#TenderHeartNGO

[ihggraduates]

Jijivisha 2018

Day 7 & 8 (Nail)

“Namaskar, 

Wow! Has it really been 8 days? When looking back so many experiences and things have transpired in such a short time, where does one begin. Faridabad and Delhi are places like no other, and ones where all your senses are tried and hardened on a daily basis. Even though I have only been here for a short time, I already feel I have gotten accustomed to some of the simple cultural differences one would find compared to Europe. Nevertheless, the inspiration and learning I have gained so far is invaluable and something not easily attainable back in Europe.

It is invigorating to move away from a world of materialistic values and ideals to one of life, passion, happiness, and simplicity. I am still struggling to grasp and accept the large gap in living standards that is evident wherever you look, and something you can’t simply ignore. Visiting India has certainly changed my perspective on certain things in life. It is indeed a harsh and unfair place, but one that is not evident from the behavior of the kids at TenderHeart. The joy, openness, and curiosity they display daily, makes it seem like there always two sides to every story.

I have become a big brother to some, and have gained sisters and brothers during my time here who have inspired me like no CEO or public figure could. I am proud that our time spent here will help the organization and most importantly the kids, move one step closer to a more positive journey in their lives.”

[ihggraduates]

Jijivisha 2018

Day 11 (Nail & Benoît)

“It was another day of learning and self reflection for both of us. We should be used to constant changes of plans and adapting to them at work. Nevertheless, the difference in pace that decisions and actions occur can be sometimes frustrating. Playing with the kids towards the end of the day is re-energizing and priorities become re-assessed and clarified. The highlight of the day was buying 20 clay cups for the new Tender Heart Shop Cafe from one of the slum kids parents. Her face expression and the pride she displayed bringing her parents 230 rupees (3 Euros) is something that won’t easily be forgotten and will be cherished. A simple purchase we take for granted everyday back in Europe but one that has a large positive impact on her and her family. Drinks can now be served with cups that come with a story. In addition, the cooperation between IHG and Tender Heart we are working on is strengthening and showing great promise. It is very encouraging to see passionate hoteliers coming all the way from Delhi to Faridabad to inspire young women about hospitality. Food for thought will be the fact that although a partnership can be built for months, if one piece of the puzzle does not fit it can break down within a single day. It is crucial to take into consideration all wishes and opinions at all times so all parties are aligned. Leaving Faridabad in a few days, we are now working on the final handover to Tender Heart to ensure the sustainability of this promising project.”

[ihggraduates]

Jijivisha 2018

Day 10 (Louis & Serafin)

“While playing with the kids we met one of the local volunteers. Her name is Sonia, and she help us translating and organising the games. After the activities we sat with her and she explained to us how the education works here in India. That a proper education cost a lot of money and that attending a good school is a Luxury. Not all can afford it, and as school is mandatory, kids attend government schools which left them with a very minimal education level in this area of India.

This is why the WOOPIE (way out of poverty is education) programme here at TenderHeart has been created, so that the kids can access a better education. WOOPIE stands for “Way Out of Poverty is Education”. While this is only one way in which Tender Heart help the most unfortunate kids, the message is so powerful. Tender Heart gives a chance to the one that have none, they are dedicated to help the helpless.

Later on, this day, we saw other volunteers teaching the kids English lessons. This just reminded us how volunteers are crucial for Tender Heart School to continue this amazing initiative. We do hope that our work here will make many more volunteers come to the school! I guess something to take away with us is that very often we take education for granted, while these kids want to learn, but just can’t afford to.”

[ihggraduates]

Jijivisha 2018

Day 6 ( Benoît)

“India... what a beautiful country despite hard situations bringing one back to reality sometimes. Every afternoon we use to play with the children from Tender Heart after class. That is for me the most positive moment of the day. The 9 of us, 50 children and one ball. That makes the best football game, wonderful discoveries and genuinely laughing people. These children mostly do not know what they are missing or what a typical European life would look like. That is why they live in small huts and are still able to run, play, learn and have fun. 

This leads to a lot of self-reflection. Back in Europe we have a job, a flat and big opportunities. However, we end up complaining too often. I will work more on that. So, I am really looking forward to accompanying the kids and visiting their homes next week.”  

[ihggraduates]

Jijivisha 2018

Day 5 (Louis)

“It has only been five days and I am already amazed how this experience has changed us. We came to make little changes that could have a positive and sustainable impact on the life of little kids that have not much more than the few hours of education that Tenderheart provides them with.

We planned our stay to be able to make the most of this two weeks. We work on projects like refurbishing the dorms and refreshing the canteen hoping that with paint and brushes we can help the people of Tenderheart continue the great work they are doing here. We have tried to get several organisations to come to Tenderheart to see what is done here. We are also supporting Tenderheart to create a strong identity to help them to find their vision. We play every day with the kids from the slums to give them all the joy we can provide them with.

We were not prepared for how Tenderheart would impact us. 

Going around Faridabad looking for new furniture for the rooms and kitchen made us proud of being part of Tenderheart. Having a company wanted to partner with Tenderheart and IHG to make a difference, shows us that our resilience on a project can have a great effect on the result even if the path is challenging. Using our skills to create the marketing strategy proved us that we are lucky to have got training and education. Playing with the kids brought us a lot of joy and seeing were they live, humbled us.

We came with the plans and projects, they made us grow into better persons.”

Watch the video summary below

[ihggraduates]

Jijivisha 2018

Day 13 & wrap up 

“Hello! We are Anthony and Lauranna. Anthony looks after the learning aspect of the Future Leaders programme and Lauranna manages the programme for the Europe region. For those past two weeks, we were in Tender Heart NGO with the Future Leaders. Our roles were to make sure that the project ran smoothly in terms of meeting the set objectives that would help Renu Bali (the founder of the NGO) and her team there but also to make sure the Future Leaders took advantage of this opportunity to grow their soft skills and learn how to be a stronger group together. We are very proud to say that our mission has been accomplished. Both objectives were met and exceeded. Not only they produced what they came here for and, believe us, we thought, at times, that they would not manage it. Indeed, we saw them struggling to adapt to the working culture, struggling to work as one team as they did not know each other well when we arrived in Faridabad and the tough living conditions of the kids made them doubt a lot of their potential impact. Nevertheless, they have released their full potential, especially during the second week to make things happen, they became stronger together and managed to make a real difference in the lives of the kids they interacted with and through the realisation of their projects. Let’s now hope that the hard work will pay and that more volunteers will come directly to Tender Heart. From a self-development point of view, we saw the group becoming more unified day after day and this helped to perform better. 

Individually, each of them has grown: Nail & Thomas learned how to understand other’s feelings better, Ines has learned how to be more flexible for the group to be successful, Louis managed to set his own boundaries, Benoit learned how to delegate to include the rest of the team and therefore achieve greater results with the support of a group & finally both Olga and Serafin learned that exposing their true personalities is often a key to success when it comes to federate a team. We also learnt a lot… Anthony has learnt that being more flexible can help others develop better while Lauranna worked on personalising her approach to each individuals. We are both incredibly proud of them and cannot wait to see them graduate soon. They are all amazing persons and we are now convinced that they will highly contribute to the growth of our company through managing to inspire their teams in their respective functions and hotels. Thanks a lot for following our adventures for the past two weeks!”

[ihggraduates]

Jijivisha 2018

Day 12 (Thomas)

“Today was a very different day. Not working on our project made us reflect on other things, such as discovering parts of India, spending a complete day with the kids from Tender Heart NGO outside the school environment. I am so happy that we had the opportunity to bring them with us. For us it might be logical to see visit the Taj Mahal while in India but for them it is an experience once in a lifetime. 

This trip made me realize also what we have achieved as a group during these two weeks. We had highs and lows, but we did bounce back and became stronger.  In our group, we have so many different and strong personalities and this makes us so unique. I am proud to have led this project and the work that everyone has put into it. I want to thank everyone: Olga, Nail, Benoît, Ines, Serafin, Anthony, Louis and Lauranna to make this project happening. Thank you!”

[ihggraduates]

Jijivisha 2018

Day 9 (Olga & Inês)

“We have just arrived from a very interesting weekend exploring New Delhi, the history, the culture and markets! Being together for such a long time in a non-working environment has made us aware of the different personalities we all have and consequently we have got to know each other much better. Being in a group for 24 hours during two weeks means understanding, accepting and adapting and that is certainly something we have learned and will continue to work on for the next few days. Like any other family, sometimes there are things we disagree on, but it is all about how we overcome those differences. 

On top of that, we were a little reckless and underestimated the sun. As such we arrived to Tender Heart very sun-burnt and looking like lobsters! Then....an unforgetable thing happened. Renu saw us, laughed a little, and ran directly to fetch some fresh aloe vera leaves. She applied a layer on each of us and it instantly soothed the skin. She was so caring, showed so much love to us and in that moment, we truly felt 'home' and part of the Tender Heart family. 

It will definitely be difficult to say our good-byes as part of our hearts will never leave Faridabad. We really hope there will be more and more volunteers coming in and experiencing that feeling of belonging too as it's something wonderful.” 

[ihggraduates]

Jijivisha 2018

Day 3 (Serafin)

“So today was the experience that will last for a life time. After the school we took a ride with the kids on the school bus back home. The kids were very excited to share the ride with us and even more excited to show us where their home was. What we saw, couldn't be described as a home in any way. Mountain of wooden sticks, formed as walls with black foil covering the top of the hut, all located on a field with huts one next to each other. 

Despite this, they were so happy to show us where their home was. We were left speechless for the rest of our ride back to the school... I guess this was the moment where I have realised how Tender Heart School is so important to these kids and the community; trying to create a better future for them, and that our role here, although small, will help the school continue to support the most unfortunate.  With this in mind, here is to our third day!”

Can't wait till tomorrow to continue the work on our project!