Making mistakes simply means you are learning faster.
Weston H. Agor
|
|
Emails etc.
With more and more business and personal activities being done on the internet, One! International is having to investigate joining the “Internet Generation”. We are currently looking at the possibility of doing our Newsletters and twice yearly Updates on the Internet.
We also rely on E-Mail to notify One! supporters of upcoming events and fundraisers.
Therefore, it is extremely important to let Marilyn know when your email address changes. THANK YOU for your cooperation.
For those not having email, we will mail updates and newsletters out to you by “snail mail”.
|
|
|
New Adventure—Nallasopara
|
|
In February, the staff and board of Directors of One!, decided that we needed a new start, a new challenge, and we needed to expand our efforts in Mumbai...WE WERE READY!!!!
We began brainstorming and planning for starting a new school in a new area. For one month we tracked our two old families that had moved up to a far off northern suburb of Mumbai called Nallasopara. We were not able to coordinate with them, but in turn met with relatives of other families who introduced us to just the right people!
On March 12th, we had a meeting with a village council leader (Panchayat head) in Alka Puri—a further subdivision of Nallasopara. He was very excited about having us teach the children and with a little bit of convincing, agreed to give us three chawls free of cost for the two hours, three days a week that we were going to teach. A ‘chawl’ house is about 200 square feet, with about ten in a row together facing another ten in another row. No toilets in the houses but a common toilet and wash area at the end.
|
|
On March 20th we had registration day and more than fifteen families came to register and our initial list of students had over 80 names. The children were tested on the basics and assigned which class to sit in. We were not surprised to find out that 90% of the children could not read or write at all and could not even do simple mathematics. These were children ranging from 4 to 17 years of age.
March 21st was the first day of classes, and there were 58 children who attended. The numbers have steadily increased and at the end of March we already had an attendance of over 70.
Social Worker Vinita, and teachers Sandeep and Sushama, and I were flabbergasted at the immediate success of the school. Nallasopara does not have a single government school and so we have filled a great need and have hit the ground running!
|
|
|
Taya & Harper, and New GCC’s
|
|
Taya and Harper—ages 10 & 8 in 2007 have been loyal supporters of One! since the fall of 2004. At that time they put together a large box of all the things that were listed on a poster of things needed in India. On the 24th of Feb. 2006 Taya gave a speech at the Yoga For Today fundraiser explaining to those assembled that even a “little person” could make a difference. In May of 2006 Taya and Harper began to sponsor one of One!’s children—Laxmi. AND, again in April of 2007, the girls went through their bedrooms and contributed seven boxes of clothes, stuffed animals, shoes, school supplies, crafts, toys and a box of small plastic animals.. Taya and Harper have already learned that “one little person” can make a huge difference in the life of “one” child.
GIVE-A-CHILD-A-CHANCE
A BIG THANK YOU to new GCC sponsors: Rajiv & Sonia, Ashley, Erica, Tara, Julie, Joan, Marie, Wendy and Roland. The GCC program is the centerpiece of One! fundraising and with the new Nallasopara children, the need continues to grow.
|
|
|
|
|
