Posted: 20/10/2009
Dr Kiran Martin, Founder of Asha, spent many hours at Ekta Vihar on 19th October. Men, women and children from the entire colony came out onto the main road to greet her and offer her their good wishes. Children greeted her with hugs and smiles. The older men and women gave her their blessings by laying their hands on her head. The whole atmosphere was full of joy and celebration.
The children enthusiastically told her about their recent university experiences and seemed to be enjoying college life greatly. Hundreds of families that had received bank loans to construct their homes, expand their businesses, buy motorcycles or go to private colleges, came out to thank her for making this possible. They told her stories of how they were now treated with respect by bank officers and how they were learning to assess formal banking systems. They proudly showed her how well their businesses were doing and she was so encouraged to see the enthusiasm that they possessed to work hard and improve their own living conditions.
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Dr. Martin addressed the entire gathering at the community centre and said that all men and women are equal and belong to the human family of God. She encouraged the children to hold their heads high and live with dignity. She explained that they can go with confidence and mingle with other children who may be better off financially, as they can be proud that they are there on their own merit and because of their hard work. She said that God is no respecter of persons and His great and abundant blessings will always rest upon them as they all continue to hope and dream for a better future. She promised them that her commitment to them will endure with a constant intensity for all times to come. They can receive great strength and energy from knowing that the great God who is the creator of this universe is their friend and so is the entire Asha family.
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At the end one of the students read out a poem to her that he had specially written for her in Hindi. It roughly translates as:
Friends, what should I say about Dr Kiran?
I am unable to find words.
There is light everywhere,
In all the slums because of her presence.
We all lived in darkness,
Searching for light in vain.
We had reached the edge of life,
And could not even understand ourselves.
At a time like this a ray of the sun came into our lives,
And its light took away our sorrows and our pain.
Her name is our loving Dr Kiran.
For this person we pray everyday,
That her own life may be filled with abundant happiness.
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Since joining Asha's women's group I have learnt new skills and have a lot more knowledge. If people can’t get their child admitted to school, or if they are sick, or if they want to open a bank account, I can help them with all these things.
Anwari, Kalkaji
