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The last 16 months have been hard on all of us; we're all trying to make sense of a world we don't recognise anymore. They have been particularly hard for a community of people close to my heart.
For two years (between 2017-2019), I had the privilege of being a teacher at a low-income school in Chennai, India. My experiences with the students and the community have left a lasting impact on my life, and four years later- I find myself constantly thinking about their well-being and future.
What's going on?
Since the onset of the pandemic, circumstances have been difficult- most parents are daily wage workers and their meagre salaries never allowed for savings, students have dropped out of school because of lack of access to devices and connectivity, some have had to move away from the city to manage living expenses, and so many have had to deal with the medical expenses of recovering from COVID.
As a team of former and current teachers, we've been trying to support as many families as possible, but often the biggest hurdle is procuring the money when it's most needed. Every couple of weeks, my teammates receive phone calls from desperate parents and children just trying to get out of a sticky situation- sometimes it's giving rent that month or paying medical bills. Most often, they resort to asking us because they are already piled up in debt.
What am I trying to do?
This year- to ring in my milestone birthday, I created a #25bucketlist. One item on that list is 'kickstarting a reserve fund for the children and community from Tondiarpet, Chennai.
A small contribution from you can make a world of difference to a few families in the community. The funds you donate would help the community with the basics- food, water, shelter, education and medicines. The next few months will continue to be a struggle for many families- and this fund is in anticipation of those needs.
How can you support?
There's no greater gift than one of kindness- and it would mean the world to me if you could join me in celebrating my birthday by making this happen!
For two years (between 2017-2019), I had the privilege of being a teacher at a low-income school in Chennai, India. My experiences with the students and the community have left a lasting impact on my life, and four years later- I find myself constantly thinking about their well-being and future.
What's going on?
Since the onset of the pandemic, circumstances have been difficult- most parents are daily wage workers and their meagre salaries never allowed for savings, students have dropped out of school because of lack of access to devices and connectivity, some have had to move away from the city to manage living expenses, and so many have had to deal with the medical expenses of recovering from COVID.
As a team of former and current teachers, we've been trying to support as many families as possible, but often the biggest hurdle is procuring the money when it's most needed. Every couple of weeks, my teammates receive phone calls from desperate parents and children just trying to get out of a sticky situation- sometimes it's giving rent that month or paying medical bills. Most often, they resort to asking us because they are already piled up in debt.
What am I trying to do?
This year- to ring in my milestone birthday, I created a #25bucketlist. One item on that list is 'kickstarting a reserve fund for the children and community from Tondiarpet, Chennai.
A small contribution from you can make a world of difference to a few families in the community. The funds you donate would help the community with the basics- food, water, shelter, education and medicines. The next few months will continue to be a struggle for many families- and this fund is in anticipation of those needs.
How can you support?
- You can make a small contribution to this fundraiser.
- Support the cause by spreading the word around your social circles.
There's no greater gift than one of kindness- and it would mean the world to me if you could join me in celebrating my birthday by making this happen!
