Moved by the disheartening plight of riot victims, Brad Baldwin, a US national from Virginia, first came to Ahmedabad in March 2002 to help underprivileged children. To spread the message of peace, he produced a musical stage play titled EKTA with 14 riot affected street children.
Continuing his decade-ling association with the city, he has now formed an official Boy Scout troop of 30 slum kids from Vadaj. This troop has recently received official recognition.
Baldwin says, “When I first saw how street children were affected by communal riots, I prayed to God that this should not have happened. And then something in me compelled me to help these kids. Since then, I have formed a bond with Ahmedabad and I visit it every year and stay for about three months working on various programs sponsoring and educating street children.” He has worked in association with Gandhi Ashram and Manav Sadhna and has also launched three-month exchange programs for these kids.
Brad, who is trained in the US as an Eagle Scout — the highest rank and award in the program — has now formed an NGO Taj Global Understanding (TGU) that administers international student exchange programs and social service activities in Ahmedabad. “This time we are sponsoring 30 slum kids from Vadaj in Scout troop. The scout program is an extraordinary tool for children to develop important life skills, including leadership, discipline, communication and interpersonal skills. This program is a joint collaboration between TGU, which is sponsoring the troop, and Scouts Australia.”
He added: “We provide funding for training, uniforms, equipment, supplies, and trips. We employ a scout leader who works closely with the scouts. We serve as the liaison between the scouts and the state and national office. This program allows these kids to be recognized scouts and able to work through the various ranks. Our goal is to have each scout achieve the Governor’s Award, the highest in the state, which takes three years to achieve.”
TGU plans to bring international scouts from Australia to Ahmedabad to participate in a cross cultural program in January 2013. “We plan to expand to include a Girl Guide group,” says Brad.
