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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The Joy of Realizing Dreams

When I was a kid, I remember reading about the explorer David Livingstone and day dreaming about one day becoming an explorer like him and discover a new world. I had cooked up stories of perilous expeditions and achievement. For days, I lived like David Livingstone in my heart. I wonder what happened to the dream of being an explorer in me.

As a ten-year old, I was fascinated by the characters in Asterix comics and would read each book many times over borrowed from my neighbourhood library. The characters of Asterix, Obelix, Cacofonix, Vitalstatistix and Getafix kept me entertained for days on end. I started making pencil sketches of these characters and soon I had an entire drawing book full of Asterix characters. My treasured gift to me. I loved making pencil sketches of cartoon characters and the joy I experienced everytime I made a drawing is inexplicable. It’s probably been 3-4 years since I last made a pencil drawing.

In the rigmarole of daily living, do we ever stop to realize our dreams? Do we ever stop to wonder ‘What makes us Happy’? Or is it a question we have forgotten to ask ourselves?

In this festive season, Dream A Dream brings to you an opportunity to realize your long-cherished dream. Do something that makes you immensely happy and also in realizing your dream – you now have the opportunity to help a child at Dream A Dream realize their dreams.

The Joy of Realizing Dreams is a unique fundraising and community engagement campaign being organized by Dream A Dream. It is a 3 month long campaign from October 2, 2009 to December 24, 2009.


The Joy of Realizing Dreams encourages you to do that one small thing you’ve always wanted to do or can do, and in doing so, help children from vulnerable backgrounds, who face larger struggles to realize dreams like – an education, to pursue his/her favourite sport, or talent in arts.


If you always wanted to paint – go ahead and make 10 pieces of your painting, sell it to you friends and contribute the funds to Dream A Dream.


If you always wanted to learn cooking or love cooking – host a dinner for your family and friends, ask them to make a contribution for the dinner and donate those funds to Dream A Dream. Here is your chance to fulfill your long-cherished dream to dance, travel, trek, cycle, volunteer or whatever else it is and be assured that you are helping another child realize their dreams.


The Joy of Realizing Dreams is based on the belief that involvement with charity work could be fun, engaging and extremely fulfilling for an individual and extends beyond just giving money.

I have decided to go back to my passion for pencil drawing and I will be making 15 drawings from the Asterix comic series. I will sell them to my friends and raise money for Dream A Dream.

What dream would you like to realize?

For more details, go to http://dreamathon.wordpress.com

Vishal Talreja
Co-founder & Director
Dream A Dream

Six months of the journey at Dream A Dream

Dream A Dream has completed 6-months of its Financial Year 2009-10 (April-September) and we thought it’s a good time to reflect on what has been achieved in the year so far and also communicate our achievements to our stakeholders – YOU.

The last six months have been nothing short of exhilarating at Dream A Dream and as we celebrate some of our achievements, we continue to humbly realize that we are still just about touching the tip of the ice-berg and renew our commitment to our vision.

Our Vision

Empowering children from vulnerable backgrounds by developing life skills and at the same time sensitizing the community through active volunteering leading to a non-discriminatory society where unique differences are appreciated.

Highlights of the last six months

  1. Reaching out to 9 NGO Partners impacting over 1178 children through regular life skills development programs
  2. Impact 644 Boys and 534 Girls through our programs
  3. Average attendance in all our regular programs is about 88% showing the tremendous interest in the various life skills programs
  4. Actively engaging over 648 community volunteers who have contributed over 6600 volunteer hours
  5. Continue to run and build strengths in our 5 core life skills development programs – Sports, Creative Arts, Mentoring, LearnIT and Adventure.
  6. Dream A Dream has 17 people on the rolls working to provide a meaningful experience to children and volunteers alike
  7. Ms. Hema Hattangady, Managing Director - Schneider Electric Conzerv India Pvt Ltd and Mr. Bhasker Sharma, Director Operations – Mformation Technologies Inc. have joined the Board of Trustees of Dream A Dream
  8. Dream A Dream has established an Advisory Board in UK which includes Arvind Malhotra, Ed Williams, Pierina Arul and Rajesh Gandhi – all of them long-term supporters, volunteers and contributors to Dream A Dream.
  9. Dream A Dream has been able to raise 50% of its Funding requirements for the FY 2009-10. Our key supporters include NIKE India, WNS Services, Hans Foundation, ERSF-UK, TPI amongst others.
  10. Dream A Dream has revamped its website with a new look and updated content – www.dreamadream.org and also enhanced its online presence through our own Twitter, Blog, Youtube and Facebook pages.

Finally, our success lies in the impact that we have had on every single person who has come in contact with Dream A Dream and we leave you with a few reflections from a volunteer and a child.

“I really look forward to the mentoring program. Everyone thinks we are useless and rowdy. No adult has ever come to us and said we would like to be your friend. I feel happy when I think of that. Dream A Dream really cares for children like me.” ~ A child in the Dream Mentoring Program

“An example of how I love their spirit is one day the girls forgot the cones that they use as goal posts in the auto rickshaw. The kids didn’t even pause for a moment- they got coconut shells and played with those as goals instead. I also came across problems like the cows on the field that I would never ever imagine happening in the United States. We played around cows sometimes, which was kind of funny to me! Nothing kept these kids from playing, not even rain. One day it was pouring and we all got soaked, but we played anyway. They only get to play football three days a week, and they were so enthusiastic about it that I had to be enthusiastic as well! They played in the rain until a teacher came out and told them to come inside.”

~ Aisha, Volunteer

Thank you for your continued support and belief in us. It means a lot to us and gives us the strength to stay focused on our vision.

Ali Baba comes to town in support of Dream A Dream

Ali Oh Baba is the third production in the partnership between Dream A Dream and Bangalore Little Theatre. The partnership commitment to an annual fundraising theatrical production is aimed at combining wholesome family entertainment with social development objectives. All proceeds of this play go towards programs of Dream A Dream for children from vulnerable backgrounds.

In the past two years, we’ve had two shows from Indian folklore, The Ungrateful Man (2007) and The Magic Drum (2008). Bangalore audiences have witnessed highly creative and vibrant performances in the past which was extremely well received by children and adults alike. We promise you the same magic on stage in this year’s production of Ali Oh Baba!

This year’s production, Ali Oh Baba is an original adaptation for the stage by Bangalore Little Theatre and is a contemporary adaptation of tales from the all time classic ‘One Thousand and One Arabian Nights’. The story unfolds on the stage in the form of day dreams of a little boy discovering the 1001 Arabian Nights. He and his friend, a little girl, share their discoveries with the children in the audience through games, narratives, song and dance. In the process the key figures in the 1001 Arabian nights are also drawn into the play. The two friends manage to narrate the entire tale without bringing Ali Baba on stage.

As in the past, BLT culminates its prestigious annual workshop with a play for the partnership with Dream A Dream. The production is being written, played and produced by the Bangalore Little Theatre - the city’s oldest and widely respected theatre society. This production is jointly directed by Shashank Purushotam and Priya Venkatesh, assisted by Vijay Padaki.

This year the magic of Ali Oh Baba unfolds on stage from October 29th to November 1st at Gurunanak Bhavan, Vasanth Nagar (Next to Karnataka Badminton Association), Bangalore. We have special shows for schools in the mornings and public shows in the evenings at 7.30 pm with additional shows at 11.00 am and 3.00 pm during the weekend. Tickets are available at www.indianstage.in and you can call 9880036611 for any queries. More details at www.aliohbaba.com.

Please join us and spread the word to make this event a huge success to help realize dreams of children from vulnerable backgrounds

Volunteer of the Month - October 2009


Jeeno has been interning with us for over 3-months. Coming from a background in PR and having worked with The PRactice, Jeeno was keen to explore opportunities in the social sector. From the very first day Jeeno has been a tremendous source of inspiration to us at Dream A Dream. As an intern, he has jumped into planning and organizing two of our biggest events with ease. Be it putting up with the high-energy at the office or managing the workload, Jeeno has, in his own quiet way, brought an air of excitement by helping us launch the Joy of Realizing Dreams campaign and helping out with making the play public.

Starting with a few unsure steps, Jeeno has quickly moulded into an inspiring changemaker. In his own words, “I actually stumbled upon Dream a Dream. My former boss had referred me to Dream A Dream when I was looking to work or intern with an NGO and so I joined Dream A Dream as an intern with the communications and fundraising team. I wasn’t quite sure if I was at the right place and couldn’t connect with the dots for the first few days, till I attended a few sessions of creative arts and sports programs. I now see how every piece of an NGO can lead up to the larger picture for change in the lives of these children. So yes, I’m glad I was a part of that effort.”

Jeeno’s energy and drive comes from - The people, the silliness and the simple humour of everyday at work. Knowing that the small things he does, could in a small way contribute to helping a child realize his or her potential.

The experience has also been tremendously introspective for Jeeno as he reflects, “I guess it did reclaim a certain amount of awareness of ordinary things in life I may have taken for granted in the rush to move ahead in my career, some things you lose track of in the everyday of corporate life. I think it may have helped me introspect a little more about things I do and what I could possibly do to change things around me or help someone in need.”

Dream A Dream has become richer with the contributions of Jeeno and thanks him immensely for this time, skills and energy. We wish him all the very best and hope that he continues to impact and enrich lives with his volunteering efforts. You can congratulate him on jeeno.philip.jacob@gmail.com

Happenings - Short-listed for Global Development Awards

It gives us tremendous pleasure to announce that Dream A Dream is one of the 5 short-listed organizations for the Japanese Award for the Most Innovative Development Project.

2009 Global Development Awards and Medals Competition
Top five semi-finalists announced for the Japanese Award for the Most Innovative Development Project

GDN is pleased to announce the top five semi-finalists in contention for the Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project. Over 200 submissions were received in this category. GDN would like to thank all applicants for their interest and participation. Finalists will be announced in the month of December.

The top five semi-finalists (listed alphabetically) are:

· “Cyclic Incubator for Rural Co-op” by Liangshuming Rural Reconstruction Center (China)

· “Empowering Refugees through Sustainable Technology” by Border Green Energy Team (Thailand)

· “Empowering Vulnerable Children through Life Skills” by Dream A Dream (India)

· “Non Formal Education for Out-of-School children” by The Society for Door Step School (India)

· “The Financially Self-Sufficient School” by Fundacion Paraguaya (Paraguay)

These projects are being implemented in Latin America; South Asia; and East Asia. They cover different development issues ranging from education, income-generation activities and migrant issues.

The Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project is a competitive grant program administered by GDN that identifies and funds innovative, early-stage projects with high potential for development impact in developing and transition countries. Finalists win a round-trip air fare with all boarding and lodging expenses paid to travel to GDN’s Annual Global Development Conference where they present their on-project before an eminent jury for the final round and win cash prizes. This year the final selection will be held in Prague, Czech Republic.

For more details, visit http://www.gdnet.org/cms.php?id=2009_awards_top_proposal_announcement

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

On Diwali - Celebrating the Festival with Vishwas

There were colors,

DSC04325

and smiles.DSC04326

there were gifts, DSC04333

and designs. DSC04334

A few light fireworks, DSC04362

for young and the old,DSC04365

and there were lightsDSC04376

big and small. DSC04393

DSC04395

Even if you are away from home, Diwali cannot be spent alone. Just cannot.

Hope you all had a bright Diwali.

Rani Rege, Volunteer

Friday, October 16, 2009

Ali Oh Baba!


* Click on image for more details

Dream A Dream and Bangalore Little Theatre are back with another fun filled entertainer for everybody. In the last two years, we have had a great time producing two shows for you from Indian folkfore, The Magic Drum and The Ungrateful Man. This year from the land of all things magical, we bring you ‘Ali Oh Baba!’.

Ali Oh Baba is a retelling of the all time favourite tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The story unfolds on the stage in the form of day dreams of a little boy discovering the 1001 Arabian Nights. He and his friend, a little girl, share their discoveries with the children in the audience through games, narratives, song and dance.

This year’s production of Ali Oh Baba will serve the dual purposes of encouraging theatre appreciation among Bangalore communities and raising funds for Dream A Dream’s programs which empower children from vulnerable backgrounds. This play is jointly directed by Shashank Purushotam and Priya Venkatesh, assisted by Vijay Padaki.

Come join us in the fun from October 29th to November 1st at Gurunanak Bhavan, Vasanthnagar, Bangalore. Tickets are priced at Rs. 100 and are available at www.indianstage.in for purchase or you call 9880036611 for home delivery of tickets and phone bookings.

Support Dream A Dream and help realize 2000 dreams!


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Re-Thinking Charity

Charity has come to business. Milton Friedman's insistence that causes had no place in business overlooked the fact that alignment with a cause could create a competitive advantage. More and more companies are after that advantage.

But the sad reality is that, with a few minor exceptions, business has not yet come to charity. It is not the fault of charity. For well over a decade it has been popular to preach to charities that they should act more like businesses, but the truth is, society won't permit it. And it's not likely to do so without a serious re-visiting of our fundamental canons about charity. What we mean by "act more like business" is really, "focus more on lowering overhead" — the opposite of what it takes to grow a successful business.

The nonprofit sector remains tightly constrained by a set of irrational economic rules handed down to us from the Puritans that discourage profit, self-interest, serious marketing, and risk-taking and long-term investment for revenue development. They work against the sector on every level, and they have been elevated, of all things, to the status of "ethics."

We have two rulebooks — one for charity, one for the rest of the economic world.

We let the for-profit sector pay competitive wages based on value, but have a visceral reaction to anyone making a great deal of money in charity. We let people make a fortune doing any number of things that will harm the poor, but want to crucify anyone who wants to make money helping them. This sends the top talent coming out of the nation's best business schools directly into the for-profit sector and gives our youth mutually exclusive choices between doing well and doing good. It is not sustainable, let alone scalable.

We let Coca-Cola pummel us with advertising, but donors don't want important causes "wasting" money on paid advertising. So the voices of our great causes are muted. Consumer products get lopsided access to our attention, 24 hours a day. Charitable giving has remained constant at about 2% of GDP ever since we've measured it. Charity isn't gaining market share. How can it if it isn't permitted to market? We let for-profit companies invest in the long-term to identify new sources of revenue, but we want charitable donations spent immediately to help the needy. All results must be measured against expenditures in twelve-month windows, and a 65% return is required. No wonder charities can't scale to the size of the social problems they confront.
We aren't upset when Paramount makes a $200 million movie that flops, but if a charity experiments with a $5 million fundraising event that fails, we call in the attorneys. So charities are petrified of trying bold new revenue-generating endeavors and can't develop the powerful learning curves the for-profit sector can.

We let for-profit companies raise massive capital in the stock market by offering investment returns, but we forbid the payment of a financial return in charity. The result? The for-profit sector monopolizes the capital markets while charities are left to beg for donations.

We're re-thinking business. It's time to re-think charity. It's time to give charity the big-league freedoms we really give to business. The fight for these freedoms must be our new cause, because without them, all of our causes are ultimately lost.

This article was published in Harvard Business and sourced from IndianNGOs.com