Newsletter

january 2014

A New Year To Remember !!

2013 ended very well for the volunteers from Volunteer in India – Pay it Forward at Mother Teresa’s Roses, Quepem, South Goa, India. Spending Christmas and the New Year with them was Magical – with the best gift of all yet to come.

The Children had just resumed school in the New Year !!

02 January 2014 –

In the morning the Sisters of Mother Teresa’s Roses, Quepem - prepared the food for distribution and packed some Christmas sweets too. Sr. Victoria, Nelson, Francis, Shushil & Myself went out to distribute the food to the needy and scout for people needing basic medical care, a haircut, or a sponge bath.

03 January 2014 –

Since one sister had to stay at home. Sr. Victoria was replaced by Sr. Maria. The rest of the group stayed the same.

It was only thirty minutes into our food distribution when Sr. Maria spotted Krishna on the street, after handing him food – Sr. Maria asked him if he would like to have his hair cut and he said “YES”. The scissors came out but, some of us had to rush off to get a comb as his hair was knotted, some water, a shaving kit etc. The haircut soon turned into a shave – followed by a sponge bath with a bucket of water provided by a shopkeeper when he realised we were going to use the bottled water purchased from his shop for the bath !!

Krishna spoke only Malayalam and during all the happenings – Krishna spoke of Kerala and how for the last two years he had been living on the streets as he couldn’t find work; his desire to return home some day etc.. After his bath, when he saw himself in his new clothes and looking good – he decided it was time to go home !! We drove him to the train station, bought him a

ticket and very soon farewelled him. Contd.......

A New Year To Remember !! Contd......

We have our fingers crossed that he arrived in Kerala safe & sound and he is re-united with his

people. He only has one number to contact us and one day we are hoping he will use it to say

he is one happy chappy – to be home amongst his people. A fantastic start to the New Year

for all of us.

I cannot imagine being stuck in a city which he thought would be paradise – only for it to be his

worst nightmare – with language difficulties and no work available – fast running out of money

and not having a way to go back as he had sold everything to get here from Kerala.

There have been many such days for the Roses in

the past and there will be many more incredible

days in the future. For now I am just thankful that I

was part of that incredible experience !! Not

forgetting the Magic of Christmas & New Year

with the Sweetest Naughty Children (the

Quepem Home for Boys) in the world !!

If only people volunteered just a wee bit of their time

instead of throwing money at the problems, the

world would be ...

You could be spending your time helping a person

or animal or fish or bird or the environment or ....

Showing that you care about your surroundings,

your community and the world you live in, is what

matters the most !!

Here’s hoping you add some volunteer work to your New Year’s Resolution List !!

On behalf of everyone who does volunteer work I wish you - A Very Happy & Prosperous New Year !!

WE DON’T TAKE OR ASK FOR DONATIONS OF ANY KIND.

WE ONLY ASK YOU FOR A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR PRECIOUS TIME !!

OUR VISION Making a Difference Through Helping Vulnerable

Sections of Society.

OUR MISSION, Aims & Objectives Getting people across the world to:

Spend at least two hours a week helping others.

Take time out of their hectic lives to help those in

need.

Care about the community they live in; AND

Getting like minded people around the table to

discuss requirements in their community and

then follow it up with action.

I love social media – it educates me everyday. I see pictures of impoverished kids, of suffering aged, of dying animals. I see drought stricken families, kids eating scraps of food, flood ravaged homes, beggars on streets. I see hundreds of ‘likes’, ‘re-tweets’, ’comments’ on them. People sitting in their own comforts are pasting these posters with loud ‘1 like = 1 salute’ or ‘1 like = 1$’ or “money isn’t everything”.

Unfortunately, neither the likes, nor the salutes or the dollars are reaching the target (intended receipients). The target has just been reduced to, just a target. DSLR laden upcoming photographers are clicking them, laptop holding thinkers are quoting them and email savvy people are forwarding them. Everyone is sympathetic, but not many are helping them.

More Human, Than Human !!

- Volunteer in Singapore (Avijit Patnaik)

If those ’likes’, ‘retweets’, ‘comments’ were to be converted to a dollar each, the world poverty percentage would have been a much reduced number than 50 percent. Yes, 50 percent of the world inhabitants survive at less than 2.5 USD per day, 80 percent of global population survive at less than 10 USD per day. This, in the same world where one percent wealthiest are holding 75% of global wealth. Two centuries ago (data of 1820, to be exact) the ratio of poor to rich was 3:1; today in 2013, its 80:1.

But the rich don’t care. Heart of hearts they want the poor to be eliminated, so that they get a share of their resources to splurge. Let the dying, die fast. Unfortunately - they aren’t. They are suffering, scratching, stinking, coughing, bleeding, sinking - but not dying at the rate the rich would like to eliminate them.

In real life, no matter how much we hate them, despise them, shoo them away, abuse them, kick them, stay away from them or sanitize hands after accidentally touching them, in social media or club room discussions, we just love them and have big words of sympathy. It’s same with the media too. Celebrities, film stars, sportsmen, industrialists who have access to media, use it similarly too – every two hour charity trip has a one hour long press conference.

Truth be told, social media users don’t even need to part with their hard earned money to see a better world. If they save on the electricity of their aircon, the ten extra lights inside their five star hotel rooms, or save water instead of playing in bath tubs at different temperatures, or stop food wastage, walk more and drive less, install solar panels, reduce printing paper, switch off electronics when not in use, donate unexpired medicines, used clothes and books; they would have made a start. There is so much one can do without really needing to upset bank balances.

More Human, Than Human !! Contd...

Unfortunately we aren’t thinking or feeling much for the needy; nor for our future generations. When in doubt, guilt or need to reduce illegal money, we just donate. A donation helps, but your emotional contact helps much more. Once we as humans start feeling for global wellness, poverty will start getting eliminated. Data suggests that if all nations had spent one percent less on their defence resources over the past decade, every child would have been going to school smiling. Just one percent reduction and yet states don’t want to achieve that. If you ask any defence personnel globally to let go of one percent of his/her income to manage this, they may just willingly do it. Given a choice, they would rather be monitoring a school full of smiling poor kids, than staying awake overnight on a deserted border area, awaiting another idiot nation, shelling them. As humans we can’t live without each other. The world needs a constantly chattering, smiling, munching, talking and jesting population. Everyone needs neighbours. You prefer walking into a crowded mall than into an absolutely deserted one. We like crowded streets, colours, styles, cultures, dresses... Yet we leave out 80 percent of our population. Imagine in an equal world, you would end up having ten times more friends, followers, fans.... Ten times more likes, comments, re-tweets. How cool! So next time you see a post roaring to “get a life”, “undertake an adventure sport” or “living life”, try suggesting some ‘humane’ solutions to these problems. Yes, the rich have problems. They are struggling on how best to live life with all their money. Try consulting them – maybe adopting a family is an unparalleled

adventure sport; giving life to a dying patient is better version

of living life; teaching a child to help form a career could

be getting him/her a life. There are ways, there are means, there are some with intent also, but what most of us need is a human heart to do it. So do it. Set an example in front of your kids. Be their torch bearer….in lighting up a brighter world for them.

A Volunteer’s Story !!

( 01 November - 14 November 2013. Volunteer in India – Pay it Forward)

A Volunteer’s Story !!

( 21 December 2013 - 05 January 2014. Volunteer in India – Pay it Forward )

Please email your contributions to:

Email: gspayitforward@live.com

Email: volunteerinindia@live.com

Email: reachadrian@hotmail.com

Emergency: 00919167489984

Whatsapp: 0064274045336

Adrian Misquitta Admin

Shushil Joseph Photography

Mona Macwan Logo Designs

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK !!

It is always good to see new people on our Facebook Group or adding people onto the Whatsapp Group.

What is even better is our first contribution from Singapore !! Fingers crossed there will be more people contributing in the near future.

Fantastic to have some the people who were involved in the past come back with renewed energy.

Welcome !! Welcome Aboard !! And Welcome Back !!

Every one of us has different skills, some of us are good at teaching, some of us are good at reading, some of us are good at dancing, some of us are good at entertaining, some of us are good at writing, some of us are good at just being there etc.. Don’t waste your talent – use it to help people in need.

It takes all types of people to make the world and Global Solutions & Volunteer in India/Singapore/NZ/Canada/... – Pay it Forward is no exception. Once again –

WELCOME 2 – Making a Difference !!

“We Love & Enjoy What We Do”

Welcome Aboard !!

The concept is really very simple and does not need a formal set up or NGO status.

One can either go out and volunteer on their own or get a group going with your friends or colleagues or relatives or....

Volunteering can be rewarding & fun - There is a social side as you meet like minded people.

People always think that volunteering is for old people or house wives or it has to be a career in social work. Not so, if you have a nice supportive group – so, for the super busy people - it will come down to just two hours a month. And it won’t cut into your family or social life !!

Each photograph in this newsletter tells a story and for those who are already volunteering you know that it takes a some effort to get those smiles shining through and once that happens - along comes that nice fuzzy feeling in your heart and that feeling that you did make a difference in the life of the ....

Remember that one is not limited to volunteering with people alone. There are animals, birds & sea life facing extinction and need our help. There is our environment which is taking a beating.

There are hundreds of causes which need our attention and so diversity and a huge number of volunteers will help. Together – WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE !!

Don’t Quit !!

When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is Queer with its twist and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don’t give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So, stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, It’s when things seem worse, THAT YOU MUST NOT QUIT.

One hundred years from now It will not matter What kind of car I drove, What kind of house I lived in, How much I had in my bank, Nor what my clothes looked like.

One hundred years from now It will not matter What kind of school I attended, What kind of typewriter I used, How large or small my church, But the world may be.... A little better because..... I was important in the life of a child.

- Forest Whitcraft