Another perspective on poverty - link to another person's journey in the Slums of India

Hi again,

I ran across this persons journey with the Dalit's and Slums of India.  This is a group from a church in Denver, Colorado who have gone to India before and this is their second trip.  Quite something when you experience it yourself - difficult to share and explain the depth of pain and suffering folks experience.  Take a look:

http://touching-india.blogspot.com/2009/11/teletransport-and-really-big-problems.html

http://touching-india.blogspot.com/2009/11/unexpected-holiday-and-elephant.html


I can't imagine living in a closet alone nor with my whole family!  I also can't imaging blinding my children to get some extra money.  What have we become?


There are MANY ways you can help the Dalit's.  Would you please consider helping in some way.

Here are a few:

1. Sponsor a Dalit Child ($28/mth) and provide for their education: http://www.dalitchild.com/
2. Provide funding for our Business Development Initiative through iDEAS to bring meaningful, dignified employment to the Dalit's: http://www.ideasworld.org/
3. Email me to chat about other options.  Maybe your church or youth group would like to get involved in some way.  Would you like to visit India too?

 Again, thank you to all of you who have taken steps to get involved and say "enough already"!  I appreciate your help.

Steve
steve@durgin.biz

Help me NAME this new company (a PRIZE will be awarded for the winner selected)!

Hello again,

I am now ready to get started with the company, having a better focus on what to do.  I would like to get a LOT of people helping me NAME this business.  Here is the background I'd like to provide:


Our Mission is to Employ Impoverished People Groups.
Our Vision is to employ 10,000 in 15 years.

Our Location(s) will be US, UK, Canada, India, and other locations around the world as we have needs for expansion.

Our FOCUS:

We will provide Back Office Support Services to small to mid-size organizations.
Some of our planned service offerings are:

 - Web Development
 - Web Maintenance (updates, changes, etc.)
 - Integration services with software like, Blackbaud, SalesForce.com (for-profit and non-profit version)
 - Donor Care (when you donate to an organization, what do they do for you in return [deposit your check into a bank account, send a thank you card, send you their newsletter, put you on their mailing list, ask you again for more, etc.])  We would handle the administration of these kinds of activities
 - Order Fulfillment (fulfilling orders and/or marketing programs where your actions cause an organization to respond and do something for you)

SO - help me come up with some catchy names for this company and the selected WINNER will receive $500.00. 

Just remember the name must have be available with the Colorado Secretary of State and an available URL.  So, recommend the name as well as your proposed web name ok?!?

Pass this on to your friends, co-workers, family, etc. to help us get as much input as possible.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP and I hope you send in a lot of suggestions.  There are no limites on how many you can send in.

To send in your suggestion, please go to my web site and click on the NAME tab.  In there will be a form to complete and submit.  [http://www.durgin.biz/name.html]  Please fill in the form as completely as you can.


Thanks!
Steve Durgin
steve@durgin.biz

The Caste System was outlawed 60 years ago!!!

When I heard this news, that the Caste System has been abolished 60 years ago, I thought that perhaps all this talk about the Dalit and their Freedom is old news...

So, I began digging a bit deeper.  Yes, it is true, the Indian Constitution no longer permits discrimination based on caste.  So then, what's the big deal?

Of the age groups that typically challenge social order, I think this group is the University age group, 18 - 24 year olds.  So, if 60 years ago this age group was a part of the change of the law, they would now be in their 80's.  It is reasonable that they never really adopted or accepted this change in the system.

Is it reasonable that the NEXT generation would accept this new law and have an affect on their behaviors?  Perhaps.

Is it more reasonable that the NEXT generation after this (now the grandkids of the University age people mentioned above) would accept the new law?  Probably or at least more than the previous generation - right?

Is it even more reasonable that the THIRD generation after the first would accept this new law (as we are now 45 - 60 years later?  One would think so!

So, CERTAINLY by the FOURTH generation (great - grandkids) would now accept and have adopted this new law and changed their behavoirs!?!

Watch this video and you tell me what you think!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_UnVZT0-0k


Please pass this on to concerned friends and FOLLOW my blog if you care to. 
Next Blog will be asking for your help in coming up with a catchy name for the business we will start which is designed with employing the Dalit's of India in mind.

Thanks again for walking along side me through this journey with impoverished people groups across the globe.

Steve Durgin

In The Beginning

The Beginning of most new endeavors has its challenges, obstacles to overcome, financial backing, people in place to help, among many others!

I am embarking on a journey and hope you join me. I can hear some of you already and yes, I know, "Hope" is not a good strategy! LOL... I agree.

So, what's this all about and where is it going?

I will be starting a business very soon whose main purpose is social. I desire to "teach others to fish" and not provide handouts. A recent article about Africa describes how our "handouts" have actually hurt the very folks we thought we were helping. So, to avoid this calamity, I desire to provide real, meaningful, dignified and sustainable work and business opportunities for those in impoverished nations.

My focus will be in the area of our world where 2/3rds of the world's population reside and 77% of the poorest of the poor. Like many in these areas (Africa, India, China, etc.) they want to live dignified, meaningful lives and provide for their own just like you and me. In my next blog I will give you some history of a certain people group I will be focusing on at the start.

- In a recent National Geographic article on Mumbai's Shadow City read here; you can get a flavor for what I am talking about.

- Perhaps you've seen Slumdog Millionaire.  It shows some of the poverty and areas I refer to.

So, to all you Social Entrepreneurs, Caring Individuals, Unemployed, Employed, who have a heart for those less fortunate than yourself and who might want to help out (and boy do we need your help!), stay tuned OR contact me at Steve@Durgin.biz.

I do have more info on my web site at http://www.durgin.biz/.  Please visit and peruse!


It's time the other 1/3rd of the world step up and say enough already!

'till next time.

Steve Durgin