In The Women’s Web ‘Travel The World With Kids’ series, we talk to mums from all over the globe who are interested in exploring their backyard attractions with their tiny tots! We hope you find them useful, if someday you choose to visit their part of the world.

Presented in Q&A format, this one is with Lisa Wielgosz from Dubai, who blogs about her adventures at Baby Loves To Travel.

Dubai – the land of desert safaris, gleaming towers reaching for the skies and – the ‘place where the world comes to shop’ – as they proudly announce! We’ve seen Tom Cruise’s death-defying stunts atop the Burj Khalifa, now let’s hear Lisa talk about child-friendly activities in Dubai.

Hey Lisa! Do introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born and raised in Australia but since meeting my Canadian husband I’ve lived in and visited various spots around the globe. Our current port of call is Dubai (United Arab Emirates) where we have lived for almost two years. I became a first time mama in 2009, and in early 2011 we welcomed baby number two! Given the international flavour of our household, we do a lot of travel, sometimes for necessity but most often for pleasure.

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Are you an NRI or a person of Indian origin interested in contributing to India? Here are some ways to start volunteering.

By Rakhee Ghelani

The Indian diaspora is estimated to be over 30 million located in all continents of the world, but the connection with their motherland remains strong. The connection with India is not only through the family that remains there, but an emotional bond and a strong sense of community and charity.

The Indian government has acknowledged the importance of the diaspora by establishing the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs that looks at policy issues impacting Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and also seeks to engage the diaspora through annual events like Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to celebrate the contribution of Indians overseas and ensure they remain involved with their homeland.

Ways to give back to India

For those NRIs who want to reconnect with India and contribute, there are several options available; the two most popular ways are through donations and volunteering. Donations can be problematic with red-tape and bureaucracy sometimes hindering the flow of funds or donations in kind. Whilst this issue has been acknowledged by the government (PDF) there is still a long way to go before donations from private individuals is an easy and seamless task in India.

On the other hand volunteering provides an opportunity to exchange and potentially transfer skills NRIs have gained overseas and bring them back to India. This can have significant long-term benefits for the Indian population as the old proverb says; give a person a fish and they eat for a day, teach a person to fish and they will eat for a lifetime. It may also have the added benefit of a sense of reward for the volunteer and the ability to see their tangible contribution, but the benefits will be different for each individual with volunteering being a very personal journey.

Volunteering opportunities for NRIs

There are a few organisations that focus specifically on connecting NRIs with volunteer opportunities in India.

Indicorps is a US based organisation that undertakes grassroots development programs with Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and offers a fellowship to NRIs that is quite structured and is aimed at not only resulting in tangible benefits to a community in India, but also to build the leadership skills of the fellow.

Fellowships are for one or two years and include a detailed orientation program and a stipend to cover basic living expenses. Their projects cover a wide range of areas such as assisting artisans to develop processes to receive funding to raising awareness of environmentally sustainable farming practices.

AID India is another US based organisation that was formed by Indian students in the US and has several chapters across universities in the States. They conduct both fundraising and also assist students in finding volunteer opportunities in NGOs to work on development projects with placements of at least three months. These volunteer opportunities are self-funded and the volunteer must be able to speak at least one local Indian language.

There are also many volunteer opportunities focused on India that are not restricted to the NRI population.

The American Indian Foundation, started  by former President Bill Clinton, partners with NGOs in India to undertake projects that focus on improving education, livelihood and public health in marginalised communities in India. Their programs include providing access to financing programs for rickshaw drivers to own their vehicle to computer and Internet education programs for both teachers and students. The foundation also has the William J. Clinton Fellowship that is a ten month program in India that pairs young professionals with NGOs in India to work on projects that are replicable, scalable and sustainable. The Fellowship is open to US Citizens or Permanent Residents and Indian Citizens under 34 years of age.

Child Rights and You (Cry) focuses on improving conditions for children in India. Their projects include focussing on grassroots issues such as reducing truancy rates and improving pre-natal health care, as well as linking the impact of macro policies on the rights of children.  CRY has several fellowships and volunteer opportunities available and chapters are located around the world including US, UK, Canada, UAE and Australia.

There are also local Indian NGOs that offer volunteer opportunities such as Seva Mandir in Udaipur, Rajasthan who focus on building local institutions and capabilities that can enable self-development. Their work covers a wide spectrum from setting up institutions to enable local villages to participate in their own development to undertaking programs for empowering women and enabling them to take on leadership positions. Seva Mandir has volunteer and internship programs available each year.

These are only a few of the organisations that have volunteer opportunities for NRIs in India. There are a wide variety of NGOs and causes either working in or providing support from overseas to India. The opportunities to get involved are endless and the potential benefits for both yourself and those less fortunate are tangible and within your grasp.

Shambhavi is the final winner of a Rs.300 gift voucher from our sponsors Zaarga, for her creative fairy tale entry to our Love Story theme.

Shambhavi Pai, in her own words: Marketing Professional working in the retail business. Currently based in Blantyre, Malawi. Passion – travelling (have written a few travelogues), writing and music. 

Most of us have spent our childhood with fairy tales. As little girls with pigtails, we lay on the bed and listened to our parents/grandparents with wide eyes waiting for the pages to turn, the devil to go and to finally hear the words ‘Happily Ever After’.

Today, we are so battered by myriad issues – relationships that are more complicated than a jigsaw puzzle of a Niagara Falls scenario, office politics that try hard to beat the sensations of soap operas, lifestyles that threaten to be more chaotic than Parliament sessions.

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A little tattoo for Love – too much to ask? Ritika Sawhney wins a Rs.300 gift voucher from our sponsors Zaarga, for her fun entry to our Love Story writing theme.

Ritika, in her own words: A social media junkie, bibliophile, traveller and sometimes worker (yes, she is a cubicle-slave). She believes she can write, do you?

“I would do anything for Love, but I won’t do THAT!”

“Quit talking in cheesy lines from forgotten numbers, will you?” I snarled.

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Who doesn’t love a gift for no reason? We love surprise gifts but here is the trick to getting surprise gifts right.

By Tranquil Samuel

This post has been sponsored by Shopper’s Stop.

Surprises – there are many kinds out there. The English author, Thomas Hardy said, “Happiness is but the occasional episode in a general drama of pain.” And no doubt, it is the many surprises that life throws at us which contributes to this drama of pain. Most people, not surprisingly, are very guarded in their response to the question, “Do you like surprises?” Continue reading →

In the Women’s Web ‘Travel The World With Kids’ series, we talk to mums from all over the globe who are interested in exploring their backyard attractions with their tiny tots! We hope you find them useful, if someday you choose to visit their part of the world. Presented in Q&A format, this one is with Sarah Lee of Catching The Magic, from Wellington, New Zealand.

Strikingly scenic, Wellington – the capital of New Zealand, has a range of kid-friendly activities to indulge in, says Sarah. More, from Sarah herself.

Hello Sarah! Tell us about yourself.

I’ve been living in Wellington since 1997. Arriving in my early twenties, from the UK, I enjoyed making the most of long weekends and holidays to explore New Zealand’s stunning natural scenery and enjoy some thrilling experiences – such as hiking on an active volcano, taking a helicopter ride and landing on a glacier.

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Exploring the dark side of love; Vinaya wins a Rs.300 gift voucher from our sponsor, Zaarga for her entry to our Love Story writing theme.

Vinaya Bhagat, in her own words: An IT Professional and a mother of an over active toddler. The hectic pace of work and family commitments leaves very little time for leisure. Writing is an old passion and I make most of the little time I get to lose myself in the lives of imaginary characters.

“Rajjo pani!”

The old couple begs her. They are writhing on the floor as if possessed by unseen demons.

“Rajjo pani!”

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What would a mother’s love NOT do? Arundhati wins a Rs.300 gift voucher from our sponsor Zaarga for our Love Story writing theme! 

Arundhati Venkatesh, in her own words: A kid-lit enthusiast, an observer of life and people, a feminist, a minimalist and a compulsive maker of lists! An engineer by degree, and an IT professional in her previous life, she is now an aspiring writer. Arundhati works for an NGO.

Any self-respecting Tamilian will tell you that the day after Pongal is the day of Kanupidi.

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Roopa Prabhakar wins a Rs.300 gift voucher from our sponsors, Zaarga for her cheeky, yet wise story for our Love Story writing theme!

Roopa Prabhakar, in her own words: I’m a new mother, a working woman who believes her face is plastered on the glass ceiling, a closet feminist and writer.

“Women Maaan!!” wailed a young friend of mine, he was all tense and worried about the day of impending doom a.k.a. ‘Valentine’s Day’. His dainty little girlfriend had decided to base the future of their relationship on how this year’s Valentine’s Day was celebrated. In short, she was milking it and the onus was on my friend to make sure that he fills the 24 hours with every kind of mush – bought, borrowed, begged, stolen or sincerely felt.

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In the Women’s Web ‘Travel The World With Kids’ series, we talk to mums from all over the globe who are interested in exploring their backyard attractions with their tiny tots! We hope you find them useful, if someday you choose to visit their part of the world. Presented in Q&A format, this one is with Toni from Manila, who writes about home and living at Wifely Steps.

The unassuming capital of Philippines, Manila is often overlooked by many and left unexplored. Toni gives us an insider’s perspective of kid-friendly things to do in Manila. 

Hi Toni! Tell us a little about yourself 

I’m a work-at-home mom based in Manila, Philippines. Freelance writing and business consulting keeps me busy, but it’s my two-year-old son who keeps me on my toes the most. When not meeting deadlines or finishing projects, I enjoy blogging, watching Toy Story over and over with my toddler, and taking walks in the park with my family.

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