Our Work in Action

Shelter for Small Children in New Delhi Opens!

2012-02-02T11:54:00.001-05:00

New lives begin...
Lydia Dean - GoPhilanthropic Founder

Lydia Dean and Heather Kilian travel to New Delhi, India to partner in opening TARA Tots, a new shelter for vulnerable children. Thank you to all who are making this a reality...

The morning after our arrival into Delhi, we sipped coffee with Pascal Fautrat, Director of TARA to get an update on the opening of the new shelter for the "tots."
“How shall we say...things are still a bit wild and it feels a bit like the jungle! ” he says with a chuckle. Vanshika (4) and Deepika (5) , Saira (5) and Manish (3) were admitted only 5 days prior to our arrival and are logically struggling with the concept of having been removed from their normal surroundings--however unsafe they may have been. These 4 children are still unaware of the precious gift they have been handed. In the coming months and years, they will be building new lives based on education, arts, sport, and most importantly love--healing the wounds of having been neglected and exposed to some of life's horrific realities.
Life Beyond the Red Light District
Vaishila, TARA's Child Welfare Officer has been combing the small alleyways of New Delhi's Red Light District called GB Road. This sector of the city is a shocking representation of modern day slavery and human trafficking. Women are physically and mentally trapped in a cycle of poverty and prostitution. Children stay by their mothers’ bedsides even during their appointments with clients and when they reach the age of 5 they are brought into the trade themselves,” states Pascal flatly.

Sayra and Deepika

Vaishali has her work cut out for her, convincing both the mothers and pimp that their children will be better off at TARA, attending school, going to the library, exposed to beautiful elements of life not found on GB Road. Some mothers would jump at the chance to get their children out of their cycle but their pimps prefer to have the children working. At times though, Vaishila will stumble upon a situation where the stars line up, a door to a new life being cracked open allowing the child to be released to TARA. The backgrounds of our Tots involve mothers who are regularly beaten. They go off to work and leave their children either locked in rooms or roaming the streets for 9-10 hours a day. It is not clear whether all of the mothers of our tots will stay in contact with us. Visitation will be allowed every few months, yet off-site.

Before visiting the tots, we head to the TARA Boys Shelter the home of 20 bright and happy boys aged 6-18. Pascal started TARA Boys only 3 years ago after seeing first-hand the atrocities children faced in government run institutions and other NGO shelters. All of the boys have come from very harsh backgrounds--yet since being at TARA they have blossomed into amazing young men.

Pascal and the staff have found a powerful balance of "love and limits" alongside a rigorous academic curriculum intertwined with yoga, dance, art and sport. When they arrive a TARA some have missed years of schooling, they have been beaten and abused. Carefully and patiently, TARA helps them become whole. See below for more video diaries.

We catch up with the boys and then take four of the smaller ones to come and meet the tots, their new family members. When we arrive, little Manish, only 3 and terribly upset about his transition, is extremely reluctant to meet his new BIG brothers. I was amazed to see how quickly the olders took the tots under their wings--Mohid, only 7 himself, quickly clams Manish by rubbing his back and wiping his running nose with a gentle tenderness of someone who can relate to his pain. We walk across the street to a pretty green park and the tots enjoy the fresh air. But after only 15 mins the tots gravitate to my lap, emotionally exhausted. Vanshika closes her eyes and escapes into a nap.

We attend the Tot's first staff meeting the following morning. It is clear that they have yet to synchronize a schedule--staff members are new and not adhering to a set sleeping and eating schedule for the children, the carpenter is late doing his work, and the cook's food is too spicy. The feel is one of organized chaos - all to be expected in these early days. Vaishali is reviewing profiles of 2 more boys aged 2.5 and 4 years old. But days later, much of these issues were resolved and better yet, the tots had had theirs first lessons, a yoga class and a fantastic trip to the library (a first). All were sleeping through the night and a system for integrating quality time the TARA Boys had been established. All in all, off to a good start!

We hope to be at full capacity with 20 Tots by end of the year.

Outfitting the New Shelter
The tots shelter is located on a residential road in a building on the first floor. It consists of 5 rooms which include 3 with ensuite bathrooms, plus laundry facilities, a kitchen and a large main living area and small garden. The feel is airy, bright and clean--a superb environment for the tots. The bathrooms have western toilets and are being outfitted with steps so the tots can reach sinks themselves. The children sleep on mattresses on the floor in one room and have large cupboard to arrange their things. It is a notable step up from the conditions at TARA boys shelter yet considerably more expensive in rent.

Beautiful warm light streams through the windows of the main area where the children will have their lessons, and various classes. It’s rather empty now but will soon be filled with tables and toys

Heather Kilian works with Vaishali in unpacking the wooden toys, clothes and books that she and Lydia brought over from the US. Thank you to all those who contributed!

MAKING A DIFFERENCE...
GoPhilanthropic's TARA Tots giving circle has pledged to raise $25,000 this year towards the running costs of the shelter for 20 children.
Two corporate sponsors have donated what is needed to outfit the new home. What we need now are funds for ongoing day-to-day needs teachers, nannies, and other staff...
Email Lydia for full financial reports on running the tots center and how you can donate various needed elements to the program

We have $7000 already in place.

Creative fundraising campaigns
Deanies: Nick Dean and Heather Kilian are partnering to sell "Deanies" (beanies) to Nick's network of fans. Heather Kilian is currently knitting the hats (20 completed) and has plans to recruit 1-2 more knitters willing to knit for charity. The Deanies will be sold for $20 online and at Nick's music events.

Fundraising Goal: $1500

Only Provence Charity Weeks: John at Only Provence has incorporated CSR in order to raise funds. Rental weeks in the off-season will go towards TARA tots.
Fundraising goal $5,000

Not yet part of our efforts? contact Lydia info@gophilanthropic.com

It takes more than $: GP giving circle hopes to assist in project management.
Current ideas for how we can contribute:

Measuring success of the program
Examining / research on special needs of traumatized children
A global family: developing a meaningful way for our children to learn and connect with the Tots and the Boys

Heather teaches Sidhu to knit - he calls it the "weaving thing."

VIDEO DIARIES

Director Pascal talks about the inspiration...

the tots have their lunch

The Younger TARA Boys talk about life at TARA.

Rakesh talks about why TARA is special

Scarves for Scholars

2011-11-21T15:21:00.001-05:00

Two years ago Heather Kilian could only wonder what she might do in all of her time when she retired from her high pressure downtown Toronto job. She started began by doing what she has loved her whole life--gardening and knitting. Two years later I think Heather has surprised herself with all the GOOD that has come from her hobbies. She has launched "Scarves for Scholars, " selling beautiful hand-made trendy scarves in local shops, at festivals and at GoPhilanthropic events. Her most recent donation to GoPhilanthropic resulted in funding a tent school for 45 migrant children in the brickyards of Kolhapur, 1 year of secondary school for a young girl in Vietnam and support for Maji Moto Widows program in Kenya. Heather will take things a step further by traveling to India this October to meet some of the programs she has supported over the years. If you are interested in purchasing a scarf from Heather--contact heather.kilian198@gmail.com

Philanthropic Trips Announced for 2012

2011-09-20T13:47:00.002-04:00

Upcoming Philanthropic Journeys: GoPhilanthropic Foundation has announces three fabulous philanthropic journeys for 2012.
Cambodia and Vietnam - January 13 - 23
Uganda and Kenya - March 22nd - March 30
India - Oct 20-27

The Purpose of Our Trips:

Our journeys involve learning about and engaging with a collection of truly effective small grassroots non-profit, committed to long-term work within their communities. The journeys are powerful experiences, often life-changing, and give us each the opportunity to be a part of solutions.

These are not volunteer trips, but instead opportunities for learning and sharing knowledge with the programs that GoPhilanthropic Foundation supports. On any given trip, we will visit several different programs within a region to get a truly in-depth look at various issues as well as different approaches being uses to overcome them. Our meetings with these organizations allow us to ask more questions, understand what is needed, and consider the most effective ways to assist. We also weave in cultural visits and time for rest and reflection. All of our trips offer optional extensions for those who would like to explore the area and its culture further.

5 more Water Wells Installed in Cambodia

2011-04-25T07:09:00.003-04:00

GoPhilanthropic enjoys a longstanding partnership with Journeys Within Our Community in Siem Reap, Cambodia, a small but efficiently run NGO supporting clean water and education. During the holiday Grassroots Gift campaign, 3 funders selected Clean Water as gift, resulting in the installation of 5 new water wells in the rural outskirts of Siem Reap. Founder Lydia Dean was able to visit all 5 well locations during her recent site visit to the region. "The beauty of working with JWOC is that it isn't just about the wells. Community training workshops are conducted in all areas where wells are put in...education is at the heart of the program in order that villager members gain a full understanding for the the benefits. Some are only just coming to the realization that their children are sick from drinking water from their current sources, " says Lydia Dean. GoPhilanthropic has funded 17 water wells over through JWOC as well as supporting the launch of their sewing vocational program and funding 2 classrooms.

GoPhil Funds Health Program for Rescued Child Laborers

2011-04-04T07:32:00.003-04:00

In September of 2010, GoPhilanthropic visited its partner AVANI school in Kolhpur, India. AVANI provides shelter and education for 36 children who have been rescued from a life of forced child labor. All of the children now attend school and thanks to the dedication of director Anuradha Bhosale and others on the team, the children are thriving and exploring all of life's possibilities beyond labor. GoPhilanthropic is thrilled to have been able to send all of the children to the dentist for MUCH needed work as well as launching a daily snack program at the school. Reports from the caretakers at the school in Kolhapur reveal that a simple introduction of extra calories in the afternoon children has greatly increased their ability to concentrate on their work in the afternoons. The children at AVANI are awaiting a new school that is currently being planned and funded through the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute, founded by Arun Gandhi. GoPhilanthropic and GWEI have partnered in raising awareness for and supporting children involved in child labor.

100k Solar Power Funding from Engineers W/O Borders

2011-04-04T06:52:00.001-04:00

Sometimes our work is more about connecting the dots. Our portfolio of fantastic non-profit programs offers a ready-made list for other organizations to link to as well. The Atlanta Chapter of Engineers Without Borders approached GoPhilanthropic at the end of 2010 with news that they had corporate funding from Seimens for a solar supply project. After having submitted a proposal including several of our partner NGOs who were in need of the solar power, PIO in Phnom Penh was selected. PIO serves over 900 children a day through a variety of programs that include non-formal education and vocational training for vulnerable women and children. The solar power will be installed in one of PIO's main education centers next to the municipal garbage dumps in Phnom Penh early 2012.

Dean Founders Travel SE Asia to Connect with GoPhil Partners

2011-03-29T09:19:00.004-04:00

Between Jan and April 2011, GoPhilanthropic founders Lydia and John Dean and their 3 children traveled through SE Asia visiting all of the programs that GoPhilanthropic supports as well as researching other small grassroots organizations to add to the portfolio of programs providing effective and sustainable solutions to various global issues. During their visits, they met the beneficiaries of this year's Grassroots donations that totaled over $10,000. GoPhilanthropic donors raised funds for 5 village water wells in Siem Reap, a community water system in Phnom Penh, scholarships for university students, assistance for women's empowerment in Thailand, and several mobile libraries in Vietnam.

GoPhil Donors funds 10,000 Gallon Water Tank - Phnom Penh

2011-03-29T09:16:00.001-04:00

This March we had the pleasure of seeing for ourselves how the our GoPhilanthropic Grassroots Donors collectively funded a HUGE water tank housed at our non-partner People Improvement Organization in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Phymean Noun, the founder and 2008 Top 10 CNN Hero continues to inspire us with her drive to educate some of the city's poorest children who previously spent their days rag-picking in the municipal dumps. PIO now provides food and education for near 1000 children, alongside offering vocational programs for women needing to enter the work-force. We are currently seeking used laptop computers for their computer lab (in dire need!). Please email info@gophilanthropic.com if you can assist. We will be paying another visit to all of our Cambodia non-profit partners next Spring if anyone would like to come and see this amazing work in action.

Bikes Delivered at Buddhist Pagoda Orphanage

2011-03-06T23:09:00.000-05:00

To our generous bike donors - Jamie Shoemaker and Marcie, Steve and Joanne at Child's Play Daycare, Rochester NY...

One of the options for this 2010 season's Grassroots Gift Campaign was to fund bikes for AVANI's rescued child laborers in India. I was shocked that all the needed bikes were funded in about 10 minutes! We had more bike donors than programs that had expressed interest in bikes, so I vowed to find the right place to offer the cycles during our extended trip to SE Asia. Bikes are far from being just a form of entertainment and fun in developing countries--for many, they are the direct lifeline to opportunity and education. This week we had the pleasure of visiting Minh Tu, the head nun at the Buddhist Pagoda Duc Son in Hue, Vietnam , home to 200 orphans ranging from 6 days old to 18 and including many disabled children suffering the affects of Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War. Duc Son is no ordinary place--from the minute we walked across its polished floors we literally felt surrounded by love and warmth. With little resources the nuns at Doc Son don't wait around for donations-- they run a cafe to bring in funds in addition to a wood workshop where they create beautiful handicrafts. Their vegetable garden was meticulous kept and tended and provides food for the children throughout the year. Minh proudly walked us by the rows of bikes used daily by a portion of the children who attend secondary school. When we asked if they needed more...we were met with a resounding "YES!" After bargaining in the local markets we returned 2 days later with the shiny bikes. Thank you again to Jamie Shoemaker, Joanne, Steve and Marcie from Child's Play - Rochester, NY.

Connecting the Dots from South Carolina to Laos

2011-02-23T04:32:00.000-05:00

"She'll come across quite shy," said Alan, the director of LEOT, a small grassroots organization providing scholarships in Laos. "But you'll see when she opens up that she is quite determined and has a very strong work ethic." Alan is speaking of Sisaveth, a student that Chelsea and Emily Shoemaker, from Rochester NY, have funded to receive a 2 year scholarship through GoPhilanthropic's Grassroots Gift program this past holiday season. Sisaveth’s scholarship was offered to them by their aunt Kathleen Richardson, a renowned Materials Scientist at Clemson University. It’s inspiring to see this connecting of the female dots-- from a science professor in South Carolina, to her university-age nieces in NY state, to a bright young woman in Luang Prabang, Laos thousands of miles away who aspires to be a Math teacher. It makes you realize that the world just isn’t that big.

Sisaveth and her mother

Laos is by far one of the most beautiful places in the world I have had the pleasure of visiting--it simply oozes charm and authenticity. Travelers from all over the world are now adding this surreal UNESCO heritage city tucked into the mountains and bordered by the Mekong to their bucket lists. It famous for the procession of monks collecting their alms in the wee morning hours, its studded golden Buddhist temples, French architecture, and fantastic beer. But dig a little bit deeper beneath the polished tourism surface and you will see a combination of severe poverty, a terrain still littered with landmines from the Vietnam War (in an agricultural society), and an education system that ends for most children at secondary school. GoPhilanthropic has partnered with LEOT, focused on providing disadvantaged young people, most of whom are from ethnic hill tribes, the opportunity to go to college and universities. This is a chance akin to winning the lottery in the US. LEOT's students are studying a range of subjects from accounting, to English, economics, environmental studies, mathematics and tourism. They attend universities and colleges in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Apart from academic studies, other trades and professions are also sponsored--one student is training to be an electrician and another as a policeman. Because LEOT is small, it pays very close attention to each sponsored student, performance is closely monitored and continued support subject to academic results.

We meet Sisaveth outside my hotel for coffee, along with Alan and Kheak, another of LEOT’s scholarship students. Sisaveth hardly says a word--it’s not until later when we are at her home that I begin to see what I now know is a deep determination to build a better future for herself and for her family. She already attends school in the afternoon but must work every morning at a job that pays $40 a month. Without the job she cannot go to school. Our scholarship will essentially buy her out of her morning work schedule allowing her the luxury of studying all day. In addition, she will gain English classes to further add to her growing skill set. Sisaveth has the same youthful spirit that one might find with her counterparts in more developed countries. She wears a cool jean jacket and loves to listen to music on her cell phone, but I notice a wrinkle in her brow, a look on her face that reflects the weight of tremendous responsibility. This sticks out to me most as I meet the young people involved with our non-profit partners. Their drive comes not from wanting a better life for themselves, but for extending one to several generations in their families.

Sisaveth’s mother greets us warmly and she pats my back as she guides me through her tiny two-roomed house where she has raised 7 children. She grins ear to ear as she looks at her daughter. Her father bangs away making what looks to be a bed. Chickens run around a plastic tub that holds the family’s water source. We spend the rest of the day in the mountains in the small ethnic hill tribe village, lunching over a local fish soup and sharing life stories. After eating I notice Sisaveth slipping out of the hut, a line of children following her like ducklings. A few minutes later I hear soft singing and the patter of feet. I find Sisaveth in the middle of a circle of children, teaching them a traditional dance. She radiates a confidence and commands attention in a way only a natural born teacher could. The children watch in amazement and then each start to move, trying to match her movements and song. She leads, they follow and I am struck by how important it is that she continue in this role of mentor/ teacher. The children of Laos need the Sisaveths to engage them and show them the way forward - in Math, in dance, in life.

Thank you Kathleen Richardson, Chelsea and Emily Shoemaker -for making Sisaveth’s dream possible. If you would like to become a Grassroots Giver please contact: info@gophilanthropic.com

A Donor Match Made Across Miles ...Wildflowers, Gardens and Chicken Coops

2011-02-06T21:38:00.037-05:00

Picture yourself sitting in the warm sun on a wooden deck in rural Ontario, Canada overlooking a vibrant and colorful garden stuffed with earthy mounds bearing summer vegetables, lettuces, rows of lavender and wildflowers throughout. It's a place you might come to escape the craziness of life, to take big deep breaths of healthy air and refuel the coffers. You are at the home of one of GoPhilanthropic’s Grassroots givers Magnus and Heather Kilian, lovers of gardening, passionate about growth, both of the gardening sort and the kind that waters the seeds of humanity.

Magnus and Heather have donated to GoPhilanthropic programs for several years. Two years ago they helped purchase 4 sewing machines for the start-up of a vocational sewing program with JWOC in Cambodia, a program that can provide the foundation for women to earn a living year round. This year they had remaining funds left over in their Grassroots Giving Pot and told us to “find a good spot for it,” as we traveled to SE Asia to distribute our GoPhilanthropic's Grassroots Gift donations. We would like to thank the Kilians for trusting us in making that perfect match --we think we have found one that was truly meant to be.

Now picture yourself once again in a garden, the feeling of growth and serenity remains yet you are thousands of miles away. Simple thatched buildings are surrounded by colorful flowers and rice paddies, fluttering butterlfies and singing birds. Young women rock newborn babies and convene in groups learning to care for themselves and their young ones - everything from making their own meals, to making their own soap and tending their gardens. In essence, this place is about just that - learning to tend one's own life garden. I am at Wildflower Home in Chiang Mai, Thailand, a temporary home for unemployed single mothers with young children and a shelter for unmarried pregnant women, many of whom come from refugee settings or suffering hill tribes.

What I learned from the Elizabeth the director, as she guides me down the mud paths at WildflowerHome past fields of vegetables and bamboo hut housing, is that the home provides way more than shelter. Here women heal from past experiences while also learning the skills needed to move ahead. It's a delicate balance of pruning, watering, and warmth from the sun. At Wildflower they have access to maternity healthcare, literacy courses, vocational training. They develop skills in budgeting their own money. Seventy percent of the women come from agricultural settings--thus the program focuses on this as a foundation in order that they can return to their natural environments and live sustainably from them. Composting, soil regeneration and techniques relating to increasing crop yields are weaved into the healing and learning process at WildflowerHome.

When I asked Elizabeth how we might support the work she stops and thinks deeply. "The women are making lovely handmade cards. I am very keen on finding a market for them. Also, we would like to develop a healthy chicken coop. It is a great way for us to help in our own sustainability plan--our goal being to generate 50% of our food ourselves." The Kilian' s donation will thus go towards the purchase of 100 chickens plus a coop. It will also include training from a professor at a local university who is not only willing to come and teach the women, but will also provide interns to come frequently to check on the progress.

Wildflower Home fits in nicely to a growing portfolio of organizations that GoPhilanthropic donors help to support--namely programs rooted in generating empowerment and opportunity. We would like to thank Heather and Magnus Kilian and look forward to tending the personal connection made between them and this most special project so many miles away yet not so far in spirit.
See the video here:

GoPhilanthropic Founders Lydia and John Dean will continue to travel through SE ASia over the coming weeks to personally deliver the support provided by the year's Grassroots Givers and to continue to identify small community-based programs providing solutions to global challenges. If you would like to become a Grassroots Giver please contact: info@gophilanthropic.com

The Power of Engaged Philanthropy: Seeing for Oneself

2010-11-04T13:41:00.009-04:00

“Lydia Didi!!” (Lydia sister) Come and see our play! ” screeches one of the beaming AVANI students in Kolhapur, India. But the play I am about to witness is nothing like one I would attend for my own children in Rochester, NY. The scenes of this play, taking place under the hot sun 200 miles south of Mumbai, represent harsh snapshots, re-enactments of experiences these children faced daily trapped in a cycle of poverty, exploitation, and child labor.

I recognize many of their faces from my visit last December, the older ones looking more and more like men and women. Our GoPhilanthropic group traveled with Arun and Tushar Gandhi to learn firsthand about their multi-pronged vision and plan for combatting child labor in the region. Working alongside AVANI, the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation and the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute have plans to build a Memorial School, a learning and vocational facility for exploited children and their parents. But in addition to setting foot on the verdant rolling hills that will be the site of the new school, our group wanted to fully understand the mix of variables that created the context for child labor. The experience last year had me wanting to know more, to commit on a deeper level, so I return.

This principle of “understanding first” and “philanthropy second” represents the core mission of GoPhilanthropic - a socially-conscious P2P (people to people) organization I founded devoted to connecting individual and small groups with inspiring grassroots projects worldwide. This active and engaged form of philanthropy provides an experiential component to giving, ultimately providing a more educated vantage point from which to offer support. The act of going in person and exchanging, not just by writing a check, but in offering something of ourselves, our attention and our genuine understanding of the work that is being accomplished, is a powerful alternative to traditional philanthropy.

I glance at Sunil, one of the eldest at AVANI, who served as a child laborer for a brick manufacturer carrying one thousand bricks daily, six days a week, from a kiln to a truck. Rising at 4 am without breakfast, Sunil would walk to the job site where he worked in the hot sun for 9 hours. This would earn him 35 cents a day and provide two meals for his parents per day, his father being too handicapped to work. Sunil developed a flat head over the years as well as horrific headaches as a result of putting such heavy pressure on his head every day. Now at AVANI, Sunil dreams of becoming a teacher.

The children have put their heart and soul into the performance, sweating under the boiling sun--their pride visible as they stand, shoulders back and straight after the final act.

Anuradha Bhonsle, AVANI’s school director and regional women’s and child’s right activist, ends the performance by speaking directly to the children. Her loud and passionate voice bounces off the small school building walls, her arms motioning widely in the air.

“We must not see ourselves as victims. It is society’s mentality that is responsible for this , the whole system is responsible. The parents, the government, industry - we are all responsible and we all must change,” she yells.

For over a decade Anuradha has fought to end the scourge of child labor. I would learn over the coming days that the ugly sequence of poverty and child exploitation that AVANI and GWEI have committed themselves to wrestling--are a multi-layered blend of issues involving caste, a male dominated culture and tradition, and a lack of women’s access to information on their rights. It wasn’t simply about whistle-blowing. The key to a better future would involve a monumental push to educate at all levels--the industry owners who employed the children, the government officials who were lax in upholding the laws that prevented child labor, and last but not least, educating the parents who oftentimes forced their children to work.

Anuradha explains to me during our bumpy rides out to the villages that much of the problem boiled down to a lack of women’s empowerment. In order to end child labor we would have to reach the women, the mothers. So many remained imprisoned by ignorance, locked in a world where their options for survival meant sending their kids to work. There were laws that protected, supported, and provided them financial assistance, but few knew they existed. Anuradha has become a determined change-agent, set on informing first, then empowering. She now had a network of 1600 women who are actively building better lives for their families. The school the Gandhi’s are working towards would then provide various learning opportunities needed to begin to climb the first rung out of poverty. Progress would require a delicate dance between activism, empowerment and education.

After the play Anuradha takes me by the arm to show me the progress they have made at the school since my last visit. Our group had pooled some funds to support various needs. “See the water tanks,” she says as she guides me around the garden corner, pointing to massive black catchment tanks.

“And here is the other one, ” she says excitedly. “We had no way to keep the grains dry during the monsoon season. We had so little to begin with and then there was waste. Now everything is dry, “ she smiles. I peek into the bins, holding rice, grains, dried lentil and chick peas...

Stepping over lines of children eating their lunches cross legged on the floor, we continue into a small room no bigger than a closet. She shows me a wall lined with lockers “Remember how we told you we needed a place for the kids to put their individual things? Well look - now it is all organized and each child has a private place to store things. This may seem like a small detail but to a child who does not have much to call their own, it’s a precious gift.”

“And that’s not it Lydia. You must come,” she says.

Bringing me to the front of the house she points to a small solar panel propped on the roof. “Now we have lights at night,” she beams, “and the children can study after dark.”

I am floored at how far the funds went. More importantly though, I begin to grasp the true value of these simple basics. We, in our worlds of have-everything, really have little appreciation of the profound significance of these luxuries--electricity for reading at night, dry rice, a place to put our few precious things , a system for collecting water...

The days I spent in Kolhapur were deeply moving. As we so often see with our philanthropic travelers, the “donor” returns home humbled and inspired by those we have met - they are not so different from ourselves. We come home realizing that it is time to sit across global kitchen tables with cups of tea and listen to each other, working together to solve our problems. For all those who are interested in he Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute’s mission to help the children and families caught in the cycle of poverty and child labor, I urge you to go and see for yourselves what it is all about--and to play an active role in being a part of the solutions.

Lydia Dean - Founder/President

Guatemala Something for Everyone

2010-09-07T11:11:00.010-04:00

During a recent trip to the beautiful country of Guatemala, GoPhilanthropic reps were awe-inspired by the continued work and positive spirits of our partner organizations there.

We were reminded that to read about their accomplishments is one thing; but it is something else entirely to be able to see it all in person....

...Visiting Centro Maya school for the disabled, and seeing the faces of the children happily learning and at play; the hard work of the women working tirelessly day in and day out; so giving that they are more concerned with making sure we have a cup of rice milk and a plate of tortillas than themselves probably taking a single moment to eat all day.

...Visiting Aguas Calientes Artisan Cooperative and seeing the reenactment of a Mayan traditional wedding; taking our own hands to making tortillas and feeling the weight of the dough and the ease with which the women (and children) create perfectly-shaped pastries.

...Visiting Safe Passage and actually being able to smell and feel the effects of the Guatemala City Garbage Dump on the entire community...before even stepping outside of the car.

...Smelling the coffee roasting over an open fire at the house of one of the farmers' working with As Green As it Gets.

These are experiences for which words can do no justice.

It is not until you step into those situations yourself that you fully know them. And there is great beauty in the variety of partners that we work with - There is a little bit of something for everyone. Every person's take-away and experience will be ever-so-slightly different than the next.

We are fortunate to have these experiences ourselves, moments like those which our travelers experience, and it is a great reminder of why we do what we do.

Launching Deaf Travel

2010-03-29T16:05:00.006-04:00

Discovering Deaf Worlds http://www.discoveringdeafworlds.org/ GoPhilanthropic have united to offer unique travel opportunities that combine culture, adventure, accessibility, and a way to contribute to international deaf communities. Hike through the jungles of Costa Rica, visit the Temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, or experience the floating markets and exotic temples in Thailand. At the same time, meet with deaf leaders, learn about the issues they face, and participate in local efforts working towards solutions.

These inspiring inaugural trips include

Costa Rica - July 22- 31st 2010

Thailand and Cambodia - Oct 2-13th, 2010

For more information, contact:
Email: ddwjourneys@discoveringdeafworlds.org
Phone: 585-234-8144

Corporation weaves Giving Back into Incentive Events

2010-03-29T15:55:00.002-04:00

Recently the large global IT software management company CA decided to partner with GoPhilanthropic in incorporating philanthropy into its incentive awards trips offered to its top producing employees. The trips are a way to congratulate those who have produced exceptional results for the company and are set in magnificent locations around the world. This year the Senior Management of thr globally-conscious CA decided that in giving back to its employees, it should also give back to the communities that host their incentive events. In February 2010 the company’s top regional sale representatives convened in Siem Reap, Cambodia for a 3 day tour of the Temples of Angkor Wat. During their stay, GoPhilanthropic facilitated a $10,000 donation to its partner local grassroots organization (JWOC) Journeys Within Our Community working on providing safe drinking water and free schools programs for the villages surrounding the famous temples. CA's good-will did not simply involve writing a check to this inspirational organization—they wanted engagement in its efforts—to better understand the challenges facing the region and to see first hand how their donation could be used in supporting solutions. Activities were arranged between employees of the company and village community members--they included: cultural dancing from program members, an in-depth overview of the organization’s work, an onsite visit to a village where the clean water program was being facilitated, and assisting with one of JWOC’s free school classes.

GoPhilanthropic Supporting Women and Child Rights In India

2009-12-10T09:28:00.005-05:00

GoPhilanthropic's December 09 Gandian Legacy Trip provided an in-depth look at various grassroots community-based programs aimed at women's empowerment, vocational training and anti-child labor campaigns. The group visited various programs in New Delhi as well Mumbai. Then traveling South to Kolhapur with Dr. Arun and Tushar Gandhi, the group met up with women and child's rights activist Anuradha Bhasale from AVANI org and Arun Chavan of VERALA who are tirelessly mobilizing hundreds of women to stand up for basic civil rights as well as rescuing children from the local brick kilns. GoPhilanthropic's travelers met with community leaders and supported their efforts by providing needed materials and tools necessary to meet the needs of rescued children as well as expanding the reach of the organization's mission.

STAT Women Donate to Phnom Penh Orphanage

2009-11-21T08:48:00.004-05:00

STAT trips run by Erin Lieder - Pariser traveled to Laos and Cambodia this November...and did more than give to themselves on their exotic vacation. The group raised money and donated a water well outside Siem Reap as well as contributed needed supplies to an orphanage near the garbage dumps of PhnomPenh managed by CNN Hero Phymean Noun's People Improvement Organization.

Barstow School Raising Young Philanthropists

2009-09-25T13:22:00.005-04:00

The Barstow School in Kansas City wants to truly engage their students in solutions to global issues--late Spring this year they will travel to Vietnam and Cambodia to learn about clean water projects and literacy campaigns in rural villages. GoPhilanthropic Founder Lydia Dean visited the school this week to speak directly with the students about their desire to see more than the notable sights of Indochina--the student travelers will raise money throughout the year for water well and library projects through various fundraisers and will learn first-hand the importance of their support when they personally connect with the communities during their travel. Bartow's efforts reveal the importance of raising young philanthropists who want to more fully understand the context of global problems, and the most effective ways to provide opportunity for those striving to for a better future.

BBC to cover GoPhilanthropic's India Trip this December

2009-08-21T13:12:00.005-04:00

The BBC will join and film GoPhilanthropic's unique Gandhian Legacy and Philanthropy Tour departing this December (1st - 6th). The coverage will offer much needed exposure to power of supporting community-based projects during travel. Group members traveling commit to donating $1000 each to Dr. Arun Gandhi's memorial School Project aimed at providing shelter and education to children exposed to labor and sexual exploitation. There are still 4 seats available on this trip!

Sewing Project in Cambodia Takes Off

2009-08-08T14:10:00.006-04:00

Heather and Magnus Kilian from Toronto, Ontario, together with GoPhilanthropic funded JWOC (our partner non-profit in Siem Reap, Cambodia) first vocational training class. Funds went towards purchasing 4 sewing machines and 10 students were selected to undergo an intensive 6 weeks basic sewing training class.

Travelers Return From Vietnam Inspired - Travel Philanthropy in Action

2009-06-18T09:01:00.007-04:00

Every month we have a steady stream of philanthropic travelers returning from their trips inspired. For most, their "philanthropic" elements have included 1-2 afternoons or mornings with our partner non-profits working hard on clean water and education projects. In Vietnam, our travelers donate portable mobile libraries through the Global Village Foundation...these precious wooden boxes contain 250 books in both Vietnamese and English. While only lasting a few hours, visiting the schools and donating the books in person to the children ends up being the highlight of the trip--for children who do not have access to any books, the contribution is overwhelming...and many guests describe it as a stampede! Many of our travelers return home wanting to do more. Recently, Jane McCullar Burns and Gina Shiflet decided to have a fundraiser happy hour in their hometown this past June 14th, and within hours had raised nearly $8000 for the foundation. This is enough to blanket a whole district with books! Several donors decided not only to contribute to the foundation but to travel to Vietnam and deliver in person...

Travel to India with M.K. Gandhi's Grandsons

2009-06-18T08:48:00.007-04:00

http://www.gophilanthropic.com/ is offering a truly once in a lifetime trip this December--Gandhian Legacy and Philanthropy Tour. Travel with Dr. Arun and Tushar Gandhi, grandsons of M.K. Gandhi. The trip's focus is on experiencing first-hand Gandhian philosophy--and gaining a better understanding of humanitarian issues facing India today. Arun and Tushar will guide us through Mumbai to various projects aimed at poverty alleviation through empowerment and vocational training programs as well as stopping at significant Gandhi sites including his former residence. The group will then travel to Kolhapur where they have initiated a project aimed at providing shelter and education to children exploted by labor and sex trade. The GoPhilanthropic travel group members will individually committ to donating $1000 per person that they will donate in person to the school project in Kolhapur.

Changing Face of Philanthropy

2009-06-15T10:38:00.000-04:00

We at GoPhilanthropic have been reading up on the changing face of Philanthropy-- which is no longer confined to the ultra-wealthy or signifies writing checks to large charities. Click on the above title for a super article... Women are now more engaged in ever in giving back and have created powerful means to do so, from the Women Moving Millions organization (rasied over $150M) to Women for Women International, and Dining for Women - a 90-chapter women's giving circle based on monthly pot-luck dinners. More importantly perhaps is that "philanthropists," (and we believe this word is accessible to all of us) are wanting to be more engaged in the projects they support and more creative with the ways in which contributions are used--focusing more on sustainable projects, micro-finance programs, vocational training etc.. as opposed to hand-outs/aid. They are searching for programs with less strings attached and where they see clearly the result of their support...i.e donating to grassroots organziations with much less administration and bureaucracy allowing them to react to the needs of impoverished communities more efficiently.

How does this relate to what we do? Our concept of travel philanthropy is one where you can see for yourself the value of your contribution by visiting the program yourself while you travel and then meeting the individuals directly benefitting from the support (whether it is a $25 backpack filled with supplies or a $10,000 classroom donation....) The programs we have linked with around the world are community-based grassroots foundations with little administration--many of them run on shoestring and the value of our traveler contributions are seen as clear as day. When travelers donate a water well in Cambodia, the well goes in right away and villagers are benefitting from clean water within the month! Did it take a wealthy philanthropist in the traditional sense for this to happen? It simply took $350 donated by a GoPhilanthropic traveler who cares about humanity. The future of philanthroy is most certainly changing...

Brighton, NY Middle School Reaching out to Cambodian Children

2009-05-18T17:45:00.000-04:00

The Twelve Corners Middle schoolers in Brighton, NY decided to "go-global" in their fundraising this year and successfully raised enough money by selling popcorn at school events to fund a water well in Siem Reap, Cambodia for a new community center. GoPhilanthropic founder Lydia Dean will visit the center in September to meet members of the community and see the well in action. If you need information about how your organization or school can fund great worldwide projects (and go to visit them!) contact us.

Philanthropic Honeymoons - What a Way to Kick off a Marriage

2009-05-18T12:23:00.005-04:00

Teena and Nimesh Patel wanted to celebrate their marriage in a way that represented their common globally-conscious spirit. Instead of a traditional honeymoon of R&R they decided give back while traveling. The couple had always dreamed of going to Thailand so GoPhilanthropic created a fabulous guided trip through Bangkok, Northern Thailand and Cambodia. We wanted to make sure the trip had elements unique to their interests such as cooking, exploring the exotic markets and Teena had a love for elephants since childhood. They stopped at the Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary/orphanage for abused and neglected elephants and later moved onto Cambodia where they donated 3 water wells. Sound they roughed it on their honeymoon? Not at all..we helped them select gorgeous hotels focused on sustainable practices, they had local guides throughout...and of course we made a contribution to offset their carbon. Meaningful trips don't have to be about budget travel...