Monday, January 16, 2012
Look What I’ve Done, Ma’am
by Shari Levitin
Shari Levitin is a longtime Christel House supporter who recently fulfilled a dream of visiting a Christel House learning center. She traveled to Christel House India in December, and she wrote about her experience for us!
My excitement to come to India was tempered by my anxiety at seeing the
hopeless poverty. I was warned-- No matter how much a foreigner mentally
prepares, it’s painful to experience. The Christel House was our first
stop upon arriving in the bustling city of Bangalore: a safe haven for
children from the slums. A place where kids from the poorest of families
from the most impoverish conditions imaginable come to school.
“Look
at my badge, Ma’am” says a wide-eyed little boy. “Look what I won
today.” Swarms of children gather round us, chests out, heads held high.
They had just completed a sports competition. My traveling companion,
Lee, and I award the victorious in a grand ceremony. The pride, self
esteem and feeling of accomplishment felt by this little boy permeates
throughout Christel House.
I meet a young girl who shows me her
drawings. “Look what we’ve done here, Ma’am.” I see a room filled with
beautiful artwork: Colorful scenes of joy, fruit trees, animals. She
presents a life size mural on the wall that the older kids drew. No
hopelessness in sight. I meet a young man, the in-house videographer.
He, too, is proud. He runs his own department.
Later, we meet a
confident young women. She has been a student at Christel House for
eight years. She is studying science. “I am going to University, then I
am coming to America. I will visit you there, Ma’am.”
We try to leave. But the children hang on. “Look here.” “Look what I’ve done.” “See where I’m going?” “Will you stay, Ma’am? “
As I write this, I am flying over Mumbai looking at the miles of slums.
The shacks, the dearth. I no longer feel a sense of hopelessness. One
person can make a difference.
I might say to Christel Dehaan, “Look what you’ve done, Ma’am.”
Labels: Christel House India, India
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Education, Hard Work and Full Hearts
By Tracy Line
One of my responsibilities at Christel House was to write
student success stories. I interviewed
Christel House teachers, counselors and students. From this I learned that poverty is not
pretty. Instead the stories of the poor have
illness, despair, hunger, need and death laced into the plot line. And when you know the characters are real
people-you can’t help but be affected.
One student I interviewed survived being homeless and then
became an orphan. Still she managed to
work, go to school and care for her younger sister. She is now in college. A mother I interviewed told me about taking
the early morning bus to Christel House each week before work. Here she met her child’s teacher, who taught
her how to read. The mother wanted to be
able to help her child with his homework.
Another student lived in a neighborhood rife with crime. He was not
allowed to play outside; his parents feared gang members would prey on
him. The stories are heart wrenching but
because of Christel House, there is hope.
Students at Christel House overcome their obstacles not just
through education, but also through the love and guidance of the Christel House
staff. Teachers often work round the
clock, helping students with their daily needs.
Counselors work with the students’ entire families, giving them the life
skills they need to improve their situations.
Employees in Indianapolis work hard, really
hard, to ensure enough funds come in, so that the students can be supported
in every way necessary.
The results from all this hard work are amazing. Children who once had nothing become
productive citizens with bright futures.
Not to mention all the hearts along the way that have grown larger,
having been touched by the good works of this wonderful organization.
We thank you, Traci, for reminding us of these touching stories of the Christel House kids. Our work is making a difference, one child at a time!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Christel House Overview Video
Christel House is very grateful
to RCI and LenzWorks for producing this great video! I wish everyone
could visit a Christel House and see first-hand what our children are
accomplishing, but until you can do that, this video will give you a nice,
visual tour! Enjoy!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
A Daughter's Reflection
Kirsten DeHaan, the daughter of our founder, recently returned from visiting Christel House South Africa. After her experience, she was inspired to write the following:
Christel
House - the modern day 'Out Of Africa'. As seen in the original 1985 movie,
Meryl Streep plays the life of Karen Blixen, a Dane who is yearning for a new
way of life. She decides to marry and become a Baroness. Then to escape it all,
she and her husband purchase a plantation in Africa. The story continues with
Blixen adapting to her old and new life, by endlessly taking on all the duties
of running the plantation. As the movie progresses, you see Blixen's character
strengthen by planting seeds, engineering and constructing new ways of
production, and personally forts off lions, all in the name of protecting and
growing her plantation.
The
story continues in many directions, but perhaps the most impressive component
is Blixen's determination to protect and educate the native people of her
plantation. In her continual strive for betterment, Blixen has dialogues with
the tribal leader about teaching the native children how to read and write.
After many attempts, she was successful. Blixen then builds a school for the
children, and so begins the merging philosophies of tribal leader and
plantation owner. Christel DeHaan and Karen Blixen share many
commonalities. They both refuse to be stereotyped and forge their own destinies
while never giving up. Most importantly, they envision a future by planting
their own seeds in themselves and for others. As continually seen in the
film, Blixen believed in furthering humanity. DeHaan shares the same view,
fighting tirelessly as Blixen did against the status quo and for the right to
live, maintain and build for one's own future. To the modern day 'Out of
Africa,' shall this story to live on.
Labels: Christel DeHaan, South Africa
Thursday, December 1, 2011
From Indiana to India: A Teacher's Perspective
by Sarah McVey
Sarah McVey, originally from Indiana, has moved to Bangalore to teach Special Education at Christel House
India. She recently sent us an e-mail update about her time there thus
far. Here are some highlights from that letter:
I've had a great month and have settled into some routines
here. My life here is so different than I could have imagined and only now am I
realizing just how profoundly this experience is going to change my life. Yes,
I'm aware that is a fairly cliché thing to say, but it’s beyond the truth. The
connections I've made here, plus the awareness of myself, the culture I come
from, and the culture I'm immersed in have all come together for me in the past
four weeks and it’s quite unbelievable, actually.
Being invited into the home of an Indian colleague or friend
is one of the most blessed and enjoyable experiences I've had and it's the same
for nearly every household. Rich or poor; Hindu, Christian, or Muslim…you WILL
be warmly welcomed and EXTREMELY well fed. The things I enjoy are the things
that can only be considered acceptable in India: eating on the floor with a large
banana leaf for a plate and not a single utensil except your HAND, or having an
open political/religious conversation which is rarely linked to emotions but
rather can be discussed openly without feeling the other party is making a
personal attack…
I'm feeling more and more (as "I Feel Home" by
O.A.R. comes onto my iPod) at home in India. Not that I'll want to stay forever
but that my life won't be the same if I get back stateside and never return to
my darling India…
Labels: Christel House India, India, Indiana, Volunteer
Monday, November 21, 2011
WRTV's "Living Generously" profiles Christel DeHaan
A great story from our friends at RTV6 (WRTV - Indianapolis) profiling
Christel House founder, Christel DeHaan, in their series about women in
Indianapolis who are "Living Generously."
Labels: Academy, Christel DeHaan, Christel House, Christel House Academy, Indianapolis, Living Generously, WRTV
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty...I have done it!
My story is not very different from thousands of students who go to Christel House every year.
When I joined Christel House in Bangalore in the year 2001, I was excited about going to a school, making new friends, colorful classrooms, vivid lessons, learning life skills, very patient teachers and equally supportive parents. It gave me hope that I will not have to be a guard, like my father with a shoe string income of Rs. 3,500/- for a family of five of us. Every passing year, the determination to break the cycle of poverty grew stronger. I knew that Christel House had given all of us the ladder to leap out of the compromised environment in which we were born and raised all these years. We had to earn respect and this was our opportunity.
Ten years have passed. I have graduated with 66 other students from Christel House in June 2011. The school today has 916 students compared to 320 when it started in Bangalore.
Christel House hasn’t stopped mentoring us. We were the first to benefit from the Work Study Program that was launched around the same time as we were graduating this year. While some students have taken up further professional courses, Degree courses, Vocational training courses some have got into the corporate sector taking up respectable jobs.
I work with Transguard Group LLC in Dubai. While I am part of the procurement department (corporate service dealing with business units and the suppliers), Anil, another colleague from Christel House, is working with the property and logistics (transport and accommodation) team.
Thank you Christel House, management and staff. You gave me the formula to break the cycle of poverty....I have done it. I will continue to update you on my progress as it truly is Christel House's progress and success.
Vinodh Jagadeesh
