(The hubby) Calvin & I got to know of BTL through the multi-talented (Mayvyn’s Drummer, Copywriter, Creativo-extraordinaire) Kristofor Mendonca who is a regular volunteer & leader of many sessions at BTL.

One day while sitting & discussing the initiative, Calvin came up with the idea to ask the kids what they want to be when they grow up & then have a day of portraits taken, where each kid is dressed up as what they aspire to be. They could then get the photographs printed & given to them as a keepsake – reminding & encouraging them to keep reaching out for their dreams.

Kris told us how it nearly broke his heart when many of the kids when asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, said “Beggars”.

On further probed & encouraged to think beyond – the kids came up with professions like Chefs, Pilots, Police persons, Fashion Designers & Artists!

The photo session started taking shape! Kris came up with the idea of the kids themselves making frames for the photos. Neisha Fernandes & other volunteers picked up costumes for the kids. Make up & hair was organised. Props materialised. Another photog Nihal Fernandes got on board.

Cal even got our pilot friend, the generous Joshua D’Souza to come personally and talk to the kids who wanted to be pilots & airhostesses. Josh was a big hit — the kids were so taken up with him — “Are you really a REAL pilot?” they asked him! It seemed unbelievable to them that such a ‘great man’ could want to hang around them & encourage them to do what he’s doing!

I popped by Carter Road (where the sessions are held) to just have a look in at things and was amazed by the number of volunteers all rallying around the kids (approx 20 of them). Volunteers & kids alike were laughing and enjoying the whole process.

Somewhere near us were a group of unruly teenage boys. They were throwing stones at each other and shouting out loud profanities.

After the BTL session broke up, this particular group of boys got into a raging fist fight with another group of similar young guys.

While we looked on in disbelief at the scene that was now playing itself out – I realised just how much BTL was helping the group of kids that had joined them.

Besides encouraging them to get back in school & reach out for bigger dreams than they thought possible, besides giving them tuition & other skills necessary, besides helping some of the kids who were addicted to get off drugs – BTL had provided a safe and a happy way for these kids to be kids.

And I think that’s perhaps the greatest thing one can give to a kid.

[BTL meet at Carter Road, Bandra each Saturday around 5pm to 6.30pm.
You are more than welcome to volunteer & help in any way you can.
More details at their Facebook Page]

I heard of ‘Crossover’ through a friend & through her was blessed to meet the founders, Keith & Ramona Dsouza.
Ramona was already involved in social enterprise NGOs & Keith was an exec at a leading ad agency in India. Long story short, the Lord called them in a most wonderful way & they responded in faith and love.

Giving up their jobs, changing the direction of their lives to what they believed the Lord was calling them to, Keith & Ramona set up Crossover, an NGO that has it’s mission to “restore, renew and reinstate survivors of trafficking to “crossover” into freedom”.

(pic of the team from their website)

The NGO basically partners with local churches for funding & support – all in aid of staffing and operating “quality aftercare homes” to administer aftercare to trafficked victims.

I’ve heard horrific stories from my aforementioned (but nameless for this post) friend, who has herself worked to rescue children, some as young as 3 and 4 years old, some sold by their parents willfully, others tricked – but all forced into prostituting themselves multiple times a day. Their stories are sickening. The situation is too big, too out of control.

But it’s heartening to know, that there are some good souls who believe that with God, nothing is impossible.

Crossover is having an awareness program, in Mumbai on the 27th of this month. I’m going because I believe that just feeling horrified by their stories is Not good enough. We need to Do something.
And the first step towards any of us doing anything, is to be educated about the problem. To see how close by to home these children & victims of trafficking are.

Have you heard this story below:

While walking along a beach, an elderly man saw a young boy picking up starfish from the beach and throwing them into the ocean.
The old man asked him what he was doing & the boy replied “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”
The old man shakes his head & says, “But do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”
The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

I end my meeting with Keith & Ramona knowing that human trafficking is not such a big problem that we as individuals can’t do anything. We can all try and save even just one person.

God bless you Keith, Ramona, the Crossover team & everyone working to help victims of human trafficking.

PS: Come for the event! Click here for details.

I’ve also seen, on numerous occasions, how God takes ‘ordinary’ people around us (sometimes the people we tend to not notice) and makes them angels by using them in extraordinary ways.

That night I was so upset. Things had gone wrong. I had also missed Maundy Thursday Holy Mass. Truly a dreadful start to the Holy Week.

I exited the posh five star hotel in which our meeting was held – but instead of standing at the well lit lobby to wait for my car, I walked to the road outside – hoping to hide my tears (which I knew were coming) in the dark of the road outside.

And then suddenly he comes upto me. This tall, dark, suit-clad security man/boy in his twenties, I think.

“Excuse me m’am, is everything ok? Why are you crying?” he asked.

Really not wanting to get into the whole thing, I mumbled something like, “Just things that got messed up”.

He looked at me & then raised his hand up to the dark sky above us. “Well you never know,” he said, “God probably has a reason why it happened”.

I was quite shocked. Seriously, he was reaching out to me? With God?

“Are you a Christian?” I asked him. “Yes,” he said – & then added “None of us are taking anything with us when we go. Let whatever’s troubling you go. Just be peaceful & trust in Him”.

My car pulled up, squeezing in between us.

“What’s your name?” I called out, hoping he would hear my squeaky voice.

“Phillip” he said.

“Thanks Phillip, I really appreciate what you’ve just said to me, more than you realise”.

“God bless” he called out after me.

And as I drove away, smiling, I was sure if I had just met an angel.
God bless you too Phillip.