Newsletter 2009

Hello everybody!

In a year when the world has been teetering precarious at the edge of a financial disaster it

is hard to pick the high points in someone`s ordinary life. It is even harder to choose those

from the lives of people who have almost nothing more to lose.

But on a second thought since every doomsayer has been proven right and after all the

financial implosions have taken place there is still hope. Perhaps it is the sight of that little

straw of hope what brings me to share with all of you what has been happening in the lives

that are touched everyday in some way or the other by New Light.

The year began with the visit of some young professionals to New Light from Madrid, Spain

who in spite of having no guarantee of their jobs in the new year came to Kolkata. They

spent a few glorious first days of 2009 taking the kids of New Light to film shows, football

matches, historic and heritage walks in the city and to the amusement parks. For the kids of

New Light it couldn’t have been better. It seemed that Father Christmas had extended his

stay for a few more days and it is no surprise that for the rest of the months the children

kept on talking about Antonio, Juan Lou, Victor, Victor ( Grande ), Ane , Ana, Maria ,Javier

and the rest of the group from Managements Solutions.

Before the first fortnight of the year was over it was the day for the Annual Sports meet on

the 10th

of January. Like in the other years the venue was the Alipore Correctional Facility

grounds close to the Kalighat shelter. We thank the Inspector General ( Correctional

Services – West Bengal ) Mr B D Sharma for his continued support.

On the 12th

of January a group of older students from Kalighat took part in a rally to

commemorate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda. They were accompanied by a few

teachers and Mr Shib Narayan Bhattacharjee , one of the Trustees of New light.

The 18th

of January was spent playing a football match in Maidan which always is a high

point of the winter season for the boys.

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The Republic Day on the 26th

of January was observed by the students of New Light along

with some members of Young India Group, a part of the Confederation of Indian Industries.

We deeply appreciate the members of Young India who have become regular visitors to the

Kalighat shelter.

Dr Deepika Kedia , a leading member never forgets to bring some special treats for the

children.

This was also the week when Jennifer Hagelstein from Bensberg, our caravan guide and

coordinator for the Children`s Cultural Caravan came to spend a few days with the girls.

Jenny , a big thank you for your kindness and love for the children. They remember you

often.

The children at New Light celebrated Saraswati Puja on the 31st

of January. For those who

don’t know Goddess Saraswati is the goddess of learning and popular faith makes you

believe that without her blessing it is not possible to acquire knowledge. Though personally

I feel that it is just another excuse to have a day to party which I always did as a student!

After much planning, coordination and anxiety the students of Mari Curie Realschule ,

Bengsberg finally arrived at New Light under the guidance and leadership of Urban

Philippek and Rose Marie on the 14th

of February. These students became friends of New

Light students during their visit to Bensberg, Cologne last year as part of the Kinder Kulture

Karavane.

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The German students joined the New Light staff and students to spend a day in the sun in a

garden house in eastern Kolkata . It was a very interesting and enjoyable day for all.

This was also the time when the high school graduating students of New Light were putting

in their last and final thrust to complete the preparation for the their exams. On the 21st

of

February the staff and teachers at New Light joined to wish the students luck . It was a very

emotional time for all as this was the first time that five of the students were taking their

high school graduation exam.

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On the 24th

of February I had the pleasure of accompanying the motivational speaker and

writer Robin Sharma (The monk who sold his Ferrari ) to the House of Mother Theresa and

then attend his talk in the evening. Sharma mentioned that the morning visit to Mother

House was the high point of his Kolkata visit.

March is always a month of great stress for all the teachers at New Light as they have to

prepare the students for their final exams. This year except for one child all the students

appeared for class exams and successfully moved on to the next class.

For the last two years New Light in partnership with Infancia Solidaridad, Madrid and the

Rotary Club of Calcutta Chowrenghee has been assisting young children to have life saving

surgical treatment. This year in March Radha Kumari ( 7years) and Pompa Das ( 15years)

were admitted at Rabindranath Tagore Cardiac Care and Research Center for surgery. Post

operation the girls were hosted at Hogar Meridional –Soma memorial Girls Home and have

recovered completely. Thanks Pepo for your involvement in this Project.

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On the 28th

of March Sita Lama alais Anita Thapa , a young Nepali girl who was trafficked

and sold in Howrah was repatriated and reconnected with her family in Nepal . Sita , was

brought to Howrah, the adjoining district of Kolkata and sold to some brothel owners by her

traffickers. When she refused to cooperate with them she was pushed down a staircase of a

hotel and left to die there. The fall was so severe that it resulted in a compaction of her

spinal column leaving her incapable of any movement.

She was admitted to the Calcutta Medical College hospital by the police and New Light was

contacted to take care of her. Sita remained in the hospital for more than a month and later

moved to the girls` home for recovery. At Hogar Meridional, Sita received treatment,

physiotherapy, counselling and rest. The stay among other girls and their friendship also

gave Sita enough support and courage to start her own battle after returning to Nepal. A few

weeks ago she called me to inform that she was successful in getting her traffickers (two of

them ) convicted for the next twenty years.

We take our hats off to this simple Nepali girl who has shown extraordinary courage in

overcoming her odds to emerge as a survivor.

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On the 30th

of March Ex speaker of the Parliament Mr Somanth Chatterjee recognized the

work of New Light and presented an award at an event organized by the Federation of

Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( FICCI ) FLO. We thank the FLO President (

Kolkata ) Smt Rajkumari Saharia for her interest in and support to New Light.

April 2008 has been an extraordinary time for me personally. It was a month of non -stop

travelling and huge events. I was received very warmly by Melanie Boyd, the Treasurer of

Amistad International in Los Angles. In spite of her busy schedule Melanie took time out to

take me to the Getty Centre, organized a dinner at the residence of her friend Devon and

introduced me to the other donors and made my stay there like a dream. I left LA to meet

my school friend Manjira Dutta in Phoenix, Arizona. Manjira is a Board member of the

Arizona South Asian For Safe Families and invited me to be the keynote speaker at the

ASAFSF annual conference to address issues of domestic violence among the immigrant

communities in Arizona.

I extend my deep appreciation to Bharati Sen , Doreen Nichols, Kalpana Batni and Manjira

for their untiring effort in bringing the issue of domestic violence out in the open among the

south Asian community. Great work... ASAFSF ..more power to you.

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Looking back the following part of my journey still feels unreal.

In July 2008 I was informed by a very simple e mail from Richard Grace of The Wisdom In

Action Foundation , California that in April 2009 I would receive a blessing and recognition

from His Holiness The Dalai Lama. It is hard to express what my emotions were at that exact

moment. I tried to practice the virtue of patience and allowed my life to take its normal

course till the defining moment arrived.

In the intervening months a lot happened. The most significant of which was the passing of

my wonderful mother in March. I once again send a huge wave of gratitude to all of you who

gave me support and comfort during those very trying days of my life.

When the final moment arrived on the 26th

of April 2008, to use a borrowed phrase, the

feeling was much like that of an incredible lightness of being. To say that it was an

overwhelming moment would be making light of the situation. I could just lie down, die and

know that I was in heaven.

The event was conducted by Peter Coyote the Hollywood actor who is also a Zen master and

co-presented by writer Isabel Allende.

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What made the moment even more special was the fact that I had around me a few people

who have contributed a lot of their energy, love and concern in making New Light what it is

today. They are Juthica and Peter Stangl, the President and Secretary of Shadhika

Foundation, ( www.shadhika.org ) Karen and Tom Kotoske from Amistad

International, Melanie Boyd, www.amistadinternational.org) our very special crusader and

volunteer Rachel Davis, friend Inigo Unamuno and my partner Fernando Hernandez Viera.

It was a great disappointment that neither Krishna Mondal the Trustee of New Light nor my

son Sreyash could be present at the occasion due to bureaucratic red tape. There are two

very special people that I need to thank in this connection. One is the super organizer of the

Unsung Heroes 2009 event, Christine Wright

( www.wrigthevents.com ) and the other is Usha Lama of Third eye Travels

(www. thirdeyetravels.com ). Without their constant support I couldn’t have made it to the

ceremony.

Thank you all!

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In stayed on in California to attend the Annual Mela of Shadhika Foundation on the 3rd

of

May in Palo Alto. This is an event organized almost entirely by the Board members and

other donors and supporters of Shadhika. It was day of a lot of effort and therefore a great

success.

Thank you Usha and Ramesh Sekar for being such wonderful hosts. Hope someday we get a

chance to match your generosity.

Back at New Light the children celebrated the birthday of Rabindranath Tagore on the 9th

of

May by putting up a small play the Bengali satirist Sukumar Roy and some dance

performance.

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It was also in May that New Light began the construction of the boundary wall of the

hospital ground and installed certain infrastructure that were necessary to finish before the

arrival of monsoon in the Gangetic plains.

A screening test and immunization programme for Hepatitis B was conducted in New Light

covering a total of 198 children and adults on the 19th

of May. This campaign was the

concluding part of a year- long screening and immunization programme conducted by New

Light in Kalighat.

Kolkata and the entire south Bengal face the fury of Cyclone Ayala on the 25th

of May. The

warning allowed us to prepare for and secure food and safety of the children at kalighat, at

the dalit shelter and also at Hogar Meridional. However none in the New Light team

remembered ever having seen such an extent of damage and destruction caused by a

tropical storm. During the days that followed the city reeled under the impact of the cyclone

with total lack of power, water, general supplies and communication systems. Parts of south

Bengal and the Sunderbans is still suffering from the impact due to inadequate relief

supplies and mismanaged delivery mechanisms. This has been a lesson for all but it remains

to be seen how the powers that be use this lesson to deal with future disasters.

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It was also in May that New Light took full possession of the hospital plot and completed the

construction of the boundary wall.

May and June are not really the months when one feels fully normal and functional in the

plains of south Bengal. The oppressive heat and humidity really saps one of all energy. In

spite of our best efforts it is hard to keep activities planned for the children during these

months.

Come rain and August, the children of New Light get busy with the Annual Carnival. For the

last five years under the guidance of Mundo Cooperante , our Spanish partner many

volunteers have been coming to New Light to design and execute the Carnival. The theme

for this year was `Once there was a circus`.

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The volunteers led by a very able coordinator Ana Perez Nadal who had been working on

the concept for a number of months before their arrival in Kolkata. The group arrived at the

end of July and worked non –stop with the students who presented the final show that was

nothing short of spectacular. All the children of New Light project participated in the

Carnival which was held at Uttam Manch on the 17th

of August. Through this exercise an

attempt was made to teach children the values of cooperation, mutual trust and

interdependence in our everyday lives. And once again the children amazed us with their

sense of discipline, sincerity and joy of learning. Thanks to our returning volunteers from

Management Solutions who were back again to spend time with the kids at New Light.

Ana, Paloma, Paula, Ana Belen, Marina, Jose, Juan Carlos, Guillermo, Maria, Roberto, Ana

Garcia, Gema, Veronica, Alicia ,Maria Alba from the Mundo Cooperante and Leticia , Ana,

Victoria, Maria Alvarez, Ane, Genna, Francisco, Patricia, Tamara ,Nuria, Gustav, Beatrice F,

Beatrice G and all the others from Management Solutions.

You guys rock!

While the volunteers were having their first interaction with the New Light team the girls

from Soma Home and some of the older students from New Light were taken for a cruise in

the Ganges that was planned by Heloise Revel, our dear film maker friend. Heloise got Mr

Karan Paul of the Apeejay Trust to offer his personal boat for a day for the kids.

We wish many more leading entrepreneurs would learn from Mr Paul and take his

expression of generosity as a compass for their future direction in philanthropy.

At the end of July New Light welcomed Ross who is our invaluable mover and shaker in

Galicia. We also thank Susana Goma, Laura Verbo and Sandra Gassol for their time and

effort at Soma Home and the Kalighat shelter.

The carnival was followed by a trip to Puri on the 21st of August organized by Management

Solutions group led by Antonio, Juan Lou , Victor, Victor and all the others . For most of the

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children this was a dream come true. We also thank Mr Tathagata Sathpati of Z Hotel in

Puri for putting up with a group of more than 30 kids aged between 5 and 16.

(www.zhotel.com)

We acknowledge the support of Young India group and thank them for organizing a film

show for the children of New Light on the 9th

of August.

New Light welcomed a number of new consultants /staff members in August namely

Sreemoyee Singh, Aparna Ghosh and Dr Udita Chatterjee .

On the 1st

of September New Light received a team of tele journalists from Madrid who

were in Kolkata making a documentary of Madrilineos who live abroad and work in different

charities around the world. How could any such documentary be complete without featuring

our very own volunteer extraordinaire Madrilina Mari Carmen Sanz . She is a one woman

army that is needed in every NGO all over the world. Bravo Mari!

In India Teachers` Day is celebrated on the 5th

of September which is the birthday of Dr

Sarvapalli Radha krishnan the great visionary educationist. Usually on this day the students

felicitate their teachers and it was no exception his year. The students of New Light staged a

short performance and offered small gifts to the teachers at the shelter.

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Weaver`s Studio of Kolkata invited the students of New Light to participate in a workshop

and create some art work for their project on the 7th

of September. Thank you Shalini ,

Pintu , Raju and Niladri for attending to the kids at the workshop.

The morning of the 9th

of September was a very sad and difficult one for all of us at New

Light. That morning while having his shower, Bubun Roy , one of the kids from the first

group at New Light passed away after suffering massive cardiac arrest. For those of you who

knew him, Bubun was the brother of Puja Roy and the son of Mona. He had been under

medication for his epilepsy for many years and we at New Light were almost convinced that

it was under control.

After Soma this was the first time that we had to deal with the death of one of the kids from

New Light. The days following his death were the hardest for the younger kids as they didn’t

know how to understand or explain the sudden absence of someone who had become such

a friend amongst them.

For Mona we wish peace and comfort and for Puja we wish strength and fortitude as now

we know her responsibility of making a good like for herself has just been doubled. We join

the family in their irreparable loss and grief.

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It is true that death often steals up behind us and takes us off guard. But we at New Light are

always trying to deal with life and therefore must always have the courage to face another

day with a smile.

So a few weeks later we had to organize the festive days for the children during Durga Puja.

For most of the older students and all the staff of New Light those were even harder days as

we couldn’t share what we felt with the kids.

On the 9th

of October Urban Philippek , a teacher from Marie Curie Realschule in Bensberg

and also a member of Bono-Direkthilfe arrived in Kolkata with his daughter Hanna and her

friend Christina. For Urban this was a second visit to New Light in a year. The week of their

visit was packed with many activities in Kalighat , at Soma Home and the Dalit shelter.

The members of Young India group organized a `Diya ` painting workshop in the morning of

the 11th

of October. ‘Diyas` are small clay lamps that are filled with oil or ghee and lighted on

Diwali. The children were allowed to take the diyas and gift those to their families and

friends.

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On the 15th

of October New Light boys played a friendly football match with the boys of

Nepal Bhattacharjee Lane Club in Kalighat. Urban Philippek being a keen sportsman himself

was the main cheerleader for the New Light boys. However the home team could not win

and was understandably sad about losing the running Trophy of New Light Community

Football Tournament. The team is getting ready for a much larger tournament in 2010.

The 16th

of October saw the children of New Light celebrating Diwali with a spectacular fire-

works display that was attended by many local volunteers, donors and friends of New Light

from everywhere.

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On the 21st

of October Hanna Philippek and her friend Christina staged a concert for the

kids of New Light at the Kalighat Shelter. Hanna played the violin and Christina played the

electric piano. This was the first time that New Light had an exposure to western classical

music that was hugely enjoyed and appreciated.

Thanks Hanna and Christina for your performance and for sharing the joy of music with all

of us at New Light.

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Bhoot Party ( Halloween ) was held on the 31st

of October that turned out to be huge

success. For days on end following the Bhoot Party all adults at New Light had to recount

many ghost stories to the children.

Come November 2nd

and New Light added the much awaited program Sonar Tori for girls

above the age of 18. Since the inception of Hogar Meridional –Soma Home we at New Light

have been concerned about the future and exit plan for girls above eighteen. The idea of

Sonar Tori emerged a few months after starting Soma Home. It took us four and a half years

to get off the ground. Sonar Tori is an extended shelter home the facility of which is

available to girls who have been ex residents of Soma Home and others who have emerged

as survivors of extremely challenging situations in their young lives. Sonar Tori ( The Golden

Ferry ) is designed to accommodate eight residents who are ready to start post school and

other professional training. At present it is located in a rented property in the southern

fringe of Kolkata. Funds are needed to acquire the property and also to support the girls

with their university education and professional training.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the young professionals of Management Solutions ,

Madrid who raised money for the start up cost and continue to be actively involved in

mentoring the girls.

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Like every other year 14th

of November was celebrated as Children`s day. A sit and draw

competition for the children was organized by New Light to mark the day. Our art teacher

Tanvir Baig selected the best works that were put up during the Foundation day celebration

On the 15th

of November the New Light team welcomed Ms Myriam Noor the founder

president of Les Enfants des personne, on her second visit to New Light. Thank you Myriam

and all your donors and sponsors back home for keeping the children of New Light so close

to your heart.

Come the 19th of October and New Light received its best angels, Berta Villar and

Mari Luz ( popularly ) Villar from Santiago de Compostela, Spain. For the last

six years these extraordinary women have been visiting New Light and putting in

relentless effort in organizing the clinic, the medical supplies and tending to patients

round the clock. Their dedication, attention to detail and sense of commitment should

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be examples not only for other New Light volunteers but also for volunteers around

the globe who wish to work in developing nations. Back home they have gathered a

huge support system that raise funds and supplies to support various activities at New

Light. Thanks to Farmacia Santiago in La Coruna and also a pharmacy in Palmeira,

La Coruna that send generous medical supplies on a regular basis.

Thank you Berta and Luchy for being there for us at all moments of crisis.

On November 13th

a documentary film made by Nandini Srikand and Alexia Prichard named

Soma Girls was selected for screening at the Mahindra Indo-American Film Festival in New

York. My friend Hemant Wadhwani invited me to attend the premier and also created a

huge new network of support for New Light in the East Coast of the United States. The

premier was attended by many friends and supporters of New Light like Max Reinhold,

Rachel Davis, Hans, Shaun Mader , Annette Mohniyan, Gerry and Brini among others.

I took full advantage of this trip to attend the fundraising event organized by our RISD,

Providence students ` group in aid of the design project Anchal. The word Anchal means a

cloth to cover one`s head or /and the end portion of a Sari that provides warmth and

protection. The name could not have been more appropriate as the students of the Design

for Development course at RISD taught by Dr Elizabeth Hermann has created an initiative

that would provide income generation opportunities to the women of Kalighat and

Keoratala. Our sincere appreciation to Dr Hermann , the Anchal team of Devon Miller,

Claire Collins, Joane Lee and Atisha Varshney for your support and encouragement. The

students of Urban Planning and architecture involved in the sustainable design workshop

under Dr Hermann planned and proposed a unique redevelopment design for Kalighat that

we are sure would eventually be recognised as a world project. Thank you Robert Wiiliam,

Joshua Lancy , Yancey Modesto , Micheal Lee and Alexandra Gens for your involvement

with New Light and the Kalighat red light district.

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This trip also reconnected me with the legendary journalist and anti-trafficking crusader

Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times. Nick took time out of his extremely busy schedule

to speak to me about the ground realities of the current trafficking situation in the eastern

part of the country. He was equally concerned to hear about the stories of the women and

children he had met on his visit to New Light almost four years ago. Please check out his

book Half The Sky if you haven’t done so already ( www.halfthesky.org ).

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While in New York I was introduced by Hemant to journalist Sri Srinivas a real hero who is

the voice of the residents of Coler Goldwater House in Roosevelt Island. Hemant also

introduced me to Bonnie Wong, the president of Asian Women Entrepreneurs in New York

who made it possible for me to attend the Oprah Winfrey Show in Chicago. Thanks Hemant

for all that you continue to do for New Light.

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My stay in The US was made infinitely more comfortable by my friends Mimi and Ashish

Bali. The trip would not have turned out the way it did without them. Thanks a million for

your kindness Mimi.

December is always a busy month at New Light. The month begins with the celebration of

New Light`s Birthday. We have surprised ourselves in having turned nine this year.

The 1st

of December also happens to be the World AIDS day. To mark the occasion, in

association with the CII a film show and HIV/AIDS awareness campaign was organized for the

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women of the project area. In the evening the children had a party that lasted way beyond

their staying-up hours.

Thanks to all our friends, volunteers, donors, sympathisers and staff for making the journey

of the last nine years truly significant.

We had not even recovered from the party fever when the staff of New Light had to get busy

with dealing with disease and accident. On the 27th

of November Rekha Singh , the mother

of little Shibani (7 years) and Coco ( 11months)died after a prolonged illness. Rekha was a

victim of HIV/AIDS. Both Shibani and Coco are in the care of New Light at present. Please

check out the link to meet Coco- the latest apple of our eyes.

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A few days later on the 9th

of December Shahana Bibi ( alais Binita Roy ) died of 90% burns

caused by a kitchen fire. Binita is survived by her husband and a young son aged three. We

join the families and the young children in sharing their grief.

The children of New Light eagerly look forward to the Christmas Party. For logistical reasons

it is usually held a few days before Christmas and this year the date was the 22nd

. From the

morning the children and the staff got busy decorating the shelter with tinsel, glitter,

streamers, balloons and fairy lights. . A big Christmas tree was brought in from a garden in

the south of the city which got laden with more and more decoration with every passing

hour. By the evening the little lane of Kalighat got a new persona with fairy lights, the sound

of Christmas Carols and the happy faces of the children. For those of you who have been to

Kalighat it will not be difficult to imagine the spirit and for those who haven’t been here we

send out a welcome message full of love and friendship to be here soon.

The year could not have ended without the visit of the Board members of Shadhika

Foundation our first donors from California. This year the President Juthica Stangl and

Secretary Mr Peter Stangl were joined by friend John Ruling and Cliff Colvin who has been a

part of Shadhika for the last eleven years. We have no words to express just how happy we

feel to have you amidst us and how deeply we appreciate your continued interest and

engagement with New Light.

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We at New Light thank our Spanish partner NGO Mundo Cooperante and Alban, Marissa,

Sergio ,Nacho, Ana , the major donor to Hogar Meridional-Soma Home Fundacion

Meridional and Mercedes , Bono-Direkthilfe, Chance Swiss, The Apeejay Trust, Soumitra

Ashray, FICCI- YFLO , CII, Les Enfants Des personne , The Young India Group, The Conciello De

As Pontes, Galicia, The Xunta De Galicia, The Paletero School in Santiago de Compostela,

Pablo Castellas and Locos De la Colinas ,The Rotary Club of Calcutta Chowrenghee, The

Rotary Club of North Rocks, Berta and Mari Luz Villar , Michelle and Angad Paul, Christina

Nathanail, Janet Nathanail, Francesc Riberola, FX Street.com ,Santosh Chayadi, Ron Gal,Luiz

Filipe Filio,Bruno Cordier, Bex Tyrer , Bruno Mendes, Deepti Daryanani, Mina Renjen,

Annette Mohniyan, Jennifer Filipe ,Annick Charles, Delphine Prunault, Alejandro Ruiz

Mateos, Cristina De La Vega, Vivi Fraga Lopez, Neneta Herrero,Eva Ximenez, Melissa Walker,

Melissa Prichard,Pablo Otello, Thuvaraka Selvaratnam ,Maria Parias, Sangita Todi, Ajay

Tandon,Hallie Easley,Shaurya Veer Himatsingha, Rekha and Raj Kanojia, Urban and Annette

Philippek, Sonali Majumder, Chritsine Wright, Sophie Galo, Shana Green,Savitri Gangadhar,

Bishan at Kalam project,The Seagull Publishers , The Moksha Team in Pepperdine University

and innumerable other groups and individuals.

The list of people to remember and thank is also ever increasing as the force has now

become a tribe. I personally apologise to the people who I did not mention in this

newsletter. Please remember that even if your name is not there you are just a heartbeat

away.

It is true that we often take those that are closest for granted. I would like to dispel that idea

and extend my deepest gratitude to the entire New Light team. Thank you folks ...you are

the shepherds that keep the tribe in line.

In closing as we to take stock of what has been achieved in the past year there is just one

thought at the top of my mind. Truly none of this would have been possible without your

generous support and encouragement. I take this opportunity to thank each and every one

of you for helping us to move forward with an ever increasing responsibility for another

year.

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In the last hours of this very significant year we wish to make our resolve stronger and bigger

in bringing a brighter and better life full of joy and hope for the children and the women

under the New Light umbrella. So never mind the doomsayers and look out for the next big

rainbow of HOPE.

See you in the New Year!

Urmi

Happy 2010()

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