2010 statistics.
But the city's slums are not centres of crime and violence like many of the cocaine-poisoned favelas of Latin America.  On the ground, the impoverished population in Mumbai scrambles to make do, often with elegance, grace and innovation.  Their homes are typically the size of a modest condominium bedroom in Canada - measuring about 10 by 10 feet - and they are impressively designed as laboratories of efficiency. Against all odds, despite the buzzing flies and uncollected trash as well as the barely functioning public schools, families inhabit their  tiny cells with stunning resistance.  ............the path leading into the dark density was narrow, often with grey water running directly outside of the curtained front doors.  Inside, however, the floors were scrubbed, even when there was a goat cohabiting with the family.  ...........
Garbage and human waste were thrown into heaps along the narrow laneways but the interiors of the single-room homes were pristine, even though several family members occupied them.........
 

...Dry goods and spices were organized into metal canisters and lined up on shelves.  Plates were kept in drying racks suspended from the wall.  A small Hindu shrine was displayed next to an electric fuse box.....who lived with her family of six in a home measuring 3 by 7 feet.  She slept indoors while the others slept outside, typically on mats or ratan beds.  "It's extremely hard during the monsoons," she said...
 

It seems impossible that government would abrogate its responsibilities of providing basic sanitation for its citizens.  But such is the harsh reality of Mumbai.  And what of civic leadership from some of the several dozen billionaires living in India, the ones profiled in the latest Forbes India magazine?.......
During my last moments in Mumbai, waiting on the tarmac for the plane to take off at sunrise, I watched as people came to life nearby ......located just beyond the international airport on the other side of a concrete wall topped by a menacing coil of barbed wire.....A boy dragged a plastic bag onto the open commons ...to see if there might be anything worth scavenging.  Several men squatted in the open, separated by a few metres, marginally apart from each other but fully visible from my plane.  Day had broken in Mumbai, a city of tormented, wondrous - neglected - humanity. 

Here are a few pictures from One!'s files.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

New School in Nallasopara

WE HAVE A NEW SCHOOL IN NALLASOPARA

Due to your fantastic support, One! International was able to build a new school in Nallasopara.

Although we were unable to purchase the land, we are incredibly pleased with our interim solution. The money you have generously donated to the Buy a brick - Build the Future Program, has allowed us to have a 6000 square feet school built to our specifications – 14 rooms, 4 toilets, fenced concrete play space, and open field.

Your funds have helped to build the school and provide the first year's rent on a 10 year lease.

The children, teachers, volunteers and families at One! in India are so proud of their new school, and the credit goes to you for making the school a beautiful reality.

We haven't let go of our dream to buy the land and own the school one day. This solution provides stability for our children and families in Nallasopara for the next 10 years, while we continue to stabilize our Indian Trust, and explore longer term planning. Even though we are not continuing with the Buy a Brick, Build the Future Program at this time - our dream for the future remains.

We hope you will be as happy as we are with this interim solution. Thank you for your donations, your time and your love for our children.

 

All ready for the ribbon cutting ceremony.


We are making changes to the web page. Continue to watch for the Opening
of the School video which will be posted soon.
www.one-international.com 
  

Smiling in the rain. A wonderful day.

SOME MINI UPDATES ON ONE! CHILDREN

For the next few blogs I thought I would give you some mini update tidbits on the One! children in India.

Hopefully this will give you a flavour for the progress the children are making, and the circumstances of their lives.
                      
                          --------------------------------------------

Bina is doing really well, she is attending private school as well as our school, studying with us a few hours each morning. She is still the same sweet, adoring, huggable little monkey she has always been. Her little brother Sankrish is practically a different kid than who he was last year, so much more confident and happy, but has become something of a little mischief monger. Bina is really such a darling and holds a really place in my heart, she would come in to the office almost every day when I was there and give me the biggest hug.

 

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Babli always keeps on smiling in all the class and keeps the class environment healthy. She has been more active and participative than earlier. She loves to play skipping. One amazing change she has brought in the last three months, is she never bothers about anyone teasing her and maintains good cordial relationship with all the students.

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He (Anil) told us that he is not interested in studying and likes to learn electrical work. He also goes to do wiring work with one of his friend. We told him that we will try to get him some electrician course which would help him in future to earn his livelihood.

 

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Alfiya is a smart six year old who lives in the Khar Danda area with her two older sisters and a ten month old baby sister. The family is a new addition to One!, since February of 2012.  Her parents seem caring and loving and there seems to be no discord or underlying tension. As the family is comparatively new we don’t have the entire picture or much history........... Owing to their new status we don’t have full trust in the accuracy of all the information that has been provided.  We as the One! Family will try our best to integrate them and help them adjust to us. Alfiya’s father works as a tailor and has a regular income albeit meagre. It is still an uphill struggle as the one income is stretched thin feeding so many mouths. He takes on small embroidery jobs as well to supplement the income.

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Baby Aliya was extremely malnourished when she first arrived at our door, (the beginning of March this year). That itself was a bad sign but for little Aliya there was worse news  in store. She had a bad lung infection. This became our priority and already over this short period of time we have managed to bring the infection down. It still continues to plague her and we will be monitoring her health closely, meeting her medical needs and her dietary requirements. Nourishment, a clean environment and access to medicines is the need of the day.

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Divek is all of three years old and, well, the smallest of his four member family. ........... he is adorable. Divek, his sister Diveka and his young parents are a new addition to the one! Family; February of this year.................Home to them is a five minute walk from the Khar Danda school, home, being a grand word here, is actually a shanty constructed with bamboo sticks and discarded plastic. As the saying goes the best kind of advertising is by word of mouth and it was just through that good community chatter that they found us. It takes a village to raise a child and for most of the families around Khar Danda, One! International is that village. Living in a shanty without the basic amenities that we take for granted… electricity, running water and plumbing... is a hard enough existence, but having no support or help from government or any recourse to a better life, is a harsh reality. For us at One!, we are just happy to have the opportunity to be here and provide what we can.

                             ---------------------------------------------------

 At ten years of age Mansi is an angel. Quiet, well behaved, diligent, lovable and the list goes on. Mansi lives in a far flung suburb of Mumbai called Nallasopara and as you are aware, One! has a school there. This worked out quite well for Mansi and her family. Mansi is a part of a seven member household. Her siblings include two sisters and two brothers. She is blessed with loving parents who take an active part in their children’s lives and are great role models. As with most households burdened with poverty vices find an easy in, this is thankfully not the case here and they are not plagued by any such negative influence. Mansi’s father works as a carpenter and manages to bring home around Rupees 4000 ($ 80) a month. Her mother is a housewife and keeps a clean and happy home. Both parents dote on their children. Most kids in Nallasopara attend private school, some in the mornings and some in the afternoons. We at One! have adapted to working with this system, and have morning and afternoon shifts as well. This allows the children freedom to attend our school either after or before. The private schools that operate here are mostly shams, and a way of taking away hard earned money. Most parents have no option but to enroll their children, as some education is better than none. Mansi’s parents have decided not to send her to one of these schools, they believe in the education that One! Is providing and thus, she attends our school fulltime.

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I hope you have enjoyed these little mini updates. The information comes from the Give-A-Child-A-Chance Program updates provided to the GCC sponsors.

 More next time.

Canada's Top 20 Under 20

On June 7, 2012, I was incredibly proud to be part of the Top 20 Under 20 Awards Breakfast in Toronto, Ontario.

One of One! International's young supporters received one of the coveted awards.
He certainly deserved it.

                         ------------------------------------------------------------

We know Canada is full of remarkable youth leaders; they volunteer diligently in their community to support a cause they believe in, they lead international disaster relief efforts, they are leading scientific research to cure some of the world’s most devastating diseases, and are laying blueprints for the next great invention.

Top 20 Under 20™is a national youth awards program presented by Youth in Motion and sponsored by Intact Foundation, BMO Capital Markets, CTV, The Globe and Mail, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, PepsiCo Canada, and many other organizations and corporations who believe in youth as the future of this country.

Top 20 Under 20™ is open to all young Canadians under the age of 20 - regardless of race, gender and/or religious affiliations..... only requirement is that ..... leadership and innovation has led to the betterment of ...... school, community, province and/or country

All of the hundreds of applications received by Youth in Motion are reviewed and shortlisted to 42 applications. A national judging panel completes the final assessment and selection. The national judges are all individuals "...who have made significant contributions to the world of education, business, and not-for-profit community."

                      Anjan Katta was one of the successful award recipients.

Anjan has volunteered twice at the One! International school at Khar Dhanda, Mumbai, India. His first volunteer experience was as a 15 year old. On his second volunteer experience two years later he learned about the difficulties finding qualified teachers to teach the children in slum communities. Wages for teachers in India are generally quite low, and there are fewer teachers wanting to teach the less fortunate children.

" When he returned to Canada, Mr. Katta did two things: He formed a non-profit organization called the Voice of Youth to raise funds for the education of slum kids of Mumbai; and he set up the British Columbia Model United Nations to give more B.C. High-school students opportunities to attend Model United Nations weekend conferences where young people discuss solutions to pressing world issues.
Registration fees from the conferences - which cost each student $40 - have helped Mr. Katta raise money for Voice of Youth.  So far, Voice of Youth has donated $18,000......."

Anjan Katta donated $6,555 to One! International to provide bonus payments for the teachers over several years.

If the quality of the young people who received awards is any indication of Canada's future - we will be in good hands.

Following are some highlights of the other 19 award recipients.

• ...  created the Bio-Inspired Photonic Fuel Cell. This innovative fuel cell design uses photosensitizers to enhance electricity production at a fraction of the cost. These fuel cells can be used for a variety of applications from electronic gadgets to automobiles.
• ...is working on developing a composting program at ..... school and hopes to see the day where the Urban Garden project supplies all the food to .... high school.....
• .... created Discovery Days in Mental Health (DDMH), to educate others about mental health issues. These workshops have been presented to 600 elementary, high school and university students in ..... community.
• ....has developed a method to filter water using a recyclable water bottle, clothing fabric and a solar water disinfection process (SODIS) - a method of purifying water with UV radiation in sunlight.
• ...founded The Mental Health Project to educate teens about the resources available to help them cope with depression and to encourage a full recovery.
• ..... work with Prostate Cancer has received national recognition, including Best-in-Fair honors at the Canada Wide Science Fair and he has co-authored a chapter published in the peer-reviewed textbook, Prostate Cancer: From Bench to Bedside.
• . ..started the very first Youth Advisory Council for...., a non-profit organization, offers support to people living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, as well as many other illnesses..... has raised almost $110,000..... raised over $60,000 for childhood leukemia research and help to fund three research fellowships.
• ....is an established social activist and has spoken before audiences of over 5,000 youth. Currently the CEO of the Ontario Student Trustees' Association, and past President of the Gay-Straight Alliance in ... high school, ... now advises AstraZeneca Canada's Young Health Program, advocating for youth mental health nation-wide.
• “As an individual takes a step, kinetic energy is produced. Knowledge of this simple concept led me to think up the idea for PowerSole. [A shoe] that converts kinetic energy into electrical energy that can be used to charge essential electronic devices like phones and LED flashlights.”
• ....encourage youth volunteerism and work towards transforming common stigmas youth have regarding community service... established Dollars for Dreams (D4D) to raise money to save the lives of children in developing countries.
• designed a wheelchair adaptation to help prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients confined to a wheelchair, as well as to avoid scar tissue build-up post surgery and speed up recovery time through improved circulation in the legs.
• ...created a new way to channel the information sent through short documents like a status update. His algorithm aims to harness all the information available in these “micro documents.”
• ...co-founded Run for Rocky, a fundraiser which grossed $19,000 for pancreatic cancer research to honour the late.............., a beloved teacher..... who died of the disease....... persuaded the Board to reverse its prohibition on smart phones in schools, introduce transparent student fees policies and limit in-school video advertising..... also successfully lobbied for a $10,000 increase in funding for student leadership programs.
•  .......helped to immunize over 30 people for polio and lead cancer patients through the surgery process........ duties also included sometimes taking an active part in some procedures.
• .......fought to bring a Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) to her school...... has had her music featured on the popular teen sitcom ‘Degrassi,’ plans to use her music as a channel to educate others on social issues.
• .....recalling the challenges faced by his grandfather, who is a glaucoma sufferer, led the engineering of a belt that used sensory technology to relay information to the user about their surroundings - an idea that won the team a National Award.
• ....led the creation and the scientific blueprint for a flu vaccine pill. This patented invention is the world’s first non-invasive vaccine delivery technique, and has the potential to replace needles as the delivery method for other compounds such as insulin.
• .....organization helps children with disabilities through music. ..... endeavoured to reach a mass audience with his work and has successfully secured media attention at both the local and international level.
• As a keynote speaker at the 2011 Cystic Fibrosis Canada Key for a Cure Gala, over $100,000 was raised ten minutes after ........ his speech. “Seeing the hope on the patients’ and their families’ faces as I met them face-to-face made me believe deeply in the mantra that I could change the world – one person at a time,” .....

The accomplishments of these twenty young people - all under the age of twenty -  is quite awe inspiring. It was an honour to be at the Awards Ceremony and witness one of "Our" young people receive his award.

KAJOL: A DAY IN THE LIFE

The students, parents, and staff of Wes Hosford Elementary School in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, have been demonstrating the true spirit of giving in a partnership with One! International since January of 2003. The partnership is a special one.  Each year the students fund raise and/or gather needed items for the children in Mumbai India. The Canadian children learn about life for poor children in another country on the other side of the world, and our One! children in Mumbai learn that Canadian children are very generous and care about them.

Each year a presentation is made at the school.  Some years Tania has been in Canada and able to personally tell the Wes Hosford children how important their efforts of helping are to the their Indian peers.  Other years, videos have been shown.  On a couple of occasions, a demonstration of the size of a typical slum home was given. The students ask very good questions and are committed to helping their Indian school friends.

This year, at the school assembly in April, 2012, the short video entitled "Kajol: A Day in The Life" was shown.  Before showing the video the children answered questions about their understanding and knowledge of what One! International does and where the agency worked.  The children were then asked to pay particular attention to the differences between a day in the life of 10 year old Kajol, who is the star of the video, and their own daily life.

It was amazing to hear all the differences the children noticed.  They clearly had been paying close attention to the video.  They will have a much better idea of how the "One! children" live, and how they spend their day.

Although I didn't keep track at the school, I think the children identified at least 20 differences before we had to end our discussion.  Please watch this little video.  My challenge to you - see how many differences you can identify.

http://youtu.be/BfLi-_tiIco



During the weeks following the viewing of the video, the students had their annual fundraiser for One! International. This year they collected Dental products for taking to India.  They were able to collect enough products to provide all of our students with new toothbrushes and toothpaste.  BRAVO
In addition to this, they organized a school Bake Sale. The proceeds from this sale were over $500 - that is a lot of baking. 

We are so grateful to: the students, the parents, the staff of Wes Hosford, and in particular Ms. Brosseau who, with her students, organize the yearly efforts.

A very big THANK YOU from the Canadian volunteers, the Indian staff, and  particularly from the children of One! International in India.

AADHAAR - UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION PROJECT

Don't let anyone steal your dream.  It's your dream, not theirs.       (Dan Zadra)

In recent years India has introduced programs and legislation to address some of the issues facing huge numbers of the poor in India. India legislated the legal age of hiring young people which actually works against our families as they need all the possible income they can get in order to survive. Mandatory helmets for those riding motorcycles was put in place.  Immunization programs have targeted the rural areas of India.

One of the largest programs introduced is the Unique Identification Project.

In January 2012, Manmohan Singh, the prime minister of India addressed his government by saying that there should be shame over: 2/5ths of India's children are underfed, infant mortality is high, illiteracy is rampant, there is a lack of clean drinking water, and countless other curses that affect the poor. 

Poverty has many causes, and no simple cure.  But one massive problem in India is that few poor people can prove who they are. They live in villages where multitudes share the same name.  Their lack of an identity excludes them from the modern economy.  They cannot open bank accounts, and no one would be so foolish as to lend them money.

The government offers them all kinds of welfare, but because they lack an identity, they struggle to lay hands on what they have been promised. 

Aadhaar means "support or foundation"

Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique number which the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will issue for all residents in India. The number will be stored in a centralized database and linked to the basic demographics and biometric information – photograph, ten fingerprints and iris – of each individual.It is easily verifiable in an online, cost-effective way. So also, it is unique and robust enough to eliminate the large number of duplicate and fake identities in government and private databases The random number generated will be devoid of any classification based on caste, creed, religion and geography.[7]

One of the advantages of the UID is  " 2.By providing a clear proof of identity, Aadhaar will also facilitate entry for poor and underprivileged residents into the formal banking system and the opportunity to avail services provided by the government and the private sector."

The program is for all Indians, and there have been over 200 million people registered so far.  The program is however, voluntary, and not well advertised to the poor communities. 
For those not having the required documents for enrollment, the government introduced an "introducer system" of people who can vouch for the validity of a person's information.  The UID number of the introducer would become part of the person who is getting enrolled.  This has raised privacy issues as India lacks strong privacy and data-protection laws.  There is also some concerns regarding the accuracy of the Biometric measures of identification.

For the poor, having a secure online identity alters their relationship with the modern world.

Poor Indians would be able to open a bank account which would erase the need for middle men who often cheat the poor.
Although there appears to be some validity with the complaints about the process and system, the system is going ahead.

......India plainly needs better data-protection laws, but even if the existing rules remained unchanged, the threat to liberty would be dwarfed by the gains to welfare: to people who live ten to a room, concerns about privacy sound outlandish.  Some of the resistance is principled, but much comes from the people who do well out of today's filthy system.  Indian politics hinge on patronage - the doling out of opportunities to rob one's countrymen.  UID would make this harder.  That is why it faces such fierce opposition, and why it could transform India. [and serve as a model for other countries.]

The registration process appears to be hit and miss.  At least it has been for "our families". The families that live immediately behind Khar school have not been registered. Some of the temporary slum dwellers have been registered but not all.  They put a notice in the paper about the registration process, but for most of our families who are illiterate, that makes no sense. There is also an excellent web site for UID, but again, our families do not have access to it.

The UID numbers for those who have been registered have not been given out yet, and there is no indication of when this might happen.  The process clearly is going to take many years to complete.  However, it does have the potential to improve the lives of the poor by giving them access to services that are available to those who hold documentation records.

We can only hope that this happens and that our families will benefit.



The following sources were used in the above blog:
 Mumbai mid-day newpaper
The Economist Jan.14, 2012
www.uidai.gov.in
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unique_Identification_Authority_of_India
http://www.uidnumber.org/.org





   

India Volunteer is an Amazing Artist

In October and November of 2010 Maggie Nancarrow volunteered with One! in India.  She was an enthusiastic volunteer who endeared herself to the children in India. In recent communication with me she said: "Next time you talk to Kokila, Radha, Malika, Sunil, Ashok....well everyone actually, tell them I say Hi and that I miss them. I still have everyone's goodbye cards and I even have some framed.:-) "  As with most volunteers who work with "our children" in India, Maggie fell in love with the children.

Maggie is an artist. She produces what she calls "Marker Art".
In Maggie's words:

These images are an expression of my travels, my experiences, and the things I see in my imagination. I try to use inexpensive materials. These are all done in main stream permanent marker--Sharpies, Bic, and Pilot Precise pens. I believe that creating great art should not have to be limited to those with lots of money.

For our 10th Anniversary Gala in January of 2011, Maggie

... drew and donated this image to One! International, the organization that I worked with in India. It was auctioned at their fundraiser in January. The original artwork is now held by a generous person who helped support the amazing families and teachers that I worked with in Mumbai.

                                           Reach Up!


                              A Gift for One! International

                                          January 2011


We approached Maggie again this year for our 11th Anniversary Gala and once again Maggie produced an incredible art work on the theme of the Gala "One! Love"

I was asked again this year to produce a piece for One! International’s January Gala Fundraiser. The original piece will be available for auction and all the proceeds of the piece will go to the organization. I volunteered for One! last year, 2010, in October and November. I’m always glad to support these wonderful people, and most importantly, these beautiful kids. Check out their website to learn more about what they do.

                         A second gift for One! International


                                    “With This Mind”

                                      December 2011

A very lucky Gala attendee has a one-of-a-kind beautiful artwork to remind them that "One! Love" can accomplish miracles.

We are so fortunate to have the continued commitment to One! International of Maggie Nancarrow.
Please check out her web page for more beautiful examples of her work.   www.maggienancarrow.com  

VOLUNTEER EXTRAORDINARY SHARES HER STORY

One! International had it's 4rth Annual Gala Celebration on Saturday January 28, 2012. It was a smashing success and I will probably write further about it.

However, at this time I want to share the contents of a speech that our extraordinary Canadian volunteer Julie shared with the crowd of over 400 people who attended the Gala.

                  Hello. My name is Julie Hawkins and, I AM a volunteer!


• I became actively involved with One! International following my own personal adventure to India in 2005.

• About four weeks after my return from India, I attended a fundraising event for One!. At the time, I was still trying to make sense of the sights, sounds and people I encountered in India and was trying to find my place back home.

• This adventure changed me and challenged me. It changed who I was - how I felt about me and I was questioning - why was I lucky enough to be so fortunate with this life. The spiritual adventure was rapidly unfolding and I endeavoured to find the answers to all my questions.

• At the fundraiser, I felt an immediate connection. Someone else understood what my eyes saw, how emotionally raw I was and seemed to have some answers to the questions I was asking. I knew then, that this extraordinary young woman from Sherwood Park, was someone that I wanted to get to know better. So I signed up to be a volunteer. I signed up, for a challenge.

• Two years later, I was asked to take the position as Manager of Programs and Events. I took this role, very seriously.

• I actually think Tania and Marilyn were not quite sure what to do with me at times because of my never ending questions about process, policies, terms of reference, organizational structure, etc.

• But before long, I found that I started to feel less like a volunteer and more like this was MY organization.

• I am proud and honoured to be invited into this One! family. So I moved forward doing what I felt needed to be done.

• Volunteering to me, means taking the time to do something – anything, with good intentions and the hope that it will make a difference. I believe that by nature humans have desires to make a meaningful impact on the world around them. I believe it is just a part of who we are.

• One! survives, quite simply, because of our volunteers. Whatever reason a person offers his or her time, each moment spent together helping is a moment that holds great value, and in return, we receive huge personal rewards. One step at a time.

• One! reaps those rewards, tenfold. I personally feel incredibly fortunate to be working with a team of such determined, passionately dedicated, fiercely loyal and compassionate people.

• It was important to me that our volunteers each had a role that they could call their own. To allow their self-worth to flourish, their pride to bloom and for them to know, that they were making a difference.

• We did this by establishing a Steering Committee; the objective is to ensure all operational activities align with One`s vision, mission and value statements. We assist in identifying strategic level issues and risks and ensure that our projects and fundraisers achieve their goals.

• We also established working groups like the Priorities and Strategic Management Group – with that title, you just know that’s a fun group!! They have the dubious task of helping One! Canada: secure our longevity by helping us with policies to minimize our risks, give strategic direction, establish realistic priorities, and more importantly, make sure we stay on track at a reasonable rate of growth, so we don’t compromise the future of One!.

• We also established a Gala Planning team. This is our fourth Gala and each year we become even more successful. It takes an extraordinary team, a lot of time, a lot of ideas and lot of coffee at 1912 Block where we meet regularly.

• Quite simply - My team rocks!!! I feel like the mother hen who is incredibly proud of all her little chicks!

• We are our own little dysfunctional family, with a few cracks around the edges…but you know what, it works. And it works because we all have the exact same goal in mind and that is to help our children.

• We are all - in this for the long haul - and - for the future of One! which looks really bright!

• You can’t help but feel incredibly humbled being around such amazing people, true ambassadors of One! International. It truly is a privilege.

         In closing I would like to share this inspirational quote about volunteering.

                              We do not choose to be born.

                              We do not choose our parents.

                              Or our times, or country of birth,

                              Or the circumstances of our upbringing.

                              We do not—most of us—choose to die

                              But within all this realm of choicelessness

                              We do choose how we shall live

                              Courageously or in cowardice - Honourably or dishonourably

                              With purpose or adrift.

                              We decide what is important and what is trivial.

                              What makes us significant is what we do.

                              Or refuse to do.

                              We decide and we choose.

                              And so we give definition to ourselves.

                                                                                    By Joseph Epstein

THANK YOU