I am fortunate to have grown up in a family where kindness was the norm. My Grandfather would wear multiple layers of clothing, one over the other, and carry extra bed linen and woolens so he could help the needy sitting outside the railway station where he took the train to work. He literally took the shirt off his back for others. My uncles were the same.
My Grandmother practiced kindness by playing host to family and friends whenever they visited us. If they had to spend a few months or a year for studies or work, and needed a place to stay, she welcomed them. She was the go-to in the family when someone was pregnant and needed looking after. She never felt the need to discuss or ask questions-she was simply generous.
My Mom was a teacher and lived by the motto " we live through deeds not through years". She had to struggle for her cup of peace, yet that never stopped her from being generous towards others. Her students, over the decades, remember her as a giving person who was always ready to help them, both as a teacher and through financial support.
I am married to a teacher who believes in helping others and raising those who need lifting. My son, when he was two years old, insisting on distributing sweets to the construction workers and the people at the home for the aged on his birthday. Now that he's studying on campus, he makes it a point to give the workers there a treat at least twice a year.
I like to think kindness runs in our family.My Mother insisted that we should always judge ourselves based on what we did for others. The tough early years we went through, often broke, only strengthened her resolve to make a difference whenever we were able. I remember how she used to keep a bag ready near our front door and fill it with toys or clothing or food and each time she stepped out of the house, she'd grab the bag and give it to the folks who needed it. Her heart beat for the construction workers' kids who barely had clothes to wear and had to sleep in the cold work-in-progress structure. She'd be upset to see the kids running barefoot and entertaining themselves while the parents were busy.
When I started blogging in 2003, I pledged to donate my earnings to our local welfare homes. When my Mother passed away unexpectedly in 2010, we started supporting children's education in welfare homes.
From my family that leads by example, I've learned that the peace that comes with giving does not compare with anything else.
Education is the most valuable wealth and I am grateful for mine. Today, I request your support for Project WHY's #HelpMithuSaveSchool fundraiser campaign. (visit the link for detailed info) This school faces the risk of shutting down due to a lack of funds. Why should they when we are here to support them?♥
Together we can save this school! Contribute here: https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/helpmithu #HelpMithuSaveSchool @ProjectWhyDelhi Click To Tweet
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Project WHY is a flagship programme of Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust, which provides educational support to underprivileged children. This non-profit, after-school support programme goes beyond academics, to include life skills and all-around development.Project WHY reaches out to 1200 children and 160 women.
In 2005, Project WHY started a computer education programme. Mithu started here as a student, worked his way up to being a teacher's aide, and then took over as the computer teacher.
Mithu's inspiring story
Mithu was struck by polio when he was 3 years old and lost the use of his legs as he didn't receive medical intervention. When he came to the school, thanks to one of the teachers, he was a teenager who wasn't interested in continuing the education he had ditched a while ago. The teachers tried to cajole him but to no avail. Then the magic happened. He was drawn to the computer like a magnet-and soon realized that that's where his future lay! Soon enough, the teachers understood Mithu's interests and today, he is a computer teacher par excellence at the Okhla Center. And of course, the fact that he can't use his legs does not get in the way of teaching the children in his community.
Now, the Project WHY Okhla Center is in danger of shutting down in the coming year due to a lack of funds and if these funds are not raised in time, Mithu will lose his job. Not only that, the teachers will not receive salaries in the coming months and hundreds of children will be out on the streets with their education cut short.
Why Support the Project WHY Okhla Center?
- Since 2004, the Okhla education center has been addressing the problems of an extremely vulnerable group of children who were targeted by drug and other mafias.
- Today, Mithu runs its computer program. It helps retain children in school, offering primary and secondary education along with the computer classes.
- The center is an important component of the neighborhood, keeping crime, drugs and negative elements at bay and replacing it with education and employment.
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Join me in supporting @projectwhydelhi #HelpMithuSaveSchool Fundraiser Campaign. Contribute here: https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/helpmithu Click To Tweet
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Change begins with you and me.Please Show the Love, Save a School
How can you show your love?
Contribute - every little counts. Do it here, do it now.
Contribute here: Share the message on social media. Do it now. Each share can bring us three times the donation. #HelpMithuSaveSchool fundraiser campaignLet's Save This School. Contribute to #HelpMithuSaveSchool Fundraiser Campaign Visit https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/helpmithu @projectWHYdelhi Click To Tweet
Let us help Mithu raise Rs. 488,183 (That's 6, 865 USD)
Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week (18-22 Feb) by helping to save a school!
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I am taking part in the Valentine's Day Blogathon for Help Mithu Save School Fundraiser campaign. You can too! Click image below for details!