Thanks from the kids

The kids wanted to say "thanks" to Garth and all of his students and friends for the fabulous fundraiser in Hermosa Beach on April 28th --

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwdgqYf8Nl8

Garth Number Five (wow!) - in One Week!

Garth Hewitt and his students and volunteers are back for his fifth yogathon fundraiser to help us build a new home for our kids!

If you are in the Los Angeles area, please participate: Los Angeles Rocks Operation Shanti

Even if you are not in the Los Angeles area, please participate: Los Angeles Rocks Operation Shanti

Enjoy the great asana practice, as well prizes and free gifts from fabulous sponsors!

There are many things to be grateful for, and we are most certainly grateful to Garth and his team's karma yoga efforts! Om nama shivaya.

Umesh!

Little Umesh has been with Operation Shanti since his birth on June 6, 2007. He was always a chubby baby and looks a lot like his father, who is a day laborer at the big vegetable market in the city.

Umesh in June 2008

Dad wasn't very good to his two boys, Darshan and Umesh, and rarely bothered to care for them. He also frequently beat up his wife, Kavita, and she hated that her boys saw this happening to her. Mom took as good care of her boys as she could, and when we opened Karunya Mane, she asked us to take in her boys.

Umesh just finished kindergarten at Deepa School, a nice private school in the area. During his years at Karunya Mane, he has really improved in both behavior and demeanor. He used to be a grumpy little boy and frowned often, and he used to like to hit his friends!

Now, in 2013, Umesh is a very happy little boy who smiles a lot, listens obediently to his house mother, and plays nicely with his friends. He also listens to his teachers in school -- we never get complaints about Umesh -- and shows great interest in schoolwork and writing the ABCs.

Umesh (left) with friends Jeevan (center) and Adarsh (right) in late 2012

Umesh, almost six years old, is growing up really nicely, has so far maintained his baby fat (!), and likes to live at Karunya Mane with his brother Darshan. Mom visits them once a month and she always brings them a nice lunch and snacks.

We'd love to get Umesh a sponsor! If you are interested in sponsoring Umesh for a year, please see our website at Sponsor an Operation Shanti Kid! on how to go about doing this. Sponsorship is $400 a year, or $33 per month for 12 months.

Thanks so much!

Boys karate test!

After the girls had their karate test, the boys had their belt exam with their teacher, Sensei Johnson.

front row: Sreenivasa, Sharath, and Manikanta

day 2 test

day 1 test

The kids have been taking karate lessons for just about five years, since May 2008. Here's a fun video from an impromptu 2010 karate practice session at Karunya Mane.

2010

iPads? iPads!

Several generous friends donated two iPads to Karunya Mane -- one for the boys and one for the girls. The kids just love their iPads!

Surya with Mohan (left) and Darshan (right)

Even our house mothers are addicted... they've discovered the Internet and are able to help the older kids with homework projects by looking up information using Google.

In general, the girls like to browse and learn about different places and Indian holidays. The boys are obsessed with picture of tigers, snakes, and creepy crawly creatures.

During the summer holiday (April and May), the kids are enjoying daily time on the iPads, which have opened up a whole world to them -- safely, of course, through a child-safe browser!

If you have recommendations for great educational apps that we could download, let us know!

Sisters and brothers at Karunya Mane

We're well into the final exam period for the kids -- school is out at the end of March -- so they aren't doing a whole lot except studying. Night and day. The exams are going well so far, no major hiccups and they return from school each day and say, "oh that test was easy!" We'll see how their report cards turn out --  more on that on April 10!

In the meantime, we thought we'd share with you the brother and sister combinations at Karunya Mane. We have a few siblings, making for a nice family environment.

Arabia, Sadiq, Razak. Dad Rafiq suffers from health issues. Mom Azeez passed away a few years ago. 

Not related but just like siblings! From top clockwise: Shanti, Mamatha, Venkatesh, Thanmaye, Divya. 

Latha and Jyothi. Mom Lakshmi and Dad Lakshman lived on the streets for many years. The girls have never lived in a house. Mom and Dad now rent a small house. 

Devaraj and Harish. Mom Padma passed away in 2009. Dad Dorai Raj passed away many years ago, which put the kids and mom on the streets. 

Prema, Sumitra, and Mohan. Dad Gangadhara passed away a few years ago. Mom Kumari and the kids lived on the streets for many years. Mom now rents a small house. They are Latha's and Jyothi's cousins.

Not related but like brothers. From top: Raju, Adarsh, Venkatesh (again 'cuz he's so cute). 

Sharath, Pooja, Shwetha. Mom Manjula and Dad Raju, both from a slum, are separated. 

Shilpa, small Vishnu, Jeevan. Dad Mani passed away in December 2012. Mom Kamala continues to live in a gudisalu (sweeper's slum) in Mysore. 

Suma, Manjula, Renuka, Manu. Mom Shanti passed away a couple of years ago. They lived on the streets after dad abandoned them.

From top: Surya, Sowmya, Darshan. Mom Girija took good care of the kids even when they had no house. Dad Jayaram sometimes disappeared for months on end.  

Vinod, Netra, Swarana, Lalitha. Mom Uma and Dad Raju live in a slum and could barely feed their kids. 

Vijayalakshmi and Vinuta. Single mom Lakshmi lost her husband Satyanarana a few years ago and had difficulty raising her two very smart girls. 

Darshan and Umesh. Mom Kavita and Dad Rudra are separated, and used to live on the streets. The boys have never lived in a house. Mom now rents a house in a nearby village and works for us.

Pallavi and Vishnu. They lived with Mom Sushila and Dad Gururaj on the streets since birth. They are cousins of Darshan and Umesh and have never lived in a house. Mom and Dad now rent a small house.

Girls and karate

The girls had a karate test on the 24th of February, and did just great! Check out the photos from the event --

Manjula getting her orange belt; she started karate lessons at KM in 2010.

The girls (Arabia, Netra, Mamatha, Shweta, and Renuka) who got yellow belts. 

The KM girl's gang!

Pooja, promoted to a maroon belt.

Break time: Shwetha, Vijayalakshmi, Suma, Divya. 

Prema (front), the most advanced with a brown belt.

Shwetha, Renuka, and Vijayalakshmi going from white to yellow belts.

We are very proud that the girls enjoy their twice-weekly karate lessons and are learning the value of self-defense, particularly in India where violence against females is a major issue faced by women of all socio-economic classes.

Go girls!

If you're interested in supporting our girls with karate lessons, their lessons cost approximately Rs.800 or US$16 per week. Thank you!

...seen on a billboard (an education-oriented billboard!)

Outside its school property, St. Francis School installed a billboard featuring their top students---including our own Surya!

go Surya!

Puppies!

On Republic Day (January 26), the kids were invited to our next-door neighbors, the animal shelter People for Animals, for a flag raising ceremony.

While there, our two youngest boys found the litter of cute puppies.

Jeevan and the puppies 

Venkatesh and the puppies

We're not sure who's cuter, the boys or the adorable puppies!

Keith Maillard (1959-2013), proponent of our youth

It is with a heavy heart that Operation Shanti announces the passing of our Chairman and Head of Fundraising, Keith Maillard. Keith passed away suddenly at his home in Vermont on Saturday, February 2, 2013. A strong proponent for youth as keepers of the future, Keith was involved as an active volunteer with numerous not-for-profit organizations over the past 30 years, aiding countless at-risk and homeless youth. For Operation Shanti, Keith was more than willing and eager to provide his years of experience and knowledge to our grassroots efforts. Having been involved with Operation Shanti since the beginning, Keith was an integral part of the roots of Operation Shanti and played a key role in expanding our vision into what it is today. He will be deeply missed by the Operation Shanti family, who came to know Keith as just a really great guy and a good and sincere friend, and by all of those whose lives he touched.

Our new boy has a sponsor!

Just a quick update -- we just got a sponsor for Padmanabhu!

Dear sponsor, thank you so much! We can't adequately express our gratitude for the generosity that you have displayed for our newest little boy. If you are ever in Mysore, please let us know. I'm sure Padmanabhu would be tickled to meet you!

A new boy for Operation Shanti

Our newest boy at our children's home is Padmanabhu, a cute little 12-year-old boy from Mangalore, which is about a 10-hour trip from Mysore. Padmanabhu lost his dad and mom a few years ago, as well as his little sister Pallavi. Padmanabhu then went to live with his grandpa. Then, grandpa passed away last year and his relatives put him into a residential school in the area.

For some reason, the school decided he wasn't "fit" to be in their institution and asked the boy to leave. The relatives, who were reluctant to keep Padmanabhu with them, heard about our place in Mysore and asked if he could be admitted with us.

Sometimes, relatives who just don't want to bother with their nieces or nephews tell us all kinds of stories about why they can't keep a kid who has nobody else in his life. We really aren't sure why this happens but it happens frequently. In any event, we took Padmanabhu in at Karunya Mane because, obviously, he needs shelter and people to care for him.

At his old school, Padmanabhu was studying in 5th grade, but he'll likely start over in 3rd grade---this often happens if the kid's old school did not have a strong curriculum. We aren't concerned, Padmanabhu is an eager and very active child, and a few of our other kids have had to repeated a grade when they first come to KM---they are now excelling as students!

Padmanabhu going to school on Monday

Padmanabhu is adjusting well to life at KM, and sure does enjoy being with our 22 other boys. He's making fast friends with them, and started participating in our activities right away---karate on Sundays and Wednesdays with the other boys, and some yoga and chanting with a couple of volunteers this past Sunday.

If you'd like to sponsor Padmanabhu, please see our website: sponsor Padmanabhu!

Two New Kids -- Project Food and More

Project Food and More, our effort to assist children orphaned by HIV/AIDS with monthly care packages, added two new kids to the program (names have been changed for privacy reasons).

Dilip

Dilip, age 9, lives with his mom and grandmother in a two-room house in a slum area of Mysore. His dad, who was a truck driver, committed suicide a few months ago by drinking poison. Mom is quite distraught as she can barely support herself and her son, and she must now travel to Bangalore once a month to get Dilip's HIV medication -- second line therapy is only offered in Bangalore. 

Dilip is a very cute little boy, looks more like he's 6 years old, and sure does like to play with his friends in his neighborhood. 

Pooja

Pooja is a sweet 13-year-old girl studying in 8th grade in a slum area of Mysore. Her mother used to work as a housekeeper but cannot work now because of her health issues. Pooja and mom live in a tiny two-room rented house with her uncle, his wife, and their two children. Pooja's dad died five years ago from HIV. 

If you'd like to help Dilip and Pooja with monthly care packages, you can do so with a $25 (Rs.1200) donation at: Project Food and More Donation. Thank you!

Best (BEST!) Students in School

In our last post, we mentioned that two of our girls, Mamatha and Shilpa, were selected as the best students in their schools, Mamatha for Deepa Middle School (grades 5-7) and Shilpa from Deepa Primary School (grades 1-4).

Well, here they are, getting their awards at the recent school day program for Deepa School. Such excellent recognition for our two girls, who both come from such difficult backgrounds--as do all of our kids.

Shilpa 

Shilpa lived in a slum area of Mysore for seven years, until she came to Karunya Mane. She never attended school but was forced to stay home to take care of her little brothers when mom and dad went to work in the city, collecting paper and cardboard boxes to sell by weight. Shilpa came to KM a couple of years ago and started in 1st grade at Deepa School, and has gotten only A+s since. 

Shilpa's dad recently passed away, and she was very sad to see him go because they were close. Dad called for Shilpa often during the days before he died, and his kids got to see dad before he passed.

Mamatha

Mamatha came to KM a couple of years ago, after her mom died suddenly and very unexpectedly. She had a rough first two or three months as she adjusted to the new environment, after living with her mom for years in their little house. Now, she's fully integrated into KM and Deepa School and is consistently an outstanding student and really well-behaved girl.

Mamatha has a father but, after visiting her twice, he hasn't come to see her.

The award presenter in the photos is Mr. KM Puttu, an Officer in the Government Education Department.

SO many prizes!

About this time of year, the schools usually hold their School Day events, including games and contests among the students.

Twenty-five of our 34 kids enrolled at Deepa School won a total of 43 prizes! Here is the list of prizes won. Check out Prema with 4 prizes and Devaraj, Sharath, Vijayalakshmi, Manjula, and Suma with 3 each! Even little Adarsh was the fastest little froggie in his kindergarten class frog race!

Name	Grade	Contest	Prize
Vishnu	1st	Running	1st
Shilpa	2nd	Grouping the grain	1st
Jyothi	2nd	Recitation	1st
Pallavi	3rd	Lemon and spoon race	1st
Razak	3rd	Grouping the books	1st
Devaraj	4th	Sack race	2nd
		Grouping the bangles	2nd
		Janapada nruthya	2nd
Renuka	4th	Recitation	1st
Arabia	4th	Lemon and spoon race	2nd
Netra	4th	Recitation	2nd
Kartik	4th	Sack race	2nd
Shwetha	4th	Grouping the bangles	1st
Sadiq	4th	Drawing	1st
Prema	5th	Singing	2nd
		Pick and axe	2nd
		Throwball	1st
		Discipline and attendance	1st
Pooja	5th	Singing	2nd
		Throwball	2nd
Shanti	5th	Singing	2nd
		Throwball	1st
Mamatha	6th	Throwball	1st
Sharath	6th	Drawing	3rd
		Throwball	1st
		Ball throwing into the wicket	3rd
Vinod	6th	Singing	2nd
		Volleyball	2nd
Pavan	6th	Volleyball	2nd
Vijayalakshmi	5th	Dance	3rd
		Recitation	3rd
		Drawing	2nd
Divya	5th	Drawing	2nd
		Dance	3rd
Prajwal	6th	Singing	1st
		Drawing	1st
Adarsh	KG	Frog race	1st
Manjula	8th	Throwball	1st
		Running race	1st
		Lockie corner	1st
Suma	9th	Throwball	1st
		Shotput	1st
		Running race	2nd

We're so proud of them.

KM Kids at School with their Prizes

What the kids did on Christmas Day!

What they did on Christmas. See the latest photos here, and little Santa Surya -- 


http://flic.kr/s/aHsjDnX9Bs

December 2012 is here

...and the kids' good friend Adeline from Singapore is back, helping to decorate KM with fabulous Christmas painting and decorations!

...work in progress... 

Stay tuned for the final Christmas scene at KM, as decorations are underway.

On another fun note, two of our kids participated in the recent Deepa School dress-up competition. Thanmaye, in 2nd grade, dressed up as a "mom" in her Indian sari --

Thanmaye

Devaraj, 4th grade, dressed up as a poor old man who told his classmates about the importance of a good education (check out the posture!).

Devaraj

KM Boy and Girl of the Month - September, October, and November 2012

The boys and girls of the month at KM for September, October, and November are:

September - Shanti and Prajwal
October - Arabia and Razak
November - Arabia (two-time winner!) and Venkatesh

As their prize, Shanti, Prajwal, and Razak got to go to Anath's wedding in early November. Ananth is a good friend of our kids and arranges for them to go to summer camps every summer vacation. The three kids enjoyed their outing in Mysore, saw a fabulously glamorous wedding ceremony, and had a really yummy lunch! Arabia was unable to attend because she had a prior engagement working with the other 4th graders on an conversational English learning project with some friends from Chicago.

Razak, Prajwal, and Shanti (right) and Kruthi and Anath (bride and groom)

Little Venkatesh at the front of the line

Little Venkatesh has been with us now for almost a year, and he's attending St. Francis school in pre-KG. He grew up on the street with his grandma and we took him in at KM when he turned three years of age. He's very well behaved and quite healthy and strong, and loves to write on his little slate with chalk. Here he is waiting in line (first little boy in his blue uniform) to be taken to school in the morning.

Photo History...

Our photostream on Flickr -- from the beginning of our programs on the streets of Mysore to today.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/92971722@N05/

(cute) Brats? Meditating?

Nine boys at KM are from ages 4 to 7 and, yes, they are sometimes more than a handful.

Other times, they are calm and serene, and enjoy a moment of quiet meditation ... and yawning.