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By Natasha Khanna, September 6, 2010 7:00 pm

Natasha Khanna, new She's the First guest blogger, volunteering at the Shanti Bhavan school in India

[Editor's Note: We are proud to introduce you to our new guest blogger, Natasha Khanna, who until last week, lived in NYC where she worked in the field of crisis public relations. She quit her job to travel to India and work with the Shanti Bhavan Children's Project, a school in the She's the First directory, where you can support girls' sponsorships. She will continue the blogging started by Shreya Bhatt, who volunteered during the summer. She will blog regularly about life at the school, especially pertaining to girls. Give Natasha a welcome in the comments!]

Namaste from rural Tamil Nadu, India, She’s the First!

I am so excited to be sharing my experiences with you over the next few months from Shanti Bhavan, a home and exceptional school located in rural Tamil Nadu, India, for the region’s most socially and economically disadvantaged children. The school follows a completely unique and innovative model of combating poverty, educating the poor and fighting social injustice. Admitting students at the age of four, Shanti Bhavan provides a holistic, high quality education until the age of 17 free of cost, and afterwards, funds college education for its students.

Over the next few months, I hope to help you feel like you’re experiencing the same things that I am, and interacting directly with all of these amazing children. I’ve only been here for 4 days so far, but already can’t imagine leaving them come December.

For my first post, I wanted to share with you the morning prayer that the children of Shanti Bhavan recite daily alongside the staff and teachers. The school is non-sectarian, but the inclusive prayer urges students to commit themselves to contributing to their communities and humanity, and to maintain a peaceful outlook on life. This prayer is particularly touching to me because, having come from India’s lowest caste, the children of Shanti Bhavan have not always been recipients of the generosity and peacefulness that the school is now instilling in them.

“God, Creator of the Universe, help us remember that you are present in each one of us. May we respect each other and be tolerant of our differences. May we be good and caring towards each other. May the teachings of all the great world religions direct our thoughts and actions. Grant that we may be spiritual in our interaction and zealous in our work and play. Help us to discover different ways to serve our fellow humanity. Guide us to discover the treasure hidden in each one of us, and to uphold what is right, cherish what is beautiful, and revere what is divine. As we journey through each day of our lives, give us the grace to accept whatever you have in store for us. Be with us in our joy and sorrow. Help us to build Shanti Bhavan into a haven of peace and let the peace touch the lives of all we meet. We salute the divine in each other. Namaste.”

For my next post, I hope to provide a video or some photos of some of the girls performing dances in honor of their mentors for Teachers’ Day, which took place on September 4th. As Shreya previously wrote, Shanti Bhavan’s holistic education approach includes a focus on the arts; I can’t wait to share the students’ talents! Also please feel free to let me know what you would like me to report on from on-campus — I am open to any and all ideas, and hope to have a few of my own after I begin teaching on Monday!

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By Shreya Bhatt, July 27, 2010 4:25 pm

[Editor's Note: Our summer guest blogger who is volunteering at the Shanti Bhavan Children's School in India, Shreya Bhatt, updates us with a video. This school is co-ed, as you can see, but you can fundraise for sponsorships and request to support a girl!]

Last Thursday, Shanti Bhavan held its annual Field Day, where all students of grade two and up participated at various stations that tested their athletic skills.

The children were divided into the four Harry Potter houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin), and each student competed against each other, irrespective of grade. In essence, the spirit of cooperation and competition at Shanti Bhavan was unequivocally displayed on Field Day 2010. Take a peek!

[Editor's Note: This could be you volunteering with the kids next summer! Shanti Bhavan has a great volunteer program, and if you go, consider being a #STF360 travel journalist!]

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By Sydney Lowe, July 25, 2010 9:42 am

Here I am with Tammy, waiting for the Tweetup guests to arrive in just a few minutes!

* See Photos from the Tweetup here *

* See #CelebrateSTF Tweets here *

What could be a more fitting place for a NYC She’s the First Tweetup than the Celebrate Cafe inside the Bowery Poetry Club, owned by the inspiring Lower East Side Girls Club? I’d always heard bits and pieces about the Girls Club: their dedication to providing safe spaces for girls of NYC to learn, grow, and follow their dreams. And now there I was, surrounded by young women informed of our cause via the wonder that is online social media, ready and eager to learn more.

After the She’s the First President/Founder, Tammy Tibbetts, gave a brief overview of our She’s The First goals, we all introduced ourselves and mentioned how we first heard about the cause. And while I don’t personally have a Twitter account (yet!), the ways in which these young professionals heard about STF really proved the power of word of mouth!

As photographer of the night, I got to get close and personal with our attendees when I took their portraits and asked them, “What are you the first to do? What do you still want to be the first to do?” Every answer I received was just as incredible as the women themselves, like Kaitlin Davis, who is the first in her family to perform at Carnegie Hall or girls-school teacher Stephanie, who is the first in her family to get a Masters Degree and go cliff diving, or even NYU Journalism and French Major Lauren Strupp, who was the first in her family to study abroad to Paris. Equally inspiring were the goals of the actual girls of the Lower East Side Girls Club, like Besa Balidemaj, who dreams of being the first woman to open an international organization in Kosovo that protects families, educates them, and helps them achieve their goals financially.

Ajit George stopped by the Tweetup -- he represents the India partner in our directory, the Shanti Bhavan Children's Project.

I had such an amazing time getting together with all of the She’s The First supporters, and I was reminded that not every supporter is a she! I loved that I got a chance to meet Ajit George, the US Director of Operations for Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project, where our guest blogger Shreya Bhatt is volunteering this summer. My favorite part of every She’s The First event is when we have new people come and inquire about our non-profit. While photographing the girls, I was approached by Edward (another guy!) who was impressed with our efforts concerning girls’ education and admitted that his girl cousins in the Philippines have even asked him to send money for school instead of Barbie dolls for Christmas presents. All they want to do is learn.

We loved hearing from him and our Tweeters, and now we want to hear your stories! What do you want to be the first to do? You can still be part of the Tweetup if you tweet your answer to @shesthefirst and use our hash tag #CelebrateSTF!

Also, here’s a video from our Director Christen Brandt — experience the Tweetup in 43 seconds!

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By Shreya Bhatt, July 18, 2010 9:19 am

[Editor's Note: We asked our summer guest blogger in India, Shreya, to tell us all a little bit more about how schools in the developing world use the arts for education. She responds with this visual post.]

Shanti Bhavan is not only an institution that emphasizes academic excellence, but also one that shapes the personalities and worldviews of the children form a young age. What the children do outside of the classroom is deemed just as important as how they perform within. What follows are visual posts on these developments that are non-academic in nature, especially through performing arts such as dance and music.

Alison Futura has been training the school choir

The 8th grade girls are learning how to play the cello from Summer Boggess, a professional Broadway musician

Sabala Baskar, a graduate student from Washington D.C., teaches dance to the 11th and 12th grade girls

[Editor's Note: Thanks, Shreya! Anyone else interested in volunteering at Shanti Bhavan now?! It's on our bucket list. ]

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By Tammy Tibbetts, July 10, 2010 5:15 pm

Shreya with Shanti Bhavan students on the playground in India.

Our guest blogger Shreya, volunteering at the Shanti Bhavan School (a She’s the First partner) in India, recently interviewed Lily, the 11th grade soccer star who told us about her family’s dire poverty. Now, the 11th grade girls have questions for you! Please answer one (or a few!) in the comments (noting the question number in your answer). Shreya will print the answers out for the girls to discuss. Keep in mind that some of these questions are a reflection of the circumstances the girls see every day in India: poverty, arranged marriage, discrimination by caste, abuse, etc. They want to know if this is the norm. Fortunately, it is not here in the US — so please tell them, and encourage them to dream, explore, discover, and change the world!

1. What is an average school day schedule like?
2. Do school children have uniforms?
3. How are boarding schools run?
4. Is there a caste system or any other basis of discrimination of people?
5. Is there any such thing as ‘child labor’?
6. What is the cheapest meal in the US?
7. Which is the cheapest city in the US?
8. What are some places worth visiting?
9. Can you get any product you want in the US?
10. What happens if a child gets beaten up?

More stories about life at Shanti Bhavan this summer can be read on Shreya’s own blog here.

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By Shreya Bhatt, July 6, 2010 8:07 am

by Shreya, She's the First guest blogger & a Shanti Bhavan School summer volunteer in India

On a balmy Thursday afternoon, I spoke with Grade 12′s Lily Mary Thomas, one of the school’s most coveted soccer players, about her family, life at Shanti Bhavan, and her ambitions for the future.  What she revealed to me was nothing short of emotional and inspirational.  Her story is a testament to the hope and positivity that Shanti Bhavan instills in all its children.

Lily, aged 16, is one of 4 children, born to impoverished parents in Maryapura, a village near Bangalore. Maryapura’s villagers, like many others in rural India, have been plagued by severe addiction to drugs and alcohol.  And like in several other villages across the country, nuns administer education, healthcare, sanitation, and other essentials in the village, dedicating their lives to improving living conditions in these regions.

It was one such nun who had suggested Lily as a potential candidate to Shanti Bhavan’s recruitment team when she was four years old.  “I was doing really well in the school run by the nuns,” she explains.

Here are some snippets of our conversation:

Shreya interviews Lily, a senior at the Shanti Bhavan School (which is always seeking co-sponsors!)

Tell me a little bit about your parents.

My parents sell alcohol in our village.  Earlier, they were farmers. My family used to live in a shack made of coconut leaves, and we used to grow vegetables on a small area of land that we owned.  But a fire destroyed our cattle and shack, and my parents couldn’t do anything to save them. The Congress (one of India’s major political parties) helped us and gave us a little amount of money, but it wasn’t enough to improve our situation. So my parents began selling alcohol to the villagers to make money. My mother also works on other people’s farms for Rs. 100 a day (roughly $2 a day).

What about your siblings? Are they in school?

My elder sister studied till 9^th grade, and then started working in a factory.  My brother failed his 12^th grade exams and is now working in the same factory. We didn’t have enough money to let him sit for the exams again.

What do you think your life would be like if you were not at Shanti Bhavan?

I would probably be washing vessels, and maybe going to a government school if I could afford it.

What do you enjoy most about being at Shanti Bhavan?

Being able to play sports, especially soccer. I love playing sports, and at home, I wouldn’t be allowed to do that.

What are some words your friends use to describe you?

They say I am friendly, and active.

What are your dreams for the future?

Ideally, I want to play soccer for India. But I wont be able to support my family if I depend on sports.  So realistically, I want to study biochemistry.  I am interested in learning how medicine works on people.

Are you nervous about what the future holds in store for you?

Not really, because I know that if I work hard, I will succeed.

******

Lily’s life story, and her positive outlook on life, is far from unusual at Shanti Bhavan. Hers is one of many inspirational journeys in which the children blaze through many obstacles to come out stronger, so they represent the best and brightest of tomorrow’s world.

[Editor's Note: To learn more details about Shreya's volunteer experience in India this summer, read her blog!]

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By Tammy Tibbetts, July 2, 2010 7:45 am

On June 6, our partner program in India, the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project, celebrated its first graduation ever at its school! Shanti Bhavan’s mission is to fully develop the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children of India’s lowest caste — the untouchables or the “dalits”– to enable them to aspire to careers and professions of their choice — engineering, law, medicine, education, the arts — through world class education and globally shared values.

Ajit George, Director of Operations, sent us this photo from Graduation Day. You may remember us profiling some of the students, when we re-published their personal essays, and we also have guest blogger Shreya this summer, who is volunteering at Shanti Bhavan. She most recently told us what a day at the school is like here.

Want to be part of the pomp & circumstance? You can contribute toward a sponsorship at Shanti Bhavan, or even look into the options of traveling there to teach! CONGRATS to the students, their teachers, the Foundation staff and volunteers, and the sponsors who made this all-smiles photo possible!

The Shanti Bhavan Children's Project rescued these graduates from poverty and abuse when they were just four or five years old. They were all born into the untouchables (lowest) caste of India, but given the opportunity for the first-class education that they deserved, look at them now!

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By Shreya Bhatt, June 23, 2010 8:36 pm

Art class at Shanti Bhavan Children's Project. The most vulnerable children in India attend the school -- but you would never guess their past misfortune from their present day smiles!

Editor’s Note: Shreya is guest blogging for She’s the First this summer. She is volunteering at an official She’s the First partner school in India, the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project, a school for the most vulnerable children in India. Although it’s summer vacation here in the US, school is in session!

The academic year has just begun here at Shanti Bhavan, and we are still recovering from the extravaganza that was the graduation ceremony for our first graduating batch!

As you can imagine, the first week got off to a slow start, but days are slowly becoming hectic.  The toddlers returned to the school on Sunday, June 13th, and the campus is once again reeling with the laughter and cries of the little ones.

In any case, here is what the daily schedule looks like during the semester:

6.30 – 7.30 am:           Grades 5-7: Morning Games, and Grades 8-12: Morning Prep

7.30 – 8.00 am:            Baths

8.00 – 8.20 am:            Breakfast

8.30 – 10.45 am:          Classes

10.45 – 11.00 am:        Morning Tea

11.05 – 11.20 am:        Assembly

11.20 – 12.50 pm:        Classes

12.50 – 1.20 pm:          Lunch

1.20 – 3.35 pm:            Classes

3.35 – 4.00 pm:            Afternoon Tea

4.00 – 5.00pm:             Grades 8-12 – Evening Games

4.00 – 5.30pm:             Grades 2-4 – Evening Games

4.00 – 5.45pm:             Grades 6-7 – Rest / Dormitory Chores

5.45 – 7.30 pm:            Grades 6-12 – Evening Prep

7.30 – 8.00 pm:            Dinner

8.00 – 9.00 pm:            Grade 6 Night Prep

8.00 – 9.30 pm:            Grades 7-12 Night Prep

9.30pm onwards:        Bedtime!

As you can see, the days are certainly packed to the brim with activities and classes, and as the teachers and students get into the routine of classes, life at Shanti Bhavan will soon become busy and exciting!

Stay tuned for the next few visual posts of the school and the neighboring village, as well as some interviews of our senior girls in Grades 11 and 12 about their dreams, aspirations, and life at Shanti Bhavan!

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By Shreya Bhatt, June 21, 2010 6:58 pm

Shreya, She's the First guest blogger -- spending her summer volunteering at the Shanti Bhavan school in India.

Editor’s Note: On the first day of summer, we introduce you to She’s the First’s summer guest blogger, Shreya Bhatt, who is volunteering at the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project in India. Shanti Bhavan is an official She’s the First partner listed in our directory of sponsorship programs. You can help sponsor a girl there!

For the past year, alongside my full-time job on Wall Street, I have been volunteering for Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project in New York.  Most of my work so far has involved corporate fundraising and strategic vision and mission-related projects for Shanti Bhavan.

Girls at Shanti Bhavan Children's Project who Shreya will be mentoring and interacting with throughout the summer!

This summer, however, I am going to be spending two months at the school teaching and interacting with the students, staff, volunteers, and the rest of the Shanti Bhavan family, one that I have come to call my own.

I am excited to blog about this experience and share some interesting photos, dialogues, and other fun stuff with you via She’s the First. Stay tuned for updates!

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By Tammy Tibbetts, May 27, 2010 11:55 pm

Bina Lingappa - first to graduate - next week in India at Shanti Bhavan!

The Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project, the India-based school of the She’s the First network, announced incredible news on its Facebook page this week! Six of the girls in their senior class will attend college at Mt. Carmel, and five of the boys will attend St. Joseph’s, two very good universities in India. These students are all the first ever to graduate in their families, as well as from Shanti Bhavan, a state-of-the-art school for the most marginalized children of India.

These students’ four years of tuition are not fully funded, since they do not have families to support them. They were rescued from the Untouchable (lowest) class of Indian society 13 years ago. You can help! You might chip in the amount you would have spent on a movie ticket this weekend. (Watch something on YouTube instead!) Even $10 makes a difference — you only have to read one of the personal essays that the graduating seniors wrote to believe it.

This week, we put the spotlight on Binha Lingappa. She was abandoned by her mother and abused by her stepmother — because she was a girl — but transformed her outlook on life through an education at Shanti Bhavan.

I know why I was chosen to study in Shanti Bhavan. It was because I had the talent and the confidence I learnt from the school to make my dream come true. As being the eldest in my family it is my duty to look after my parents. My dream is to become a dancer and a teacher. Whatever comes my way I will always want to pursue dance.

My principal always tells me,’’ It is not what we do but who we are matters.”  I am proud that as a girl I too can contribute to my society and make this world a better place. I want to work in Shanti Bhavan and share my talents to the future children of this school. As quoted by Ruskin Bond,” A man who fails well is better than a man who succeeds badly,” I feel that no matter what I will keep on going. I have learned to be the best I can, as the motto of our school goes. I want to make the difference in the world, a drop of water makes in a mighty ocean.

Read Binha’s full essay here. Her creativity, spirit, and courage is unforgettable. You can donate a small amount to her scholarship fund here.  If you’d like to send her a personal note of support along with it, email tammy@shesthefirst.org. The She’s the First team can deliver it for you! We’re confident Binha would write back.

• Last Week’s Spotlight: Ranjini Pushpa Rayappa
• May 13th’s Spotlight: Mahalakshmi Keshavan