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Posts by Jim Gasperini

Jan 26

My Story: Mrs. Sapandeep Kaur, Teacher and Accountant

Mrs. Kaur’s story is one of 13 in the December 2016 DIR Progress Report.

My name is Sapandeep Kaur. I have done M.Com and have done CA Inter from Institute of Chartered Accountant of India (ICAI). I am from Punjab but born in Lucknow and brought up in Delhi. Because my father was in Indian Army and we used to live in Army area.

I got married 3 years ago and now I am living with my husband Baljinder Singh and his joint family in Sector-41 Chandigarh. My husband is Physical Education Teacher in Gems Public School.

I have been working for last 8 years. I have started my career as an accountant in Shree Krishna Agro Group in Sector-17 Chandigarh. Presently I am working in DIR as an accountant-cum-teacher and have been working here since last 7 months. In morning, I am working as a teacher in SWAD and after school time, afternoon onwards I work as an accountant.

I have never taught young kids before, which is now a very new experience for me. I have learned so many things after joining DIR and the various activities to play with small kids. I am enjoying the dual job of mine over here and feel proud to do this.

I feel privileged being a part of this organization which help our society by educating them regarding health, education and self-employment.

I also want to thanks our Dr. Shaw for recruiting me and giving me this excellent opportunity for being a part of such a wonderful organization. DIR is like a family and I really like this environment over here.

Thanks

Dec 23

My Story: Dr. Shalini Sahai, Chairperson of DIR’s Board of Directors

Here is one of 13 stories in the October edition of the DIR Monthly Report.

Dr. Shalini Sahai

Helping, fixing, and serving represent three different ways of seeing life. When you help, you see life as weak. when you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul.

–(Rachel Naomi Remen)

I was born in India, the oldest of 3 children in a family with great emphasis on education. I completed medical school in India and then went to USA with my husband where I did a pediatric residency. For the past 10 years I’ve been practicing with a health care organization in California.

 

In 2009, while I was on my yearly visit to India to see my family, I was introduced to Dr Frederick Shaw. At that time he had been running the Janta Colony program for about 5 years and had already achieved spectacular results in reducing infant mortality and malnutrition in children. The simplicity of his approach to these complex issues was very refreshing and the results undeniable. I was very inspired by his program and for the following 2 years, I spent some months working with DIR in India. Dr Shaw later invited me to join the Board of Directors of DIR which I happily did and I’m still part of it.

 

I’ve come to realize that every person seeks to find meaning in his or her life. More often that meaning comes from something outside one’s self.. For me, this meaning has come from being a part of the DIR family, serving to give back to my community in whatever ways I can.

 

Once I asked Dr Shaw while we were driving in his car on a hot summer day in India: “Dr Shaw, what makes you want to do this, at your age, away from your family, in a foreign country where you don’t even speak the language?” And he replied : ” It’s very simple really, I know how to do this; while there is a need for it in the world, how can I not do it?” His simple words affected me profoundly and will always be a source of inspiration for me.

 

With gratitude, Shalini

Jul 15

DIR Featured in Indian Newspapers

The DIR Monthly Report for June includes one of two recent articles in leading newspapers (The Indian Express and Dainik Bhaskar) featuring DIR. Here is one, translated from the Hindi by DIR staff.

Slum Women Demonstrate Remarkable Talent

Frederick Shaw in Indian NewspaperSome of the women who live in the poorest slum areas of Naya Gaon are learning to make cloth products under the guidance of Developing Indigenous Resources (DIR). This organization (whose chief function is improving health conditions) provides beautiful cloth samples to the stitchers, teaches them how to make products, which sell, and then buys back the finished products from the women. DIR markets the finished articles, earns profit, and then donates 100% of this profit to help support their free medical programme.
What do the women Sew? A variety of fine cloth products, evening purses, pencil and pen holders, “wine bags”( which serve a re-usable gift-wrap for a bottle of wine brought to a friend’s party), protective bags for smart phones, and their most popular item, shoulder bags for I-pads.

Some of seamstresses are economically so poor that they do not even have toilets in their homes. However, they have enough talent and passion. Their bags and covers receive love and praise from customers and from people who get the products as gifts. The Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Frederick Shaw of Developing Indigenous Resources showed us around their rented building, where in addition to all their medical activities, DIR runs a pre-primary English medium school that prepares slum children to be successful in Chandigarh’s most elite schools.

Frederick Shaw told us his big regret about the sewing project is that DIR lacks a marketing department, and the talented women can now make products faster than DIR can sell them.

The Monthly Report is full of timely information. Reports for the last three years may be accessed under DIR News.

Jun 27

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Mudcake

An award-winning short film shot in Janta Colony

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