Months of Incubation and dreams are born..

Months of incubation and some dreams are born…

In a city, of as vast magnitude such as Delhi. A place where only 866 girls survive per 1000 males or in other words 134 girls are killed (even before they are born) per 1000 girls suppose to be born. Lives for those who are born and especially for those who are on the streets is a nightmare you and I can’t even in our imagination dare to dream.

A girl, living on Delhi streets, by the time she is 12-13, is certain to be sexually abused. To find security she would start living with a boy/man, who in return of that security will take sexual gratification. By the time she is 13-15, she would have delivered a child and this continues for a long time, sometimes a girl of 21 years would have as many as 5 children all of whom would be living and creating another generation on the streets.

If this was a road in the life of a Delhi’s street girl with the destination being a generation more on the street, a Diversion was needed to take them to a better destination, a better future a better generation in the times to come.

In July 2009, an idea was incepted. The purpose was to break a cycle, change a path, undo the usual, and create a Diversion.

Diversion in the lives of girls, who lived in various slums and street sides of Delhi. These are the girls whose life was configured (by the society, economy and circumstances) in a way of vicious circle, coming out of which was only a dream or to be precise a forbidden one.

Catalyst, Initiated Diversion, a program designed from the inputs of those girls who lived in the jungle called the streets of delhi. The idea was to provide a complete solution, therefore not just a diversion but also a destination.

Today, we are almost at the end of the 2nd batch of Diversion. 23 girls have gone through this program. We are nurturing dreams, which are not so distant realities. A beautician, Computer literate office personnel, a factory manager, a fashion designer, an artist, a Chef and the possibilities are unlimited.

WE do not see few girls off the streets but we see a generation of healthy families leading a sustainable life with a vision to be the Catalyst creating rapid diversions from the vicious cycle of street dwelling for others.

Join us in standing on this road of societal cruelty holding a sign of Diversion…leading to a beautiful destination.

Russian New Channel RT, carried a story about the work of Catalyst

Catalyst India has been functional for almost 2 years now. Our very first and flagship program is called "thank God its saturday" which is a time of fun and frolic with the kids who live on the street. Its an effort to share the affection that they lack.

A news channel called RT from Russia carried this story attached as a video below. 

The Video features our super star Pinto Kumar, who works with the Red Moon Bakery.

Enjoy

Abhishek Gier

Executive Director

www.catalystindia.in

Ps: The video runs in VLC player

A new Beginning has Began

I slept at 4 am after completing a few pending things. Just when my sleep was getting sweet, there was a knock at my bedroom door. It was not something I was prepared for or even anticipating. Sunita’s due date at her last check up was still 28^th August and this was just 11^th August.

We rushed Sunita to the hospital, her water broke on the way and we were still a few kilometers away from the hospital. Just to remind you, Sunita is just 15yrs old and still weighs only 37 kilos, she and her husband are a part of our Reboot Project http://www.catalystindia.in/whatwedo.aspx?projectid=16&projectname=Reboot. I could constantly hear Sunita’s laments in her own dialect that made them sound even more painful.

We were at the hospital in 25 minutes; thank God it was wee hours which is rare few that are spared by the ruthless traffic of delhi. Sunita was taken in the emergency room and her doctor was called. All we had in our control that we could do was PRAY.

Four hours passed, Sunita was still in labor pain, At 10:30 am Sunita was moved into the labor room. All of us, along with Ricky were anxious and were walking up and down the corridor, so much so that the Director of the hospital laughingly said, “ it seems like a movie scene from bollywood”.

We took Ricky to quickly grab a bite and the moment the canteen served steaming hot maggie, the phone rang, it’s a boy and the exact expression of Ricky’s face was indefinable.

Sunita gave birth to a 2.25 kilos (Almost 5 lbs) fair healthy boy, we call him “Rakshit” which means “the protected one”. He is indeed the one God protected from the place he was conceived till the time he was born and we believe He would continue to do so.

And here comes the most amazing and miraculous part, which in 3 decades of my life I have only heard of; Sunita “walked” home at 6 pm this very same day in contrast to the colossal complications we were imagining in this under age, weak and unplanned pregnancy.

Thanks to Dr Shiela Sharma, Dr. Koshy and all the staff of AIPF Mission Hospital along with the staff and volunteers of Catalyst and above all, All glory be to God.