Making a difference

EvEry so often in life we meet people who in one word can be described as “inspirational.” I had the privilege of meeting a whole family who are just that. The Barnett family - Craig, and their two children Celia and Konrad - have dedicated all their spare time into the I-India project’s Jhag Children’s village.

The Jhag Children’s village aims to build a safe haven for orphans and destitute children 45kms from Jaipur city. The government of India has sold 5 acres of arid land to the I-India project for a very nominal amount with the promise that the land will be used to build a haven for the street children of the area.

I-India was founded by two very special people in India Abha and Prabhakar Goswami - Jhag is just one of their many projects. Having experienced many of the difficulties the street children face themselves, Abha and Prabhakar have become guardian angels for the children. The couple, with the help of generous sponsors such as Katrina Barker, have set up two vocational training centres called ‘Ladli’ across Jaipur, where children learn to make bags and jewellery and then sell them to the local public. The mission statement of Ladli is simple “We will create a learning environment where education, not production, is the priority.”

They have also started a school on Wheels and a shower Bus which go around local areas teaching hundreds of children basic literacy and numeracy as well as increasing awareness about AIDs and other diseases. The school on Wheels also provides a basic meal for every student. The students come in hundreds for a few hours of learning and a meal – for them it’s a chance at the dream of breaking free of the vicious poverty cycle. The shower Bus also teaches children basic hygiene and provides them with fresh drinking water and soaps to wash and clean. she was introduced to the I-India project in early 2007 and has been the Australian arm of the project since then. Her sister Anita Williams lives in singapore and carries the torch for I-India there. Celia, who was just out of school when she first heard of I-India, knew from that first visit to India that she wanted to help in whatever way possible. That’s when they were told of the 5 acres of land by Abha and Prabhakar. And that’s how Jhag Children’s village came into existence.

“Our first trip to India in January 2007 for just 5 days changed our lives forever,” renate says.

Only 2 years later, the Barnetts, with the invaluable help and support of their friends and well-wishers have managed to build ‘Prem Pathshala’, a Kindergarten to Class 5 school for the children. In the first week the school had 195 students out of a full capacity of 200. The family made the trip to India in July for the opening of the school.

“There is no time to pause and celebrate success because there is still so much more to do,” Celia says with passion. she shows me the proposed blueprint of the Jhag Children’s village as a tear makes its way down my cheek - a tear for the joy of hope that this family has been able to provide the children. Currently there are 20 boarders at the Jhag Children village’s shelter home for boys. Another