Reality Gives at Royal City School - “Thursday was the first day I have ever felt like I was important, and that my families’ happiness and learning mattered”

Last week Reality Gives staff, volunteers and supporters joined forces with an incredible team of India First employees, and 8ft ‘Doreamon’ and ‘Chota Bheem’ mascots (popular children’s cartoon characters), to deliver Royal City School’s first ever annual sports day.

"Our children got an annual sports day as any child should deserve to have"

With races for children from Kindergarten to Standard II and even the mums and dads competing, it proved to be an incredible experience for all involved. Reflecting on the day Letizia De Martino, Reality Gives Executive Director shared, “In our vision we say that we want to build a world where underprivileged communities have equal access to opportunities and resources. I think today we did it! Our children got an Annual Sports Day as any child should deserve to have”.

Over at the school, the children are still grinning from ear to ear - “I like it because I can run” Standard II student Vikram told us “I have never seen so much space”. Fellow Standard II student Sanjana told us, “The ground was very big and nice. I loved it. It was too huge. I loved passing the pipe (the relay) and the medals and the running” whilst her classmate Vivek told us “I didn’t win a medal. My mother did. My mother won a gold medal for running. I feel happy”.

The races weren't just for the kids!

“It was such a good experience” Sujatha, one of our senior teachers told us, “The best day. The organisation. The parents’ preparation Everything. The mothers ran so fast. ‘How do you run in a sari’ I asked one. ‘Just watch. It is no problem’ she said!”.

The day was a great example as to what can be achieved when great organisations come together. Thanks so much to India First for funding and facilitating the event!

The parents too are still abuzz with the thrill and excitement of the day. One father shared with our Quality Improvement Director, Annabelle “Thursday was the first day I have ever felt like I was important, and that my families’ happiness and learning mattered. Thank you, it is a day we will never forget”.

Thanks so much to the team of staff, volunteers and other dedicated individuals who made this day so memorable for so many. Special thanks to India First Life Insurance, without their funding, organising and boundless energy this dream event would never have come true!

To help us continue to give these children the opportunities and 

experiences they deserve, click here.

Reality Gives - Hopes for 2015

The beginning of a New Year is often a time for reflection, for taking stock, and for looking to the future, which is exactly what we are doing here in Dharavi.

We asked some of our staff, beneficiaries and minor celebrities (Pubalan) what their hopes, dreams and resolutions were for 2015. Here's what they had to say...

Over at Royal City School, Educational Programs Director, Lakshmi shared that "in 2015 I look forward to becoming computer savvy and all teachers speaking nothing but English from the moment the first bell rings in the morning to the end of the school day".

Standard I Teacher, Krishna told us "My wish for the New Year is to return to the school after giving birth to a healthy baby, and to keep up with current affairs". "I want the New Year to be good for everyone" added her student, Afsanjaha.

Afsanjaha, Standard I Student, Royal City School

Elsewhere in the organisation Computer Teacher, Ravi said "I wish to learn advance computers – like tally, software, DTP and to improve my English fluency. I wish to teach all my students in English only. For my students – I wish that they learn computers and English and continue their studies" and his colleague, Banu wants "to visit my native place (the village she is from in Tamil Nadu) with my whole family and meet my younger brother who is away from us for four years".

Karthika, from the Girl's Football Program shared her wish to "write a letter to Peter (our former Sport Programs Director who is moving to the US) and to learn Dance as well. I do not want to fight with her brother in the year as it causes lot of nuisance to my parents and I want to do a job and help poor and needy people". 

"My wish listen is to be number 1 on trip adviser" Reality Founder, Krishna told us, "it will help us to get more funds through our tours for our projects. I also wish to do some programs in the recycling area of Dharavi", whilst Reality Gives Executive Director, Lethy said "in 2015 I wish Reality Gives will touch more and more lives. Helping young people in Dharavi to flourish to their full potential".

Thumbs up to 2015 from Reality Give's beneficiary,  Pubalan

Finally, the last word, as it so often does, goes to Pubalan, who wishes "to learn good things and make good friends. I want to grow trees to save the earth". It seems 2015 is going to be quite a year!

Click here to support Reality Gives in helping some of these hopes and dreams come true.

Moustache Wallahs - The Significance of the Indian 'Mo'

As most of you will know by now, ‘Moustache Wallahs’ is in full force over here in the Reality Gives’ office with plenty of our boys sporting a mo. We've now begun some awareness session, talking 'scrotums, the prostate, impotence and depression' and are planning more sessions and clinics in the next few weeks.

Our moustaches have sparked many locals and tourists to share the history of moustaches in India, along with many interesting facts. We thought you might be interested in our findings…

Jitu, Jonny and Asim sporting some spectacular mo's

For generations of Indian men, a moustache has been a must. Throughout history, it was thought that the more fabulous your facial hair was, the more masculine you were. Before the eighteenth century only high caste men were allowed to keep moustaches. So, moustaches were seen as a symbol of power. However, it is now becoming ‘the thing’, especially in northern India, for men to be clean shaven. This could be due to the heavier Western influence in the north, the fact that few famous cricketers and Bollywood stars have moustaches or according to a recent AC Nielsen Survey, women prefer to hang-out, date and kiss a clean-shaven man, so potentially vanity is playing a part. We haven’t been given one definite answer. However, we are without doubt that the choice to have, or not to have a moustache is not taken lightly out here.

These facts only confirmed this feeling for us:

- An Indian will swear on his moustache to demonstrate his sincerity.

- To say someone’s “moustache is drooping” is to say he is sad.

- The world’s longest moustache measures 14 feet and belongs to an Indian 
man called Ram Singh Chauman. It is enough of an attraction to earn him a living. He charges modelling fees, he starred in Bollywood films and even had a cameo in the Bond film Otopussy,

- It is often a mandatory requirement for doormen in five star hotels to have moustaches.

- In some families, it is necessary for a man to wear a moustache until his father passes away. He will then have freedom to shave his moustache.

- Traditionally moustaches were seen as a sign of virility.

- Believe it or not but police in the northern Madhya Pradesh state get paid an allowance for growing a moustache. Police chief Mayank Jain came about the idea during a seminar when he noticed that the police officers who had moustaches were getting looks of respect from others in the room. So it made logical sense to benefit from this additional respect. Any police officer who grows a moustache will be paid an additional 30 rupees a month for their efforts. The only catch to the allowance is that the police chief has to inspect the moustaches himself.

Through sporting our mo's we're proud to become a part of this rich history and also raise awareness about men's health.

To show your support and help fund awareness sessions for the men of Dharavi, 'mo'nate now.

Reality Volunteers - Meet Annabelle

A few weeks ago we introduced you to Annabelle, a volunteer from England, who has joined the Reality Gives team here in Mumbai for the next few months. She is here to help develop the Youth Empowerment Program, focusing mainly on the Soft Skills aspect of it and will also be working at the Royal City School, running sessions to help empower and develop the teachers. Annabelle took a few minutes out of her hectic schedule to have a quick chat with us and tell us a little more about herself... 

Hi Annabelle, welcome to Mumbai! How are you finding It so far?

Hi! All good so far. A little hot, but great!

Annabelle poses for the obligatory 'first day facebook post' photo

Haha. So, what were you doing before you came here?

I have been working in education in the UK for the past few years. I initially started by working in a specialist autism school, where I realised my passion for teaching. I then went on to work in a school in a favela (slum) in Rio de Janeiro; this opened my eyes to global education issues. After that I taught in a government school in London where I was working alongside some particularly inspiring practioners, so I learnt a lot fast. 

Amazing, so what made you want to come to India?

I visited India last year during one of my school holidays and I fell in love with the country. Not only did I love the food, but I was also struck by the welcoming and vibrant atmosphere. On top of this, I came to Dharavi and visited the Community Centre and was inspired by all the brilliant projects that you are doing here and was instantly eager to join in on the fun and hard work. I am so excited that I am now here and able to make these programs even more successful.

Reality Volunteers - "I have enjoyed every minute"

From late August to early October, Lydia Wummel, a Business Management student from Germany volunteered with us. Just before she boarded a flight we caught up with her and made one more request (she was gracious enough never to say 'no' to whatever we asked, one of the many qualities we loved her for), to tell us about her time here...

"It is hard to believe that my six weeks of volunteering with Reality Gives have come to an end. The time has gone by so fast and I have enjoyed every minute of it. But let’s start at the beginning…

This was not my first time here in India. Coming to Mumbai as a student in 2011 I immediately fell in love with the country and it's amazing people. That time it was clear - I will come back to Mumbai again! As I wanted to see other parts of the city I applied to be a volunteer with RGi and luckily I got the chance to work here for a period of six weeks.

My first day started with the Dharavi slum tour. Having seen Slumdog Millionaire and being asked question from Mumbaikars like “why would you go there?” I was really excited to see this part of the city. This tour broke my stereotypical depiction of a slum. I was surprised by all the self-sustainable factories, safety and hospitality of the people there.

Maggie and Lydia work on the volunteer program (l-r)

So, I was ready to start my volunteering experience in Dharavi. On my first day I met the entire team of RGi and Reality Tours & Travel and welcomed with a nice lunch at an Indian restaurant nearby. After introductions and visits to our different projects and partners I was ready to start my project work with Maggie, another lovely volunteer from Italy who joined in my second week.

Maggie and I were responsible for shaping the volunteer and ambassador programs of Reality Gives and we really enjoyed our work. Besides this we got hands on practical experience while giving English classes to staff members, preparing a presentation about our country to teachers and assisting the girl’s football program, a unique program in Dharavi. Throughout the English conversation classes Banu, Sangeeta and Ravi taught us a lot about Indian traditions and festival. We were lucky to be here during the Ganpati Festival and got all information about it from our students. India has amazing and unique festivals!

Youths from Dharavi perform their dances for the teachers at Royal City School - a highligh of Lydia's time here

One of our highlights was the organisation of a dance performance with students from our Young Empowerment program. We were amazed by their dance skills and the performances they prepared for teachers day at the Royal City School. On Teacher’s day we got the chance to be judges for several things the teachers had prepared themselves. We tasted yummy food, saw amazing posters and draws, got Mehndi and saw beautiful Rangolis. A really eventful and memorable day!

Besides volunteering, Mumbai never gets boring! Every time we thought we understood the city we would find something new and start all over again! Chai walas, colours, festivals, food, smells, smiling people. This will not be my last time in India!

I also want to take the chance hereby to thank all the fantastic colleagues from RGi, RT&T, Royal City School, the Community Center and all the lovely people from Dharavi who made this stay unforgettable. You guys are amazing. Keep it up! Looking forward to seeing you back in Mumbai soon!"

Reality Gives' Programs - "football has made me strong and confident"

Recently Goal Click asked us to help them identify a girl in Dharavi to take an analog camera with 27 shots on it and capture insights into their experience of football in Dharavi as part of their world wide mission to 'provide a person in every country with one analogue camera and one roll of film to take photos that symbolise football in their country'.
To determine which of the girl's would be charged with this challenge we asked them to write an essay entitled 'Why should I be the Goal Click representative'. In this blog article, we capture a little more information about our winner, Blessy, and find out what football means to her...

“Football has made me strong and confident” says 14yr old Blessy Sippora. Blessy is in her 10^th grade doing her schooling from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Sion, Mumbai. She lives in Dharavi, where her family has been residing for 40 years now. She is the eldest among her siblings. Her younger sister is in the 9^th grade and is also a member of the Girls Football team. 

Blessy has been playing football for two years now and thinks that playing the sport has brought a lot of changes in her life. “I have not only become fit but have also learned life skills like team work, discipline, communication to name a few. Even though I am in the 10^th grade, my mother encourages me to play because I have learned to manage time for studies and practice sessions. A lot of people know me now and I get chance to make new friends and visit new places. My parents are proud of me and that makes me happy!”
 

Blessy in action against the Oberoi School Girls' Football Team earlier this year

In her free time she enjoys reading, watching TV and of course playing football. Her dream is to play professional football and encourage girls from Dharavi to take up the sport and follow her footsteps.

She says, “I am really happy that I got the opportunity to showcase how football is played in my locality - that even girls can play football! I am not a photographer but I'll try to take good pictures. I have the best team and the bestest coach who are always there to help and support me. I know there are only 27 shots. So, I will try not to make mistakes and capture the best moments.”

When she's through all 27 shots, Blessy will send her camera back to the UK where the pictures will be used in an exhibition compiled of participants photos from across the globe. Can't wait to see the results!!

Reality Runs - Mumbai Marathon 2015

This year Reality Gives are strapping on our trainers, hitting the tarmac and gearing up for the Mumbai Marathon 2015, and we want you to join us!

Established in 2004 the Mumbai Marathon is the largest marathon in Asia and amongst the top 10 in the world (it’s also the largest mass participation event in Asia) with 40,000 participating in the event last year.

The Mumbai Marathon 2015 will take place on Sunday 18th January 2015 and features three main events; the Full Marathon (42km), Half Marathon (21km) and Dream Run (6km). 

Passing CST Station, Haji Ali and running over the Sea Link, the
event offers a unique way to see Mumbai

As well as being an incredible sporting occasion, the event also represents a great way to raise funds with last year seeing Rs.179,000,000 raised for 232 NGOs. As an officially recognised NGO participating in the event we are able to support schools, corporates and individuals in entering the race and raising funds for us. Reality Gives wants YOU.

Individuals - For the first time ever we have 12 places up for grabs for you to take part in either the marathon, half marathon or dream run! The cost of a charity bib is Rs.8,000 and includes a t-shirt to run in, a 'Short Tour of Dharavi', a team-building 'Bicycle Tour' with your fellow runners, a bespoke fundraising plan designed in conversation with our Fundraising and Marketing Director and a HUGE number of fundraising incentives to help spur you on to your fundraising targets.

Schools - This year the 'Student Challenge' has been introduced, with space for 20 educational institutes to register teams of 5 students to raise Rs.50,000 and compete in the ‘Dream Run’ category of the Marathon. Teams are able to add up to 15 members for every Rs.10,000 additional funds they raise above the (Rs.50,000) and can be made up of students of 12yrs or above and can also include teachers, staff, donors and alumni (though a minimum of 5 students must be included).

Corporates - The corporate challenge event has historically always been very popular as it is both an incredible way of raising money for charities and also provides corporate runners with an incredible experience (with access to a the pre race executive tent, regular pre-race communication and newsletters, team acknowledgement on the website and charity docket and a trophy for the member of the team raising the most funds). Teams of up to 15 or 25 can compete at a cost of Rs.275,000 and Rs.400,000 respectively.

Steve Goddard ran the Marathon in 2013, raising £863 for Reality Gives

We're really excited about being a part of this. But don't just take our word for it. Reflecting on his own experience Mumbai Marathon man and Reality Gives fundraiser, Steve Goddard says:

“it was an incredible experience, running for such a great cause that I really believe was very humbling. The people of Mumbai were their usual amazing selves and really supported the runners, kids running alongside and random people giving us biscuits and drinks etc., truly, truly great. It is a real buzz along the route, especially towards the last few km's where the number of people grow and there are events taking place. It was a rare chance to experience Mumbai in peace due to the really early start and 

almost run as the city awoke”.

This is a great chance to undertake an immense personal challenge, see a different side of Mumbai and raise vital funds to support the education of 381 students at Royal City School, Dharavi. 

If you’d like more information please don’t hesitate to contact us on Joseph@realitygives.org, we'd love to hear from you!