Comments on: Story From Afar – Calcutta, India

By: David

David — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:34:55 +0000

Jackie
It was coincidence & luck that I got to bump into the kids’ mother in lane right in front of their house as she prepared stepping out to her morning shopping. Honestly, I was quite taken aback and excited too when her image appeared before my eyes – just like the one I’d seen many years ago on TV. She actually invited me to her house for tea which I hesitated. In Old Chinatown, one needs not have an address to locate people. The neighbourhood is very small and Indian neighbours are friendly to help you out.

Since you inquired, it’s best to let you know the size of Kolkata (in terms of area) rather than its Old Chinatown. Kolkata is of the same size of Dallas Airport in the U.S. but the population is many folds of what it can accommodate. Once you are out in the streets, you’ll find people everywhere; you need to negotiate, weave & wrestle your way out in crowds.

Your many questions on the family current status and development will be answered in following links of the follow-up visit to Kolkata (Part II series) taken by the same TV crews – which you do not ssem to have watched or may have forgotten after viewing it many years ago.

1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R46IUqNID_O
2) htto://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciNICaiXrw&feature=related
3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bccAMbxEYk&feature=related

By: Jackie

Jackie — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:26:21 +0000

David,
I’m astonished you found their home so easily. I really thought without an address and given the years since, it would be difficult. How big is old Chinatown?
If I can find these brother and sister for myself, I would still like to give them a photo of their grandma. But I’m glad to hear their financial future is secure, that’s probably some of the best news possible. With $300,000 USD, they can even afford higher education if they wanted. But then I wonder why the sister needed to go to a hostel and the brother to a boarding school if they can afford to live together at home. Or why the family still looked so impoverished.

By: ycl1688

ycl1688 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:58:57 +0000

Jackie,
Please do not give up hope, seems to me the boarding school is a public school somehow someone should be able to recognize it. That should keep you busy. Anyways
it is generous people like you that makes the world a better place to live.

By: ycl1688

ycl1688 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:25:48 +0000

David,
thanks for your response and sharp memories. I would not blame the beneficiary to
be on the defense. with about USD300k under their belt, I believe they are well off. Anyways with the latest statistic shows world’s 60 percent of poor coming from India, there will be others who need the help too.

By: David

David — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:33:39 +0000

Hi Jackie

You may contact World Vision – Kolkata to get in touch with these two kids in the video (probably now grown up young man and woman). Apparently, World Vision had a trust fund set-up for them out of donations received from Hong Kong people of about USD300k to be spent on their upkeep – like food, clothings, education, tuition, boarding fees, books $ stationery and other necessities. So, it is good to check out on them and not necessarily provide money assistance unless you really think worth the while. That’s entirely up to you.

I was in Kolkata early this year for a week. Early one morning, I took a purposedful trip from Tangra to Old Chinatown (Tireti Bazaar) to experience Breakfast in Chinatown. Upon arrival at the site (there are many pictures in the blog which as of now still remain the same), I instintively thought about these two kids. While I know that they used to live somewhere around this vicinity, I walked over to the side street and then on to a narrow street (Chattawala Gully) adjacent to the main street.

I still vividly remember the lane where they live so I stumbled into that lane and co-incidentally the kids’s mom who appeared in the video was just walking out for shopping. I greeted her and introduced myself and asked her about life and her children. She mentioned that her daughter had moved out to live in a hostel and the younger son is still studying in boarding school where the family would visit him during weekends or holidays. She seemed reluctant to provide me their addresses so I did not ask further; she agreed to allow me to take a picture of her and then I left.

So, the family still live in that little dark house in that lane – Chattawala Gully. You may also check on it if you so wish.

Good luck in your hunt and hope you have a wonderful experience while in Kolkata. While you have a great humanity project on hand, I pray that you will be blessed for stretching out hands to help others in need.

Cheers

By: Jackie

Jackie — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:58:07 +0000

Bill,
Thank you for your concerns. I will be traveling to Kolkata alone and this search will be a solo side project but I have worked on development projects in Sri Lanka in the past. I do make security precautions especially with money.
I have contacted ATV with an email explaining the situation in English but I have not received a response. I’m not confident I will get a response since my email is in English and the documentary was so long ago.
The boarding school would definitely be a good place to search but unfortunately it is not identified in the documentary. If anyone has any ideas, it would be appreciated.

By: ycl1688

ycl1688 — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:08:27 +0000

Bill,
Your suggestion is helpful. Definetely any cash show openly will attract lots of evil eyes. I am sure jackie will be going out with a group of people not alone. Chance of kidnapping is slim if you are out broad day light.
Never heard of Hong Kong consulate anywhere, in british time hk was under British HC, now it is Chinese Embassy or Consulate to conduct business.

Jackie,
You might want to contact the school where the brother is. Sounds like a boarding school. Where is that school ? Any guess ? anyone ?