Why choose Milaap?

    After I started the campaign for Ex-devadasis joining and spreading word for Milaap, so we can say I have become a face for Milaap in my community. So I decided to study the website a lot and how does Milaap works and found their policies to be in place and very rigorous and I say so because when I tried to read the policy of how to become a field partner was so exhaustive but I think very important and crucial to create the trust between Milaap and the partner. You can read the policy here.

Source: www.milaap.org

    About the team:But how does it actually works.Milaap have its own team and people working with Milaap are very passionate people who are not working just because they want to earn money but because they care about the social cause and they are passionate young people who have heard about the initiative and joined in to help to bring the change. If you want to know them you can visit milaap.org/blog/meet-milaaps-fellows/. You can write to them and I am sure they will reply you back promptly. And not just that I have read all this on their website but after joining hands with them for the campaign, they have contacted me several times and whenever they have contacted me I have never felt that they are doing it for transactional purpose, I have always felt like they are my friends and trying to help me understand how it works. So personally it is not just about what the company is but the representatives are also very helpful people, and at least whatever conversation I had with them, I found them to be very genuine.

    About the partners and how they work:Then they have multiple grass root level field-partners.Milaap identifies and partners credible, proven non-profit organizations and social businesses with a range of organizational types including microfinance organizations, vocational training institutes, artisan supply chains, schools to name a few.1 And the field-partners collect the information from the borrowers and their credibility and it becomes their responsibility to give details to Milaap about the borrowers and when the money is received from Milaap they are the one responsible for distributing it and then following up and helping the borrowers and you know what is most interesting the 100% of the contributions you make go towards helping the borrowers. And to ensure that money which have you lended is not misused or to eradicate the chance of mishandling or using it for wrong purpose the field partners ensure that they don't handover the cash or the entire money to borrowers, instead the organizations on field will construct a toilet, build a water connection and my case(http://fundraiser.milaap.org/campaigns/Sushant) give them the raw materials to start a Garam Masala powder business rather than giving them the capital.2

    Trust and transparency:And Milaap also promises that lenders will be provided time to time update from the field, which they do through blogs and emails; here the Milaap fellows update us about the contribution we made and how it's impacting the lives and business of our borrowers. Besides that, whenever you are free and would like to visit your borrower to see the impact, you should go and make a visit to the field. Milaap have slots every month for our community to visit the field. So if you would like to visit them, let them know in advance and they can arrange a field trip with the borrowers.

    Milaap team also have a team which takes photos and make videos and they have collected many testimonies from the field so that we can know that our money have truly reached people and we can listen to their stories and I will be waiting for the story of my borrower ;-). They have collected various different videos from various different projects from past and present and they have also interviewed partners and their volunteers. You can take a look at all of them from the following link. http://www.youtube.com/milaapdotorg.

So once again I invite you to join me for the campaign @ : http://fundraiser.milaap.org/campaigns/Sushant

References:

1.http://milaap.org/behind-the-scene

2. Received my answers from Milaap team through e-mail

Help! Ex-Devadasis

    Imagine yourself being a slave in a free country, sounds scary, isn't it? Now imagine not just being a slave but a forced sex slave from the age of 5 or 6. Imagine when due to wrong practices and misleading myths you have been forced to become a sex slave under the title of temple prostitute. Imagine taking the name of god and doing worst possible things, not allowing a person to live freely, forcing her to become a sex-worker just for some money and our corrupted practices of past. I was literally in tears and my heart is grieved to see the video.1

The Problem:    You must be thinking its past which I talk about, or mystic land where this practices take place but don't be surprise its in India(Kappalguddi, Karnataka, India) and still this practice is going on. Yes the tradition where this women are called Devadasi,2 (meaning: ‘servant of God’) system involved dedicating a girl, as young as 5-6 years of age, to the temple Goddess. This meant that she would spend her entire life serving the temple and was not allowed to marry anyone else. The system was abused by the rich and the powerful who began to force the young Devadasis to sleep with them.Over the years, the Devadasis were reduced to being incorrectly termed 'temple prostitutes'. This merciless practice, though illegal and outlawed, still exists in certain small towns of India and its stigma continues to cling to the women who attempt an escape. Because of the social stigma around their roles, employment opportunities are denied to them. It is a vicious cycle where future generations too, are drawn into this ruthless system3. I am sure many of us are not even aware of such practices and even though its illegal its still going on, you want to know why?

    Logic is simple, do you remember the old hindi line which says “Kalank kajal se kali”  (blemish is more blank than collyrium) which indicates or really means that once you are blemish in the society you cannot walk with dignity. Imagine everyone calling you names “whore” ,“slut”, “prostitute” and they even don't know they didn't chose to be their and they didn't want to be there but we leave no option for them. Either they die or they choose to remain in the same trade. They don't want to beg. We all dislike beggars and we always complain, “why can't they work?” They can't work because no one in the society want to give work to them. Remember old slave story of America when the law was passed and slavery was illegal, now suddenly there was freedom and they didn't knew what to do and how to do? So many of them continued to serve their master’s willingly.But few who fought and struggled hard to make their position in the society. So its not very different story here, there are group of women who are no longer Devadasis but they are struggling with the society, with the financial struggle to support them and their family, their many objective now remains to stop and abolish this practice and give a better future to the next generation. They are like helpless birds trapped in a prison. Even animal right activist don't allow to treat animals like the way human are treated by our society.

Change:    But what if I want to say there are few changes, what if I say the birds inside the cage are restless to come out now, what if I say they want to live in dignity they want to spread awareness that same should not be repeated with someone else. What it they are courageous enough to take a stand, will you stand beside them. What if I say they just need ordinary people like you and me to help them. What if I say with a small help they can become independent.As they don't get jobs and ill-treated by the rich, many of them want to become self-employed and want to work with their own hands also teach others and help other who are still in the same trade and want to bring the change in society.They want to become enterpreneur and they are not only thinking about themselves but for other similar women who are trapped in viscous cycle they need a small help to break through. They want the same dignity as we have. They are also fellow humans like us, they also want to live an independent and a happy life. They are eager to help others because who else will know the pain better than them, they have experienced it for years. They know the pain and they want to change it. All the need a chance. We all make mistakes and look for a chance to change but here they made no mistakes but they are asking for a chance for the mistake we made. For justice to be done with them they are eager to change this. Will you help them?

Act/Help:     Lets be practical now. What can we do? The need is certainly vast. But what if I say lets help people and group one at a time.Lets take small steps to begin with. And as I said they want to start new business they need help financially, now you will think they are asking for donation and we don't have money to donate because we have so many things to do and we earn very less but its not donation but its lending money. Yes, you can give loan to the group of people who want to start a new business on their own and after certain period of time you will get back your money which you can pay it forward. And guess what its like you don't have to give a large chunk of money but you can begin as small as Rs.500(what a cost of two movie tickets/ a good dinner at your favorite restaurant). Trust me if we share our resources in right way and it reaches the right person who is impacting others, this world will become better place to stay. Think your help will change and touch so many lives. There will be so many employment opportunity because of this help. You will be helping group of people to get back their dignity, to get back their life at their terms freely and they can live like us. And they will be really thankful for your help and I am sure they will be encouraged to help others. And your kindness will reach miles and miles away.

There are plenty of reasons why you should give, if you want to refresh you memory and looking for reasons read this.4

For donation lending money join me on: http://fundraiser.milaap.org/campaigns/Sushant You can make payments using your Credit/Debit cards, Netbanking.

Milap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zha3iaLbHHA

#Hopeproject an initiative by milaap and Indiblogger
#http://milaap.org/fund/lalita-k-harijan-and-group/2035?&referrer_id=8951

Disclaimer: All images are copied from the Internet via Google Images

References:

1:http://milaap.org/campaigns/hope and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k026QTnKlqQ

2:http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/21/devadasi-india-sex-work-religion

3:http://milaap.org/campaigns/hope

4:http://www.openbible.info/topics/giving_to_the_needy

Social Saturdays: Politics in India, The word war

I hardly talk or criticize anyone no matter what his opinion is? For two reasons one is I don't like to fight and have unnecessary arguments with no results and second is I dont consider it worth to argue with fools who do not understand and are determined not to understand. But there is a limit to every talk we do. And specially when you are a celebrity and you hold an influential position and perhaps you are the one who should not speak but work.

Source: http://assignmenteditor.com

My case is against all the fancy politicians of our nation who are standing up and saying any nonsense thing that comes to their mouth. And I don't know the media is hyping it up? Or they are just passing comments as idle gas as they don't have anything to work? Or they are old and have lost their senses. You pick up newspaper we are already bombarded by the news of terrorism, rape cases, murder, landslides, natural calamity, acid attacks, market crashing, few sports and other detail of how financial status of companies are going down and this news are enough depressing therefore our politicians have taken the responsibility to make us laugh by saying something funny or saying something that will boil our blood and cause to look into the argument with them and meanwhile from the back they continue to exploit us by many-many ways. They are happy to engage us in the Word war and continue doing the work they do which is to loot the money as much as possible.

Politicians the Indian definition of politician is changed from our a long period of time. So according to Indian dictionary who is a Politician: A person who is greedy for money and power, who can rage war just few words, who is not sensible, who don't know how things are defined, one who thinks whatever he says should become a standard defination of that thing, person who must have criminal records but not proved at all, person who is always thinking and proclaiming “ Isme opposition walo ka hath hai”, “Yeh hamare sarkar ko girane ki sajish hai”(Opposition is involved in every wrong thing that happened, Its a scheme to fail our government) who never teams up unless that is the way to gain power, who thinks self-gain is equal to nation development and public welfare, who is determined to help his relatives, his people, one who is bothered just about filling their pockets and nothing to do with nation. One who can cry and do “Halla and hangama”, “no seedhi baat, only bakwaas”.( No straight discussions only stupidity). Who is always busy in accusing opposition for corruption charges and if they have been accused they will say “I am ready for any probing but first they must answer about other accusation. One who knows how to use religion and other divisions to divide and rule the nations. They are just determined to change things for worse. Whether it is matter of dividing and bringing new states or using low caste status for benefit. Where satyagraha was to fight against the foreigners now its a new way to exploit anything(I am not saying all fasts and strikes are wrong). But “Bandh” for every situation is not the right approach to all things.

I know most of you are thinking we all know this and we have no choice. No, I am not here just to take out my frustrations and to start new word war but I am here to help and think over how we can bring change. We the youth are frustrated at the same time we are not able to do anything and this politicians are like termites eating our nation and we are immunized to this and we have learned to adjust with all this. First we must be uncomfortable(I know we are but we must express it and try not to adjust with it) and stop being the part and just mute spectators. We have to step out of our comfort zone to fight against all evil.

#We must participate in the politics(Not according to Indian definition but what actually it is), we must take pain to vote

# We must know (and more importantly do)our rights and duties given by the government

# We must be honest; by that I mean that we come out of our comfort zone and suffer for a while if required but must not take shortcuts in following and maintaining law and order

# If there is anyway we can stop corruption is the harder way by not giving bribe and may be suffer like giving time and spending a little bit money(but less than paying bribe)

# Doing the things right way rather than doing it easier way

I know I might sound like a school teacher giving you old lecture but I must remind you, if we just start doing this we will soon see the change.

# Lets come out of our selfish cocoon and help the poor and low cast, let the outcast become incast when we stand with them

# Change our mindsets, rather asking girls to change their clothes

# Give equal rights to them, by being fair to everyone

# Respect old people not only in essays and get certificates but willingly remembering well that we will soon be in their place

# We know the golden rule “Do to others what you would like others to do to you”

# Love God and know the purpose of your life,

# If there is anything that can bring peace in this world is Love, lets spread nothing but love and not just in words but in action, If we will love one another all problems can be solved

# Love your neighbor as yourself(Sounds like Christian messages but really practical to bring change) try it once

# Don't differentiate but celebrate the differences we have and if anything that can unite us is love so let there be one thing in our heart above all that is Love.

Thats not just temporary love is something which is unstopable, untamable, the greatest strength of all. By violence hatred we have not achieved anything in history. Lets give Love a chance and to bring the change. In all this political phenomena we can focus on our rights and duties but we have forgot that this institutions came later and for our welfare but greatest requirement for a human life is not just right and duties but its Love and affection. And if we have forgot to love then I am afraid to call ourselves human. And if we really want to change we must relearn and practically love. Love God, love ourselves, love neighbors and love enemies at last, as Abraham Lincoln would say “Do I not defeat my enemies when I make them friends.”

Social Saturdays: Crime ki kehke lenge

HALAAT INSAAN KO CRIMINAL BANA SAKTE HAIN

Recently the serial going on Red FM 93.5 called Crime ki keh ke Lenge Season 2. Though the name sounds a bit weird and a slang. But I really liked the concept of the program please read the tag line in there own language as below

Source: http://delhi.redfm.in

“Kabhi halaat toh kabhi dhokhadhadi ke shikar kuch log sahi aur galat raste mein fark nahin kar paate. Aur hamesha ke liye un par criminal ka thappa lag jaata hai.

Par wahi log badalne ki than lein toh kya aap unhein sahi rasta dikhayeinge?! Kya aap Crime Ki Keh Ke Lenge?Aapka pledge kiya hua amount jayega Delhi police ke Yuva foundtation ko jo aise hi naujawaano ko apne pairon par khada hone mein madad kar rahi hai. Aaiye aur support kijiye Red FM ke iss initiative ko taaki phir koi majboor galat raah par na jaaye.

Red FM Morning No. 1 pe Swati aur Rocky ke saath Crime Ki Keh Ke Lenge Season 2, Badlaav ka ek mauka banta hai.”

It basically a program where the call up some people who were arrested for wrong reasons and other times they were mistreated by police and the community. Other times they were cheated and sometimes they were forced to do wrong things. Some people are really innocent and just somehow trapped in the big net of trafficking. Law and system not able to solve all the cases and even if they do, how are those people treated in the society. Do we accept them back as normal human beings or just as downcast criminals.

Once you are labeled as criminal, you are always labeled life long, no matter even if they want to live a normal life again, are we willing to give them second chance. We play a very crucial role in this society by being a good samaritan. But think of it they are humans but not treated as one. They are thought as threat to the society and thus there is no employment for them and they are forced to take the road to crime. There are n number of stories where we are know the victim was just a poor man and he was blamed and he could not defend himself, maybe because lack of proper education and improper knowledge about one’s right given by the country. How many mafias force small kids in some kind of crime just because of their tender age and improper knowledge and for easy money.

Then comes the part of society where we look down to them. As the Bible clearly says that “we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” and none of us are perfect. We all sin some or other way. You know I always think we the white collar people are so called “good” not by choice but its just lack of opportunity. A survey was done and asked people if you have a chance to rape a girl and probability of getting caught is nil; 90% people say they will do that. So think of it, aren't we similar to those criminals in our minds. But then we are white collar people after all the so called society is good because of us and those criminals are pests and they should be terminated from the country thats what we think. We never think what goes unto their lives who are in prison due to wrong reasons and even after they are free from the prison we create a virtual prison for them by labeling them “Criminals” and black color people. There is no mercy, forgiveness for them.We are humans we are bound to make mistakes and we are bound to make mistakes again and again. And if we make mistakes we need forgiveness from each other. We make mistakes again and again. Forgiveness is something we long for but we don't forgive other people because of one thing thats proud and ego and this brings a difference in the society of bad and good. If we accept our mistakes and if we forgive mistakes of others I think a lot of crimes can be stopped at very early stage. People don't chose to become criminals but the society forces them to become one, we have heard many times in so many places but it doesn't make any difference in our lives. Monsters are not born by themselves but society create them, its mostly our ego which stands against us. We talk about equality but not about forgiveness and second chance. Second chance what do you mean by that, I mean to accept them, to love them, to look at them with same respect we give to others. And as the golden rule of Bible says “Do unto others what you would like them to do to you” Matthew 7:12. Wear their shoes for sometime and think how they feel and what if you or some of your beloved are in their place how will you feel if the society looks down to you.“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them friends.” so said Abraham Lincoln and if we want to see a positive change in our lives and a criminal free society the formula is clear not to make new monsters/criminals in society by hating them but turning them into honest men and allowing them to become self respected and doing good jobs.

You might have heard the song: “Everyone needs forgiveness,The kindness of a Saviour;”  And the Saviour Jesus who forgave us said that you shall be forgiven if you forgive others. And if we give chance to those people they will be more than willing to live a better life.  

If you think they deserve a second chance with you join Red FM and Delhi Police Yuva foundation to get this people a better and a respectful job. Please visit http://delhi.redfm.in/pledge/index.aspx to support them. Come let us make a crime free society.

Modern Healthcare a blessing or a curse?

Below article is written under "How does Modern Healthcare touch lives?" with an initiative from Apollo Hospitals(http://www.apollohospitals.com/cutting-edge.php) and IndiBlogger. And I am thankful to both of them to give a platform to write about such topic I hope you will take some time to  read this.

Health Care have always been a great studies and a mainline stream on which many of us depend. And its a vast topic and really benefited each one of us and every one of us in some or other area. We know from history and past experience of Medical journey that how modern healthcare have helped in overall growth of human health. How the society depends upon the doctors and medical science everyday from very common cold to heart transplant. Not only healthcare institutes and research goes everyday and helped to eradicate deadly diseases.

source: http://www.apollohospitals.com/

Many scientists have dedicated their lives towards finding new cures to deadly diseases, we humans are endlessly working towards making this life disease free and problem free. Modern healthcare is like a genie who is working to fulfill wishes of common man everyday. Healthcare is the basic requirement for survival, we have heard the phrase “survival of the fittest” if thats true Modern healthcare works towards making everyone fit that no-one is left out and we walk and hand in hand with everyone that no one looks down on someone else because some physical handicap or have some disease.

Healthcare and medical science not only have saved many lives from deadly diseases but also brought revolution in our country. It have thrown light on every aspect of human body and its pain and suffering. Specially in our country like India where there was a blind faith and some false practices of considering some deadly diseases as curse of god or they associated it with some kind of false spirituality. Many cures of deadly disease have solved and it have not saved few lives but communities and many lives. Disease in which people were assumed to be outcast and untouchable, for example leucoderma was considered a deadly disease once upon a time and people suffering from it were declared untouchable and they were the outcast from the society it took a lot of research in finding actual cause of the disease and to fight with it and also lots of awareness for it. Smallpox and chickenpox was traditionally considered a disease from some deity and we thought its natural and it will go by itself but few times it left adverse effects on the patients and many cases people died but later vaccination and other medical measures were discovered and implemented and we are very well aware of it.

And similarly many diseases are plaguing us day and night and modern healthcare fights both at primary level and also looks for prevention of it for example precautions for diseases like whooping cough and polio we are given vaccination in advance and vaccination against rabies are readily available at village level as well. And well we have great news like our country becoming polio free nation. And such many innovations have saved and touched millions of life knowingly and unknowingly.

I was also recently thinking about life of physically handicapped people but thank God for modern health care that they have come up with such surgeries they make a new pair metallic attachment as false feet or hands and the patient becomes as normal as we are and if you want an example a very good example is Paralympics which is more than a proof for us that physically handicapped people can also enjoy life normally.

Now the latest medical science and healthcare have reached to a level where most remote parts of body, and most complicated joints, nerves, cells, fluids are studied and they are working to repair and replace it with others. Were eye donation and blood donation and heart,kidney, liver transplantation are no longer impossible things. The modern science is really a blessing for mankind and saving millions of lives everyday. Now I was checking this Apollo hospitals modern facilities from where I got to write about modern healthcare as the website http://www.apollohospitals.com/cutting-edge.php gives a list of things which I thought was impossible it was an eye opener for me I thought it was just in news and only in developed countries but thank God its for real and available in our own country.

But as much as modern healthcare is a blessing for mankind it can be turned and in some areas already turned as curse for mankind. Though its not totally fault of healthcare but of the motives of humans involved in it. As hellish as abortion it can be used to save a pregnant lady but when it came to India it killed so many lives and now we see activists running with big posters to stop abortion. Infants are killed every day, not one or two but thousands and thousands everyday. where modern healthcare coming up pills for anything and everything making humans more lazy and not giving preventive but post diseases cures only. Challenging the nature itself many times, challenging the design of how God created it. For example the modern science have come up with sex change operations; I have no clue how they do that but its for real. They are coming up with having test tube babies without using the natural process (as much as it have helped but there is a lot of debate how men are misusing it). When modern healthcare gave us options of heart, kidney, liver transplant options; many evil minded came up with idea of human trafficking and taking out their body parts and selling it at very high price.Think of it we humans have become commodity just like animals and other environment. At one side the scientist who came up with this theory and process they thought they will save lives but here its on the cost of others lives.There are scientists working on bio-chemicals for good and there are terrorist who are using it for ammunition for mass destruction. It's as simple as this no matter how great the blessings is when human are handling it they mostly misuse it for selfishness, greediness, for self gain.

So at the end I would say God have given this great blessing of modern healthcare let us thank Him and use this blessing wisely and not rebelling against Him forgetting Him and challenging Him by misusing this precious gift of life and health care.