Dressler, a New York City photographer, created the project to include a multi-media exhibit including five short films, a photography book, a fundraiser for an Indian charity, and an adventure travel tour for the Ganesh festival itself in India. To get more information, go to Dressler’s Discovering Ganesh website.

The program began at 10 am with an interactive dental health awarness session that took place over 45 minutes, followed by a free dental checkup for each participant with a doctor and support staff.

Different groups contributed to the event – Warren Pharmaceuticals donated free toothpaste, while snacks were also offered for the children. ‘Ladies Circle India 32′ supported the whole event.

The event, which left the young people, staff and teachers alike with happiness and dental health awareness, received attention from local media – there was an article in the Dinah Malar newspaper, and a story on local city TV news station.

Asmita Rajiv, Geetha Prem, Ritu Jain, Savita Singh and Nondini Das come from different backgrounds, these ladies, who are also mothers, have joined hands to work for a common cause. They want to make a difference in the lives of children. They feel the need to do something worthwhile for the street children who have been deprived of their childhood, love and care, and most importantly, are being deprived of a hope for a bright and healthy future.

Project Aarogya is an initiative started by some of the residents of Ranka Court Apartments, Cambridge Layout, to provide medical attention to street children in Bangalore.

As a part of the project, the team organized a Medical camp for street children in the City Market area on November 24th. Four doctors volunteered for the camp. Around 120 street children came for medical check-up. The team sought help from an NGO called BOSCO, which is doing great work on rehabilitation of street children who suffer from malnutrition and scabies. Children suffering from common ailment were prescribed medicines, which the team had provided by collecting funds from the residents of Ranka Court Apts.

Children with special medical needs were identified; and their cases are being taken forward by local hospitals to ensure that the required treatment is provided to them. Similar medical camps would be organized on a regular basis with multiple objectives in mind- (i) to provide immediate medical relief, (ii) to do follow-up check-ups, (iii) to identify children with serious medical conditions and (iv) to ensure their complete recovery.

The team is hoping that many more people join them in this cause to take a stand for these children whom the larger society seems to have given up on.

With this first phase of the project complete, the residents of the Ranka Court Apartments have set out on their next goal: Getting Medical Health for at least 100 street children by Jan 8, 2008.

Beyond that they have a long term objective to incorporate a Trust of core team members, with an objective of starting additional projects and initiatives such as “Aarogya” in areas like health care, education, training, arts & crafts etc, and tie-up with different NGOs to implement these initiatives

The Trust would implement these projects/ initiatives by doing one or more of the following:

• Conceptualization
• Garnering Funds
• Providing assistance in backend operations
• Organizing events
• Providing person-hours
• End-to-end execution of project

The grand opening ceremony for the Bangkok center of Landmark Education was held on October 20th, 2007, on the 3rd floor of the CRC tower. The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by executives of Landmark Education, including Harry Rosenberg, CEO; Joan Rosenberg, vice president, centers division; Jerome Downes, executive for Asia; and Martina Sprangers, Bangkok Center Manager. Landmark Education had a temporary office established in Bangkok in 2005. Landmark Education now has more than 50 offices in 25 countries worldwide. To date, over 7,000 people have completed the Landmark Forum in Thailand.

To contact Landmark Education’s Bangkok office, go here for complete information. Go here for local information on Landmark Education in Thailand.