SalaamGarage » Jaipur

Amanda Koster: Samvedna Mobile Clinic

SalaamGarage — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:52:45 +0000

Amanda Koster: Vatsalya’s mobile van goes out with its team and parks in a slum location. Street children gather to paint, play sports, and do writing exercises. A cleanliness and hygiene drive is conducted, followed by discussions on child rights and the Juvenile Justice Act of India. At these camps, Vatsalya finds orphaned and abandoned children for Udayan. Children with parents are encouraged to go to other schools.

During the cleanliness and hygiene drive, a Vatsalya water truck delivers water to the children of the Samvedna slum for bathing, one or two times a week. It was exhilarating to be around the children as they splashed around in the water. Their joy was infectious and I didn’t mind at all when my camera lens also got a bath. As you can see, this was a pretty good day.

India 2009: Amanda Koster – Images by Amanda Koster

Jaipur, India Traffic

SalaamGarage — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 19:14:30 +0000

Jaipur traffic from Conrad on Vimeo.

Every time we hit the road, it was like this.

The sidewalk shots that zoom by are actually very interesting if you pause and view them frame-by-frame.

Video shot by Conrad Chavez. Conradchavez.com

Jesse Powell: India 2009

SalaamGarage — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 04:38:01 +0000

Jesse Powell: India has more inspiring stories than could ever be told. Despire all the trouble, the hardship, the poverty, the Indian people seem eternally optimistic. Their optimism is not without good cause, thanks to organizations like Vatsalya, and the unwaveringly devoted, often self-sacrificing people who’ve committed themselves to the greater good. More than anything else, it was the stories of these crusaders that I found most intriguing. We’re not talking about people with nothing better to do. These are MDs, PhDs, – people with everything in the world going for them, who chose to give up lucrative careers in order to devote more time to humanitarian causes. The guts, the vision, the long-term societal interest put before one’s own – it pulls at the heartstrings. What are these men and women made of, and how can we make more of them? They’re setting an example that will be challenging, yet compelling to meet. I think all of us on the SalaamGarage team were blown away. With friends like these, who needs angels?

India 2009: Jesse Powell

Jesse Powell is the co-founder and CEO of Lewt, Inc. and the found of Verge gallery & Studio Project. His primary interests are philosophy, law, education, and psychology. He says, “Ultimately, I’d like to do something big to help improve education around the world, (including public education in the U.S.) My feeling is that poor education really is at the root of a number of the world’s other major problems. If we can get education sorted out, these other problems will solve themselves.”

Udayan School: Aisha Zakiya-Boyd, India 2009

SalaamGarage — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 03:17:01 +0000

I was touched by Jaipur’s street children learning and living at Udayan school. Udayan literally means, “rising and moving ahead.” This is a place where children learn to be children again, while working through ad gaining support for all they have seen and been through. In a country where NGOs are seen as untrustworthy, questionable and unreliable, Vatsalya continue to make a difference and extend its reach to serve the community. Part of my mission is to raise awareness about the programs that Vatsalya offers to women and children. You can help with your donation or by simply sharing our stories with your friends and family.

India 2009: Aisha-Zakiya Boyd

Aisha-Zakiya Boyd has always enjoyed traveling and exploring new people and places, and for several years her job as a consultant allowed her to travel throughout the United States and its territories. In 2007, she picked up her camera and begin seriously developing her photographic eye,and it was with SalaamGarage that she dusted off her passport and began traveling internationally again. Currently traveling and shooting in the Caribbean, Aisha looks forward to experiencing and photographing new cultures this year to add to an expanding portfolio. When she is not traveling and photographing, Aisha spends time playing with doggies, salsa-dancing, laughing and creating art.

funkyurbanchick.com

Udayan Home for Children, Part of Vatsalya.org

maggie soladay — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:45:24 +0000

This past week the SalaamGarage team of storytellers for India 2009 have been hard at work building stories, interviewing, recording, observing and participating in so many of Vatsalya’s great projects around Jaipur, India.

Here are a few flip videos I recorded at Udayan home for children and Anoothi shop run by Vatsalya.org

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqzWtrQAX8o

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXurHUX9dVc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_he_9_E6iRg

The little NGO that can, Vatsalya.org in Jaipur India

maggie soladay — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:00:09 +0000

We get asked all the time “what is an NGO?” Its a common question. We hope soon it will be a household word and that everyone will know that NGO means non-gonvernment organization, a non-profit.
SalaamGarage is bringing a group of incredibly talented, smart, and caring people to Rajasthan, India to help a small NGO that is doing some really big work. Starting September 19, 2009 our team of 9 media creators will embark on a one-of-a-kind humanitarian mission to help NGO Vatsalya. By telling their stories, we will help raise much needed funds in a sustainable and creative way!
See who is coming to India this September…
NGO Vatsalya runs many programs to combat the problems that are part of the severe poverty in India. What SalaamGarage loves about Jaimala, and the NGO she founded, is how much its all about solutions. We can’t wait to create these stories and meet the staff, community, and children of Vatsalya.
Our team will tell the first person stories of adults and children who have been helped and saved by Vatsalya’s programs.
Samvedna- the van that goes into Jaipur’s slums to educate the poorest children in Jaipur. Staff also work to identify homeless, orphaned, or abused children through this program.
Udayan- the home where currently there are over 57 children living safely, being educated and trained to support themselves when they become adults.
Women’s Empowerment- many programs from micro loans, to self help groups and vocational training

Help Vatsalysa.org- click here to learn more and donate to Vatsalya
I have been blogging ways anyone can tell a story. It is not enough to shoot pictures, the pictures and stories need to get out into the world in order to matter.
See below for a list of the easiest do-it-yourself websites and blogs, examples of great effective stories, and other inspirational fodder for SalaamGarage participants and everyone out there creating media!
Remembering.. “We Are The Media Now!”

-Maggie Soladay