2014 – 50: Photo of the Year Nominations

Before jumping to the nominations for Photo of the Year, reflections from 2014 highlight both cultural differences and connections. The following postings generated substantial dialogue.

Visiting BJP headquarters the day after Narendra Modi was elected Prime Minister amazed my Indian colleagues. “Something I’d never do” was the frequent comment.

The Labor Day posting was a huge eye-opener for Americans, creating appreciation for their own work environments.

Facilities labeling created quite a stir across cultures which prompted many people to send additional examples, including this signage with a statement.

The outpouring of affection for Dan emanating from two continents is testament to the depth of his character and ability to connect with people.

The efforts of Sam Singh warmed hearts everywhere with his “anti-poverty” Pardada Pardadi School in Uttar Pradesh. Everyone recognized his genuine desire to uplift society.

But the post generating the most feedback by far did not take place in India, nor this century. The USA 1989 American tour truly struck a chord with readers everywhere creating desires to replicate this journey across all 50 states.

And now, here are the nominations for Photo of the Year. Select your top 5 favorite photos. The winner will be announced next week.

#1 Waves: These school girls bring smiles with each viewing of our viral video.

#2 Ajanta Cave: Completely carved by hand through solid rock by Buddhist monks some 2000 years ago.

#3 Rafting the Ganges: This holiest of rivers provided an exhilarating ride.

#4 Modi wins! I will always remember the overwhelming joy on this street corner, less than 24 hours after Modi’s historic, landslide victory in May. One of my all-time highlights in India.

#5 Roy G. Biv: Kayla and her senior friends at a pre-graduation “Saree not Sorry” celebration.

#6 Senior jump: Delhi’s iconic India Gate served as the background for this post-graduation “jump for joy.”

#7 Spare tires: Delivery included.

#8 Deep: The answer to the question, “I wonder how deep that puddle is?”

#9 Local train: “Packed like sardines” is the only way to describe Mumbai’s mass transit.

#10 Lawn Care: Teamwork is essential.

#11 Experience: This woman has seen much, and clearly remembers British rule.

#12 Ramadan sunset: Awaiting the moment to break the fast.

#13 Pedi-cabs: No waiting for customers.

#14 Tri-color pride: The concern of this security guard did not hinder my sprint toward the Pakistani border.

#15 Golden Temple: The holiest of holy temples in the Sikh religion.

#16 Sikh boys: Blending in with the locals in Amritsar.

#17 Horn please: Artistic trucks with a message are uniquely Indian.

#18 Bricks: How do you like your job?

#19 School bus: Pedal power gets these kids to / from school each day.

#20 Biking to school: Holding on is instinctive.

#21 No limits (4-5-6): Only three motorcycles are required to transport 15 people.

#22 Mobile salesman: Shifting to new, hot-selling locations is quick and easy.

#23 Tirupati: We paid our respects to Lord Venkateswara (aka Lord Balaji).

#24 Dusshera: I received blessings for a happy and long life.

#25 Sunrise over the Himalayas: A sight to behold.

#26 Top of the world: This is the third highest point on planet earth.

#27 Diwali Diyas: Symbolizing good over evil.

#28 Facility labeling – Monkeys: Brings a smile to the face every time.

#29 Men’s facility: This trajectory is ambitious.

#30 Rhinos: It was like looking at live dinosaurs.

#31 Rhino spotting from elephant: We watched in amazement as this 2 ½ ton vegetarian ate her breakfast.

#32 Wedding drone: The Barat at this wedding was covered from every angle.

#33 Exams: Did you have desks and chairs at your school?

#34 Cafeteria: Not a speck of food is wasted as nearly 1,300 girls are fed here three times a day.

#35 The future: The Pardada Pardadi School is committed to making the world a better place.

Please select your top 5 photos from the 35 nominees above and post your choices on the blog, or send via email. Results will be announced next week. Merry Christmas! ts

 

2014 – 49: Pardada Pardadi School

 

With 1.2 billion people, India is a study of extremes. There is immense wealth surrounded by endless poverty (more than you can imagine). Meet Sam Singh. One man who’s trying to make a difference.

Sam is a retired multi-national CEO who we met through our mutual friend Roxey. He was born and raised here 4 hours east of Delhi in Anupshahr, Uttar Pradesh, one of the poorest areas of India. On the day of his retirement 14 years ago, he made a commitment to break the continuous cycle of poverty here in his village.

Envisioned and built from scratch by Sam and his team, the Pardada Pardadi School is now educating nearly 1,300 girls, six days a week, 52 weeks a year. Realizing that education isn’t enough, the approach is more holistic, encompassing health, social skills, vocation and rural development, thus the school name (translation: “Grandfather Grandmother”).

Why girls? India’s culture is so predominately male-centric that women are often left behind (which is most prevalent in the villages).

Once the school doors first opened, parents were the biggest obstacle with the fear: “How will my daughter get married?”

Parents would rather their daughters learn traditional chores including collecting fire wood, cutting grass and molding cow dung patties — by hand — for cooking fuel (note: this photo was taken at a nearby village).  

To convince the parents, the school pays each girl 10 Rupees per day for attendance in lower grades (16 cents) which increase to 15 Rupees in high school. Seniors typically graduate with a bank account of about 40,000 INR ($650). The funds are applied to higher studies including nursing, software engineering and hotel management.

With the aid of corporate sponsors, the school is teaching vocational skills, including textile manufacturing, where the girls are paid per piece.

A call center on campus handles ticket sales for popular stage shows in Gurgaon at KoD.

They follow international service level standards including the 80/20 rule (80% of the calls answered in 20 seconds or less).

Bright-eyed, smiling, curious and eager to engage with us, the girls have visions of the future that are far removed from their heritage.

Positive messages (written by the girls) are reinforced throughout the school grounds…

… including this one. The school proudly notes they’ve had five love marriages, thus breaking a time-honored tradition of parentally arranged matrimony (the question mark reveals the uncertainty of achievement).

Centuries-old traditions are difficult to change. 20% of the girls are Muslim, and 98% of them are pulled from school upon puberty. They then spend two years learning the Koran and are married.

The goal is clear.

Please read this message. How does this compare with your schooling?

Meal preparation is quite structured. A team of 15 girls rotates each month to manage the process.

This multi-purpose courtyard also serves as the school cafeteria….

… with assembly-line efficiency…

… to feed every girl three times a day (breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack) — always vegetarian.

The sounds of clinking spoons against metal plates nearly drowns out the excited lunch-time chatter.  

Not a speck of food is wasted.

Then in organized fashion…

… each girl washes her own plate…

… and they’re stacked for the next cycle.

These two girls led the classroom in a song about hygiene (brushing hair, washing face, brushing teeth).

When it comes to learning English, Dr. Seuss works worldwide.

Old computers donated by the U.S. Embassy some 8 years ago fill the computer lab (as you can see, “Mr. iPad” user was stymied by this machine which pre-dates him).

The visiting volunteer doctor keeps the girls healthy. He reports that 100% of entering kindergarteners have intestinal worms, iron deficiencies and some form of skin disease, all of which is treated with medications and vitamins.  

Girls in 5^th, 8^th, 10^th and 12^th grades are currently taking their state exams which allows advancement to the next grade. The school’s pass rate is 100%, and in first division as well.

The numbers: Nearly 1,300 students hail from 64 different villages. 134 people run the school — including teachers, staff and administrators — which is currently funded by 4 corporate sponsors, and 150 other financial supporters. There are also 15 boys in attendance (up to 5^th grade). The parents refused to let their girls attend unless the boys were included.

Public electricity is typically available about 8 hours a day, but no one can predict which 8 hours it will be, thus the school relies on its own generator for power.

We also visited a nearby village where within 5 blocks live some 500 families comprised of 4000 people from the Kanjar caste (the lowest in Hindu hierarchy). Sam installed a toilet / bathing facility in their community to incentivize school attendance.

He also provides solar powered lamps to girls for each day in school, and yet after four years of continuous incentives, attendance from this caste is dwindling. Sam is perplexed, but is determined to crack the code.

Side bar story: At the direction of their fathers, Muslim girls refused to eat once Kanjar caste girls began working in the kitchen. As pork is taboo in Islam and the Kanjar caste is known for raising pigs, friction ensued. Resolution was achieved by assuring everyone’s hands would be scrubbed clean prior to entering the kitchen.

Note: The caste system was legally abolished upon India’s independence in 1947, however socially, the caste system is just as strong today in rural India (where 80% of the nation’s population resides) as it was 67 years ago 

At another village, we toured this home which was built from the garment wages earned by the daughters…

… including their toilet.

At this village home, cow dung is spread like concrete — by hand — to create a smooth patio surface.

The women of this community have learned the 7 best practices for improving milk production and are thus slowly gaining more empowerment within their homes.

Back to the school, there are 18 holidays — 16 of them religious – encompassing Hinduism, Islam and Christianity.

School’s out! Girls who live within 2 km walk home…

… while those within 2-6 km use bicycles…

… and girls beyond 6 km take the bus…

… where everyone is tightly packed.

The school is thriving with endless energy which undoubtedly fuels the passion and commitment of the dedicated staff. Sam describes the school as an “anti-poverty model” which can be applied anywhere. Learn more about Pardada Pardadi at www.education4change.org

Don’t miss the bonus photos below, as well as next week’s blog featuring “Photo of the Year” nominations. ts

Meet some of the girls from Pardada Pardadi School.

 

2014 – 48: Auspicious wedding season

 
This is a highly auspicious time of year with wedding season in full swing.

It’s the lunar calendar that guides Hindu priests in determining the optimal time for marriage. The season will end in mid-December, and reopen again in late January.  I will have attended six weddings within the past two months.  

75% of marriages are arranged in India with heavy parental involvement which is now aided by technology.  

For refining the search on this marriage web site, a choice of ten religions and 67 languages are offered including Ladakhi, Assamese, and Telugu.

Wedding invitations can be quite elaborate and sometimes include almonds and sweets.

After surfing a marriage web site, Shivam selected his first profile of interest, met her three times and the decision was done. He and Richa were married within a few months. Here Shivam is arriving on horseback known as the Barat.

Just in front of the horse, wedding attendees dance to the rhythm of live music, driven by a continuous beat from drummers. It can take an hour or more to travel just a few meters.    

Upon arrival at the venue, “sisters” block the entrance, requiring the groom to negotiate his own admittance.

Aruna’s wedding was a 4-day event. In this pre-wedding ceremony, dancers entertained the crowd (seated on cushions).

The actual wedding ceremony took place on a Monday evening (the auspicious date selected by the priest). The nose ring is a clip-on and quite painful (Aruna removed hers after 30 minutes).

Vasudha was married on a Tuesday night…

… as was Swati B… the exact same evening. We shuttled between the two venues to attend both weddings (this is the garland exchange).

Sunday, December 7, was selected as Swati K’s auspicious day.  Photographers covered the Barat from all angles, which included a camera-mounted drone helicopter.

Tea was served (which was transported to guests very efficiently)

The women gather the night prior to apply Mehndi. The henna ink will stay visible for about a week.

 
Families will save for years in preparation for a wedding, with gold jewelry a key component.

The bride was ushered to the stage under a protective umbrella to keep away the evil spirits

This was a storybook wedding.

 
I was told some two years ago that “India is a country of marriage.” It’s more than two people getting married, it’s two families – and with a deep sense of commitment. Enjoy your week. ts