Rent My Womb!

She came and she saw my child

Beautiful bundle of joy and kind

Her eyes were green and thoughts gone wild

She snatched her from my arms being unkind

I felt sad that she could not be a mother,

Offered her to help the way I can do better

Promising her tears to go away titter

And let her thoughts not go to wither

What can I do to help her from not being a mother?

Can I give away my precious bundle of joy to share together?

Or can I rent my womb in turn for her joy

And make her also feel the warmth of being a mother

I could see her love for children

And the way she can take care of them in random

Why was God so unkind not to give her, her own?

To spread the happiness and belonging grown

She was just another ordinary woman with all the feelings

Reacting to the sensitivities of the society towards barren ladies

Cried alone and showed fake smiles when she was in a group

Yet, she cursed her destiny and her life that was in a soup

I could feel her sadness and relate to her as a woman

She cried when I said that I would bear her child

Caught my hands and whispered silently in my ears

That she can never feel the child her own when I am around!

Where can I go, from this world afar?

Just because I thought to be kind making her as a mother

To share my space of physical pain for her joy

At the end, I realized I need to say to this thought, a Good Bye!

Giving a child in adoption is not just another solution, having the mind and thought, heart and soul to share whom you have is the boldest thing you could do.  If infertility is an issue, open your hearts to receive the god’s child left alone in this world.  Surrogacy is just a social taboo. If that could solve the problem, go ahead and do it. But just do it on time and with the biological mother’s full will and warmth. Not for money and renting the womb…and let the foster mother shower love and care just like her own. After all, we are a country where we saw Lord Krishna enjoying both Devaki and Yasodha…foster care is not new to this world…where hearts can open to welcome anyone with same happiness and peace!

Is it not time to bridge the gap between to-be-parents and orphans in this world, so that we fill a great joy in the lives of both?   Instead of making infertility an issue,  childless couples lives a misery,  orphans children abandoned in this world,  we need to look beyond our limitations and take the bold steps that are necessary to become a better society, as strong individuals and above all happy self's by doing what our hearts say is right and what our sensible thoughts make us believe we can and move on!


Inspired by Suliaman's Poem: http://sulaimansait.blogspot.in/2013/10/surrogacy-controversy-poem.html

What is Rubella and why Inner Wheel is keen to get this vaccination as part of its health care drives?

Rubella is a disease caused by a virus, Rubella. Rubella means “little red”. Red spots appear on the body like a rash during the illness.  This disease is also called German measles. It can affect any one, young or old, male or female. Most often young children transmit the disease to adults.  

Rubella could become widespread in schools, camps and crowded places as it is  transmitted by air.  When Rubella strikes a pregnant woman, it could be most serious, not for   the mother, but for the child she is carrying. During pregnancy the Rubella virus  reaches the foetus and interferes in its growth and development. Depending on the  stage of pregnancy,this may result in an abortion, still birth or severe congenital malformations involving various organs.

All those who have had MMR  as a child should be given a booster dose  after puberty ie, NOW.!"

The following tables give some idea of these defects.

Abnormalities due to Rubella in first trimester.

60 – 75 % Hearing loss.

50 – 90 % Eye defects

40 –50 % Heart defects

25 –40% Psychomotor retardation

*PREVENTION IS THE ONLY CURE AND IMMUNITY TO THE DISEASE ONCE GAINED IS PERMANANT.

For adults a single vaccine of Rubella in a single dose is effective  for a minimum period of 20years.

Let's Act Now and Let's make India Rubella Free

Inner Wheel joining hands with Rotary International aims at eradicating diseases and bring in a healthy and happy society and hence the urge to get our girls vaccinated for a healthier families.

Pictures Courtesy:  Inner Wheel District 323- Rubella Awareness and Vaccination Camp- MGR Janaki College-  5 Oct 2013.  

Over 8,000 persons gathered at YMCA, Nandanam, on Saturday to try their hand at a Guinness record at an event organised by Rotary District 3230 — Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam-  The Hindu dated 7 Oct 2013

Bird Old Age Home- Acharappakam, 2 hours drive from Chennai- Needs Support

Service to the society is considered a service to God.  People live in a precarious situation.  Sense of insecurity prevails love and affections and passionate treatment are quite uncommon.  Under this background BIRD is rendering humanitarian service to the downtrodden rural people.

Birds Mission is to provide Total Health Care for needy people living in our villages.

The Bureau of Integrated Rural Development (BIRD)  is a registered 27/91 non-governmental Oranization and non profitable organization.  Since its inception in 1991, the organization has been active in the village of Acharappakkam and Chithamur blocks of Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, India, providing assistance and services to the people of these villages

The Organization over the years has conducted several medical camps, eye camps and awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS and has been rewarded by international community for its efforts

Birds Mission it to provide total care for the Aged and Handicapped

Eyecamps conducted have benefited numerous aged people having cataract problem.

At present, the organization runs and maintains and sustains the following:

1. Home for the aged destitutes
2.  Day Care Center for needy children
3.  Mobile Medical care unit

The Organization provides shelter, food, clothing, medicare to aged destitute and handicapped people.  100 kms from Chennai, 1km off the Chennai-Tindivanam Highway the home is located overlooking hills in the  Perumberkandigai Village, Thozhupedu Post- 603310, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu.

They look towards help in trying to fulfill the hope for better tomorrow.

There are various ways by which we could contribute towards sustaining the aged people.  Needs of rice, dhall, cereals , oil, tea , clothes, medicines etc., on a regular basis or sponsors can provide a piece meal on any given day

Sponsoring of a meal will be as follows:

1. Full Day Meals- Rs 1500/-
2.  Lunch Only-  Rs 1000/-
3.  Breakfast Only-  Rs 750/-

Only Vegetarian food will be served.  All contributions to the organization are tax deductable under 80-G of the Income Tax Act., and the Organization is also registered under FCRA  with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Future Plan

1.  Construction of the old age home in the site already in possession of the organization
2.  To expand the formation of women self help groups with a target of 100 groupds during this year with an ultimate object of forming a strong women federation
3.  Construction of creche for the children of landless agricultural and other women labourers
4.  To Purchase Van for running Mobile Medical Care Unit as well as emergency use of the old age home
5. To augment resources for drugs and medicines for running of mobile medical care services with an intention to cover more number of villages.

Organizations Financial Status:

The Organization is managing the financial affairs through local contributions with a meager government support in implementing the welfare programs.  The Organization will be thankful to the donors who will appreciate the mission and come forward to help them financially to do more service to the humanity.

Vision

1.  To upgrade the socio economic status of the people of downtrodden
2.  To create world of heaven where the old aged live with peace and comfort.
3.  To make the poor children to attain a noteable educational background for their betterment
4. Above all to preach spiritual values among the people to sink their differences and to live peacefully

Mission

By Rendering Selfless service with zest and zeal

For further information and details, please contact

The Secretary

Bureau of Integrated Rural Development (BIRD)

No 62, Karapgavinayagar Koil Street

Perumberkandiai Village

Thozhupedu Post-  603310

Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, India

Phone :  9443152930

Email:  birdoldagehome@gmail.com

Cheques should be drawn in favour of 'Bureau of Integrated Rural Development'.

FOMO- The new disease in the block! Time to Say Good Bye!

The first thing I look upon when I wake up is to check my cell phone for any message and I jump out of my bed and get ready for a coffee with my morning newspaper. Inadvertently, my hands reach to the iThing around… Be it the iPad, iPhone or the nearest laptop, and my poor wireless blinks at me with tiring looks. Yeap, probably I would have shut it down just a few hours ago forcing myself to sleep.

The morning newspaper gives me its hate look… with all the dirty news of the world these days we are forced to chew in…
Accidents, political big wigs shamelessly screwing each other, children forgotten in cars,  parents committing suicide along with their innocent children, and women getting raped time and again, gang raped be her a child of 3 or a grand mom of 80, all they need is a hole to screw…  
Shameless perverts who roam around in this world even after such worst crimes.   

Then runs my eyes to the new movies page, which I usually don’t watch, and to the new restaurants advertisements that I scroll through… Of course, I do make time for this and what attracts me the most is the happenings in my City- yes, Events!   For they help me to plan my “out of work & home” hours, as if it were another 8 hour routine in my life every week. Forget about the reminders from the secretary of the clubs I am associated with, sends me frequently about the meetings- General Body, Executive Committee and Projects… Yeah… >Projects Everywhere!

Amidst all this going on, I still feel the vacuum!  Is this a depressing condition?  I asked my doctor one day.    He says that my body and brain are fighting with each other and  my brain is not letting the body rest… Why is this so? 

I used to sit quietly and meditate for long. Laze on a weekend siesta with an old book, just to re-read the pages I loved… or just look around and do nothing, but give space for words to write my most cherished poems.  But in the last couple of years, things have changed.   When I feel vacuumed!  Seemingly left with nothing to do after finishing everything I “HAD” to do… I take the interesting part of every one’s lives today, the drama of the day to unfold.  What’s happening in the other people’s lives?   Who is going where?  What is that they got today?  Where are they heading to for the weekend?  Who is celebrating their birthday today …or who is having a sick moment, where I can hop in and say a regular Hello!

From the time Face Book took over people’s life, agriculture became virtual Farmville, and Twitter became Flash News and LinkedIn became permanent open live resume, Orkut became the first death in the social media, hotmail nailed underneath leaving behind yahoo and Gmail to take over and online banking became the mode of trade… My pages on poem hunter became my live storage of my scribbling uneasy lyrics, and eventually my blog became my outlet, an open diary and a solace… I am for sure most of us are suffering from the new disease - FOMO- the Fear of Missing Out!

Even people who were once upon a time, with “Who Cares” attitude, today silently watches the social media space and enjoy the fun of the drams unfolding on everyone’s walls each day.  

These silent sneekers are the people who do not post anything or comment on anyone’s posts, but who turn out to be the most frequent visitors, who are keeping track of everyone. 

Those who frequently post, find this as a medium of outlet or take this as a comfort factor that there is a whole world out there to share your life day after day… right from buying a fish, sleeping in the noon to organizing a event and being part of a larger cause…they type, they forget and leave the news for the rest of the world to eat the way they want to…like a banquet dinner to chew!   There are few people who still worry about the privacy of the information shared and keep it very restricted. Probably they are the one’s who are very cautious of the good-bad internet world and they actually enjoy a right balance of information, fun and the cyber space.  

Companies and Employers are keeping a close watch on the social media activity of the employees… Today it is made as part of the business conduct, that what you post is your responsibility and not that of your employers and advices for a social responsibility to whatever you vent in the free virtual world that is not completely organized and controlled.

However, it is very important to keep track of what you do and what you share.   One thing is frequent, posting good pictures is causing jealousy amongst our own set of family and friends… For those who are mostly indoors, feel left out when friends post pictures of vacations and out door activity.  Sometimes, frequent updates from few people irritate us as if they are over boarding us with unnecessary information.  Few updates are very knowledge oriented and welcomed by many.  Few events keep us informed and educative.  They make each one of us think

The quotations and moral messages come in every day from every corner of the world.  Even if few inspire us and follow even few of them, our lives will change for good.

Above all,   it is time to stop – the Fear of Missing Out

• Students are losing out on their study time to the time on internet
• Employees are getting distracted during their working hours on the stuff that is not so important to work
• Friends are feeling jealous and envious at time, and breaking relationships
• Families are getting united, at the same time frustrations are getting on top and creating havoc in most unexpected turn of events
• Communal violence and protests are sparking up with the wrong motivations and communities targeting all sides to influence those who are weak and vulnerable
• Humor is finding its new place and lot of things of things are educating people in terms of cartoon, same time it should not go over the thin line of control…as long as no body is targeted, insulted and injured in this process….social media will remain a blessing

 As we control the fear of missing out, we get to be more cautious about the time we spend on useless surfing, spending on unwanted search engines…and being excited on staying connected through any of the channels. Be it Face Book, Emails, Twitter, LinkedIn, Whatsapp! Tumbler, Hi5 or Instagram!.  

The first step:  Decided to spend just 15 minutes every day on personal mails, 15 mins of social media and spend rest of the day in old style…going out and talking to people than on SMS and phone,  playing games outdoor than on Xbox….chatting with neighbors’ over the real walls,   pruning a little garden than planting trees in Farmville,  and above all taking time for a cause than to support with 1000 likes on a face book page…and make the best use of  internet time to get out of this nonsense FOMO -   I will not let any disease to take over me. 

Defiantly FOMO-  Its time for you to GO!

Note:  All pictures are taken from Internet! Any copy right issues, please let me know-  Umasree Raghunath