Friday, 2 April 2010
India launches biometric survey
I think of the child I sponsor through Project Mala when I hear on the BBC news that India is launching a new census in which every person aged over 15 will be photographed and fingerprinted to create a biometric national database. The government will then use the information to issue identity cards. Apparently officials will spend a year classifying India's population of around 1.2 billion people according to gender, religion, occupation and education. Although this exercise takes place every 10 years this is the first time a biometric element has been included. It is also the first time that information about the use of the internet and the availability of drinking water and toilets in each household will be recorded. The BBC reports that over the next year, some 2.5 million census officials will visit households in more than 7,000 towns and 600,000 villages.
From the information Project Mala passed on to me I know that the child I sponsor is under 15 so she will not be included in this survey but her parents and older siblings will be. I have also been given some details about where she lives. From this information I gained an insight into what life may be like for her, living in mud rooms, with no electricity, relying on the village handpump for water. The family own two cows.
Making life easier for sponsors
I have received an email from the Project Mala team letting me know that they have been working hard to improve how sponsors such as me receive information about the children they sponsor. In some ways I am surprised to receive this message as I have not had any difficulty finding information about the girl I sponsor through Project Mala. When I first became a sponsor I was given a user name and password, and it was explained to me that this would allow me to access information about the child I sponsor. School reports are posted on the Project Mala website so all I had to do to find out about her progress was visit the Project Mala website, enter my user name and password in the ‘Sponsor login’ box on the homepage and check for updates.
One of the new features is that Project Mala will be able to notify sponsors when any new information or picture of the sponsored child is loaded into your login, rather than the sponsor have to keep checking.
One of the new features is that Project Mala will be able to notify sponsors when any new information or picture of the sponsored child is loaded into your login, rather than the sponsor have to keep checking.
Felicity Kendal opens Indian carpet exhibition
I was interested to find a short article about a carpet exhibition opened by one of Project Mala’s patrons, Felicity Kendal CBE.
The fact that this event took place several years ago makes me realise that Project Mala is a charity that must have dedicated and hard-working people involved who are committed to achieving everything possible for the cause they work for. To think I can support this for 30p per day seems amazing to me and something I can recommend to others.
Fair Trade Fortnight
Media reports and displays in shops remind me that Fairtrade Fortnight, the annual campaign to celebrate and promote fair and ethical trading values is fast-approaching. It prompts me to think about the fair trade aspect of Project Mala.
During my initial look at the Project Mala website I noticed that the project’s patrons include Sir Mark Tully KBE. I know he has written several books about India, was BBC’s India correspondent for 22 years and is now a freelance journalist and broadcaster based in New Delhi. I have heard him referred to as “the voice of India”. So when I notice his name I am interested to read what he has to say.
I came across an article where Sir Mark looks at what a buyer gets when they buy products that bear a fair trade label. Perhaps potential consumers like me think that purchasing a product with some sort of fair trade label means the item has been produced without treating the producers unfairly. But Sir Mark Tully points out that “fair trade organisations are only as good as their understanding of the situation where their products are made and their ability to keep an eye on what goes on there.” He goes onto explain that the Indian carpet industry is particularly difficult to monitor yet an organisation called Rugmark Foundation India says it has a system with a certification trademark which assures importers and buyers that carpets with this label have been manufactured / exported by a company which has committed itself to work without illegal child labour and which is subject to an effective surveillance mechanism. Sir Mark’s experience is that looms for carpet weaving are mostly situated in homes in remote villages making thorough inspection unrealistic.
As Project Mala works with children in the carpet weaving belt of India I am curious to find out more. I discover that Project Mala is not about stopping children from working. It is about ensuring the children have an opportunity to receive an education. The two are not mutually exclusive. And just because it may not be the norm in England for children to make a financial contribution to their family income, it is important to realise and respect what works for another culture. Hence the products available to buy from Mala Carpets – Mala Handicrafts Ltd, a subsidiary of the registered charity Project Mala do not display one of the fair trade labels which people may be familiar with but customers can be assured that any profit Mala Handicrafts makes, goes to Project Mala to fund their schools programme.
During my initial look at the Project Mala website I noticed that the project’s patrons include Sir Mark Tully KBE. I know he has written several books about India, was BBC’s India correspondent for 22 years and is now a freelance journalist and broadcaster based in New Delhi. I have heard him referred to as “the voice of India”. So when I notice his name I am interested to read what he has to say.
I came across an article where Sir Mark looks at what a buyer gets when they buy products that bear a fair trade label. Perhaps potential consumers like me think that purchasing a product with some sort of fair trade label means the item has been produced without treating the producers unfairly. But Sir Mark Tully points out that “fair trade organisations are only as good as their understanding of the situation where their products are made and their ability to keep an eye on what goes on there.” He goes onto explain that the Indian carpet industry is particularly difficult to monitor yet an organisation called Rugmark Foundation India says it has a system with a certification trademark which assures importers and buyers that carpets with this label have been manufactured / exported by a company which has committed itself to work without illegal child labour and which is subject to an effective surveillance mechanism. Sir Mark’s experience is that looms for carpet weaving are mostly situated in homes in remote villages making thorough inspection unrealistic.
As Project Mala works with children in the carpet weaving belt of India I am curious to find out more. I discover that Project Mala is not about stopping children from working. It is about ensuring the children have an opportunity to receive an education. The two are not mutually exclusive. And just because it may not be the norm in England for children to make a financial contribution to their family income, it is important to realise and respect what works for another culture. Hence the products available to buy from Mala Carpets – Mala Handicrafts Ltd, a subsidiary of the registered charity Project Mala do not display one of the fair trade labels which people may be familiar with but customers can be assured that any profit Mala Handicrafts makes, goes to Project Mala to fund their schools programme.
Communication from Joan
I received an email today from Joan, the part-time secretary/accountant at Project Mala, explaining there had been a technical hitch with my payments. As with all communication I have received from Project Mala, Joan has been kind, efficient and courteous but I feel awful that I have not noticed this problem. Within a couple of emails everything is sorted out and I am left feeling reassured that everything is working properly and genuinely appreciated as an individual sponsor.
Indian Winter on Channel 4
Channel 4 have been running a series of programmes about India and I have tried to make sure I catch sight of a couple as I am always interested to try and learn more about India. Seeing programmes such as ‘Gordon’s Great Escape’, where Gordon Ramsey discovered the diversity of Indian cuisine, ‘Slumming It’ where Kevin McCloud spent time with people in Mumbai and the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ makes me think about the children that Project Mala works with. Although I realise that the children Project Mala works with are not in the same situation as those shown in the slums of Mumbai it nonetheless reminds me that the lives of the children in India are very different from the lives of children in England. 
Other sponsors
Another way for me – and you - to find out about Project Mala is by reading reports from other sponsors. I came across a great description by Aline Dobbie who has been a Project Mala supporter for many years.
See for yourself NOW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yA1dR0VcWI Just follow this link and see for yourself, from the comfort of where you are now, Project Mala at work. Five minutes of footage I found incredible and inspiring…don’t you agree?
First impressions
Having been impressed already with what I had seen on the website I have continued to be impressed since becoming a sponsor. Messages from the two-part-time staff the Project employs are prompt, polite and professional ~ yet warm too, giving a very personal impression of people who genuinely care about the work they do and appreciate the importance of not taking anyone, including any sponsor, for granted.
Another nice surprise was a message on my answer-machine from Project Mala’s Chairman, Robin Garland asking if I was happy with being a sponsor so far. I was flabbergasted but impressed and delighted to receive such a message. If only other organisations took the time and trouble to value its customers / supporters I thought.
It was lovely to receive Christmas greetings from Project Mala. I can think of nothing nicer to see at Christmas than a picture of some of the Project’s children and the bikes the project has provided them with to get to school. As a sponsor it made me feel included in the Project’s work and not forgotten once I had ‘signed on the dotted line’ to become a sponsor. The enclosed Newsletter updated me on recent work of the Project. I really enjoy reading about the lives of some of the children Project Mala is working with and seeing some pictures.
This newsletter also has a picture of a sponsor with their child at a Project Mala school. The project encourages all sponsors to visit schools and see the child they sponsor in class. Maybe this is something I will do one day. I also enjoy reading in the newsletter about the innovative and pragmatic ways Project Mala works. For example it was noticed that none of the children at Mala schools wore glasses. It was not possible for the children to go to an optician so the teachers have been trained to carry out a simple eye test to help establish which of the children have an eye problem. I feel sincerely grateful to Project Mala for their hard work with the children and for giving me this opportunity to be involved in some small way. I look forward to finding out more about Project Mala in 2010.
Another nice surprise was a message on my answer-machine from Project Mala’s Chairman, Robin Garland asking if I was happy with being a sponsor so far. I was flabbergasted but impressed and delighted to receive such a message. If only other organisations took the time and trouble to value its customers / supporters I thought.
It was lovely to receive Christmas greetings from Project Mala. I can think of nothing nicer to see at Christmas than a picture of some of the Project’s children and the bikes the project has provided them with to get to school. As a sponsor it made me feel included in the Project’s work and not forgotten once I had ‘signed on the dotted line’ to become a sponsor. The enclosed Newsletter updated me on recent work of the Project. I really enjoy reading about the lives of some of the children Project Mala is working with and seeing some pictures.
This newsletter also has a picture of a sponsor with their child at a Project Mala school. The project encourages all sponsors to visit schools and see the child they sponsor in class. Maybe this is something I will do one day. I also enjoy reading in the newsletter about the innovative and pragmatic ways Project Mala works. For example it was noticed that none of the children at Mala schools wore glasses. It was not possible for the children to go to an optician so the teachers have been trained to carry out a simple eye test to help establish which of the children have an eye problem. I feel sincerely grateful to Project Mala for their hard work with the children and for giving me this opportunity to be involved in some small way. I look forward to finding out more about Project Mala in 2010.
What happened next?
So, having read through the web pages I decided that Project Mala was the charity through which I wanted to sponsor a child. The procedure for doing so seemed comprehensive and secure although simple and straight forward, even in these days of being used to doing most things at the touch of a button.
Although it was nice to be given the option of selecting a child from a picture I decided I was happy for the selection to be made randomly on my behalf by Project Mala although I did make the decision that I would like to sponsor a female child.
I chose to sponsor a child by completing the short and simple application form online and selected payment through paypal, although downloading a form and paying by credit card or standing order were other options offered to me.
Within moments it was done and I received a prompt and warm acknowledgement from Caroline, Project Mala’s Sponsorship Secretary letting me know that my account had been set up and a password already sorted for me. Caroline also sent me lots of information about the child I would be sponsoring, a couple of photographs of the child and a copy of 'Mala News', the Project’s latest Newsletter.
I chose to sponsor a child by completing the short and simple application form online and selected payment through paypal, although downloading a form and paying by credit card or standing order were other options offered to me.
Within moments it was done and I received a prompt and warm acknowledgement from Caroline, Project Mala’s Sponsorship Secretary letting me know that my account had been set up and a password already sorted for me. Caroline also sent me lots of information about the child I would be sponsoring, a couple of photographs of the child and a copy of 'Mala News', the Project’s latest Newsletter.
Frequently asked questions
The concerns I had before starting a sponsorship arrangement related to practical issues and I’m pleased to say Project Mala has been able to assure me of all of these. I’ve noted below some of the thoughts I had in case you are considering sponsorship and have similar queries:
What if the amount of sponsorship requested is more than I feel I could afford?
With Project Mala you can sponsor a child for just £9 a month ~ that’s just 30p per day.
What if my circumstances change?
Before checking the FAQ section of the Project Mala website, a query I had always had about child sponsorship arrangements was the length of the commitment. I worried about ‘signing up’ to something that could become difficult if my circumstances change. But as a Project Mala sponsor you are only committed for as long as you want to be. Sponsorships can be terminated at any time, without affecting the sponsored child receiving education in Project Mala schools.
How demanding will the arrangement become?
Another concern I had was how demanding the arrangement could become ~ both in terms of time and emotional involvement. I had heard of charities that encourage or require sponsors to exchange letters with their sponsored child. Project Mala’s way of working appealed to me because there is no facility for exchanging letters with the child you sponsor but you are given information about the individual child you sponsor as well as updates about Project Mala’s work as a whole. A sponsor receives information about the physical and academic profile of the child, details of their family and home then updates about the child’s progress. Project Mala’s explanation for this way of working, displayed in the faq section of their website, satisfied me as being sensible and sensitive to all concerned.
How difficult will it be to set up?
So far Project Mala sounded as if it was the perfect child sponsorship arrangement for me. All I was left to wonder was how difficult it would be to set up? The answer was not difficult at all….
What if the amount of sponsorship requested is more than I feel I could afford?
With Project Mala you can sponsor a child for just £9 a month ~ that’s just 30p per day.
What if my circumstances change?
Before checking the FAQ section of the Project Mala website, a query I had always had about child sponsorship arrangements was the length of the commitment. I worried about ‘signing up’ to something that could become difficult if my circumstances change. But as a Project Mala sponsor you are only committed for as long as you want to be. Sponsorships can be terminated at any time, without affecting the sponsored child receiving education in Project Mala schools.
How demanding will the arrangement become?
Another concern I had was how demanding the arrangement could become ~ both in terms of time and emotional involvement. I had heard of charities that encourage or require sponsors to exchange letters with their sponsored child. Project Mala’s way of working appealed to me because there is no facility for exchanging letters with the child you sponsor but you are given information about the individual child you sponsor as well as updates about Project Mala’s work as a whole. A sponsor receives information about the physical and academic profile of the child, details of their family and home then updates about the child’s progress. Project Mala’s explanation for this way of working, displayed in the faq section of their website, satisfied me as being sensible and sensitive to all concerned.
How difficult will it be to set up?
So far Project Mala sounded as if it was the perfect child sponsorship arrangement for me. All I was left to wonder was how difficult it would be to set up? The answer was not difficult at all….
An explanation: how did I find out about it and why did I decide to do it?
So what prompted me to become a Project Mala sponsor? Well I have been considering – and then intending – to set up some sort of arrangement to sponsor a child for a while. The ads on tv, the reports to be read in a newspaper, even an appeal at a concert I attended all persuaded me of the significant difference that can be made through supporting charities which work hard to help children who don’t have the opportunities that children in this country have. But I wanted to find a charity which would
(i) ‘tick the boxes’ of my particular areas of interest
(ii) reassure me that my money would be well-spent and
(iii) allay any concerns I had about starting a sponsorship arrangement.
Project Mala met all three of these criteria ~ I’ll explain how later. But first, how did my search begin?
Aware that there is a ‘choice’ of child sponsorship arrangements I decided that I wanted my search to find one which addressed education. Education was an important factor in my choice partly because I have read about – and believe in – the empowerment of education. And partly because education has been so important in making a difference in my life that I like to find ways of supporting access to education. Another factor that was an interest for me was the setting: India. I have not travelled much but I wanted to go to India. I was lucky to go there for a short holiday. I enjoyed the trip immensely and was impressed with many things about India, not least the children who always seemed to be polite, pleasant, hard-working and keen to learn.
How did I find Project Mala? For me it was the result of a google search. I think I typed into the search engine ‘child sponsor, India, education”. I read through the website of Project Mala carefully. It was easy to do so because the information is well-laid out and I found navigating around the different parts of the website was very user-friendly. Already I was realising – and impressed by – the effectiveness of what this organisation does. I was not put off by the fact that they are not one of the large charities who advertise on TV or enclose flyers in newspapers. Far from it, I felt even more inclined to support a charity that has supported thousands of children through its six schools.
I guess I am not alone when giving money to a charity that I hope that it will be well-spent, used for positive and not negative outcomes. Having worked in the charity sector myself for a number of years I have sometimes been dismayed with what I have seen or heard about what organisations do. Therefore efficient and effective use of donations is not something I take for granted. I was really impressed when I read that Project Mala UK administrative costs are for just two part-time employees. I found the list of what each sponsored child receives and the summary of the project’s achievements extremely impressive. I was also reassured when I read about the patrons who are connected with this charity as well as the comments made by independent people.
(i) ‘tick the boxes’ of my particular areas of interest
(ii) reassure me that my money would be well-spent and
(iii) allay any concerns I had about starting a sponsorship arrangement.
Project Mala met all three of these criteria ~ I’ll explain how later. But first, how did my search begin?
Aware that there is a ‘choice’ of child sponsorship arrangements I decided that I wanted my search to find one which addressed education. Education was an important factor in my choice partly because I have read about – and believe in – the empowerment of education. And partly because education has been so important in making a difference in my life that I like to find ways of supporting access to education. Another factor that was an interest for me was the setting: India. I have not travelled much but I wanted to go to India. I was lucky to go there for a short holiday. I enjoyed the trip immensely and was impressed with many things about India, not least the children who always seemed to be polite, pleasant, hard-working and keen to learn.
How did I find Project Mala? For me it was the result of a google search. I think I typed into the search engine ‘child sponsor, India, education”. I read through the website of Project Mala carefully. It was easy to do so because the information is well-laid out and I found navigating around the different parts of the website was very user-friendly. Already I was realising – and impressed by – the effectiveness of what this organisation does. I was not put off by the fact that they are not one of the large charities who advertise on TV or enclose flyers in newspapers. Far from it, I felt even more inclined to support a charity that has supported thousands of children through its six schools.
I guess I am not alone when giving money to a charity that I hope that it will be well-spent, used for positive and not negative outcomes. Having worked in the charity sector myself for a number of years I have sometimes been dismayed with what I have seen or heard about what organisations do. Therefore efficient and effective use of donations is not something I take for granted. I was really impressed when I read that Project Mala UK administrative costs are for just two part-time employees. I found the list of what each sponsored child receives and the summary of the project’s achievements extremely impressive. I was also reassured when I read about the patrons who are connected with this charity as well as the comments made by independent people.
An introduction
Hello I’m Helen. I recently became a Project Mala sponsor, which means I make a small donation each month to a charity that works with children in India. Sponsoring a child in some way is something I have wanted to do for a while and I hope it will prove to be interesting as well as worthwhile. So I thought I would use this blog to let people know about my experience. I also hope that this blog may encourage readers to get involved with Project Mala ….there are various ways to do so. There is a lot of clear, concise and comprehensive information about Project Mala on their website (www.projectmala.org.uk) as well as some wonderful photos! I don’t want to duplicate that information, so this blog is an insight from a new sponsor’s perspective. I hope you will follow my journey and get in touch with any questions or comments you have.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)