I began this work in 2012 and have never thought about why I am doing this other than it is the right thing for me to do. A decade later, I still feel it is the right thing to do. Helping the poor is not about being charitable. For me, helping the poor is about taking responsibility and to help carry a part of their burden. Helping the poor is to become poor and to empathize. The burden and suffering the poor carry and endure are placed on them by society, by us, by our actions and footprints, and by our lack of compassion as a whole, and our greed.

This world is full of people living in extreme poverty and that should not be the case if we truly care. In this world, there are some people doing good things to help the poor and there are some people doing harm to the poor. However, most people are doing nothing and that that may be worse than doing harm.

I know that most people will never read this post so what I write here is really just between me, the poor, and God. Through the years I have pretty much walked this path alone and that has allowed much time to reflect. Most people will never understand why I choose to give everything to the poor and not to have anything. We only live once on this Earth so what is the purpose to be here? Is it to take everything that we can take and to live life to the fullest, happiness, wealth and fortune, filled with knowledge and then leaving a legacy for people to remember? Or is it simply to do your best to help pick up a part of the burden of your suffering fellow man without taking advantage of them.

Perhaps my views are pessimistic of this world we live in. I hope and pray that I am wrong. Jesus came down from Heaven to show us something and we did not want to hear and learn. He died on the Cross to take away our sins...but it's more likely we did not want our sins to be taken away so that we can enjoy our lives while the poor continues to suffer.. 

In this world for Evil to win, people just need to sit back and do nothing. Always stand up and fight Evil. And the road to Hell is filled with people doing good intentions. I don't know whether my actions are good or bad. If they are bad, I deserve to go to Hell and hope those I have done harm to will forgive. But, to do nothing and only care about oneself is something I cannot do.

​There are rights and wrongs...morals and ethics have not changed...just people.

Sometimes life provides an unexpected turn and it makes me wonder. As I look back on my life, decisions I made lead me to where I am. What would have happened if a few of those decisions were different? Where would I be now? Would I still end up in the same place? Is our paths predestined? Is my path predestined?

I have spent most of my life away from family and friends, living in one country after another and working to help those living in poverty. Throughout my life, it seems like I have always chosen a path towards helping the poor. When I was teaching in St. Paul and my poor inner city students could not afford proper gear to go camping and canoeing in our wilderness club, an anonymous donation was made to supply them with proper gear so that they could experience something they may never get a chance to do. Hopefully, those winter camping, fly fishing, backpacking, and BWCA canoeing trips gave them learning experiences that they can never get from a classroom. Many other anonymous donations have been made through the years to help children living in poverty in Kolkata and Nairobi to receive an education, but more so to just get off the streets and receive care. Sometimes, I wished I could provide them with more than the basic education.

I left my work to return home when I got words that my father's health was taking a turn for the worse. He passed away recently and now I am wondering what I will do next. While I was back home and going through my father's things, I learned how humble a person he was. The things I learn about people after they have gone makes me wonder.

Anyway, where will I get more anonymous funding for the children? My path will lead me to poverty one day.

Who would have thought 2020 is a year living in lockdown and isolation from a pandemic that is spreading. Our children in boarding schools are doing okay during the pandemic. About a third of our kids got sent back home to the streets when the lockdown began and some boarding homes closed because of government order. The boarding homes ran by the nuns remain open and many of are kids are kept safe there in this pandemic. However, all schools are still shutdown and distance learning is not something anyone will see in the slums and streets living. The pandemic is putting a pause in our kids ability to go to school and to gain an education. If the gap in education was big before the pandemic, it is even bigger now.

Economically, making a living for our kids' families is very difficult at this time and getting work to keep up with the rising cost of living is a huge challenge. The pandemic is causing prices to increase, but wages are still the same and jobs are difficult to find.

With the pandemic at over 4 million infections and rising, the situations in India and for our kids will only get worse before they get better. Fairly soon, India will surpass United States in number of Covid-19 cases. The pandemic will affect the poor much more than the wealthy. It will be a long time before the pandemic ends. I hope we will be able to recover from this chaos and our kids will not suffer too much. 

I met Sneha about 5 years ago when she was about 5 years of age in the slum near Central in Kolkata. In the streets and in the Gandhi Welfare Center, I taught her English and Math and to sing silly songs. She and many other children along the years have been placed in various boarding schools throughout Kolkata. Though many kids could not handle the structured life in boarding school, Sneha is one of the few who has thrived. When I first met her, she had no formal education and spent part of her days pounding rusty nails to straighten them out. Now she is in class IV in an English Medium school and is among the top 5% in her class. It will be interesting to see how far she will go. I hope she will go far and she will as long as everyone around her provides support. Thank you to everyone out there who is helping to support her dream.

After having some time to rest and recover, I have been able to reflect on the ride from San Francisco to New York City. Along the way, I had some bad days riding in heat and humidity. Everyday, my muscles and joints hurt. At one point, both my knees were so fatigued, I thought I would have to abandon the ride or risk damaging them. There were also frustration with circumstances that were unexpected and unforeseen, but I managed to ride on and stayed focus. 

Along the way, many people followed the ride on Facebook and provided encouragement and likes. When I finally got to New York City, the ride was never about me and what I can accomplished. It is about what people living in poverty can endure and accomplish each and everyday. I realized that even though it was difficult to cycle 2566 miles in 42 days (with 5 rest days included), I had the option to stop at any time if situations get to difficult physically or mentally and go to a more comfortable environment.

For the millions of people living in extreme poverty, they suffer also...everyday. The only difference is they don't have the option to give up. The suffering that I endured with aches and pains is nothing compared to the suffering of living in extreme poverty conditions. It is amazing that they can keep on going through all adversities of heat, monsoon, filth, hunger, sickness, and challenges for the children being placed in horrible situations (trafficking/abduction/drugs/alcohol). Each day they wake up. Each day they endure. And they do it all over again the next day...until they can't do it anymore. But giving up to be comfortable is never an option they are afforded. 

I rode across America and endured some discomfort of aches and pains to bring awareness to the real hardships (aches and pains) for the millions of people living everyday in extreme poverty. The ride was always about them and never about me. What I did is nothing compared to what they accomplished everyday. Suffering for others is a wonderful sacrifice; a wonderful gift.

Our actions matter and I would hope that if anyone is reading this, you will take a step further to do something more for those in need (in extreme poverty) whenever possible.

The start of my awareness ride across America from San Francisco to NYC-United Nations is one week away. I am a bit skeptical in my attempt to bring awareness to people living in extreme poverty and to get people to care enough to take action. Our world is at such a crossroad in history with many divides and I am not sure how many people will care to listen and support the poor. I am hopeful at the same time and I will soon find out how my resolve and my faith in God and humanity will be tested.

On June 21st, I will begin a journey across America with hope.

The main purpose to cycle from San Francisco to New York City (United Nations) is to raise awareness for people living in extreme poverty around the world, but to also raise awareness for people living in poverty locally. At Faith-Hope-Love Foundation, we feel that education is a way for many who live in poverty an avenue to escape the shackles of hopelessness. At FHL, we provide for children living in extreme poverty an opportunity for boarding and education in hope they may move ahead in life. Many people living in extreme poverty are also living in homelessness along the footpath, under a bypass, and in slums. The definitions for extreme poverty and poverty are quite different, but the feelings of hopelessness are quite similar. For the children born into poverty, their futures are filled with obstacles and hardships that most people are not aware nor can comprehend.

Over 850 million people are living in extreme poverty throughout the world, mostly in India, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Latin & South Americas. Over 350 million people are living in extreme poverty in India alone. The population of poor people living in India exceeds the population of people living in United States. Unlike the poor in America and the Western World, many of the extreme poor around the world are not afforded with proper social assistance and the education received is not adequate or not available. Many extreme poor children do not go to school and most are far behind academically and are illiterate.

Therefore, at Faith-Hope-Love Foundation, we plan to raise awareness and fund for those people living in poverty by cycling across America from San Francisco to Washington D.C. in 2017 with a message of awareness for the situations of those living in poverty and extreme poverty locally and internationally. We also want to show people who are interested in learning the stories of the poor and discuss with them on ways they can help. We feel that everyone should take responsibility to help the poor in the same manner that everyone is responsible to take care of our environment. We may not realize that poverty affects everyone and we may not realize how our actions affect the poor. As part of our plan to raise awareness during our ride, we hope to discuss with people simple ways they can help the poor. No individual can solve the issue of poverty, but we feel that if we can convince enough people and create a movement of selfless acts to help the poor, then perhaps we can solve this issue or at least make the lives of the poor a little bit better.

​
Cycling Route: Dates (June 21-August 9) 49 Days.
 
Pacifica to United Nations (3819.8 miles)
Pacifica to SF (14.2 mi)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/163+Milagra+Dr,+Pacifica,+CA+94044,+USA/San+Francisco,+CA,+United+States/@37.7104123,-122.5348471,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x808f7ba7c32d8d11:0xfee00940a37f430b!2m2!1d-122.4905241!2d37.6460178!1m5!1m1!1s0x80859a6d00690021:0x4a501367f076adff!2m2!1d-122.4194155!2d37.7749295!3e1
SF to Oakland (9.9 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/San+Francisco,+CA,+United+States/Oakland,+CA,+United+States/@37.7896306,-122.4153432,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80859a6d00690021:0x4a501367f076adff!2m2!1d-122.4194155!2d37.7749295!1m5!1m1!1s0x80857d8b28aaed03:0x71b415d535759367!2m2!1d-122.2711137!2d37.8043637!3e1
Oakland to Sacramento (97.1 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Oakland,+CA,+United+States/Sacramento,+CA,+United+States/@38.1941874,-122.4721195,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80857d8b28aaed03:0x71b415d535759367!2m2!1d-122.2711137!2d37.8043637!1m5!1m1!1s0x809ac672b28397f9:0x921f6aaa74197fdb!2m2!1d-121.4943996!2d38.5815719!3e1
Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe (111 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Sacramento,+CA,+United+States/South+Lake+Tahoe,+CA,+United+States/@38.6960173,-121.8296751,8z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x809ac672b28397f9:0x921f6aaa74197fdb!2m2!1d-121.4943996!2d38.5815719!1m5!1m1!1s0x80998589eea54fe1:0xdd1b2f46fb23918e!2m2!1d-119.9771868!2d38.939926!3e1
South Lake Tahoe to Carson City (29.4 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/South+Lake+Tahoe,+CA,+United+States/Carson+City,+NV,+United+States/@39.0519771,-120.0122085,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80998589eea54fe1:0xdd1b2f46fb23918e!2m2!1d-119.9771868!2d38.939926!1m5!1m1!1s0x80990aa1f8deb471:0xf79c6c82bde23828!2m2!1d-119.7674034!2d39.1637984!3e1
Carson City to Austin (173 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Carson+City,+NV,+United+States/Austin,+NV,+United+States/@39.3659739,-119.5381128,8z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80990aa1f8deb471:0xf79c6c82bde23828!2m2!1d-119.7674034!2d39.1637984!1m5!1m1!1s0x80a35fc2a0616f79:0x4903e4b639cf0f7!2m2!1d-117.0672356!2d39.4925701!3e1
Austin to Salt Lake City (366 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Austin,+NV,+United+States/Salt+Lake+City,+UT,+United+States/@40.0901702,-116.7224829,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80a35fc2a0616f79:0x4903e4b639cf0f7!2m2!1d-117.0672356!2d39.4925701!1m5!1m1!1s0x87523d9488d131ed:0x5b53b7a0484d31ca!2m2!1d-111.8910474!2d40.7607793!3e1
Salt Lake City to Steamboat Spring (360 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Salt+Lake+City,+UT,+United+States/Steamboat+Springs,+CO,+United+States/@41.1642662,-111.6230675,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x87523d9488d131ed:0x5b53b7a0484d31ca!2m2!1d-111.8910474!2d40.7607793!1m5!1m1!1s0x87427b8109564661:0x1ba8a3d1486ecf7d!2m2!1d-106.8317158!2d40.4849769!3e1
Steamboat Spring to Boulder (134 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Steamboat+Springs,+CO,+United+States/Boulder,+CO,+United+States/@40.5217447,-107.0736306,8z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x87427b8109564661:0x1ba8a3d1486ecf7d!2m2!1d-106.8317158!2d40.4849769!1m5!1m1!1s0x876b8d4e278dafd3:0xc8393b7ca01b8058!2m2!1d-105.2705456!2d40.0149856!3e1
Boulder to Cheyenne (95.2 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Boulder,+CO,+United+States/Cheyenne,+WY,+United+States/@40.712666,-104.6868513,9z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x876b8d4e278dafd3:0xc8393b7ca01b8058!2m2!1d-105.2705456!2d40.0149856!1m5!1m1!1s0x876f38762e73ef93:0xb10a30418f972d2b!2m2!1d-104.8202462!2d41.1399814!3e1
 
 
 
Cheyenne to Rapid City (276 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Cheyenne,+WY,+United+States/Rapid+City,+SD,+United+States/@42.5906021,-106.2774355,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x876f38762e73ef93:0xb10a30418f972d2b!2m2!1d-104.8202462!2d41.1399814!1m5!1m1!1s0x877d42a59ebba5fb:0xc471615a3e93b7c7!2m2!1d-103.2310149!2d44.0805434!3e1
Rapid City to Pierre (170 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Rapid+City,+SD,+United+States/Pierre,+SD,+United+States/@44.0265706,-104.0263443,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x877d42a59ebba5fb:0xc471615a3e93b7c7!2m2!1d-103.2310149!2d44.0805434!1m5!1m1!1s0x52d54a64b288f891:0x9e9950165931af92!2m2!1d-100.3509665!2d44.3683156!3e1
Pierre to St. Paul (395 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Pierre,+SD,+United+States/St+Paul,+MN,+United+States/@44.5819249,-101.2087314,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x52d54a64b288f891:0x9e9950165931af92!2m2!1d-100.3509665!2d44.3683156!1m5!1m1!1s0x52b2d4cee4e9379f:0xc87291d23fda2e29!2m2!1d-93.0899578!2d44.9537029!3e1
St. Paul to Madison (273 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/St+Paul,+MN,+United+States/Madison,+WI,+United+States/@43.9914332,-93.4893976,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x52b2d4cee4e9379f:0xc87291d23fda2e29!2m2!1d-93.0899578!2d44.9537029!1m5!1m1!1s0x8806536d3a2019ff:0x4e0cfcb5ba484198!2m2!1d-89.4012302!2d43.0730517!3e1
Madison to Indianapolis (401 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Madison,+WI,+United+States/Indianapolis,+IN,+United+States/@41.3984049,-89.9503008,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x8806536d3a2019ff:0x4e0cfcb5ba484198!2m2!1d-89.4012302!2d43.0730517!1m5!1m1!1s0x886b50ffa7796a03:0xd68e9df640b9ea7c!2m2!1d-86.158068!2d39.768403!3e1
 
 
 
Indianapolis to Columbus (186 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Indianapolis,+IN,+United+States/Columbus,+OH,+United+States/@39.836169,-86.8215647,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x886b50ffa7796a03:0xd68e9df640b9ea7c!2m2!1d-86.158068!2d39.768403!1m5!1m1!1s0x883889c1b990de71:0xe43266f8cfb1b533!2m2!1d-82.9987942!2d39.9611755!3e1
Columbus to Pittsburgh (199 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Columbus,+OH,+United+States/Pittsburgh,+PA,+United+States/@40.4029612,-83.7410795,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x883889c1b990de71:0xe43266f8cfb1b533!2m2!1d-82.9987942!2d39.9611755!1m5!1m1!1s0x8834f16f48068503:0x8df915a15aa21b34!2m2!1d-79.9958864!2d40.4406248!3e1
Pittsburgh to Harrisburg (319 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Pittsburgh,+PA,+United+States/Harrisburg,+PA,+United+States/@40.0387215,-80.6828965,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x8834f16f48068503:0x8df915a15aa21b34!2m2!1d-79.9958864!2d40.4406248!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c8c116b8079e97:0xbb6e42c8128d46d5!2m2!1d-76.8867008!2d40.2731911!3e1
Harrisburg to United Nation Plaza (211 mi.)
https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/Harrisburg,+PA,+United+States/United+Nations+Plaza,+New+York,+NY,+USA/@40.3507541,-77.6711633,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c8c116b8079e97:0xbb6e42c8128d46d5!2m2!1d-76.8867008!2d40.2731911!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c2591cfe3e7db1:0xb79f0b1deea2528b!2m2!1d-73.9692588!2d40.749548!3e1
 
Rest days will be taken after every 6 days of riding. We plan to cycle about 100 miles each day. Our hope is that as we ride across America, people will join us on the ride to show support for the poor. Depending on weather, fatigue factor, illnesses, mechanical, and injuries, we hope to complete this ride in 2 months. 

With Easter approaching and sharing in the sacrifice of the season, I figure it is appropriate to again help some children to get off the streets and slums to receive a chance to go to boarding school. This month in Kolkata, we are in process to place between 7-11 children for boarding and school, pending on whether we can obtain documents on them.

But, at the moment, I am in Nairobi, Kenya working with Alfajiri to support them in their work to help drug addicted street boys to get off the streets and to kick their addiction through art. At the same time, we will begin a project to provide opportunity for kids from the slum in Nairobi to go to boarding school. 

The other day, I spoke with one school and arranged for a visit later this week to see the facility. If the school meets our approval, then we will begin processing the children's paper and get them in before the new school term begins in May.

My hope is that this work in Nairobi will blossom in similar ways that happened in Kolkata. It is quite inspiring to see the drug addicted children and how they create passionate art work based on their lives. It is also inspiring to see the children showing passions to learn and wanting a better education. I am just glad to be able to provide them with the opportunities to dream.   

Five years ago, I began a journey that led me to help the extreme poor. In that time, I have learned the challenges people faced everyday that I can never imagined and how they endured their hardships. And though there are many wonderful people out there helping and making differences in their lives, society can also be cruel to the poor. With the current political and economic situations in the world creating uncertainties and worries, we tend to turn our focuses on ourselves first and not as much for those truly suffering in the world.

This summer, I am riding to raise awareness for people living in extreme poverty and for those who are suffering due to world conflicts. I will attempt to ride my bicycle from San Francisco to New York City ending at the doorsteps of the United Nations. I hope to talk to as many people willing to listen and to let everyone knows how it is possible for them to help as I ride across America. I will begin this ride alone, but I hope people will join along the way. 

I will post the complete route on the website and Facebook in the coming months for anyone who wishes to join in this ride. I hope through awareness, we will make this world better for everyone, especially for those who are suffering in the world everyday just because they were born into it and have little opportunities to have better lives. 

I have not written much in a long while, but that is because the work in serving the poor is just busier leaving little time to keep up with telling their stories and getting more people to be aware of their situations. It has been four Christmases ago that I began this work in service to the poor children and time seems to pass by so quickly since the first child was helped with boarding school placement.

At the Christmas celebration yesterday at Don Bosco Ashalayam, I saw one of our original kids (Jasmin) grown up and smiling. She is one of the first and has been in boarding school for four years now. I hope she will finish class ten and move on. The school said she is doing quite well and is in the top five percent in her class. She is now in class two. An older girl, Reena, was recently helped last year by us (FHL) has completed class 12 and is studying to take an exam to get into medicine. I am praying and wishing her all the best and have expressed to her our complete support.

Of course, we also have some sad news regarding some of the kids. One boy left our boarding program due to a serious infection that the school can not risk having others kids being sick and two other boys also left because the parents did not bring them back after the summer break. We also lost one girl, Miriam, after spending almost four years in boarding and now back in the streets.

In all, it was a positive year with 52 of the 58 children returning to school after each term and holiday break. There are 10 openings available this December for new children enrollment so I hope to get them into boarding before the new term begins. It is always the same obstacles of having no ducuments and money that are keeping these kids from being in school. Yes, they have free government school, but I have seen the government school and most are not what I would considered a school. In any case, the kids will have better success through broading school where they can be monitored and supported.

There are so many poor children throughout the world and in various situations. Some I am able to help while others I am helpless to do anything. I was in Nairobi recently to meet many of the young Kenyans living in one of the largest slum in the world. Their eagerness to learn and to receive help is a good indicator and so I hope to begin the next phase of work there.

I believe that it is important for us to help the poor not for the sake of helping, but for the reason that somehow it will make this world that much better. They will help to make this world that much better if they are given opportunities for better lives.