Hello Raghu, Felt very good to know the proceedings/activities in Bangalore. Most probably I will visit Bangalore in the second weekend of July. I will let you know once everything is finalized. Please plan ahead to spare the second sunday of July exclusively for MAD.
Helping the hearing impaired girl: Coming to helping the girl with a hearing machine, personally I do not have any problem. Let us await the opinion of other members. But before deciding on it, can you send more details? How the machine is going to help her, given her ears are severely damaged. Do you know any doctors over there in Bangalore? Does she have any checkup? If there are any previous reports, scan and mail them. Otherwise let us first fund for the initial checkup of the girl. What I feel is, if her problem is related to cochelar surgery and if the machine would be of less use, then there is no point in trying to get the machine, instead we will try to forward her case to Mahindra BT (I heard that this company mainly supports hearing impaired children. If we have all her reports, both medical and academic, we can start forwarding the details to them). More on a personal note, you and Pavan use to come forward with 2k or something for the projects apart from your monthly contributions. Why is this so? As you people are contributing to MAD monthly, let us spend from that amount as a group. Regarding an english teacher: If spending 2 to 2.5k a month helps 88 children to pick up in English subject, I think we, as a group, can afford it. My only suggestion is if we can search for any educated girl from slums, who is good at english, that would be fine. It is like giving employment to her as well. If any of our woman members there in Bangalore can spare time and teach, that is also fine. Let us await the response of other members. Regarding Samarthanam: Spending time with mentally challenged children is more gratifying than meeting orphans or old people. Me, Sowmya and Raja (of SHiFT) visited Sadhana Institute for Mentally Disabled children and we had a very good time with them. What I feel is it would be great if we know how to behave with such a children apart from being sympathetic. If they can train you people on any weekend, then it will be fine. Reg. the visually ill person: Their zeal and confidence motivates us to be more active and involve ourselves in our work. If that person's problem is only related to cornea, I think he can benefit from Eye transplantation. (In yesterday's Eenadu sunday edition, there is a very inspiring story of the Bhimavaram villagers. They voluntarily come forward for Eye Donation and all the villagers are registered eye donors. Thanks to the efforts of Sarpanch and Medical Officer). I hope I replied to all your questions. Let me know if I miss out anything. Thank you. --- In [email protected], raghu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dear MAD Members, > > > > Yesterday was one of the wonderful day in the History of MAD Bangalore. > Infact yesterday may be considered as the start of events day for > Bangaloredivision of > MAD. > > > > We, Myself, Pavan, Raj and Omkaram went to meet some of the NGO's in > Bangalore. > > I would like to mail u guys about the proceedings that went on in detail. > Also I add the points in precise at the end of the mail, for the people who > doesn't have time. > > > > Firstly we started with the organisation called "Child Fund Association", we > went to the house of one of the trustees namely Mary Isaac. She explained me > that the organisation is for children who are orphans and children below > poverty line. There are 88 students in the organisation and there are quite > a number of people who are funding them. As of now she explained us that the > students are doing good in the kannada medium but not as good in English > medium. For that to be achieved she asked us to appoint a teacher for the > children who can teach for standard 1 students. > > We asked her that can any one of us can teach them over the weekends, but > she ruled out the option telling us that the organisation consists of High > School going Gals. > > > > Also she told about a gal who is an orphan, studying in class IX, passed in > Grade B+, is having problems with hearing. Her one ear is 60% damaged and > the other 40% damaged. She urgently needs a hearing machine that will cost > 12000 INR. We met the gal and I am ok to sponsor 2k out of the required > amount. > > > > Then we moved to the second NGO, called as Basavashrama, but we went to the > house of its Ex-President and gave away over contact numbers as she told she > doesn't have the correct address of the organisation and let us know in a > couple of days. > > > > Then started the trouble for us with Rain coming now and then, addresses > were not correctly placed and we struggled for more than an hour to finally > landing up with to "Samarthanam" an organisation which brings Hope to > Disabled. > > > > There we went and explained them what we are expecting with them. They asked > us to be seated in a room. We all four sat there and a guy came there, we > introduced with each other, talked for some 15 mins. He told us that there > are quite a number of children who are physically disabled and these guys > are giving them the education, the hope to live life as any one else. To > know more about those please visit the website, www.samarthanam.org. > > > > He told us how we can help them in many a ways, I have to write a note of > the entire things, discuss in the next week meeting and will post to the > group. > > > > We had our lunch there with them in Samarthanam and came out with wonderful > feelings. > > > > Here we observed an interesting thing, When we talked to the guy in > Samarthanam, he is Mahantesh, came to the place where we are sitting, > switched on the light, came to all of us to the seat where we are seating > and shook hands. We talked to him for 15 mins then we went to see a audio, > video film in the system and there he was searching for keyboard and monitor > same as blind people do. We got a feeling that is he "blind?" When we had > our lunch, then we came to know that he is visually ill person. We are > shocked to see a guy like him. Who has very high confidence even he is > physically disabled that too with no eyesÂ….amazing!!! > > > > Now points in precise. > > > > 1. We met Child Aid Foundation, where a gal named Sangeetha needs a > Hearing machine which costs 12000. (I am ok to give 2k, rest u people > decide) > 2. Those people who are 88 in number are doing good in Kannada medium > but not in English Medium, so they need a teacher. It may cost > 2-2.5ka month. > 3. We went to "Samarthanam" which is an NGO for physically disabled. > They have good funds but lack of volunteers. > 4. It would be good if we become volunteers for the organisation for > many a activities. I will mail the activities after the monthly meeting. > > > > Now frnds, first decide on the hearing machine. Any volunteers??? > > > > Regards, > > Raghu >
