2005 -- Ages 11-12

  Anwesha joined the program in September, 2000, when she was 7 years old. I began sponsoring her in April, 2005, at the same time I began sponsoring Fatma. She was 11 then. Anwesha's family had one of the lowest incomes among Indian girls.

Anwesha lives in a village outside Kolkata (in South 24 Parganas District, I think) with her parents, 4 younger sisters and (new in 2009) baby brother. The family speaks Bengali. The first progress report available was taken in May 2004. At that time, her father Manik, a 35 year-old farmer, was earning $20 per month to support his wife and 5 children. Her mother, Purnima, was a 30 year-old homemaker.

Their house, described as "kitchen," was built of mud, had a tile roof, and concrete floor. They cooked on a wood burning stove, drew their water from a community well. Electricity was not available, but they had a latrine. They had 1 wooden bed to sleep on.

Anwesha was 4 feet, 3 inches tall. She weighed 60 lbs. Sisters Trisha, Labani and Anoshree were 7, 4 and 2 years old. Baby sister Suchana had been born in 2004 after the report was taken.

March (CR)

Dear Ms. Jenkins,
Hope you are well. I and my family are fine. I have been promoted to grade seven. [The Indian school year seems to start in late March or April.] I like to go to school. In our village fairs were arranged on occasions of [illegible] and [illegible] festival[s]. I enjoyed very much.
With love and regards.
Yours,
Anwesha M.

Survey on back:
Hi! My complete name is... Anwesha M*.
My family and friends call me... Anwesha.
I like where I live because... my parents and siblings live there.
My neighborhood has... many houses, trees, fields, etc.
At school, work or home, I...study at school and play with my friends. When at home I study and play.
We celebrate... Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Chera[*?], Gosto [?] festivals, etc.

In August, I sent an SNG of $225 or so.

September--SNG Report completed by Rita Mukherji

Please list the gifts provided to child and family:
"The family has utilized the gift to purchase 1 wooden clothes rack, 1 steel almirah, 1 bed sheet, 2 pillow cases and 1 box of colored pencils."
What were the child's/family's comments when the gifts were delivered?
"Thank you, dear sponsor, for these useful gifts. The almirah will be useful for keeping our belongings safely in one place. I like to draw. It will be fun using these colour pencils," said a happy Anwesha. The family will be able to keep their belongings in proper place inside the almirah and on the rack.

Dear Sponsor,
At the beginning of my letter I send you my love and best wishes. I hope you are well. I am fine. My exams are going on and I am doing well in the exam. The gifts I have received from you are 1 steel almirah, a loose [? illegible] clothes rack, a bed sheet, 2 pillow cases adn colour pencils. My family and I are very happy to have received your gifts. I pray to God to keep you well. I always think of you. I thank you for your help.
I send you my love and regards.
Yours,
Anwesha M.

September (CR)

Dear Sponsor,
Hope you are well. We are well. I study in grade VII now. I am very happy with my new grade. I like to go to school. My school starts at 11 a.m., ends at 4 p.m. We have playground where we play in school. English is my favourite subject. I study in Mass Education High School. I get all aids from project. Our teachers teach us with great care. We have 20 teachers. Please accept my regards.
Yours lovingly,
Anwesha

2006 -- Ages 12-13

March (CR)

Dear Sponsor,
I hope you are doing well. I am also keeping fine. I read in grade VII. I regularly go to school and study. I am studying hard and I have my exams very soon. I like reading storybook[s]. I get all help from the project. Our teachers teach us very well. There are 82 students in our class. My best friend is Suparna Middya. I study and also help my mother in her work.
Take my respect.
From Anwesha M.

Survey on back:
Our village has... (mud roads/paved roads/tubewells/solar lights) ELECTRICITY
We travel by... (Auto rickshaw/van rickshaw/cycle rickshaw/jeep/cycle) BUS
In my neighborhood there is a ... (hospital/community hall/temple/mosque/church) SCHOOL
Most of the houses in our community are made of... (straw/split cane/concrete/brick) MUD

July--SNG Report completed by Biswajit

Please list the gifts provided to child and family:

• 1800 bricks
• 10 bags cement
• 60 bags sand
• 1 fibre [plastic] table
• 2 buckets
• 2 steel pitchers
• drawing materials
• book

How will the gifts benefit the child and/or family?
"The child and her family live in a one multi-use room house that has 3 walls built of bricks and the other made of mud. The family will have the mud wall replaced with bricks. This would make their home strong and safe. The child can use the table while studying. The pitcher and bucket will be useful for fetching and storing water. 'As the mud wall is in poor condition and may collapse at any time, we decided to replace this wall with bricks. This would make our home strong and less damp. We will also have a brick wall constructed inside the room to divide the room into two where the smaller part will be a verandah. The verandah can be used as storage area and also as a kitchen. We thank the sponsor for giving us this opportunity to make our home strong and comfortable,' said Anwesha's father. The mud wall will be completely replaced with bricks. But about 50% of the partition wall that would divide the room into a single room with attached verandah will be constructed with the donation. The family will complete the partition wall with their own funds."

Dear Sponsor,
I hope you are well. We are all fine. I study in Grade 8. The gifts that you have given me are:

• table - 1
• buckets - 2
• pencils - 1 box
• coloured pencils - 2 boxes
• drawing sheet - 12

I have also received brick, sand and cement for repairing our house. This will enable us to live comfortably. I thank you for your help. You keep well.
I send you my regards.
Yours,
Anwesha M.

September (CR)

Dear Sponsor,
I hope you are doing well. We are all keeping fine. I read in grade VIII. I regularly go to school. I help my mother at home. I love painting. I get many help from the project. I love flowers. I visit the doctor of the project. Thank you for all your help.
Take my respect.
From Anwesha M.

September -- Progress Report

Almost 18 months after the last progress report, Anwesha is 4 feet, 8 inches tall (5 inch gain) and 71 lbs (11 lb gain). Her favourite school subject is languages and she enjoys playing with friends and drawing. She helps with the general housework. The family income has increased substantially, to $69/month. (If their income has in fact more than tripled in past 18 months, that would explain how they have savings to add to the home improvement fund--they know how to live on $20/month, so saving out of $69 per month isn't so surprising.) Their house is now described as being brick, "kitchen, one bedroom."

2007 -- Ages 13-14

March (CR)

Dear Ms. Jenkins,
I hope you are all fine. Me and my family members are fine. It is for your help that my house has been repaired and I have benefitted by getting many things. I study in Class VIII now. I go to school daily and study seriously. We are five sisters. I am older and one of my sisters [Labani, Age 7] is in education class. Another sister [Trisha, then 10] reads one class above. Two small sisters [Suchana, then 2, and Anoshree, then 5] doesn't study. My father is an L.I.C. [Life Insurance Corporation of India] agent and is also into farming. My mother does housework and looks after us. The doctor who comes from Mass Education programme has prescribed medicine for my illness. Take my regards.
From Anwesha M.

Back in 2007 when I googled LIC agent, I found an article about how the company was successfully promoting life insurance among poor communities by hiring community members as agents to sell small policies for small sums. Now all I can find are the agents' web sites. I have no idea what she means by "my illness." I thought it best not to overreact, since it could well have been a simple sinus infection or something.

August--SNG Report completed by G. Gharai

Please list the gifts provided to child and family:

• 1 steel showcase with rack
• 1 bicycle
• 1 mattress
• 1 bedsheet
• 1 pillow with cover [actually, 2 pillows, based on the picture]
• 1 tiffin box [Indian-style lunchbox]
• 1 aluminum handi [some kind of pot, I think]
• 1 pitcher
• 1 jug
• 2 stools
• 2 uniforms

How will the gifts benefit the child and/or family?
"The family can keep their belongs in the showcase and the child can use the bicycle to move around on errands, or to school. The bedding items will provide a comfortable sleep. The family can use the utensils for household work. The school uniform will be of help to the child. The child said, 'I am very happy and thankful to the sponsor for all the gifts. We have greatly benefitted from this.'"

Dear Sponsor,
I hope you are well. My family and I are fine. My family and I are very happy to receive your gifts like cycle, a big cooking pot and a big pot for storing food; 1 mattresss, 1 bedsheet, 2 pillows and 2 pillow covers, 1 tiffin carrier, 1 pitcher, 1 jug, 2 stools and 2 school uniforms. I thank you for your help.
Yours,
Anwesha M.

Around this time, I read an article about how one Indian state considered bicycles to be such an important tool in keeping girls in school that they gave one to each 14 year-old girl. Some girls were dropping out of school because the time required to walk back and forth, in addition to school itself and studying, took too much time away from their responsibilities at home (in their family's opinion). By cutting the commuting time and (as the report notes)enabling them to run errands more efficiently, the program persuaded many families to keep their girls in school.

August -- Progress Report

The family now has 3 beds and electricity is available (meaning they have it to use).

September (CR)

Dear Ms. Jenkins,
Hope you are well. Me and my family are well here. I am reading in Grade IX. Daily I go to school. I study at home and help in my mother's works. I am learning computer in my school's computer centre. Our school's teachers teach with great care. Every year class tests occur in school. I love drawing. Me and my family get help from the project. I go to project's clinic. Me and my family are happy on getting your help.
With regards,
Your's lovingly,
Anwesha M.

  2008 -- Ages 14-15

March ? (CR)

Dear Ms. Jenkins,
Wishing you my love and regards. I hope you are all fine there. We are fine here too. I am now studying in Class IX. I show the doctor of the project.[?] Exam is going on in our school and so I am studying seriously. I receive various benefits from the project and so greatly thankful to you. We four sisters had lot of fun during Christmas. [I suppose the fifth is still too young...]
Thanking you for your help and support.
Wishing you my heartfelt regards.
Anwesha M.

April (CP)

Dear Ms. G- Jenkins,
I hope you are all well. I am fine. I am very happy to get your letter and photo. Your photo is lovely. I like to learn computer and study English. I am doing well in studies. We have all passed. I send you my love and regards.
Yours,
Anwesha M.

July--SNG Report completed by G. Gharai

Please list the gifts provided to child and family:

• Plastering of walls
• Construction of concrete floor

How will the gifts benefit the child and/or family?
"The child's house consisted of 1 room and a verandah which had mud flooring [despite the reports saying concrete] and brick walls but was without any plastering. Hence, they have plastered the inner walls of their room and has constructed concrete flooring in their room and verandah so the house looks proper and the floor is also protected from further damage due to dampness in monsoons and winters. The child said, 'We are very happy that we could repair the floor of our house and plaster the inner walls. This could not have been possible without the kind and generous support of my Sponsor.'"

Notice that the outfit from 2 years before still looks nice, and still fits. Fits differently, but fits.

Dear Sponsor,
Hope you are well. My family and I are fine here. I am happy to tell you that we have used the amount you donated for concretizing the floor of our house and plastering the inner walls of our room. We have been greatly benefitted by this and take this chance to thank you very much. I am studying in Grade X now and my studies are going on fine. We are having our unit tests now. That's all for today.
With love and regards,
Yours,
Anwesha M.

Notice that the outfit from 2 years before still looks nice, and still fits. Fits differently, but fits.

August -- Progress Report

Anwesha is now 4'10" tall (2" gain) and weighs 97 lbs (26 lb gain[!]). Otherwise, not much has changed, except that the concrete floor is now actually there.

October (CR)

Dear Ms. Jenkins,
I hope you and your family members are all fine there. We are all fine here too. I am now studying in Class X. We are thankful to you for your help and support. I often visit the project and had health checkup too. We are two sisters and we go to school every day. My class exam will begin soon. My other sister studies in class VII. I will appear for Madhyamik exam this year. My favourite subject is English. I love drawing. I love gardening.
Wishing you my regards,
From Anwesha M.

Try out the Madhyamik exam for yourself HERE!

December (CR-received April, 2009)

Dear Ms. Jenkins,
Hope you are all well. My family and I are doing fine. My final exam of tenth grade is coming near. So I am studying sincerely. It is winter here now. I get your help regularly. So thank you. I visit the programme doctor. I like to draw. I like flowers. I like to read story books. My favourite subject is English. Hope I will do well in the exams.
Regards,
Yours,
Anwesha M.

2009 -- Ages 15-16

July/August (CR)

Dear Ms. Jenkins,
Hope all is well with you. I am doing well with my family. I passed Madhyamik in first division [Highest scoring group]. I read in Grade XI. I've started my studies in my new class. Monsoon has just started over here. I am feeling happy to go to new school. I go to school regularly. I follow my texts and prepare my lessons regularly. I receive your helps regularly.
Regards to you.
Yours,
Anwesha M.

August--SNG Report completed by B. Mondal

Please list the gifts provided to child and family ($225):

• 10 months private tuitions
• 1 practical instrument kit for studying geography

How will the gifts benefit the child and/or family?
"The child has been provided with 10 months of tuition fees for grade XI from July '09-Apr.'10 in Languages, Geography and Social Sciences, so that she gets proper guidance and encouragement in her studies that will help her to do well in school. The child has also been provided with a practical instrument kit for studying Geography to aid her studies in that subject. The child said, 'I am very happy to be provided with tuition support in my studies. Thank you, Sponsor, for looking after my educational needs.'"

Dear Sponsor,
At first I send you my best wishes. I hope you are well. I am fine. Now I study in grade 11 and my subjects are Geography, History, Political Science, Education, English and Bengali. With your financial help I have been provided with 10 months of private tuition support from July '09 to April '10 in Languages, Social Sciences, and Geography. This will help me to do well in my examination. In addition, I have purchased a practical instrument kit for Geography which will help me to receive better marks in Geography. I am grateful to you and thank you for looking after my educational needs. Please keep well. I send you my love and regards.
Yours,
Anwesha M.

September--Progress Report

Anwesha is now 4'11" tall (1" gain) and weighs 99 lbs (2 lb gain). And after 5 girls, her parents have a baby son, Anik!

October

Dear Ms. Jenkins,
I got your letter. You are looking very nice in your photo. [Me at 16.] Now I am learning computer and songs along with my studies. I hope to be a teacher in future. Hope you had nice birthday. [My birthday is in August, like hers. Lots of August birthdays in my family.] Thank you very much for your help. Please accept my best for Durga Puja. I am very happy to get your letter. Now it is autumn here. I am very sad to get the death news of your mother. [Slight confusion; I mentioned that my mother's 90th birthday would have been in August, too. But she died 30 years ago--not recently.] Please accept my best wishes for your birthday. Please accept my love and regards.
Yours lovingly,
Anwesha

2010 -- Ages 16-17

January (CR)

Dear Ms. Jenkins,
I convey my wishes & regards on New Year. Hope you are well. I and my family are fine. I am in Standard XI. Geography is my favorite subject. I learn music. It is winter season now. My final exam is in March. I like to paint. I like to cultivate flowers. Saraswati Puja was celebrated in our home. I enjoyed a lot there. You take my love and respect.
Yours,
Anwesha M.

May

Dear Ms. G--,
Please accept my best for [Bengali] New Year. I am glad to know that you are well. We are well. I study in Grade XII. [Passed!] It is summer here. I go to school daily. [When school is in session, I suppose; she should be on break during April and May.] I study sincerely. In my free time, I go to singing class. I learn computer also. Geography is my favourite subject. I like English, also. I wish to study B.A. with Honors in Geography. Last year my grandmother died. My Higher Secondary exam is near [next spring] so I am studying hard. I like to draw. It is very hot now. It is very difficult to go outdoors. Thanks for your help. Stay well.
Yours lovingly,
Anwesha M.

August--Progress Report

Anwesha is still 4'11" tall and weighs 103 lbs (4 lb gain). Her house is now described as having a kitchen, 2 multi-use rooms and 2 bedrooms (wow!), but the walls and floor are described as mud again. I think they must have been building on over the last couple of years, but there's some inconsistency between the family reports and SNG reports. If they've added a couple of mud additions, that would make some of the brick walls interior walls. Another possibility: Anwesha's last letter mentioned that her grandmother had died during the last year. The family may have been able to move into the grandmother's house.

August--SNG Report completed by S Palit

Please list the gifts provided to the child:

• 12 months private tuitions (tutoring) for the child (grade XII)
• 1 bicycle
• 1 mosquito net
• 1 bedsheet
• 1 umbrella for the child
• 1 set of glasses
• 5 sets of 2 steel plates
• 3 candies

How will the gifts benefit the child/family?
The child is presently in grade-XII and has been provided with 12 months of tution support from July '10 to June '11, so that she gets proper guidance in her studies that will help her to do well in school. The mosquito net will protect the child from harmful mosquito bites while at sleep. The family can serve drinks to their special guests in the glasses they have purchased. The child and her family will use the steel plates when they have their daily meals. The umbrella will protect the child from sunrays and rain when she goes out. The child and her sibling can use the bicycle to ride to school and to their tuition classes. This will help them to save some travelling time and cost. The child said, 'Thank you Sponsor for taking care of my educational needs and also for providing us with household utility items.'"

Dear Sponsor,
I hope you are well. We are all fine. With your financial help I have been provided with 12 months of private tuition support from July '10 to June '11 for grade 12. This will help me to do well in school and my [school leaving/college eligibility] examination. We are very happy to receive a bicycle. My sibling and I will ride the cycle to school and tuition classes. The umbrella I have received will protect me from rain when I go out. We have purchased a mosquito net, a bedsheet, a set of glasses and 2 steel plates. The mosquito net will protect us from insect bites and we will use the plates and glasses when we have our meals. I love candies. We are all grateful to you and I thank you for the useful gifts and for taking care of my educational expenses. I end my letter with love and regards to you. Take care.
Yours,
Anwesha M.

I love the way they itemize everything down to the candies purchased with the spare change. Since Anwesha has 4 younger sisters (and a little brother a bit young for candy), it looks like she didn't have to share... But I think she's giving her existing bicycle (assuming nothing has happened to it) to her next sister, who should be in 9th grade now, so they can ride together.

August--Direct Package

In late July, I ordered an "Art Ideas Pack," a book of art project ideas accompanied by watercolors, pastels, crayons (and drawing pencils, I think), and a World Atlas from flipkart.com. Anwesha loves to draw and she wants to become a geography teacher. The cost was about $30, and flipkart's customer service was very good. The items had to be imported from different vendors, and flipkart made sure they were sent to Sahay in one packages to minimize inconvenience. It took several weeks to acquire the imported items (which I knew before ordering), so it was August 30 before Anwesha received her package.

Dear Sponsor,
I start my letter with love to you. I hope you all are well. We are all fine. I study in grade 12. I am very happy to receive from you a world atlas and a book on art ideas (with a pack of paints, 2 pack of crayons and a paint brush). I will use the atlas when I study Geography. I will draw and paint pictures on weekends. I thank you for the lovely gifts. I am doing well in studies. I learn singing and also study computer. I end with regards to you . Please take care.
Yours,
Anwesha M--

November-CP Letter

Responding to the news (from Anwesha's May letter) that her grandmother died last year, I asked how well she knew her grandmother, explaining that my grandparents had died by the time I was 2. I had also mentioned this year's strange weather. I'll have to clarify that it was just a conversational earthquake...

Dear Ms. G--
Please accept my best wishes & love. Hope you are well. We are well. Now it is autumn here. My grandmother used to stay with us before she died. My grandfather died many years back when I was very young. I liked my birthday gift very much. I am sad to know about the earthquake of your place. Now we are celebrating Durga Puja. After puja, test exam will start. I am preparing for this exam. After Higher Secondary exam I will study in college. With regards.
Yours lovingly,
Anwesha

2011 -- Ages 17-18

January - CP Letter

In December, I sent Anwesha a (late) card was decorated with a cornucopia made from foam pieces and decorated with glitter. Since the description of their house changed from 2 brick rooms w/veranda and concrete floor to 4 rooms made of mud with mud floors, I asked whether they had moved. I also asked about her Grade 12 exams, since it sounded like she was taking them in December. And there's still some confusion about the little earthquake we had near DC last summer...

Dear Ms. G--,
We are all well. Hope all of you are well. I will appear for Higher Secondary Exam in March 2011. Now we live in our old house. This house is repaired and we extended our house. No damage was occurred due to earthquake. Now it is winter. I got your card. Your handwork is beautiful. Next month I will appear in Higher Secondary exam. Please bless me so that I can do well in exam. I get all your gifts in time for which please accept my thanks. With regards,
Yours lovingly,
Anwesha

I'm thinking she might have changed subjects between their house to something like "So there was no damage," but the translator didn't realize that the two had nothing to do with each other.

For more about life in India, see Fatma's story.