"Dog Meets World" meets "House of Hope"

Me with the lovely House of Hope Children!

The House of Hope is an orphanage that was opened after the devastating Tsunami struck Asia in 2004.  So many were affected, losing their homes, families and lives.  These young children were survivors but unfortunately the same can not be said for some or all of their family members.  Most of the children have at least one surviving family member but they are unable to supply them with a proper home and education they need and deserve. The children stay at the House of Hope for most of the year, attend school and are doing very well. During Christmas, for a week at the end of September and for about a month in the Spring they return home to see their families. This week they had just returned from a week at home with their families, which for most of the children is about 3-4 hours south of Chennai.
 
Once a week I, along with a few other teachers from the American School, visit the children at the House of Hope to socialize and create art projects with them.  This week I took along Dog Meets World.  Dog Meets World is a photo project putting personal portraits into the hands of people around the world who would not otherwise have a picture of themselves.  A picture is such a powerful thing that many of us take for granted.  Taking a picture of yourself and especially having it printed to hold in your hands is such a rare, sometimes impossible task for many people around the world.  Dog Meets World sets out to put pictures into those peoples hands, giving them a permanent place in time.  As Carolyn says... "making anybody, a "Somebody"!"  Having just completed my first photography session for Dog Meets World I have been able to see what joy can be spread through such a small gesture.

These children are some of the sweetest, most appreciative children I have ever met, it will be hard to say goodbye to them in June, but for now I will continue to enjoy my time with them each week as we complete more art projects!  I will for sure be posting more art projects we complete so be sure to check back in and see some of the beautiful art work these children will create!

*If you are traveling and are interested in being a part of Dog Meets World please visit the website at http://www.dogmeetsworld.org/

    
 

*Check out the rest of the House of Hope children and more pictures from our picture art work HERE!

Photo of the Day

The wonderful fruit stand around the corner from my house!

Mahatma Gandhi

Happy Birthday Gandhi!!!

"Father" of India

*A few Gandhi quotes I like, to celebrate his birthday*

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result”

“The law of love could be best understood and learned through little children”

   

"Snow" Day

Yesterday we were released from school at 1 o'clock thanks to a pending court verdict over a piece of land in Ayodhya, located in Northern India in Uttar Pradash, who's ownership was being disputed.  The dispute was between the Muslim's, who have a mosque built on the land, and the Hindu's, who believe there is a city buried underground where one of their most important deities, Rama, was born.

The pending court verdict had the potential to cause some intense religious riots throughout India, like this one in Mumbai in 1992.  Thankfully once the verdict was announced the public remained calm and there were no major violent outbreaks.  Definitely better safe than sorry!

The mosque found in Ayodhya.

 

 

The god, Rama.