"Tonight we are One!"

One! International Charity Event

Friday January 25, 2013

Winnipeg, Manitoba

The Indo-Canadian TELEGRAM February/March 2013 Winnipeg, Manitoba

"Few classroom projects have the impact that Priya Tandon’s will have – giving underprivileged children in India an opportunityto get an education and improve their lives. The Red River College student organized a fundraising dinner on Jan. 25 that raised $5,700 for One! International Poverty Relief, a Canadian charity that operates two schools in Mumbai. Contributing to the success of Tandon’s project were volunteers, sponsors and entertainers, including dancers from Manohar Performing.

Priya Tandon

 

A fundraising dinner on Jan 25 at Norwood Community Centre raised $5,700 for One! International Poverty Relief, a Canadian charity that’s striving to improve the lives of impoverished children in Mumbai by providing them with

education and other needs. What began as a project for Priya Tandon’s Creative Communications program at Red River College became a very successful event, as a diverse group of volunteers and sponsors contributed time and money to the cause. One! International is the brainchild of Tania Spilchen of Alberta. During one of her volunteer placements in Mumbai, Spilchen learned that there were far too many young children who were unable to get a formal education, the one thing they and their families wanted most.

Determined to change that, one child at a time, Spilchen returned to Canada and spoke of her mission to friends and anyone else who would listen. With the support of her family, she planned a mission to return to Mumbai and open a school for these children.

With what is still a very small budget through donations from the public sector and some grant money from her provincial government, Spilchen has successfully opened two schools, in the suburb of Khar and in Nallasopara. The schools not only provide an education but also nutritious meals, medical attention, emergency medical care and counselling for the students and parents.

Tandon had also wanted to make a difference, partly because of an experience she had when her father took her to India some years ago. It was a hot day and she had gone out with an uncle and siblings to get ice-cream. She noticed a young child looking at her eating her ice cream and learned that what Canadian children often take for granted – being able to afford ice-cream – wasn’t the case for many children in India.

The fundraising dinner, which drew about 175 supporters, was smoothly emceed by Adam West of 103.1 Virgin Radio. The program began with a beautiful classical dance rendition of a blessing done to a successful opening by Manohar Performing Arts of Canada, led by Devi Kirtan. That was followed by Winnipeg’s sitar virtuoso Joshua Stanton, accompanied by Sandhu Singh on tabla. Ten-yearold Anisha Sharma followed with a classical Indian dance piece that was so well executed that she received a standing ovation for her spirited performance.

The audience, organizers and performers took a break to have a sumptuous dinner and dessert provided by title sponsor Trevor Ahluwalia of Clay Oven. Most attendees went back for seconds, hoping their choices would still be available, and there was plenty for all to have seconds.

Following dinner, Spilchen, founder of One! International, showed the audience a video of her project in Mumbai and spoke about the work being done there.  This was followed by Tandon's story of why she got involved in this event and her heartfelt appreciation for the event sponsors and volunteers in making shtis evening possible.

Then the group "OH HASEENA!" performed vocal tunes, accompanied on tabla and harmonium, and the West Indians United band followed with western drum sets, Indian drum sets, kepboard, harmonium, khalak and percussion instruments.  the music was loud with very catchy music and beats that had the audience taping their toes and bobbing their heads to the music.  Finally thier 8 year old drummer took the stage and went into overdrive, matching beats played on the tabla with the tempo rising progressively.  The audience was on its feet, applauding this thunderous operformance, which brought the evening to a fitting end.

Dignitaries in attendance included MP Rod Bruinooge, City Councillor Devi Sharma and School Trustee Derek Dabee.

Tandon's team of volunteers included Michelle Gazze, Rich Tandon, Jocelyn Jancey Francis and Wajihah Mughai.

The success of the evening was also due to the following sponsors: Clay Oven, LiveWell Chiropractic, AVW TELAV, Royal Crest Granite, Southglen Veterinary Hospital, Tatan Hauling, Elite Lighting, Vantage Studios & Print Shop, Ballycastle Distributors, Party Stuff, Sarah and Nathan Pao of Coldwell Banker, Anita Seth of Royal Bank of Canada, the Guyanese Association of Manitob and Western Financial.

 

MORE INFO

For further information about One! International, please visit www.one-international.com or email the founder directly at Tania@one-international.com .  "

 

 

THANK YOU PRIYA

from

ONE! INTERNATIONAL

 

 

The following link links to a previous article about Priya Tandon and her plans for the fundraiser.

 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/lance/Student-wants-unity-for-fundraiser-for-kids-187935531.html

 

 

 

and owner of

LiveWell Chiropractic Wellness Centre, and Chantal Raper, massage therapist at LiveWell.

PEARL IN THE GARBAGE DUMP

 

 

 

Did I capture your attention with that title?  It sounds like the title of a book, doesn't it?

 

It is the title of a book.  Marc Valentin, who volunteered for 5 months in India from September 2010 to February 2011 has written a book about his adventures with One! International in Mumbai, India.

 

Marc has developed a Facebook page to promote the future sales of his book.
                   Pearl in the Garbage Dump
             https://www.facebook.com/PearlinTheGarbageDump  

As Marc says on his Facebook page:

Friends, thank you so much for taking the time to support my book. A few things worth noting...

1) it is written but unpublished,
2) I am in the process of querying agents (this is more work than writing the book)
3) More content will be forthcoming (I'm joyfully overwhelmed responding to emails of support).
4) When the book does get published, half of the proceeds I collect will go back to the charity.
5) Yes, that is me on the cover. I will post the back cover in the next day or two so that you can see me when I'm scrubbed up lol
6) I really appreciate all of you. Old friends and new ones, I cannot say "thank you enough" for helping.

Thank you again,

Marc Valentin

 

  About

Whether you dream about making your own escape, are searching for your own sources of strength, or simply love to travel, your curiosity will peak...

 

Description

Longing to add meaning to his life, investment banker Marc Valentin trades the security of a fat paycheck for the uncertainty of teaching the poorest children on the planet.

Although his new colleagues guide his transition from pitching stocks on the trading floors to sweeping floors in a Mumbai schoolhouse, only Marc has the power to validate the life-changing decision. But first, he must confront the brutality of slum life, the chaos of Indian society, and an illness that eats away at his body.  Will Marc, who never gives up on anything, meet his match and lose his self-respect and possibly his life? Whether you are searching for your own sources of strength, dream about making your own escape, or simply love to travel, your curiosity will peak as Marc unveils his firsthand experience across all three. front the brutality of slum life, the chaos of Indian society, and an illness that eats away at his body. Will Marc, who never gives up on anything, meet his match and lose his self-respect and possibly his life?

Whether you are searching for your own sources of strength, dream about making your own escape, or simply love to travel, your curiosity will peak as Marc unveils his firsthand experience across all three.

front the brutality of slum life, the chaos of Indian society, and an illness that eats away at his body. Will Marc, who never gives up on anything, meet his match and lose his self-respect and possibly his life?

Whether you are searching for your own sources of strength, dream about making your own escape, or simply love to travel, your curiosity will peak as Marc unveils his firsthand experience across all three.

Besides being with my family,this dirty, broken road is my favorite place in the world.  Nowhere else on earth am I happier because as I walk up this road to my school, my students come running out from everywhere and give me hugs.

 

Not all of the volunteers, staff, students, families, and supporters who are part of the One! International world family will agree with Marc's observations and comments about the school, organization, students, families, city and country.

This is Marc's story, and it is his journey.

However, I think all of us will agree with many of the observations, and comments; see ourselves in some of the pages; laugh and cry with him in parts of his story.

Please join with me in supporting Marc's project.

One of the many games of cricket we played in the garbage dump.  



 



 

 

 

 

 



                         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.
                      
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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.

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 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.

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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.