A-86 East of Kailash New Delhi 110065, INDIA +91 11 26910499 www.nazindia.org +91 11 40793156 Letters From Home, Issue 17 November 2011 Letters From Home Director ’s Note As the weather is cooling down, the children studied hard for their first term exams. Their results gave us a reason to be very proud of them all. With 23 children running around the care home and a number of surprise appearances, it is easy to say that the recent months have not been simply academic. Several festivals in the month of October brought in many sweet treats and even a special guest or two. Dusshera was celebrated with delicious food and playtime at the oldest Durga puja at Kashmiri Gate. A metro run in with Rahul Gandhi made Diwali especially unique this year as it resulted in a very special visit to the care home. The children reciprocated their thanks by proudly showing off their singing and dancing talents. To find out more you can read what the kids themselves thought, in the article written by Prashant (16). The actual day of Diwali was spent with colourful decorations and exploding fireworks that brought in faces that shined as bright as the lights on the houses. Then on the 29th of October, the children had the opportunity to sit down and have a very personal 23 to 1 with pop sensation, Lady Gaga. Please refer to page 3 to read about this once in a lifetime experience. Unfortunately these last three months did not provide solely smiles and laughs. We lost a precious member of the Naz family, six year old Kamran. Losses like these remind us at the Naz Foundation why we work to provide all possible opportunities for the children that call this place home. Thank you, again, for all you have done for us. Your support, encouragement, and love have bolstered our work here and we always appreciate your kindness. Warm Regards, Anjali Gopalan, Executive Director Page 2 3 “I am me” CONTENT Lady Gaga visits the Care Home 4 Kamran In loving memory 5 Metro Meeting Metro Run-in turned Care Home visit with Rahul Gandhi 3 5 6 7 Mission Statement The Naz Foundation (India) Trust 6 Diwali Festival of Lights is a Delhi based NGO working on the issue of HIV and AIDS since 1994. Naz works towards preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS by engaging in advocacy, training and care and support. Naz India is committed to raising awareness to prevent the spread of HIV and providing support to those living with the virus and those affected by it with sensitivity and utmost confidentiality. 7 Spotlight on… Roza with the smiling dimples 8 Dusshera Good Conquers Evil 9 Latest from Home Supporters Corner & Birthday Shout-outs 10 Page of Fun Outings, celebrations, and more… 11 Sponsorship Page 2 Born this way with HIV but living life as “I am me”... If you were to play a word association game with Lady Gaga as the theme, all the words describing her extremely unique choice of clothing would probably come to mind. But if you ask the kids in our Care Home what they think of Lady Gaga, you will hear “down to earth.” A crowd gathered outside the Care Home as a band wagon of SUVs pulled up in front of our bright green gate on 29th of October. Bringing energy and light, Lady Gaga came inside carrying party trays of Italian food. All 23 children quickly gathered into the conference room. The little ones boldly sat on her lap, looking extremely fashionable and undeniably cute while wearing a pair of sunglasses from each member of the entourage. The teens were bright and ready for their opportunity to ask Lady Gaga anything their hearts desired. Their questions ranged from serious matters regarding how she as a woman with so much media attention is trying to bring more awareness to HIV/AIDS to a more light hearted request to hear her sing. Of course, no wish was turned down. Everyone in the room joyfully clapped as Lady Gaga belted out “Born This Way.” The popstar used the message of the song‟s title to provide a source of encouragement for our children to not think about HIV as a defining identity— but rather to appreciate that “I am me” (Main main hoon) She even had a few motherly pieces of advice: eat well, study hard, and take all medications on time. Using her own personal battle with the autoimmune disease, Lupus, she described the consequences if she does not take care of her body properly. Enthusiastic declarations from the older kids, of continuing taking care of their bodies and doing well in school, because Lady Gaga told them to, proved her message was well received. Lady Gaga‟s legacy at Naz preceded her as boxes of donations flooded the first floor of the Care Home later that afternoon. The children curiously tried the homemade Italian food. The bags of rice, tubs of peanut butter, Italian food, boxes of cookies and fruit snacks, among other packaged food items will continue to be eaten by the children for months to come. Not to mention, it may be nearly impossible to get the children out of the conference room now that we have a 64 inch flat screen television complete with a Play Station 3 and 3D glasses. The Naz family is extremely grateful to Lady Gaga and her friends for going above and beyond for our children. This truly is an experience that no member of the Naz family will ever forget. Page 3 Amran - In Loving Memory Dear darling Kamran, We cannot forget that Friday afternoon, the 16th of September 2011, on which you bid us good bye. Yes dear, you have touched each one of us throughout your short, yet very memorable stay with us in the Naz family. You have shown us that the quality of existence far exceeds quantity of time in which you live it. Although we will miss you everyday, especially your winning smile, you will always remain forever in our hearts. - Your loving ones at Naz Kamran Ahmed, or Kamran Akmal India Chakka, as he would introduce himself, came to Naz Family on 9th April 2011 from Jammu and Kashmir. Both his parents and two sisters died from HIV related illnesses. His relatives were unwilling to take care of him, and his cousin flew him to Delhi. With his animated and happy personality, Kamran was, as his nickname indicates, an enthusiastic cricket supporter. He loved to play cricket with the older boys, show off his yoga moves, as well as draw and play with his Naz siblings. As the sweet boy he was, it did not take long before he adjusted to his new home. “One who taught us to share”, was an encompassing way to describe Kamran. When Kamran joined us, his CD4 count was very low and he had a number of opportunistic infections. He was put on treatment and soon thereafter anti-retroviral treatment (ART). Initially there were problems adjusting to the ART medicines but slowly and steadily his health improved. He then became very active, teaching us all the Kashmiri foods he had seen his father cook for him. Kheer (rice cooked with milk) being his absolute favourite. On 2 July, we celebrated his 6th birthday and were getting ready for his upcoming school admission. But Kamran never got to attend his first day of school in a new uniform with books in hand. He developed high fever and further complications resulted in his admittance to All India Institute of Medical Sciences on 6th September. nd The doctors tried all possible efforts to restore his health. Unfortunately Kamran went into coma. He was on ventilator until the afternoon of the 16th of September. At 2 pm, he took his last breath after a brave fight. Kamran, who will always be in our hearts, was given a befitting funeral according to the Muslim rite. Other than the Naz family members, a community of over 50 Muslim brethren were present to offer the Salat al-Janazah for Kamran. Dearly missed Kamran, will always have a special place here at Naz. He reminded us the importance of working towards a HIV/AIDS free world with a caring and rights based approach. Page 4 Rahul Gandhi A Very Special Meeting Prashant shares his own personal reflection on meeting Rahul Gandhi I met one of the big personalities of Indian politics. The man, Rahul Gandhi himself in person. When we were going for Durga Puja via metro some of the kids and staff met him. He talked to us and promised to visit to our Foundation. I was very excited to meet him. As promised, Rahul Gandhi came to our Care Home to meet us. The atmosphere was electrifying. All the staff and children were excited, he sat with us, drank tea, and talked to us. We also asked him many questions, he replied calmly and was quite happy. He gave us gifts and sweets and promised to come again. It was a memorable day for me. Page 5 DIWALI Diwali, also known as „the festival of lights,” fell on the 26th of October this year. It commemorates Lord Rama‟s return after 14 years of banishment. According to Ramayana, an ancient Hindu epic, Rama defeated the 10headed demon, Ravana. In celebration, candles are lit to help guide his way home. This tradition is what gives the holiday its name, as “Diwali” means "row of lights." The celebrations started early in the week. Several donors, including Rahul Gandhi, visited the Care Home and brought gifts in the form of sweets. Of course, the children were quick to open and eat all the chocolates—trading and sharing their favourites. On the day of Diwali, the kids were all smiles as they decorated the Care Home with brightly coloured streamers and spent hours carefully laying out a beautiful rangoli in the courtyard. But they could hardly wait for the evening! After taking turns lighting the candles, they lit up the street as they passed around hand-held crackers and watched the bigger ones explode into colourful fountains or spin around on the ground. The evening finished with a delicious dinner as the sound of crackers lighting up the Delhi sky. The children spent days following drawing their own rangolis, finishing their chocolates, and talking about how much fun they had playing with all the different crackers. Thanks to a special visitor and the excitement of the holiday festivities, this will definitely be a Diwali to remember. Page 6 SPOTLIGHT ON … ROZA With the cute smiling dimples... Cheerful Roza, eight years old, joined the Naz family at the young age of three. She came to us malnourished, as there was no one left in the family to care for her. Her mother had passed leaving Roza orphaned at an age when children need their mothers the most, two. The whereabouts of her father is unknown. Some loving friends of her mother cared for and looked after the child until they decided that Naz would give her a brighter future. The decision of these people to bring Roza to Naz has benefitted her in many ways. Among some of the most cheerful children at Naz, eight year old Roza probably has the biggest smiling dimples... Going to school in grade 3, Roza is studying towards a promising future. Her favourite subject in school is English and she aspires to one day be an English teacher. She loves the colour red and enjoys drawing and colouring with the other children. Roza also likes story reading and playing with her younger siblings. As she speaks and understands English, she is also a great friend to many of the volunteers, translating what the younger kids say. She certainly has a caring personality and likes to have fun. We love seeing her grow up and our hopes are that she will become what she wants, whether it be English teacher or anything else. Page 7 Dusshera October, A Month of Festivals Celebrating Good - October was a fun-filled month of festivals that started with the celebration of Dusshera on October 6th. Starting off with feasts, fast and celebration honouring the triumph of Lord Rama over Ravana, the demon. It also symbolizes the warrior Goddess Durga‟s triumph over the demon, Mahishasura. The Kids had the Opportunity to Just be Kids All dressed up in nice and colourful clothing, the children enjoyed celebrating Durga puja at the oldest Delhi puja at Kashmere Gate. The children enjoyed watching a cultural show of drumming and dancing. After eating food, the children played at the playground. They laughed and smiled while playing with all the toys and play equipment any child could ever dream of! After getting back home, the children continued to talk about their exciting experience for several days, with the highlight being the time spent at the playground. Page 8 In this time after Diwali, Thanksgiving and with Christmas fast approach, we wanted to take the time to Thank all of you, our donors and supporters. It’s with a warm heart that we can say that all our 23 children in our home are able to live a healthy and happy life. Seeing these smiling children grow up with bright futures is made possible because of your contribution. Knowing that we have a great supporter base out there, both in India and across the world, makes our compassionate work even more meaningful. Truly, our work is made possible because of you. Happy Holidays and best wishes for the New Year! BIRTHDAY SHOUTOUTS! Alphansa 10 Prathamesh 9 Damul 12 Tushar 15 Anisha 13 Nikita 11 September October Iqra 6 Samadhan 10 Deepali 5 November OUTINGS & Fun Occasions 1. Sharavi. 2. children drawing, 3. Raul Gandhi and Meena, 4. Deepali, 5. Iqra sliding, 6. Tushar on the slide, 7. Khushi and Sonu, 8. Babli, staff and Rahul Gandhi, 9. Kids and fireworks, 10. Anisha, Babli and Sonu dancing, 11. Chetan, Gudiya, Damul, Nikita and Kamran, 12. Meena, Samadhan and Chetan, 13. Amit, 14. Anisha, 15. Kids with Lady Gaga Sponsorship Options The Naz Care Home is supported primarily through donations. We encourage you to become part of our donor community and support our children with your financial or in-kind donations: · · · · Sponsor a child for one year: 48,000 INR / 1,200 USD (Payments can also be made in monthly installments of 4,000 INR / 100 USD) Sponsor an outing of your choice for all the children: 5,000 INR / 125 USD Sponsor medications, hospital visits, and tests for a child for one year 12,000 INR / 300 USD (Payments can also be made in monthly installments of 1,000 INR / 25 USD) Sponsor a meal in the Care Home 2,500 INR / 50 USD Name__________________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________ Occupation______________________________________________________ Organization_____________________________________________________ Phone_______________________________ Email________________________________ Please tick: ___Sponsor a child ___ Sponsor an outing ___ Sponsor a meal ___ Donation to corpus ___ Sponsor medication Amount of donation_________________________ In kind donation___________________________ Please return this form along with your cheque or in-kind donation to: Cheques should be made payable to: The Naz Foundation (India) Trust. For other donation options (wire transfers, cash, etc.) and general inquiries, contact Anuradha Mukherjee, our Programs Manager: [email protected]. All donations are exempt under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act of 1961. Naz website: www.nazindia.org; Phone: +91 11-26910499/40793156-62