One Handful of Rice

                                                       Sept. 20, 2007

                                                                                                                 One Handful of Rice…    

  Dear Friends and Family, How many grains of rice are there in one small handful?  100?  200? And what is its value?   My long career as an elementary school teacher has officially come to a close and doors have opened for me to travel and serve in the fascinating country of India.  Roger and I began sponsoring an orphan girl at the Dayanilayam Hostel in Jangaon, Andhra Pradesh about four years ago and it was so wonderful to finally meet her in person last Christmas.                                                                                                                          Dayanilayam (Mercy House in Telegu) currently houses 246 children ages four to eighteen.  The majority of them are girls.  Many of these children have relatives nearby but for various reasons have no one to care for them properly.  They are safe, happy and well-cared for at Dayanilayam, but their diet is inadequate.  There are no “chubby” children there.  The diet consists of large plates of white rice three times a day.  Sometimes there is a small amount of dal or vegetable curry, and three times a week there is a boiled egg.  There is no milk, no fruit, and no meat of any kind.  The children are satisfied – full – but consistently undernourished. The needs of the poor in India are overwhelming initially, but using my years of classroom experience, I know that when a task is huge there are assessments and next steps to take to pave the way for improvements.  When I asked myself the question, “What can I do?” I immediately looked at these beautiful, smiling, but very thin children and began to research ways in which their diet can be improved.  Here is what I found: 

          - adding dal (lentil soup) to each meal creates a complete

             protein

          - serving curds (a yogurt-like dish) adds much-needed

             calcium

          - adding locally grown fruits and vegetables in season 

             improves nutrition

          - adding peanuts  - provides a good source of protein          - serving an egg daily – another protein boost Sadly, food prices in India are comparable to U.S. prices although average incomes are many times less.  (A trained first year school teacher earns about $125 per month.)  In a third world country like India it is common for families to spend 70-80% of their income on food.  In hard times like drought or flooding 100% is spent and is still inadequate.   When you and I are rushing through our busy days we may frantically ask ourselves, “What will we have for dinner tonight?”  And what we mean is “Out of the thousands of choices I have, what will I take the time to fix or purchase for our evening meal?”  We aren’t wondering IF there will be a meal or if the meal will be enough to satisfy our family’s hunger.   Dr. K.M. John and his wife Jayamani have been the directors at Dayanilayam for thirty years.  In addition to the hostel they also oversee many churches, run an elementary school, junior college and oversee a home for abandoned widows.  Jayamani teaches the local women of the Jangaon area to save out daily one small handful of rice.  That small handful, just enough to cover the palm, each woman is to place in a container and over time it becomes enough to enable her to be generous to another in time of need.  When I heard about this teaching I was first amazed and then very pleased to see how these poorest of the poor women are being empowered to give generously to others. Women are nurturers and take joy in meeting the needs of others.  I have chosen to make this a women’s project in honor of the Handful of Rice women in Andhra Pradesh.  My personal next steps for Dayanilayam are clear – I am raising monthly support to improve the diet of the children there.  When I return there next January to teach English I want to see balanced, nutritious meals being served to the children.  Your generosity can help this to become reality. What is your “One Handful of Rice?”  What can you give regularly to join me in feeding the children?  A small monthly gift can make a significant difference in their lives.  As you are able, fill out the enclosed card and return it to me. Your gifts are tax deductible. Thank you in advance for your generous hearts.  Don’t hesitate to contact me with questions at janpierce@comcast.net and you are welcome to share this letter with other caring women.

                                                                        With many thanks,                                                                              Jan