Charities

In case you have been wondering what to do with your spare money, I'd like to draw your attention to two charities.

First of all, the Diya orphanage in Hyderabad.

The orphanage is for HIV-infected children and is run by the Freedom Foundation. They also run a small adjacent hospital (and many other charitable projects in India). For more information on the Freedom Foundation, please see http://www.thefreedomfoundation.org.

Some Googlers and their partners go there sometimes to play with the orphans since they don't get a lot of visitors otherwise. Douwe and I went a few times, too, and had a lot of fun with the children.

In the name of the children, I'd like to thank my sister Nicola for donating a big box of toys! They were much appreciated.

Unfortunately, the orphanage will have to move soon because the property owner won't renew their lease (there are a lot more profitable things you can do with ground in Hyderabad).

Another very good cause is the Rainbow Primary school in Hyderabad, a school built for poor children living in a slum. http://rainbowprimaryschool.blogspot.com
Even though state schools are free in India, many poor parents don't send their children (especially their daughters) to school since they can already earn a little money instead. At this school, the children receive a free lunch which is sometimes all it takes to make the parents send them there. A pre-school is being built, too.

Expat My teaching an English class for teachers at the school.

These kids do not go to the school (yet?), they are just hanging out and being cute.