A Picture's Worth...

...A picture is worth (depending on if the struggling economy has influenced this currency coversion) a thousand words. I love being behind my camera... India was so much fun to shoot and I cannot wait to go back. My time spent in India provided valuable persepective on life and my country; we don't have it so bad in America...



For more photos check out my online gallery @

http://picasaweb.google.com/roseener

Real Poverty

Children, that have the opportunity to be in school, line the streets of Mumbai as a yellow taxi cab pulls slowly to the curb. The cab is spotted and a group of children run to it pressing themselves tightly against the windows exterior as if someone famous is inside. A girl, maybe 10, approaches the window a bit slower; slower because she holds the weight of a baby who, from her arms, reaches out with tiny hands for food along with the rest.





A young male, white and seemingly odd in this crowd, walks through an endless beach on a grey day and is swarmed by orphan children - each with there own skill or souvenir to sell. As the same tourist leaves the beach he is followed by a tail of children. He enters a similar yellow cab and its door will not close fully because a young mother stands in the way; she shows desperation as she makes a final sale - an item he will never use. Somewhere else a child is hit because she failed to sell a bundle of flowers to tourists passing by. With all this struggle children still laugh and play - yet, with many wide smiles another problem, tooth decay, is clearly revealed.

Poverty is an inescapable truth in India. For me, this level of poverty is a true shock; culture shock for a first time, in a big way. I understand poverty exist in any country, but in India a huge gap between the rich and the poor, widening by the massive population, pushes a poverty problem to the magnitude of a bottomless trench of numbers and confusion. There has to be a solution, at least for some. Maybe I am naive and I am failing to recognize a sad truth... but I can't see it that way.

This blog is dedicated to children of India, and I hope within my group of friends and family it raises awareness. Awareness of the children in India who for some reason or another never experience the opportunity of an education. Awareness of the street beggars who are torn from schools because someone else thinks they are worth more on the street. This entry, for purpose, is my second to last. It will near the top of this blog's beginning and I hope you place it on your heart and take the time to think about the issue.



I was most often uncomfortable taking photo's of the poor. Uncomfortable in myself, in my often unappreciated daily blessing's and awkwardly held up by my inexperience. Avoiding the exchange rather than realizing the permant nature of a photograph. When I did take photo's, I wondered how the children got there - to this street. Was it organized? Where people profiting from children who where being robbed an education? If not, why weren't they in school? Have they ever seen a doctor? Have they ever seen a toothbrush? I still am very uncomfotable, uneducated, and inexperienced, but my experiences this summer have given me something to digest and undoubtedly put a new shape to my future



If you are in a situation where you can support an organization doing work within India or if you would like to volunteer yourself I strongly encourage you to do so. You will make a difference - I've collected a list of promising sights to route your efforts below. If you cannot agree with any of my selections I promise there are many more to be found. Thank you!

When I go back, I would like to volunteer with…
Many of these are volunteer/vacation opportuties wich seem like practical and exciting ways to shape the world. enjoy!

http://www.volunteersindia.org/?gclid=CJ6_ie-Y1pwCFSYoawodPGTAJg - the “shake hands” program seems to offer relatively affordable rates compared to other volunteer/travel sites.

http://www.globalvolunteers.org/india/default.asp - Based out of St. Paul, Minnesota this organization is a seasoned vet when it comes to volunteer vacations.

http://www.earthwatch.org/ - Very cool site/ very expensive. Make a difference by volunteering with scientists in the field.

http://www.developingworldconnections.org/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=16 - This organization focuses on providing essential resources (such as water) to Bhinder, a small city in the dry Thar desert of Rajasthan.

http://www.one-international.com/volunteer.html - This site focuses on making a change in the lives of children living on the streets of Mumbai.

http://www.globaldentalrelief.org/ - I noticed tooth decay every day in India – volunteer with this group and work to maintain the integrity of a child’s enamel. Tooth brushes for everyone!

http://www.help-education.org/volunteer.html - Himalayan education lifeline program

http://www.peacecorps.gov/ - The Real Deal Hollyfield – maybe just leave your deodorant at home because you are going to run out anyway.

http://www.aidindia.org/main/ - Association for India’s Development (AID)

http://www.golongitude.org/www/Longitude_Volunteer_Ghana_India.html. This Rhode Island non-profit has put together a structured and purpose filled website site that I think was my favorite. Also, it left me with this quote that I really liked:

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all people cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends”

- Maya Angelou