Good touch... Bad touch!

This article is going to be one, which can leave a bad taste in your mind, you may want to carry a disgusting look at me... But never mind, I am penning it down!

I thought I was the only girl in this country rather in this world, to be sexually exploited when I was around 7 years of age... And this was a long buried secret in me for a very long time. Later, slowly I came to understand my friend, friend's friend, my next door aunt, sister, kids were also affected like me.

About seven years back, I was in a group of more than five hundred women and we were asked to share their deepest secret, which bothered or hurt us the most. I thought people would come up with life loss, near and dear lives lost. I was shocked, terrified when more and more ladies of different ages stood up, choked, cried and shared their molestation agony... and that too by whom? Step father, uncle, cousin brother, servant etc etc.

Now what really bothered me is that not many of these ladies could come out of these incidents even after many many years. That was still the most painful incident in their life. Somewhere it left an indelible scar in them.

Some ladies have become introvert, some girls have become eternally fearful, it had a deep impact in their personality. [This is my personal feeling... and I am definitely not an introvert!]

Even before I came to know of this, I was reading so many articles around this... Not that I was doing any research... Just every other day's newspaper carried such news.

When I was in my pre-final year of Engineering, someone asked 'what is your field of interest'. I remember I said, 'Fight Child molestation'. Few of the girls around me had a weird look at me... like 'What... Yuck' and by then they also knew I am kind of a girl to give such replies :))

From then on, I want to do something about it. The first thing that came to my mind was to educate parents, especially mothers on this topic.

What mothers can do about it.
1) Never leave your child alone with anyone(Day care centers and schools are exceptions. We got to trust them anyway)
2) Educate your kid - Good touch, Bad touch.
Someone touches their sensitive areas - Nay, it is a bad touch. Train them in such a way, the moment some thing like that happens, they report to you. You can train them like a play. Like while giving them a shower, tell them 'this is your private part... Only mom can touch for cleaning. If someone else touches, you will tell mom'

Child psychologists say 'Good touch, Bad touch' is an effective tool to protect them against this kind of an act. Atleast we will get a fore warning about such people, the first time when an attempt is made.

Good age to introduce this 'Good touch Bad touch' game is 3 years. This is applicable to toddlers of both sex.

Take care of your little precious one against this kind of barbaric act!

Finally please pass this message to as many people as possible.

Fulfilling experience...

Do you remember the day you came to know that you are going to become a mom or dad? Have you savored each and every moment, the first time you held your child? Heaven isn't? I thought my life was made! It was definitely the most intense experience next to being with my Guru.

After being a mother, almost each day I underwent agony, when I see underprivileged children. It is even more agonizing to witness myself just being a passer by...

What am I doing to these children? I carry a heavy pay check home. But I know I live an unfulfilled life. I can't adopt all those children and provide food and shelter to my soul's satisfaction. Should I leave them like that because I didn't carry them in my womb. I want to do something, but.

What about providing food and education to a rural village girl? She has the will to learn, but doesn't have a school near by. She dreams of becoming a doctor, but her parents are struggling for the next meal. Majority of India's next generation only "dream" of a happy living...

How about participating in the democracy, enriching my nation's future generation with good health and sound mind?


I came to know of Isha Vidhya! I sponsor a child. Her name is Padmasree. Isha Vidhya takes care of her education and they provide healthy meals. I have been sponsoring her education for the last 2 years. Now she is in standard IV. I have seen her, she has written to me in that little hand writing... I was moved to know what a difference I have made in her. Ever since, I sponsored her education and meals, its like I adopted her virtually. I see her progress report every term. I write to her asking to concentrate on the subjects she should improve. It is a very wonderful relationship I share with that kid.

All I did is, I donated Rs.10000/year for her wellbeing. That's all it takes. I don't need to bother if she is doing her homework, if she is having her meals properly. Because, I know she is in the safe hands of Isha Vidhya. What else can I expect!

Isha Vidhya has constructed matriculation schools equivalent to a city school with computer facilities in remote villages. They have a very nominal fee structure. But most kids in that village couldn't afford even that. So, they have come up with a unique opportunity for every one of us to participate in rural village children's education. More than 60% of the pupils studying there are sponsored by people like me.

I request all the city folks, especially the ones who are in the lap of growing and blooming IT industry, to please sponsor a child. It only takes Rs. 10000, 200USD, 150 Euro. You may not realize until you sponsor and receive a letter from that little one thanking you for the help, what a new fulfilled experience it is. If you sponsor a child, please don't stop sponsoring midway. The kid has to look for another donor. Try to sponsor them until they reach their matriculation standard.

My sponsored child, Padmasree is now having good meals and education. She even aims to become a great professional and a super great human being! Because she is brought up in love and grace!

More details please visit http://ishavidhya.org

How does it feel?! :-)

Its gonna be almsot 2 years since my little one came to this world, or in other words I became a mother...
How does it feel?! It feels like e'thing... Yes, e'thing in my life... So far what ever feeling I felt in me, every bit of it has intensified. Happiness, tears of joy, love, compassion, passion, anxiety, disturbance, resentfulness, loneliness, helplessness! It was a different 'me' altogether to me! I never thought Isha will take Raj's place in terms of energy, attention & time... May be I took it very hard on me - The Parenting.

Not even 2 years and I kinda feel exhausted emotionally to bear her every mischief, every smile, every laughter, every hug, every illness, every cry, every tantrum and what not! It is so overwhelming... Having said all this, I feel so intense! very intense!
Intensely joyful, intensely compassionate and intensely sad too... It is like swinging from one end to the other end...
And you know what! I am enjoying the ride! (I better do! :-)) )

So with that,

I am saying 'Congratulations' to me and to all mothers in the world!

They deserve much more than what they do now!