The value of money

Some time back, I saw an interesting video that somebody had shot. He had gone around asking people in India what they would do if he gave them 500 Rupees. And the answers were:

1. Get a piercing done (Guy)

2. Freak out at all the eating joints (Guy)

3. Buy things for school (Small boy)

4. Buy ration for the house (Man)

5. Movies, Movies, Movies (Girl)

6. Spend some on my kids and save the rest (Woman)

7. Nothing happens in 500 Rupees…nothing comes, nothing goes (Man)

8. Spend on clothes, vegetables, groceries for the house (Small boy)

9. I will hide it (Small boy)

10. Spend it on friends (Guy)

11. Eat ice cream and party with friends (Guy)

12. Give 250 Rupees to my mother and buy toys for 250 Rupees (Small boy)

13. Buy presents for my friends in Italy (Tourist)

14. Buy first class railway pass (Guy)

15. Buy drinks (Guy)

16. Alcohol (Guy)

17. Buy a stove, ration for the house (Man)

18. Movie tickets (Guy)

19. Any Julia Roberts movie (Girl)

20. Recharge my phone (Girl)

21. Buy a watch and a cricket bat (Small boy)

22. Eat at a big restaurant (Small boy)

23. Buy biryani (Guy)

24. Buy strawberries (Guy)

25. Spend it on my kids (Man)

26. Blow it up on booze or smokes (Guy)

27. Party with friends (Guy)

28. Pay my tuition fees (Small boy)

29. Buy kites (Small boy)

30. Buy clothes (Girl)

31. Buy branded underwear (Guy) ……Yes, he really said that!

32. Get a much better and much stylish haircut (Girl)

The video ended with the following note…….

‘The price of someone’s haircut = The price of someone else’s school fees.

Poverty forces 70% of school going children in India to drop out of school before they reach the secondary level. Think before you spend!’

Thus, depending on who was asked and depending on what walk of life they came from ….the value of 500 Rupees varied. Now, I strongly believe that if someone is born rich or born with good looks…..they are not just privileged…..they are just plain lucky……because their contribution in acquiring either of them is zero.

A few months back if you had asked me the value of 15 US dollars (converted to approximately 672 Rupees)……I would have answered….clothes, toys for my kids, pizza, car gas, movie tickets….basically I would not have thought too much into spending 15 dollars. Then around March 2011, I found out about an organization called Asha for Education which is dedicated towards the education of underprivileged children in India. Asha has chapters not only in India but all over the world and when I contacted my local chapter I was informed that that they had a project in West Bengal, India and with a monthly donation of $15 (yes, only fifteen dollars a month), we could sponsor and support all educational expenses (including teacher salary. educational materials, admission fees, rent and others) for 10 kids (yes, ten kids). That information was an eye opener and very humbling. The value of 15 dollars was again varied…..to me and to the ten kids.

Since March 2011, I am a monthly donor to Asha and have a sponsorship going for 10 kids. Yesterday, I got their latest progress report for the project to which I am donating. It was nice to see the pictures of the children…..I know in a small way I am making a difference at least in a few lives. My fifteen dollars may not be much…..but in the ocean of Asha’s efforts at educating underprivileged children, I am happy that I am at least that one drop of water that makes up that ocean.

For those reading this blog post, if you are interested in making a difference in the lives of children who have not been privileged enough to be born rich, here is the link to my previous blog post where I have provided the link to Asha for Education’s website and the links to its different chapters worldwide. Asha has many projects in different parts of India. Your 500 Rupees or 15 dollars can make a big difference in the life of a child.

http://swansong-geeta.blogspot.com/2011/03/asha-hope.html

Signing off hoping to do more for Asha in the future and this quote

‘The cost of educating a child today is immense. But the cost of not educating a child is incalculable.’