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To download this newsletter
in PDF format, click HERE.
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Dear Friends of Operation Shanti,
Our big news is
the opening of our first shelter, Karunya Mane (in the local language karunya means
compassion and love for the poor, mane means home). We
also want to highlight our experiences with our women with HIV/AIDS,
given its prevalence among the destitute and illiterate. And, a
couple of our recent volunteers share a few words about their experiences
working with our kids and moms. For more information on how your
support has been put to good use during the past few months, please
see News
for You.
Enjoy, and thank you for your continuing support.
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| Karunya Mane and the Street
People Program |
Our home for kids and destitute
elderly, Karunya Mane, is open... and we’re almost full!
KM took in its first residents on February 10, and we are now
at five adults and 24 kids. Most (90%) of our residents used
to be homeless on the streets of Mysore, and the other few
come from slum areas and desperately need shelter given special
situations. The adults at Karunya Mane help out around the
place with chores and taking care of the kids, and all children
attend school. |
| The Street People Program has reached a milestone
at its three-year point in helping 60+ homeless individuals. Over
65% of the homeless who used to lived there—the kids, the
women, and the families—are either at Karunya Mane or now
live in houses. Since pictures often say more than words, here
are a couple of before and after: |
 Before
(Prema putting away her sleeping mat) |
After (die-hard Lucchi still on the street)
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Nevertheless, our work on the street
is just beginning. While we settle in at Karunya Mane, we continue
to make our daily rounds on the street to help those remaining
and to expand and reach out to new kids and moms, as the “empty” spots
on the sidewalk will surely fill up with new faces. Stay tuned
for future updates on changes and expansions to the Street
People Program. |
| Experiences with HIV/AIDS |
| In the past few months, three destitute women
with HIV/AIDS have come to us for help. All three had no husband
to help take care of them and their kids. Two died from AIDS-related
complications, primarily because they were simply too far gone
before receiving proper medical attention. A third woman in her
early 40’s
is quite ill in the hospital, weighing only 60 pounds. They often
get to such critical conditions because they do not have the knowledge
or education to know where to go for help, or don’t come
forward until they are desperately ill. Even if they seek help,
chances are that the medical help they turn to is afraid to touch
them, and cannot or will not provide meaningful assistance. Of
the people in this country with HIV, 80% are estimated to be unaware
they have the virus. |
Moreover, given the prevalence of tuberculosis
in India, HIV+ individuals are at high risk of contracting that
illness. Three of our HIV+ women died from tuberculosis. Fortunately,
our child with HIV managed to beat tuberculosis and is now on
antiretrovirals. |
| The other battle that PLWHA face is the stigma
related to the condition. Because HIV in India is transmitted among
adults primarily through sexual contact, it’s just not something
that's talked about, as discussion about sex—and
even sex education—is socially and culturally prohibited.
Most of the time, women contract HIV either from their husbands
who bring the disease into the home, or from having
to turn to prostitution to feed themselves and their kids. |
| What’s encouraging is that a couple of excellent HIV/AIDS
clinics exist in Mysore. One dispenses free antiretrovirals and
both educate and raise awareness within the community. Our HIV+
women and child are registered at the clinics, and they know that
if they take good care of themselves and comply with their treatment
regime, they can live healthy lives—even if they are the
poorest in society. One of our HIV+ women has been on antiretrovirals
for eight months and the improvement in her health has been dramatic.
The same can be said about her little boy, also taking the medication,
whose weight has increased by 40% during this time. He now enjoys
good health most of the time, eats voraciously, and plays happily
with the other kids. Another of our women, who does not yet need
antiretrovirals, goes for monthly checkups, takes excellent care
of herself, and has been very healthy for three years. |
Unexpected Blessings—Kim
from Denver |
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Volunteering
for Operation Shanti has enriched my life in ways I never could
have imagined. This experience has changed my perspective on
life and what we truly need as human beings to live a happy and
fulfilled life, not to mention how very fortunate most of us
are, even though we may not realize it.
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| I’ve witnessed the best and the worst
in humankind. I joyfully greeted baby Kesava into the world, only
to mourn his passing shortly thereafter when he contracted pneumonia
and then septicemia, which he could not fight off. I’ve seen
how amazingly resilient a person can be and how one’s spirit
can help him/her overcome astounding obstacles in life—obstacles
we could never imagine—like a little boy with HIV who was
very sickly but who now is healthy and active because his street
mom has learned how to take good care of him. |
| And my heart has never been more
open as it is now after spending time with little street children
like Vishnu, who has nothing other than the tattered clothes on
his back but who sees the wonder in the world around him and experiences
the pure, simple joys of life every day. |
| My sincere hope is that my work
with the charity has brought as many riches to those we help
as it has to me. |
Our Time
with Operation Shanti—Maike and Jan from Germany |
 The
Internet made it possible: while looking for a non-government
organization to work for in India, we found Operation Shanti
and simply loved the homepage to start with. We, Maike and Jan,
are students of political science from Munich, Germany, and spent
three months as volunteers with Operation Shanti in Mysore.
We
were involved in most of what Operation Shanti works for, especially
the Street People Program. From the first day on, we worked with
Operation Shanti on the street. Mohan, two years old, was the
first kid who welcomed us. It took us some moments to realize
in what situation we were, but those fabulous, absolutely adorable
kids gave us no chance to hesitate falling in love with them.
We found ourselves sitting on a mat on the sidewalk, each of
us having several kids on our laps, laughing and playing with
them even though back then we did not understand their language.
Every morning we went to the street,
to the same place, at the same time, seeing almost the same kids
and moms. That helped us get to know them quite quickly. It felt
right to do something good—at
the same time, it was deterring. Remembering what we longed for
as kids and comparing that to Mohan, Vishnu, Surya, Saumya, and
all those other little ones living in extreme poverty, we felt
ashamed. To fight an uneasy
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 feeling
of helplessness, we tried to get carried away with the kids—drawing,
first attempts at writing skills, and building small and big houses,
cars and picture cameras with plastic building blocks...
We also took street people who were sick to the hospitals
in and around Mysore. Several times, we took nine-year-old Prema to her ear doctor.
We will never forget the puzzled face of her little brother Mohan when we entered
the elevator in the hospital—something he had never seen before. Prema
cried when her doctor let about 20 medical students poke in her ear—also
hard to forget. But oh how proud she was after the exam, when we got her medicine
and a little piece of candy for her. What a great girl!
After about three months, it was time to say
goodbye, not a very easy thing to do. But kids will be kids: On the very last
day, the last moments with them on the street, a street magician showed up and
got the kids’ attention. We said goodbye to the mothers and tried to say
bye to the little ones, but no, they were running around the magician trying
to get a better view—we felt thankful for the quick goodbye. It was good
to see them so happy and we assured each other that we would be back as soon
as we raised enough money for the flight and got enough time off from college.
It is certain that we'll never forget them, their mothers, and Operation Shanti! |
* Donate
to support the Street
People Program and Karunya
Mane.
* We continue our work
on the street and meet new kids in desperate need of help. They
appreciate your support.
* Check our website in July for sponsorship opportunities
for a Karunya Mane Kid.
* To volunteer, send us an
email about
your interest. |
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* We
now take donations
through Google Checkout.
* Give in other ways:
host a luncheon, take up a collection at your school or workplace,
spread the word to everyone you know on Facebook (search
for Operation Shanti under ‘causes’), write about us
in your blog... be creative!
* Thank you for your nonmonetary
donations, and excellent fundraising efforts!
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American Society
for International Shanti (dba Operation
Shanti) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation
is deductible to the fullest extent permitted by U.S. tax laws.
Akhanda Seva for International Shanti is a Section 25 company
under the Indian Companies Act of 1956. Donations to Akhanda
Seva by Indian residents are tax-deductible as permitted under
80G of Indian income tax law. |
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