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!

Reality Gives' Programs - Back to School

This week children across India don their satchels (often larger than they themselves are), polish their shoes until they can see their faces in them and begin the new school year with a sense of nerves, anticipation and, hopefully, excitement. What many of these children won’t realise is that their teachers are feeling much the same.

The 15 teachers Reality Gives supports at Royal City School (RCS), Dharavi, are no different. Trained in the muktangan method (a model of education which provides quality, child-centred and inclusive English-medium schooling) these women cover junior and senior kindergarten, standard one and for the first time this year standard two. We sat down with Krishna Vaishy, 27, a first standard teacher at RCS, who got married in the summer holidays to discuss her feelings on returning to RCS for her second year.

Krishna’s story is an interesting one. Having previously lived close by to the school in Sion, she has now moved to be with her husband and his extended family, which she approximates numbers around 26 people. What’s more, the family are located in Dombivli, way up on the north eastern outskirts of Mumbai, a five hour daily commute.

Waking at 4am daily, Krishna prepares breakfast and lunch for her new family members and doing other housework. She leaves for school at 7am and does not arrive home again until 8:30 in the evening. In spite of this long day, she sees herself as lucky, “my family are contemporary… they help with the housework because they care about my career. They know my job is important”.

Krishna shared with us that “I get tired but it has become a habit so I manage. I only want to work at RCS because I am learning so much from Laxmi and my English is improving. I work here because I like it – we learn so many thing – how to handle the children how to be with them. It’s good for my development and the children enjoy it. I like this method. I like this method because we understand the value of behaviour as well.”

Krishna Vaishy, 27

“I like working with the children” Krishna continues “and to give new information and quality education. It is very important because so many poor children do not get it. Our children are learning through experience. When they learn rote they remember nothing. In other schools there is rote learning. Our children are exploring. We want them to be able to remember and to teach to others”.

“I am really excited about the children coming back. I want to teach them so many things. Language, maths, all the subjects and behaviour. I love circle time. We discuss all the childrens’ issues and current affairs in the community. We talk about how react to these things and behave and then we play so many games that teach discipline”.

Reflecting on her life, Krishna shared “I would like to continue my career in education. My dream was to become a teacher. Now it is completed. It is a reality. I am proud to have the opportunity to teach the children. I don’t have a high level of education but I got this training and opportunity. When I was a child I never got this method of learning. I am proud to give it to children so they can learn nicely and remember forever”.

With teachers like this, the children returning to Royal City School certainly have cause to look forward to a great year ahead. 

Reality Gives' Press - "it is the people of Dharavi that have touched me the most"

A few weeks ago Jayne Gorman, a UK based travel blogger contacted us to inform us she wanted to blog about Reality. Having visited us during the last four and a half years, which she has spent travelling the globe from Goa to the Vatican, San Francisco to Mumbai, Jayne explained that in that time her tour of Dharavi and exposure to the work Reality Gives had remained a very vivid, unique and important experience and she wanted to spread the word about us. So, without further ado, over to the professionals. Here's her article, 'A Charity Close to my Heart - Reality Gives in the Slums of Mumbai';

When I visited Dharavi, India’s largest slum, in Mumbai back in November 2010 I was struck most not by the disarray of the surroundings but the generosity of the people. Amongst swampy streets and littered wasteland children played with smiles on their faces. Workers toiled proudly in unsafe conditions; women kept the floor of their simple homes spotlessly clean. It was Duvali and celebration cake was being dished out to excitable children. They clutched it in their grubby hands and ran barefoot through piles of human and industrial waste to find a quiet place to enjoy it. Not before they had offered their guests the first taste though, they were exceedingly well mannered about it.

I was visiting this part of the city largely because of the light that had been shed on it by Danny Boyle’s movie Slumdog Millionaire in 2008. Thankfully, though, I had chosen to visit the slum with a company that would both educate me and benefit the residents far more than the film had.

Reality Tours take tourists into Dharavi with the objective of breaking down the negative attitudes that many people have towards people from less developed communities like the slums. The common stereotype – often reinforced by media and popular culture – of idle, passive and often criminal slum-dwellers is something they strive to change. Instead they work closely with these communities and ask the guests who take the tours to leave their cameras behind - a mark of respect for the residents which meant we could meet and speak with them without the intrusion of a lens.

Reality Tours & Travel is a social business, with a model that allows tourists to contribute responsibly to the communities they visit. Since I last visited, Reality Tours has begun offering multi-day tours in Rajasthan and Kerala, and just recently launched city tours in Delhi. The social commitment of the company still stands, as it has from the beginning— 80% of the profits from each and every tour are used to fund projects, run or supported by Reality Gives, that improve the relevant communities. Communities benefit, and visitors get to see how they’ve made an impact. This is a simple and scaleable model, and as travellers, we should hold all of the tourism organisations we support to such high standards.

Reality Gives runs a community centre in Dharavi. We visited it as part of our tour and I got to speak to the young boys who were chuffed about being able to use the centre’s computers to complete their schoolwork. The charity also runs a Youth Empowerment Program in the Dharavi area and provides English language support at a local government school.

No one can explain better what these projects mean to the residents of Dharavi than the people themselves. Nusrah (aged 22) shares what joining the Youth Empowerment Programme means to her:

“I want to impress my father after finishing this course and talk to him in English. I want to work in a hospital – for four or five years I was always going there. I understand the feelings of the people and want to do something for them. I want to encourage them. I have come out of cancer. I want to give them hope”.

You can read more about the projects Reality Gives run as well as those they support by clicking here. A particular focus for the charity at the moment is a project they are working on with their partner, CORP, raising funds for hearing aids for hearing disabled children.

Of all my travels it is the people of Dharavi and the work of Reality Group that have touched me the most. I mention them again now because I would like to ask for your help, to join me in supporting this worthy cause and consider visiting the projects and people they have helped at some point in the future. I’m going to add a button on the site that directly links to the donation page for Reality Gives as this is a cause I feel very passionately about and I hope from this article you can understand why.