Joy of Giving

This note goes out to all my friends and family from around the world. India is celebrating the first ever Joy of Giving week from Sep 27 - Oct 3 2009.


Take a small step towards giving -- support me in my classroom. Hold a book donation drive for my kids and help me build a library. Else collect only $10 from 20 friends and help my kids buy workbooks. These are two easy steps but can make a world of difference to the 40 kids in my 3rd standard classroom situated in Shindewadi Municipal School, Dadar - a public school serving under-resourced communities.


If you are interested or would like more details drop me a message. Get inspired and Inspire...GIVE! :)

Cheers!
A TFI Fellow 2009


From the pen of TFI CEO, Shaheen Mistry. Something she pulled together inspired by the Joy of Giving week. Its about two characters - Give and Get.


What Get Said to Give and What Give Taught Get


So Get said to Give

In order to live

Just take what you can

Be rich, dearest man.

Learn to grab and to claw

Always want more, more, more

And don’t stop to think

What your wanting is for.

Be rich man

Be cool

Send your kid to a school

Where he’ll grow up to be

A rich Get just like me




Then Give interrupted

Get stop! Get please stop!

All this talk of just making

It up to the top

Makes me giddy and dizzy

And fizzy and sick

You’re up to no good Get

I know all your tricks

You’re making these people

Think love can be bought

That happiness tickets

With money are brought




I know your type Get

I used to be you

Till I stumbled on giving

And what it can do




And that is the thing

I must share here with you




I used to feel good, Get

Just giving away

Some old clothes, the torn ones

The jeans that were frayed




Then one day, a child said

He dreamed he could play

With a new toy, a new toy

Not my give-away




So I went out and bought, Get

A shirt that was cool

Thinking about

What he’d wear after school




And a toy car, I bought him

Of shiny, bright blue

I thought of what six year old

Boys like to do




And the smile that he gave, Get

That smile it was real

So real that my heart

Didn’t know how to feel




And the next day, while walking

I saw a small child

She asked for some money

Her hair was quite wild




And when I said no

She pointed afar

To a coconut vendor

Behind all the cars




I followed her, zig-zag

‘Cross Mumbai’s loud street

We sat down with coconuts

On dusty, tar seats




Just me and the ‘lil girl

Sip-sipping away

A sliver of joy

Had slipped in my day




And as we were chatting

About things that she chose

A man not too far

Watched, then quietly rose




And then, came towards us

And – almost ashamed

Gave a bright, shiny apple

Then left as he came




And you see, Get

You see, Get

When you start to give

You pave roads for the Others

To change how they live




When you first start to look, Get

It maybe a haze

But many are giving

You will be amazed




The tree, how it gives

Of its fruit and its shade

The carpenter gives

Of the wood that he’s made




The teacher, she gives

Every student her right

The puppy he fills

Every heart with delight




The farmer he gives

Of his hard-earned new crop

The sun gives us light

Til the moon says to stop




The temple and mosque

Really say we are one

The swing takes us high

Up-and- down kind of fun




And music, she gives us

A world that is free

And dreams, how they teach us

Just what we can be




So I watched, Get, I watched

And I learned how to give

How to always have hope

How to love and forgive

To compare myself down

To feel thanks, to want less

Get, I learned to share more

Get, I learned to feel blessed!



My class....