Large-Money Givings

One form my Human Kindness Experiment took was in giving small, carefully-placed donations to social organizations that I visited and got connected with. Sometimes I gave a large amount of money to a friend. On this page, I will summarize these relatively large money givings. At the end there's a final financial summary. You're not allowed to read this unless you promise to refer to the posts for stories and explanations.


format:
Place
Organization Amt in Rupees (Amt in US$)
Brief explanation
In Post, when not apparent


Delhi
(Delhi Post)

INTACH Rs. 1500 ($35)
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
essay prize for "Peace is Our Heritage" essay contest

Kalakar Trust Rs. 1000 ($24)
helping poor artist communities in Delhi's slums
half for musicians (instruments, costumes); half for health care/counseling

Shishu Ashram Rs. 300 ($7)
a school for poor and blind children


Pune

Subash Tora Rs. 333 ($8)
8 days of food for family
(Subash Tora Post)

Subash Tora Rs. 2350 ($55)
a bicycle to look for work
(Subash Tora II Post)

Shelter Associates Rs. 3000 ($71)
Baandhani, an organization of slumdwellers to teach/guide/organize other slumdwellers
(Pune and Mahabaleshwar Post)


Sevagram
(Sevagram Post)

Sanjoy Damyanti Rs. 2500 ($59)
an alternative school in the traditional gurukul style, including music and ancient Indian math education


Gwalior
(Gwalior Post)

Gurudwara Rs. 1500 ($35)
the community meals


Mumbai

CRY Rs. 4000 ($94)
Child Relief and You
a year of education for five city children
(Year-End Post)


Sadhana Village
(Sadhana Post)

Sadhana Village Rs. 3000 ($71)
whatever they want

Santosh, Siddhi, and Sakshi Rs. 10,000 ($235)
security deposit on new flat; to be returned interest-free sometime in the future


Darjeeling
(Darjeeling Post)

Suraj and Amar Rs. 2277 ($54)
transportation, food, lodging - trail magic

Amar Rs. 1200 ($28)
guide bonus

Suraj Rs. 2000 ($47)
half for his free lifestyle, half for his late father's hostel

TRSHC Rs. 300 ($7)
Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Center
for Tibetan orphans

Tibetan gompas Rs. 2500 ($59)
to five different gompas in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, one with a 3D mandala

NGSSC Rs. 3000 ($71)
Nepali Girls Social Service Center
for vocational training of young village women

DGAS Rs. 5000 ($118)
Darjeeling Goodwill Animal Shelter
to cows


Bodh Gaya
(Bodh Gaya Post)

MAITRI Rs. 5000 ($118)
Leperacy Hospital and health education


And In The End...

The total for these large money givings is Rs. 50,760 ($1194). The total from the small money givings (that I kept track of) is Rs. 5407 ($127). Thus from November 7, 2004 to March 10, 2005, the total amount of money given is Rs. 56,168 ($1321). From American friends I had collected $948; the other $373 came from myself. During these four months I also spent roughly $1300 of my own money for my own living/traveling/wandering expenses, providing the context for this Human Kindness Experiment.

Here's a recent story that adds an interesting flavor to this mouthful of money and cross-cultural exchange:
Tarun, 20, works at a bookstore/moneychanger shop that I pass and visit daily. Two days ago a Canadian, using a counterfeit credit card, ripped him off of Rs. 95,000 ($2,000). And so it goes.