Introducing…the L.O.V.E. Campaign

If you’ve been reading the news at all lately, you’ve read about violence against women. The recent stories from India, horrific stories about rape and murder, have brought the issue to international attention. An article from the New York Times reports that between 25,000 and 100,000 women are killed over dowry disputes every year in India. Because many dowry murders are often reported as accidents, the actual numbers may be much higher.

Statistics about domestic abuse in America show that in the South Asian community, two out of five women experience partner violence compared to one out of three women in the world, and three million total per year in the United States.  Despite what this and the recent news reports imply, violence against women in the United States is not particular to South Asian cultures. Wafa House says the numbers are higher in South Asian and Middle Eastern communities because of any number of factors – such as the language barriers and cultural restraints that prevent victims from knowing where to turn to for help.

To narrow this gap, we at Thaakat are excited to announce our latest campaign under the Break the Silence umbrella. Today, we announce the L.O.V.E. Campaign(VIEW DONATE OPTIONS HERE)!

With L.O.V.E., we aim to bring awareness to the increasing instances of violence against women worldwide. This Valentine’s Day, donate to our campaign in honor of a loved one, perhaps someone who has overcome the trials and tribulations of domestic violence or someone who holds this issue close to his or her heart. Awareness campaigns like these not only bring sharper focus to the issue, but they bring us one step closer to gender equality worldwide.

To join our efforts you can help us spread the word or you can make a donation. We will then send you an email requesting the information of the woman you would like to honor with this donation. There are three different levels of donation:

1. For a donation of under $25, we will send an e-card to your loved one.

2. For a donation of $25-99 we will MAIL an actual card to the loved one.

3. For anything more we will mail a card AND a Break the Silence shirt to the loved one.

The proceeds of this fundraising initiative will directly benefit Wafa House, an organization founded by Dorria Fahmy and Nawal Kahf that is dedicated to strengthening the family unit. A majority of their work is dedicated towards assisting women and children victims of domestic violence. Wafa House provides a myriad of much-needed services such as a 24-hours toll-free hotline, social services, family counseling, and interpreter/translator assistance.

Jaqueline Kennedy Highschool Presents: “Bollywood Night”- A Charity Benefit for Thaakat Foundation

As I entered the classroom to present to these young bright eyed individuals, I felt inspired by all of the ideas, diversity and vision that was around me. After I shared a little bit about how THAAKAT began and what our goals were for the future, I went on to share why community service was so important.

To my content, many of these students raised their hands to share with me how community service had been such a moral lifter for them. Some of them came to me for advice on how they could incorporate service to the community into their professinal career aspirations.

This Thursday March 3, 2011 the National Honor Society at Jaqueline Kennedy Highschool will be hosting a benefit where all proceeds will be donated to Thaakat Foundation’s local and global causes for 2011. The night will be decorated with colors, music performances and dancing with a feature presenation by DJ Flawless! As the students round up preparations, THAAKAT had the opportunity to talk to Puja Patel about what has been going on behind the scenes. Puja is a supporting member on Thaakat and teacher at the highschool. She been working non stop with the team these last few months to ensure the experience is a wonderful one for the students.

Why did you feel it was important to get the kids at Jaqueline Kennedy Highschool involved?

We have a great community service program and a lot of the kids don’t actually realize what is going outside of the city, especially in countries that are developing. When the topic first came up, the kids referenced slum dog millionaire, which is kind of neat that we’re getting media to showcase realities around the world. But I wanted them to realize this was real especially because it’s a school for international careers so it would be good to raise awareness with the kids.

How does the NHS team at Jaqueline Kennedy Highschool feel about the event, with it being less than a week away?

They are nervous but they just want to see what the outcome is going to be. They are excited about new people coming to visit the school to see how they react to what the team has been working on.

How is this different than other things the school has done?

Most of the things that we do with the school is based on local institutions and events. Though we do a lot of community service events, we’ve gone beyond that to do something that is also diverse.

Why Thaakat?

I feel like when I joined the team, the answer was always yes. I was really encouraged by all of the team’s positivity towards events and ideas. When Thaakat first came in to present, you guys told them to expand their ideas and inspired them beyond just what Thaakat’s vision was. It really motivates them to grow.

What has been the best part about organizing this event so far?

This is the first time the kids have gone out to businesses to talk to people in a professional setting. To get to watch the kids reach out to a community on an executive level with such confidence really made me feel great about everything.

Click here for the Facebook Event Invitation and details

To the students and staff helping to arrange the event, we are all really looking forward to this! A special thanks to  Jane Valit, Kristin Damo, and Puja Patel.

Thaakat Lights Up A Village with Greenlight Planet!

By: Ammara Bokhari | Global Needs Ambassador | abokhari@thaakatfoundation.org

Pendakwadi, India — Thaakat celebrated the new year by embarking on its latest global project: “Project Greenlight India”, an effort to help light up a poor village that had zero access to electricity. Like several poor villages across the nation with the highest number of people living without electricity, villagers are left with darkness after sunset.  Through a partnership with Greenlight Planet, a US based enterprise that distributes solar powered LED lanterns, Thaakat Foundation was able to provide solar lanterns to 350 families!

More than 400 million people don’t have access to electricity in India. It’s an issue that continues to be widespread in South Asia, whether it be limited access or load shedding. Many poor villagers face its difficulties and in lieu of electricity, resort to the use of kerosene lamps, which is both dangerous and expensive. Nearly two million people die each year due to pulmonary diseases caused by the indoor burning of fuels (used as a source of light and for cooking). Close to half of this two million are children who die of pneumonia.

Solar lanterns are a clean and effective alternative to kerosene lamps. Portable, waterproof, and able to provide 16 hours of light after a 4 hour solar charge, they are an ideal asset for poor villagers. Greenlight Planet recently sent 1200 solar lights to flood affected victims in Pakistan and the organization’s efforts have been featured in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal.

University of Illinois graduate Harshil Parikh manages expansion and distribution for Greenlight Planet in India. He recently moved to India from the states in order to have a more hands-on approach with the organization. Parikh led Thaakat’s distribution of solar lanterns to 350 families in the village of Pendakwadi, located in the Thane district of India. Previous on-site visits to the village had been conducted, examining the condition of the village, writing down names of families, and amounts of lanterns to be distributed to each family. The average monthly household income for each family is around Rs.2000, which is about $44 per month. Thaakat Foundation provided a 50-60% subsidy for the lanterns and the villagers were able to pay Rs.300-350 for them. Subsidizing lanterns for an affordable cost allows villagers to invest in a product they can use, helping to realize its true value.

An escape from the day’s heat, having a light at night holds many advantages for poor villagers: helping children study and learn, adults cook, and workers to travel back and forth to and from work in safety.

On the day of distribution, all villagers were gathered in an area and taught how to use the solar lanterns. The team stayed with the villagers through the day and into the night, answering questions and ensuring proper installation of the solar panels. As night fell, the villagers had begun using the lanterns, right away benefiting from its use.

“I have to say that in all my travels to villages in India so far, this was one of the poorest I have been to,” Parikh explained about his visit. “This village has absolutely no electricity, is in a very hilly area with no other major infrastructure or access to markets close by.”

Thaakat Foundation plans to adopt a small district in India and continue providing solar lanterns to poor villagers, in hopes to brighten up their nights, one light at a time. Best of all, it’s environmentally friendly! Tax-deductible donations can be made online by visiting our PayPal link here =)

What Mother’s Day Means In Desi Culture

By: Uzma Bawany/Thaakat Foundation/Thaakat@gmail.com

Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Birthday’s and all celebrations alike were always a big deal to me growing up. I felt like if there were a few days in the year where we could make a person feel special with the reverence of a small appreciative sentiment then we must take the opportunity.

Though many times when I discussed this with my Desi counterparts they claimed that their parent’s didn’t care for this stuff. That they shoo’ed away Birthday celebrations and there was no such thing as Mother’s and Father’s Day back home for them.  Bah-humbug, don’t let them tell you what they want, because really everyone wants to feel special no matter what. What this means in Desi tongue is: Our parents don’t really mean that they don’t want anything; they just don’t want you to spend money.

I know, us Desi’s, we’re not too good at showing emotion. Don’t ask us if we’ve said “I love you” to our parent’s growing up or remind us of the awkwardness of hugging our parents at graduation ceremonies (that was really the one time where it had to have happened). For this I blame our culture. They grew up in a tradition where they felt love was shared through the cooking of fresh meals, making your bed every morning and bragging to other parents about you. To them, love was shared through strength and not emotion. We grew up on this and gave our love by what we felt was getting good grades, being home on time and helping with the dishes every once in a while.

Now my friends, it’s time to grow up and embrace our relationship with our parents for what it really is. If it is not in the culture they grew up in, spoil them with hugs until they forgot what it was like before them. Talk to them and let them know they are just as important to you now in life as they were when you were a kid growing up. Save money on an outing this week and get something nice for your Mom for Mother’s Day.

As our parents get older it is important to splendor them with the care that they gave to us growing up. Our mom’s went shopping and came home with bags for us not herself.  Dad never bought nice meals for himself as he always saved for our allowances and school -and as kids many of us probably took this for granted.

Listen boys and girls, I’m not forcing you to change the way you do anything- I’m just asking you to think again if you already haven’t for this Mother’s Day! Do something special for your Mother and/or Father this weekend and don’t forget to consider your parent’s every day.

Here are some of my top picks for gift ideas for Mom:

1. Take your Mom to Bed Bath and Beyond and fill her cart up with stuff that she’s been aching to get for the house.
2. Every Desi mom loves New York and Company- for it’s modest style and flair. You will find everything here from bags, to sandals and nice summer shirts that she may entertain.
3. Pedicure- If your moms are like my mom- they are always on their feet. In the kitchen non- stop, mostly running their feet flat on hardwood floor- they are in need of pedicures but will never take the initiative to spend money on one. Treat them to a spa certificate.
4. Indian movie night- How often do you leave out for the movies and Mom’s left home alone? If your parents don’t oft go to the movies together, make a date night with the siblings and your mom and take her out to the latest hit decorated with dinner beforehand.
5. Online shopping-it’s always nice to get a surprise package in the mail. There are great Mother’s Day gifts from personalized aprons to laser engraved wood cutting boards that you can order online .

Just Married? That Means a Bit of Adjusting

By: Uzma Bawany/Thaakat Foudation/Exec Director/Thaakat@gmail.com

To all of you new boys and gals or shall I say men and women who are newly married I’m sure you’ve come to know within a matter of days that well- things are just different. There is someone new in the picture that you must consider. Did I say must? Yes I did.

If you’ve taken on marriage, in richer or poorer, in sickness or in health, in bad times and good you have to really live by the commitment. No phone calls during dinner time, men, you should be assisting your women with the groceries, and both of you make sure you are doing your part to check in on each other’s parents.

Here are some quick rules of the road for when you hit a speed bump:

Never sleep angry- I know this is one of the most generic pieces of advice ever but this is how girls think. If a guy goes to sleep knowing something is rumbling and doesn’t negotiate to work it out, the girl will not sleep the whole night thinking that he doesn’t care. When you try to talk about it at lunch time the next day she won’t care to listen. Guys, YOU KNOW EXACTLY when something is wrong so please don’t try to ignore it. Talk about it, both of you- talk calmly with no yelling. The louder person does not get heard, he/she just looks like an idiot.

Put down your phones- I know this is tough for a lot of us who grew up on texting and went through schools on internet capable phones or chatting with our girl friends. But when both of you have been out to work all day- the last thing your significant other wants to see you doing is being on the phone. Just sit down and talk to one another. Cherish each other’s company.

Be proud of your partner- Especially to the guys who bring home the new wifey. Remember that this is a completely new atmosphere for her. When taking her to family parties and gatherings make sure that you’re by her side. Even in the typical desi daawats where the men and women go their own ways, go and check on her to make sure she has her food, introduce her to everyone with pride and treat her with chivalry when you’re departing. The way you treat her in front of others is very important to the sanctity of your own private relationship. You also get blessings from everyone.

Learn from each other- There are going to be things that you do not enjoy about one another, instead of being blunt and insulting the other person, try to coach them through it. Give them caring advice. If you don’t like his coat, take him shopping for a new one. You want her to help with the dishes and the kids, tell her you want to do it together. Don’t assign tasks to each other, make it a joint effort.

Give each other space, but don’t take advantage of this- Everyone needs time to do their own things, I call it a little bit of breathing room, though each of you should not take advantage of this and just disappear for hours on end every day. Perhaps schedule time away a couple times a week and come back to each other fresh again.

Mother in Law and Daughter in Law- The Not so Treacherous Journey

 

By Uzma Bawany/Executive Director/Thaakat Foundation

The ultimate “not to look forward to” relationship in Desi culture, so when I got married should I have been scared?

Back in the day, when joint family households were the norm with our parents, we were all quick to notice the tumultuous relationship between the daughter in law and the mother in law. I suppose it makes sense. There can only be one queen bee!

Females have strong personalities. They have a saying in where the tea kettle is stored, how their children are raised, what is brought to the table at dinner time. Though when there are two females in the house, how goes it?

When I first got married, I missed home and I was scared of starting my new life. I was excited but confused. She made me feel right at home! I would be living in a joint family but I didn’t mind the idea because I wanted to spend time to get to know my new family. The first day I arrived, my mother in law arranged to have me taken for grocery shopping, set up my room, made me dinner and hugged me every moment she got.

Six Months Later, every time I leave home for a vacation, I miss my Mother In Law. I feel like I have another mom.

We fight over who gets to wash the dishes, we tag team my husband with jokes and laugh about it, I like to have the kitchen clean when she gets home. We have a mutual respect for one another. No one is vying to be the queen of the household, rather she treats me as her daughter and I treat her as my mother, I mean that’s essentially what it is right?

So what makes things so difficult for everyone else? Why is the term “Saas” so poisonous in desi culture?

A great relationship between the two requires two major things: Have a mutual respect for one another and love each other. My Mother in Law sat me down one day and she said, I want to be remembered as a great mother. I want you to tell your kids that we were great friends. When you talk to your friends, I want them to see how happy you are. 

Remember girls, your relationship with your in laws is half what you bring to the table. Keep your hands open to responsibilities and your heart open to a new family. I heart my Saas and couldn’t ask for anything more.

Dear Bollywood, Have You Gone Mad?

I walked through Loew’s theaters about a month ago and was surprised to see Indian Cinema posters in the aisles. Kareena and Saif for the movie Kurban, what a match! I thought it might be some twisted love story and boy was I wrong.

I’m not one to read reviews , I feel it spoils the movie. So off I went with my husband, excited to catch our first Bollywood flick in theaters since our wedding. I wanted to convince him that a three hour spicy cinematic was just what we needed on our Saturday evening outing.

So the movie began with a quick developing romance between the two, great. They move into a new town in New York where they are greeted by a quiet Muslim family, great. The family turns out to be women oppressing lunatics who take no shame in honor killings- WHAT?!

So here is where my disappointment began. I’ve seen Bollywood movies which build on the sad and untrue sterotypes of how other’s see Muslims since the so called “War on Terrorism.” Though I thought perhaps over some time, plots would evolve and Bollywood as big as it is would use it’s influence to create tolerance and understanding between groups- not breed scare and hatred.

Throughout the rest of the movie, the story became all the more cynical. Older characters tried to preach the so called “justification” of suicide bombers, Saif Ali Khan himself played the most wanted bomber on the scene.

Everyone says that as Muslims, we have to create a movement to build tolerance and friendship among other groups. That our image has been tarnished due to people who take the name of religion in their wrong doings. Fine, as Muslims we’ll stand up. But how effective will we be, for instance in India, where Bollywood is driving us against the grain.

In a country where there is a history of clash between religions and peace between the Hindus and Muslims is still a long time coming- what justifies an image of a cynical portrayal of Islam? For the sake of stirring up controversy to drive box office hits Bollywood has aimed to duplicate the tension that already exists.

I can appreciate flair and creativity in movies, however when it is used to exploit the difficulties of recent global agendas, I am not in favor. Stand up Bollywood for all of the good things you can bring to the table. Grasp a difficult situation and use your stage to promote peace and tolerance. Make our three hour spicy cinematic worth the watch on a Saturday evening.

This Little Light of Mine, I’m Gonna Let it Shine

Pakistan Hosts First Ever Fashion Week despite tumultuous circumstances

Uzma Bawany/Thaakat Foundation/Exec Director

I was getting ready to write my articles this morning when one of my buddies rushed into the room and said, “Yo, did you know Pakistan held it’s first ever fashion week?”

I wasn’t sure what my reaction should be. I have always known Pakistan to be a very fashion forward country. Yeah some people, when they think Pakistan, they think Taliban, threat, bombs, dangerous. What do I think of Pakistan?

Color, patterns, sugar cane juice, fancy shoes, grand shaadis, seaside..Fashion! I know many of you have heard of HSY and Mehmoona Manan- how about Nomi Ansari? I’m not going to lie, I personally can’t afford many of these decorums and neither can 98% of Pakistan’s public but then again isn’t that what grandiose fashion is about? The type of fashion that you can only touch on magazine paper and whose thrill you can only enjoy if you’re there at PAKISTAN’S FIRST EVER FASHION WEEK!

The majority of the Pakistan public enjoys the browsing of silk markets and clothing bazaars. The fun of taking your masterpiece cloth to your favorite “darzi” and getting it sewn in whatever crazy elegancy you wish upon it. Though we can’t afford the grandiose fashion, I’d say many of us clothing desperados are definitely influenced by the pictures they paint in our imagination.

Let’s face it guys, India borders Pakistan. Bollywood is Universal, Indian beauty became a phenom after watching Frieda Pinto in Slumdog Millionaire and dosas- Just wait till we start finding them ready made in grocery stores. So why is Pakistan lagging behind in the arts? It’s dying film industry has been done with for some time now and fashion shows were a no go until a few weeks ago.

Sometimes people need that little light to shine in order to exercise their talent and reach for the stars. Models graced the runway with the likes of the biggest fashion designers in the world. Surging violence in the country did indeed grab headlines and cause many security scares. The fashion show had to be rescheduled twice, but then enough was enough and Karachi decided that the show must go on.

The four day event helped boost an industry that Pakistan SHOULD indeed get recognition for. Unfortunately, it’s the tumultuous persona of the country that gets recognized. Don’t be afraid to embrace our country for all of the good people, colorful culture and talent that it holds!

Let us cheer for better times with some sugar cane juice.

thaakat@gmail.com

Bibi Magazine: A South Asian Woman’s Guide to Everything Beautiful and Cultured

By: Uzma Bawany/Executive Director/Thaakat Foundation

A few weekends ago, Thaakat Foundation had the opportunity to be at Bibi Magazine’s Bridal show. I called Bibi’s promo line a few days prior and had the honor of speaking with Ms. Ayesha Hakki. I had read about Bibi in the past and was inspired by the revolution created by a few women and supported by many. It wasn’t however until the end of our conversation that I learned I was speaking with the brains behind it all.

We felt it a great honor when Ayesha spoke on the other line saying she always tries to help a good cause and said she would love to donate a booth to us. With my favorite search partner Google by my side, I also came to find that Miss. Ayesha organized a fundraiser this past summer for the refugees of SWAT, Pakistan. I thoroughly enjoy it when I come across an accomplished pioneer who rallies their goodwill alongside their successes. Why do I enjoy it so much?

Simply because it doesn’t happen enough. Thank you, Ayesha!

Ms. Hakki is the Editor and Publisher of Bibi Magazine. Bibi is the premier style and bridal print magazine that reaches out to the likes of South Asian Americana. With fourteen years of experience in both the domestic and international publications arenas she founded her niche in cultured couture and started the organization with herself, Shabana Haq and Zooni.

Since her launch in 2000, the magazine has doubled in circulation and has taken on all kinds of fans-South Asians, fashion mavens, young gals and all those who like glitter and glitz. Ayesha captured the pride and glamour of South Asian fashion and brought it to life for those of us in the Americas who thirst for a taste of the greatness from back home. Bollywood makes it all a faraway dream; Bibi puts opulent fashion and pure culture within reach.

Recently, Bibi launched their own bridal shows to bring vendors to those with inspired ideas. Brides, it’s ok to raise your hand and admit you’re lost in the planning process. With South Asian weddings running a span of several days and a sandwich of traditions and colors that you know you must bring to the stage, it’s not easy.  Take a lookie at www.bibimagazine.com for help and inspiration!

Thaakat Toots it’s Own Horn- Just for a Sec!

By: Uzma Bawany/Thaakat@gmail.com/Executive Director

I feel like we don’t update our supporters about Thaakat enough via our Urdu Times initiative so we thought to take a moment this week to let everyone know what we’ve been up to for the past year.

Thaakat Foundation started with a small group of students who gathered in an apartment one day to share ideas about life, little did they know they were there for their first unofficial board meeting. Without a due everyone agreed to be on board (I told them it was for eternity) and they willingly signed over their Sunday mornings for meetings and free time to spreading word of the cause.

That was in August of 2007. Today, we are incorporated with the state and federal governments as a 501c3 non -profit and hope to spread the agenda of creative altruism to the depths of college campuses and beyond.

In the last year we were able to hold 9 major volunteer events which included a Thanksgiving and Mother’s Day luncheon with the elderly at Hamdard, teaching children principles of money saving and courtesy, gardening up beauty for a HUD sponsored nursing home and holding a poetry slam to encourage tolerance and amicability among Indian and Pakistani youth.

As far as global projects are concerned, We were able to work with The More Than Tomorrow Foundation to launch a pilot computer learning center in Nothern India for which we have secured another two laptops to help with teaching in the village. We were able to work with the College of DuPage MSA to raise more than $1200 for the SWAT refugees in June 2009 and currently we just met our goal to sponsor a village in Southern India with clean water for up to twenty five years. Toot Toot!

Thaakat has been featured in booths at Melas, Chaand Raats, Expos and sponsored in fundraising events though co-hosting with College of DuPage IPO, DePaul PSA and the University of Illinois at Chicago UDA.

We love that we have inspired youngsters to donate but even more, we have inspired them to want to be involved hands on through our local volunteer events. People that we’ve worked with have been so touched by the fact that these young adults are not on assignment or being forced into helping. These young adults have volunteered their time and want to help.

Often times when we have left Hamdard center the elderly send us off in cheers and both volunteers and seniors depart misty eyed but strong in heart and hope. We are the future and if we as youngsters become too consumed in work, computers, television, violin lessons, soccer practice etc etc.. Then there will be a generation of old but wise, poor but hopeful, weak yet strong in mind that will be left in just faraway dreams that someone one day will care to take notice.

We all work, very hard. Many of us work so much so that we barely see our families. Do take the time to sit down during the week and schedule bonding time with your family, especially your grandparents. Take out time once a month to volunteer. Take time out to teach your children the importance of global awareness and cultural diversity.

Our board members have worked on a purely voluntary basis tirelessly to help progress our efforts in the last year, if you feel you are a business, school organization or individual that can help us move forward please contact us at thaakat@gmail.com!

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF OUR DONORS AND SUPPORTERS WHO HELPED US MEET OUR GOALS FOR THE WATER FILTER PROJECT!

Thank you of course to Tariq Kwaja of the Urdu Times for believing in us when no one else did!