A journey of effective donations
How to give effectively
The first two days were very comfortable, but what would you expect when staying in a palace? With the buzz of old friends seeing each other again and new friendships forming, the excitement was electric, with people meeting and sharing the deeper truths behind their involvement with the Pioneer Club. There were plenty of heartwarming accounts, and many had the common thread of wanting to contribute to a great cause and learning how to give back effectively.
With a clear agenda and intention set, we headed to Ranthambhore National Park to learn more about Project Tiger and the work that is being done to protect these beautiful animals.
It was on the first safari that a group of lucky members traveling in the same jeep as Roger were honored with the sight of a huge wild tigress relaxing in the dry grass no more than 10 minutes into the trip. The tour guide explained the rarity of this occasion: “It’s only once in a blue moon that the first animal you see in the park is the tiger!”
a local legend
On the second day we had the privilege of meeting a local legend, a man named Fateh Singh Rathore. Fateh is the original keeper and the first field manager of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. It was thanks to his efforts in 1973 that Ranthambhore was one of nine parks shortlisted to be part of Project Tiger.
During a question and answer session, a very poignant question was asked: “Fateh, how do you deal with poaching?”
To our surprise, Fateh’s response did not focus on needing more rangers with guns or more patrols to catch poachers. He said the answer was to provide education for the children of poaching families. “It’s a poverty problem,” Fateh explained. “Traders in China offer a lot of money to the tribesmen to supply them with tiger parts. The tribesmen hunt and kill the tigers without understanding the big picture. It is a matter of survival for them.”
The value of the tiger
“What we have done is launch a series of projects,” he continued. “One of the largest is a hostel where we offer lodging, food and education to the male children of the tribe. This has a triple effect: easing the financial burdens on the family, teaching the children the inherent value of the tiger, which in turn, it discourages them from hunting by providing them with the means to create an alternative source of livelihood and, thirdly, by encouraging them to join the mainstream of society.”
Fateh said some children on the show have expressed a desire to help save the tigers. The next question was, of course, how can we help? Fateh explained that her organization, Tiger Watch, a registered NGO, needs help to support another 10 children to fill the current shelter (capacity of 20). This will allow them to focus on the next project of building their own shelter for 50 children.
Within ten minutes, we were on a bus heading out to visit the children. At the end of the day, there was a group of us supporting the existing shelter and making plans to help and support them in building the next one. It was an inspiring and moving day, to say the least.
Commemorating Gandhi
He then went to Delhi and the commemoration of Gandhi’s 60th birthday. This whole experience felt like being in a poem…
When the coaches stopped at Rajghat, I was amazed at the size of the monument. It’s not until you get up close that you realize you’re only seeing one side. You enter through one of four cold stone tunnels to emerge into the inner sanctum of the building.
We file into the beautiful green grounds of Rajghat, to the sound of sitars and with the peaceful warmth of the sun on our faces. We took our place on the ground under a bare frangipani tree, just in time to see Sonia Gandhi walking just a few feet in front of us as she paid her respects to the great man who led India to Independence.
As I listened to the many religious representatives sing their devotional songs, I wondered what other kind of occasion I would need to be invited to to experience the honor of your company and the beauty of your beloved faith and prayers. I looked up to watch the hawks spiraling above the thermal currents and let my mind reflect on the freedom Gandhi had fought so passionately for. Here, 60 years after his assassination, leaders of all religions attended to pay their respects to him. I turned my attention back to the ground as two hundred thousand foot soldiers came through the door and lined up against the wall. As the various heads of government, the Prime Minister and the President arrived to pay their respects and lay rose petals at Gandhi’s Samadhi, the infantry saluted in time, responding in a single reflex. Images and sounds stirred.
make me zero
However, the highlight of the morning came after the service. We were invited to sit with Nirmala Deshpande, a senior member of the Rajghat Samadhi Committee, and one of the last surviving Gandhians known to have sat with Gandhi during his speeches.
Nirmala told us three stories. She recalled a day when one of Gandhi’s followers asked her why she prayed. Gandhi replied, “I ask God to make me zero, so that he can fully embrace it.” The second story involved Gandhi asking people to refrain from calling him ‘Mahatma’, as he was not comfortable with the title. She remembers Gandhi, frustrated, saying that if he died standing up, palms together shouting “Ram”, then, only then, call him Mahatma. Those of you who are familiar with the story of his passing know that that is exactly what happened!
Lastly, Nirmala spoke of Gandhi urging his political colleagues to evolve their proclamation from ‘Jai Hind’ – Victory for India to ‘Jai Jagat’ – Victory for the world. Gandhi’s vision was not just to unite India, but to unite humanity. Sixty years later, her legacy of compassion lives on in this powerful little lady. With tears in his eyes, it was time to leave Rajghat and Nirmala, with many promises to stay in touch.
The unforgettable Taj Mahal
From Delhi we traveled to Agra and again I don’t know the best way to describe the visit to the Taj Mahal. Perhaps Edwin Arnold was right when he said that the only way to do it is to divide everyone on the planet into two groups: those who have seen the Taj Mahal and those who haven’t! Let me say that it is an experience and a sight that I will never forget. I’m sure everyone on the trip would agree that they have a deep appreciation now that they are no longer of the latter group.
Perhaps even more appropriate to our trip was the British poet’s most famous quote: “Not a work of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love forged in living stone.” The Taj is a monument to women, but unfortunately, respect for women is not a passion shared by the entire nation and one that The Hunger Project is now working to rectify.
Leaving Agra was when the real work began. After nearly 12 hours of travel, we arrived in Satna, ready for our first meeting with The Hunger Project (THP) team. We were joined by Jim Whitton (THP USA Regional Director), Cathy Burke (THP Australia CEO), Anne Gardner (THP Australia Operations Manager) and Rita Sarin (THP India Country Director), along with powerful members from the Indian team Rinky Chaudari, Ruchi Yadav and Sandeep Naik.
Dedicated to Women
THP is committed to empowering women at the grassroots level in the poorest areas of the planet. We were privileged to witness the results of a dedicated team in Madhya Pradesh, instilling confidence, self-esteem and faith in the hearts of women who had been raised without identity or voice. As a result of an amendment to the constitution giving women a 33 per cent reserve in local government, these women are now being elected to senior positions in local village councils.
By providing education and an open and safe forum to share, understand and support the community, THP holds hands with these women as they teach each other about leadership and courage. Women who have felt alone and powerless to meet the urgent needs of their families are now stepping into positions of responsibility with conviction and determination, transforming entire communities by creating access to clean water, education, roads, health care and food.
when the magic happens
As individuals, we went to India thinking that we were the givers, and as a group, we left with the knowledge that we had received much more. Giving cash is not what you think it is. It’s not money or time or the right attitude. It is having the courage to really step out of your comfort zone and face issues that are controversial: being willing to go on an inner journey and discover things about yourself that you didn’t know before. It’s about doing all of this in a way that exposes you, and having the humility and faith to share this with others. That’s when the magic happens.
The unconditional acceptance and generosity of the people we met was very moving. The rich colors, the strength and warm embraces of the women, the courage of the men to embrace change, and the enthusiasm and joy of the children all had a profound effect. The whole experience had a lot to teach us about what is truly important in life and gave us a richness beyond words to share with friends and family back home.
the next visit
With the success of this journey and the growing popularity of events like the Wealth Dynamics Experience and Entrepreneurs Business School, XL now has a vehicle to not only teach people about the path to building wealth, but also how to actually give it away.
There is now a core group of Pioneer Club members preparing to lead and facilitate the next Pioneer Club trip to India in November 2008, with Roger leading another to Africa in February/March 2009.