Insights – Page 8 – Goducate … Go And Educate!

2009-12-182009-12-17

Making things more meaningful

Recently a young lady contacted me and told me that she was going to celebrate her 21st birthday and wanted her guests to give donations to Goducate rather than give her birthday presents. She had heard about Goducate helping the helpless and wanted to be a part of it.

In her note to me, she wrote that she didn’t need any more expensive branded presents because they wouldn’t really make her any better or happier but she knew that the funds given to Goducate would make some poor kid much better and happier.

For many who are materially blessed, giving to the needy may be what gives them most pleasure and satisfaction. Another branded handbag or pair of shoes would be soon be “lost” in an over-loaded cupboard and forgotten. Another holiday trip would soon be forgotten because most five-star buffet breakfasts are more or less the same and another “great” shopping mall is amazingly similar to the past ones that were visited. Surely, for such people it is better to give than to receive.

May I suggest that you should consider how you can make your next celebration or holiday more meaningful? Why not consider following the example of this young lady and direct your friends to give to a cause? Better still, if you live in Singapore why not consider holding your celebration at the Goducate office? It certainly isn’t five-star (it’s 0 star ranking) but maybe your friends have already been to many five-star places but never been to an office that is a gallery of charitable projects! You wouldn’t even need to plan an entertaining program for them because the photos and write-ups on the wall will fascinate them.

For your next holiday (or family vacation) why not consider visiting a Goducate project? It certainly wouldn’t be fancy but will certainly be fascinating! In fact, it might even be life-changing! Several Goducate friends have already done this and they have told me that their trips to our projects were “awesome”! Those with special skills (eg. ability to teach English, computer, music) were able to volunteer to help our workers on the field. Others came back to tell others about their trip and to organize one for their friends.

Life is too short to be meaningless! Let’s make our life meaningful – and in the process help the helpless!

2009-12-072009-12-03

Lessons from an Indian trip – English, computer and foreigners! (3)

On my recent trip to India, I met many Indians of different ages, from the cities and the villages and from all walks of life. Though there were so many “types” of Indians, basically I found that I could divide them into two main categories, namely, the “old Indian” and the “new Indian.”

The “old Indian” was basically local in his outlook, traditional in the way he did things and unlikely to make a real difference to his own life or to those around him. The “new Indian” was basically more international in his outlook, more progressive in the way he did things and likely to make a difference to his own life and to the lives of those around him. What were the factors that produced these two types of Indians?

It certainly wasn’t the place where they were born or grew up in because many of the “new Indians” grew up in very remote villages. Neither was it their family background because many “new Indians” came from poor families. Neither was it their caste – because “new Indians” come from all the castes (including the so-called “untouchables’).

I think that 3 major factors made the difference, namely, an English language education, use of computers and exposure to foreigners.

An English-medium school in a small Indian town

I found that most “new Indians” had an English medium education. Indians have a choice of being educated in either English or an Indian language (eg. Tamil, Hindi, Telugu). It usually cost more to send a child to an English medium (EM) school but many parents scrimp and save to do so because they know that there are advantages to do so. The ability to read English opens many doors to the world of science, new ideas, etc.

Secondly, I found that most “new Indians” have access to the internet – through which they have access to the whole wide world. Many of their parents too were fluent with English but lacked the access to the world of ideas that is available on the internet. Therefore, though the older generation of English speaking Indians had the means to read English, they had little access to English language materials.

Thirdly, I found that many of the “new Indians” had contact with foreigners – often through their work (because many of them work in “off-shore” offices of Western corporations). Through their constant contact with foreigners, they learned many new ways of doing things (eg. punctuality, office discipline).

In my course of travel through Asia, I’ve found that these 3 factors (English, computers and foreign friends) are in demand not only in India but in almost every Asian country.

In the past the 3 R’s – reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmatic – made the difference between success and failure.
Today, it’s English, computers and foreign friends that often makes the difference between success and failure!

2009-12-042009-12-03

Lessons from an Indian trip – Prejudice and Potential (2)

Twenty years ago, when I first visited India I encountered Indians that were very similar to my parents in many ways. India and Singapore (and about a quarter of the world’s land surface) were all once part of the British Empire. Of all the colonialists, the British were by far the best (at least in my opinion) but they were nonetheless colonialists. In other words, they were blatant exploiters of others. And probably the most powerful exploitation of all was that that on the human mind.

To maintain their control over the locals, they used military power and more importantly, psychological power. They brainwashed the locals to believe that since they were inferior to the Westerner, they were privileged to be “civilized” by them.

It is interesting to note that most Asian countries that were colonized fought for, and gained, their independence after World War II. As my father (who was a dedicated Anglophile) said: “It was only after we saw how the Japanese thrashed the British, that we realized that the Asian is not inferior to the Westerner!” Sad to say, in spite of this obvious lesson from the Japanese, the people of my father’s generation continued to suffer from an inferiority complex. This is the power of brain-washing and prejudice. Its scars often last till death.

When I first visited India in the mid 80’s, India had already gained its independence from the British for forty years but the scars of a brow-beaten colonial mentality were still evident. The people seemed to accept the fact that things could not change for the better because they were incapable of improving things. It seemed that everything that was of good quality (eg. railway stations, offices) was made by the British and everything that didn’t work was made by them!

On my recent trip to India, I noticed a totally different mind-set in the young educated Indians. Unlike their fathers who were trained to be clerks and workers for their colonial masters, they had received a good education and were confident and hopeful for their future. Many of these bright young Indians that I met were children of dirt poor farmers. I am confident that they will build a better India. And a better India means that 20% of the world will live in a better world.

I write this blog not as one who is anti-colonial, which I am not. In fact, I’m thankful for what the British gave me – especially an English language education. But I write this to highlight two important lessons.

Firstly, that it is wrong to be prejudiced against people just because they are of a different race or religion. It is wrong to think that we are better than someone else because they are of a different race or religion. It is not only a lie but it breeds pride in self and hatred for others. Prejudice hinders us from knowing others and helping others. Too many people will not even visit another country because of the prejudices (aka lies) that they have been “brain-washed” with!

Secondly, there is great untapped potential in every human being – and our hope is that each one will be given the opportunity to fulfil his potential. Education often provides that door of opportunity! It did so for me and my Indian friends!