Dirty Wall Project

Seva Sedan

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Leading a hindu prayer with the girls of Seva.

Sept 27th Mumbai,India

Since returning to India, I have been establishing contacts that will help me to understand how and where to help. The problem I face is that the need is so staggering in this country that it can become overwhelming. To counteract this, I have tried to surround myself with people such as Mr. Dinesh of Chetna Youth who has been helping the poor and disadvantaged people of Mumbai for many years and will be able to pass on some of his wisdom to me. Two days ago I had a meeting with Guddi Advani, President of Seva Sedan Society, which just celebrated its centenary.

The Seva Sedan Society takes in females from young to old that have nowhere to go. They are widows, orphans, or the daughters of poor parents that cannot afford to raise their female child.

The main philosophy of the Seva Sedan Society is women empowerment. They aim is to teach self-worth in the male dominated society of India. In a lot of homes in India, education for women is a low priority. Seva is trying to change that by educating these girls and giving them the life skills they need to lead a productive and fulfilling life. Seva Sedan Society houses over 100 women from primary to college.

Over a cup of chai tea in Guddi Advani’s office, I listened to the many problems that young women in India face, and the great work that Seva is doing.

Not knowing the language makes it hard for me to help in many ways. But food is a language that unites us all. Mrs. Advani introduced me to her head cook, Mrs. Joshai Bai, who, after a little nudging agreed to let me help cook in her kitchen.

Indian kitchens are very different than North American kitchens. Shoes are not allowed. Everyone cooks in bare feet. The women who work in the kitchen were eager to show me the techniques and the recipes for some of their Indian dishes. Tonight we would be cooking Palak Paneer (spinach & cheese curry), Sambar (spicy veg & pumpkin curry) Samosas, and a few other dishes for which the names escape me. For dessert we were making the famous Indian dish, Gulab Jamon.

Through hand signals and broken English I was told to chop and stir the various dishes. I was taught to use the Indian palat, which is a small board that sits on the ground with a large curved blade at the end. I diced onions at the delight of the cooking staff. Next, they tried to teach me the art of making the Indian chapatti. After 20 minutes, filled with laughter at my expense, they moved me back to chopping onions where I could be slightly more productive.

Mrs. Rehka Bhosle, one of the ladies in charge at the house, gave me an impromptu tour. Followed by a gaggle of curious girls, we went from schoolrooms to the dormitories where our entourage grew exponentially with the rumor of a foreigner wandering the halls. Once reaching the main dorm, all 100 girls were now with us and we all sat together on the floor. Each girl tried her hand at English and introduced herself to me. Once the giggling was under control, Mrs. Bhosle asked me to lead the girls in a Hindi prayer. Holding a silver tray with a candle and facing statues of Lord Krishna and Ganesh, with all 100 girls behind me, I was to move the tray in a circular motion while the girls sang behind me.

Now it was time for dinner.

It is served on the floor of the kitchen in two shifts to accommodate all the girls. I tried my best to eat under the constant observation of 100 curious pairs of eyes. The food was excellent. The kitchen ladies do an amazing job cooking three meals a day for all these girls.

After dinner, thirty of the girls sat with me on the front steps of the building and they asked me questions about Canada. It was truly great to see the loving family these girls have become for each other, each having come from very different heartbreaking circumstances.

With the ladies in charge finally persuading the girls to go to bed, I made a promise to my new friends to come back and visit. The girls wish to teach me the art of Bollywood dancing.

As I walked away from the building I could hear the voices of many girls calling,” Mr. Kane!” As I turned I saw from every window and balcony the beautiful smiles and waves from these remarkable children.

India takes every opportunity to humble me…

The Dirty Wall Project contributed to The Seva Sedan Society, 5000 INR ($114 Cad), which is enough to feed the entire house of 100 women a meal.

Kane Ryan

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Food for the Blind

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Sept 23^rd, 2009 Mumbai, India

Dirty Wall Project teamed up with Chetna Youth again today.

Mr. Dinesh Shah of the Chetna Youth project invited me to his office in the busy area of Pydhownie, where he was joining forces with Shri Ajitbhai Thanawala, Chairman for working with the blind.

I happened upon Mr. Dinesh Shah’s office by sheer luck after wandering for an hour making wrong turns down chaotic alleyways. This was not an office by North American standards. Chetna’s headquarters is located in a labyrinth of alleyways on the ground floor of a building that could be condemned.   The ‘office’ was a little shy of four feet wide by twenty feet long. Inside flanked by stacks of paperwork sat Mr. Dinesh, answering phone calls and signing checks for medical supplies. As I sat and waited for him, two women came in holding papers asking for his help. In rapid Hindi he conversed with the women and after a few moments he signed a check for 500 rupees ($11 CAD). He then showed me the papers the women had given him. It was a formal request for a patient needing kidney dialysis for which the patient could not afford. After the women thanked Mr. Dinesh profusely, he showed me a stack of similar requests. He does all he can paying for the treatments one by one, but the list only grows longer each day.

Outside the office, Mr. Thanawala’s blind group was assembling in numbers, waiting their turn for help. Over 50 men, women and children, all blind, clutched one another and waited patiently in line for the ration that they were to be given. Chetna’s team and I handed out samosas and sweet tea to every person in line. Once they were finished, they lined up again and each person was given a small bag of rice, a bag of sugar and a bag of flour.

Being a foreigner with a camera in this area of the city tends to draw a crowd and it gave me the opportunity to speak with many people. I sat with Mr.Dinesh’s neighbor, a textile merchant, and he explained what an amazing job Mr. Dinesh does, working tirelessly for the poor.

After we finished, Mr. Dinesh, Mr. Thanwala, Mr.Parikh and I went for lunch to discuss their other projects. These three men work long hours everyday helping people in all aspects of life. Mr. Thanwala laughs at North American men “retiring” at 65. He says, “I’m only 76 yrs. young and I am not tired at all!’

The Dirty Wall Project contributed 5000 INR ($114 CAD), which will provide 10 sessions of dialysis to his patients.

Tomorrow I meet these extraordinary men at one of their primary schools, where they wish to show me around and to meet the children.

DWP wishes to thank all the supporters.

I’m truly grateful to be able to be the messenger of your kindness…

Kane Ryan

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1ST Project Mumbai

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Fruit delivery awaiting inspection outside casualty ward.

Sept 20th 2009,

The Dirty Wall Project has officially started the first of many projects across India.

Through some contacts I made on my last trip to Mumbai, I was put into contact with the Chetna Youth Program. An impromptu meeting took place with a translator helping both sides to understand the goals of both projects.

The Dirty Wall Project purchased 3500 INR worth of fruit (bananas, sweet limes and biscuits) for delivery to Mumbai’s second largest public hospital. The Chetna team and I assembled outside the hospital and were taken into the office of Chief of JJ Group Govt. Hospital where we gave the fruit up for inspection. Once obtaining permission the fruit was wheeled into the hospital on a gurney through the casualty ward. Our first stop was a children’s ward where we hand-delivered the fruit and biscuits bed to bed. We continued for the next few hours moving from ICU units to women’s ward and so forth until we ran out of food to give.I was unable to take many photos inside as i did not want to disrespect anyone.

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