Children Learn What They Live . . .
For the most part, we shouldn’t be surprised by children’s behaviour. They learn it from us. They watch us closely – not just when we think we are “teaching” them, but all the time. They watch when we are under stress, when we are angry, when all our buttons get pushed. They watch us when […]
The Evolution of a Chair
What a great invention! A wheelchair is one of the truly life-changing design ideas, and whoever invented it should get a medal. It certainly has made our lives better, and I know that is true for millions of other people as well. That said, however, the basic wheelchair, which Moy Moy has possessed for many […]
Dr Steven Jerome Parker: a friend to babies all . . .
I have been dreading the news of his death for a long time. My friend Steven Parker told me about his diagnosis of Mutliple Myeloma, a rare form of cancer, three years ago and it changed the nature of our relationship in a profound way. Now every time I met him, every time I heard […]
Imperfection
There is no picture with this post. I was one of those lucky teenagers who had no real problem with acne. I sailed through adolescence with only two or three pimples – so few I can’t even remember them. I do remember, however, friends for whom those teenage years were a nightmare of agony and […]
A Month of Poetry
April is Poetry month in America. What a lovely concept. There are all sorts of ways to celebrate it, including signing up to get a “Poem A Day” emailed to you for the entire month (go here to sign up). There is also a sweet idea called “Poem in Your Pocket Day” which is on […]
A Ceilidh in Edinburgh (and Ceilidh means Generosity)
Well, it doesn’t actually. Here’s Anne’s explanation: The thing about the word ‘ceilidh’ is that it’s in the process of evolution. It’s Gaelic, and means a getting together, usually for an evening, to dance and sing and tell stories, say poetry, play instruments, anything anyone wants to do really. But over recent years it’s being […]
This is HUGE
Here are Raj Kumar and Harikala, holding their letters of acceptance to a six-month training course in Mumbai for Child Development Aides. What a thrill! We are all so proud of them and so excited at this wonderful opportunity they have been given. The course is being run by our good friends in Ummeed – […]
One Small Change
The Core Group! It is an institution in the foundation, harking back to our earliest days, when the CG was comprised of Paula, Linda, Aparna, Manju and me. We met religiously every Tuesday and the original idea was that the session would last only 15 minutes: a power meeting for which everyone would come prepared […]
Something to Say
Moy looked so pretty the other day I took a whole series of pictures, in most of which she was smiling beautifully. But this expression caught me by surprise. Look at her eyes! Wide open, waiting expectantly to be listened to. Mom! She seems to be saying: I want to tell you something. A few […]
Staff Updates
I miss our old staff. There are so many wonderful people who have worked in the foundation and then moved on – too many to list, really, and with my memory, I’m sure to forget someone absolutely crucial. But they all live on in my dreams and they all pop up from places as far […]