Back to Bangalore

It was very embarrassing!

When I went back to Bangalore, just four months ago in November, they surprised me at the Children's Day celebrations by presenting me with flowers, garlands and an engraved plaque. It was all very embarrassing, but it made me reflect on how a small contribution can make a significant impact, and it is most gratifying now, to start to see that we are making an impact.

In less than a month, I shall be back in Bangalore, working on various new projects that create educational opportunities for children living in poverty.

I love doing what I do and find it hugely rewarding to be able to channel the generosity of friends in Lincoln into providing a good education for children who live in the squalor and deprivation of the slum districts of Bangalore.

So, why do I do what I do in England?

A prospective pupil for Building Blocks 

It all started when I was in India two years ago and saw the Building Blocks pre-school projects set up in the slum districts of Bangalore.
I asked James Ambat, the project's founder if I could set up a fund-raising operation in the UK. He readily agreed, and it then took me12 months to establish  "Escape from Poverty" and gain charitable status so that I could recover tax on donations.

We now have a dozen children who receive educational funding through Escape from Poverty, and James and I are working on proposals to double the size of the operation over the next three years.

What is different about Escape from Poverty?

Our students are ambitious

Some charities work in response to critical situations, like relief from floods and famines, while other charities work to resolve on-going challenges, like disabilities and medical research. Escape from Poverty has a different kind of objective. 

In conjunction with our colleagues in Bangalore, our purpose is very much focused on achieving long-term, sustainable results, taking children from subsistence to success, and choosing a career rather than just taking whatever work they can find.

We want our children to have big ambitions, and if we were to concentrate simply on basic numeracy, these children would end up in menial employment as pedlars, street vendors and day-labourers. 

After three years with Building Blocks, our pupils are numerate, they know their times-tables, and they are basically literate both in Kannada - the local vernacular - and in English. This qualifies them for a place in a good school because much of secondary education in India is taught in the English language, so a good working knowledge of English is essential for academic progress.

Why don't Indian people look after their own?

Oh, but they do! 

In Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities philanthropy is central to social behaviour. I saw this from Muslim colleagues when I was working with refugees in Athens when Muslim colleagues could raise hundreds of euros for refugees with one simple email to their mosque back in Britain. 

The British Sikh community is another humanitarian example, feeding thousands of homeless people from street kitchens in British cities. (Guru Nanak's Free Kitchen.)  

For many modern Indian Hindus and Christians, the achievement of wealthy status comes with an expectation to support those less fortunate. Furthermore, this is encouraged by tax incentives and legislation that directs all businesses to donate a portion of their profits to charitable causes. 

The Building Blocks pre-schools are mainly funded by local companies or individuals, and most of the sponsorship for Building Blocks' children's ongoing education comes from Indian individuals or families, some locally based, and some who are NRI (non-resident Indians) living in America or Europe.

What have we achieved in our first 12 months?

After less than 12 months in operation, "Escape from Poverty," now supports a dozen children who have moved at the tender age of just 6 years-old from Building Blocks to their English-medium primary/secondary schools. Here a video made to introduce the latest pupil to be sponsored by a group of people in Lincoln, England.

Not everyone can fund a 10-year scholarship to secure a child's future, but everyone can be part of this project. You can donate towards crowd-funding scholarships for children who will start their new schools in June, with VISA or Mastercard.

Perhaps you have a group of friends who would like to pitch in together to fund a child's future. We already have three children who are supported by a school in Devon, and we provide marketing support with leaflets and videos. A year's support with subsidised school fees and after-school coaching and mentoring costs less than £1 per day.  

This is a chance for you to be part of making a real change to the lives of some great kids who deserve this opportunity and have proved that education and serious study can be their Escape from Poverty.

Click on this link to support a crowd-funded scholarship