Tim Grandage of Future Hope
I have been meaning to write this article ever since that one fine January morning when I met Tim.
Future Hope is a home for street children in Calcutta. Tim Grandage is the Founder.
In fact, Tim was a high-level executive at Hongkong-Shanghai Bank in Calcutta when he found himself fascinated by the joy and the life-force of the street children. On a monsoon afternoon, as torrential rain clogged up the streets, and all the employees at the bank were complaining, Tim watched a group of street kids swimming in the rainwater on the streets, laughing, playing, celebrating. Their joy had touched Tim somewhere rather deep inside.
One day, one of these boys got ill, and he asked Tim for help. Tim arranged for his friend, a doctor, to cure the child. That was the beginning.
Before long, Tim was living with 32 street kids in his two-bedroomed apartment, all including their host sleeping on the floor.
And soon, his promising executive career at the bank was history.
Tim Grandage did something very few of us have the courage to do. He put a cause that moved him at the center of his life, and took a DIFFERENT path.
Today, Tim’s Future Hope is an internationally acclaimed organization with 200 children under his care. These children come from hopeless situations into a healthy and hearty HOME. “It is this sense of belonging that they miss the most. Otherwise, why give up the freedom of the streets for a far more restricted and supervised life?” After all, these kids are quite tough, and no one really starves.
Instead, under Tim Uncle’s thoughtful and fun supervision, the kids get educated, gain confidence, learn some sports and the arts. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I asked a group of kids.
“Aunty, I want to be a Computer Engineer like you …” This response comes from a boy of about ten who was severely burnt as the mosquito net under which he slept with his mother caught fire. The mother did not survive. The boy came to Future Hope. After some years, he has healed enough from the trauma to start dreaming again. And dreaming big.
Tim is also dreaming big. He is buying land, building houses, building schools, and expanding his infrastructure and capacity. There are 100,000 street kids in Calcutta – a large, unsolved problem.
It is a dream that makes you weep in silent humility.
Is there a similiar program in South Africa, I live in KZN where the numbers of orphaned and abandoned children are increasing. Tim’s approach of giving the boys a family and offering sport is something I would love to emulate.
please pass on any information you may have to assist me.
Kind Regards
Mj Purdon
No idea, Mark. But you can start your own organization that shares the same philosophy, I would imagine.
Mark:
The Future Hope model is based somewhat on the Don Bosco/Salesian Brothers model. Future Hope shares info and some resources with Ashalayam, the Salesian organization in Calcutta that has 600 kids. For instance, Future Hope seniors and old boys coach the Ashalayam rugby team.
Anyone wanting to start such an organization can get training from Ashalayam and can learn by vounteering at Future Hope.
I suspect that once one was committed to the cause Mr. Grandage would share some of his fundraising secrets. Ashalayam has their own fundraising schemes but I think they may also get some support from Rome. Future Hope and Ashalayam receive some monetary support per child from the Indian Government.
Also, the Ashoka Foundation will fund entrepreneurs who found organizations committed to resolving social problems.
The key to Ashalayam and Future Hope success is that they emphasize strength rather than weakness. The children are not sought after as objects of pity but as potential extraordinary citizens – they are made part of a team or family as a valued member and not as a burden, and so in one way or another they pull some weight.
I am a supporter of Ashalayam. I would support Future Hope also but they don’t take small contributions.
Good Luck
I am one of the future hope boy,i’m konda, wanted to give you more story about me.
Hello Konda,
We would love to hear your story. Please tell us more.
Warm wishes,
Sramana
hello sramana aunty, i am ajay a member of future hope. i am very happy to see all this and for that i am thanking you very much for your supports. and i want you to write more of this on uncle and future hope. once again thank you very very much.
hello Ajay,
Your uncle has been doing wonderful work. Thank you for writing.
hello aunty,i am mongal boy of future hope,thank you very much for ur support for us,after reading this mail it should touches every one heart..
thanks one again
My team and I are greatly looking forward to working with Future Hope as part of the IBM Corporate Service Corps. Sincerely, Melanie Tindley
uncle is just great n he s doing a an awesome job
It was like relating the true face of the society and I really appreciate the story.
-Mary Mae Villondo
Hello sramana i have read your book – Entrepreneur Journeys vol.1.It’s really good books,it all about company,journey of human beings,struggles of business issues,sales,.
i will wait for your reply.
I am konda Hoo,now working for oxford book store – apeejay group.
uncle tim help me lots and great human beings to us ,
I am a Future Hope boy. I am educated and literate because of TIM UNCLE!!
Hello, Future Hope boys and girls!
Let me share my story with you.
My dream in my childhood was to be Santa Claus and go out of my country to help street children in one of developing countries. Then I read comic of Mother Teresa's story when I was in class 4 or 5, and decided to live like her. (I'm nonreligious by the way.)
And you know what happened after that?
Many people tried to convince me to give up my dream, laughed at me, called me crazy and told me "You can do volunteer activity anywhere. Why India?"
"Such things should be done only by rich people. How can you manage your own life?"
Well, I actually don't mind what others say, but I feel confused whenever my family call me unfilial and selfish. They said, "You don't help your own family and spend your time for strangers?" Of course I have helped them for years, hoping and waiting to achieve my dream after that, but only to realize that there is no end for their desires. Rich people tend to want more and more. (Most of them even never regard themselves as rich enough.)
So I gave up to try to satisfy them, quit my job and started working for one of orphanages in India.
).
I know there are lots of needed people in my home country as well, especially old people (There are many people over 100 years old. Guess which country I was born in
But I always wanted to work for street children and/or orphans somehow (I guess I was one of them in my previous life) and there are too many in India, plus it seems there are very few Indian who are interested in working for them due to Indian unique thinking ways of caste and class of human beings.
I spent with a few homeless families (including kids) here in India, gave them small things like chocolates, chips, milk, clothes, soap, and taught ABC without knowing if I am doing right things or not. Many foreigners have been told not to give anything to homeless, because it's not good for their future.(FYI: http://www.women-on-the-road.com/street-beggars.h… )
Seeing hungry kids following and calling me "Aunty, aunty.." on the street, however, I'm still not quite sure if it's right to ignore them or tell them "Study hard." and just go away. I don't like to discourage them to go to school by giving something, though.
So Future Hope friends, my teachers, please help me.
Tell me your opinions, give me any advices.
I don't need to hear "Thank you," I just need to know how we can help street children, what is the priority, what is really necessary for them (next to love).
I can't ask them because they don't know what education is.
So I want to hear from ex-street children who are educated. I respect Indian culture and all religions here and I don't want to interfere even though I believe there is no such classes of human beings. God(s) did not create any human above the others or any human below the others.
You don't have to leave comments here (I can't tell when I visit this site next time,) but just tell me directly at your Future Hope.
I'm coming to see you sometimes, this evening as well
Saya Aunty