Tag: Kaveri

Maïlis has become a great friend

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After staying with us in 2025 and 2026 

Initially here for yoga conference she soon branched out to all sorts of activities — stone carving, chanting, Kannada and Sanskrit — she returns to France next month to continue her studies to become a doctor. 

She’s a great example of why we do this. Making new friends from India and around the world and together doing good in our community. 

She’s joined our ‘family’ in so many ways. Probably the most important is how she helps us with Kaveri. 

Kaveri is one of the young people we support in the community. She stays with us alternate weeks and Maïlis has been her chaperone this year. Ensuring that each evening and night there’s a woman available also staying who can guide, support Kaveri and generally available to help ensure she’s happy and safe. 

We’re asking our women friends if they can help us and become a chaperone, like Maïlis.  That’s being here and staying overnight when Kaveri does. It doesn’t pay but there’s somewhere to stay and sometimes a meal to share, most importantly you’re making an important contribution. 

You can get involved as little or as much as you can. 

Want to find out more?  Help us broaden Kaveri’s horizons through the diverse people she meets.

Kaveri and the women in her family.

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I had the pleasure of meeting Kaveri from school and spending some time with the women of the family.

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Kaveri and I first visited the new babe.

His mum Radhika (her auntie) Kaveri and I have spent much time together over the past few years, especially in school summer holidays when they’d go to swimming lessons, stay with me and we’d have vacations in Kannur and Wayanad.

The little one, entertained by Kaveri and Radhika.
Gotcha

Grandmother is forever avoiding my camera.

Next I visited Chandrika’s (Kaveri’s mum’s) new home for dinner

I had a lovely catch up with Kaveri and Chandrika drawing the neighbourhood kids in to say hello
I reminded them of the agreement Chandrika and I (on behalf of the business, with the invaluable help of Sarvesh) had for us to support Kaveri and work with Chandrika to help Kaveri do the best she can be

I used the opportunity (hobby horse —soap box) to emphasise we should help Kaveri to be strong, a good communicator, and be kind. This was more important than stuffing her full of facts, in order to pass exams.

Kaveri was the full on interpreter.

We needed to encourage, support, even put pressure on Kaveri — who can be a bit lazy— to do better

Just before I left Chandrika, Kaveri and I went back to bring all the girls together again.

I explained that my current meetings with advocates were to enable me to stay in India My priority being continue to support Kaveri for ten years into adulthood.

I am so proud of Kaveri, MAnjula is sooooo pleased.

Behold beauty in so many ways.

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The latest wonderful creation has arrived from Aadirika aka —Mostly beautiful Maya— (check Instagram) has now created three fab memory portraits of MAnjula

Our first
Second

All to be found at Manjula’s Mysore.

Out third

Thank you Aadirika, for your intimate understanding of what MAnjula meant to me and representing our wonderful life here in Mysore.

Who can you spot in this latest portrait?

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Manjula (obviously), Lucie our first dog of the family of over 15 years, Kaveri, walking Luca — our latest addition and in the tree. —- Billet-Doux my sweet (love) letter sent by Manjula, a few years ago. Plus the dragonfly and old man with his head in the clouds.

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Did you find them ?

Students thriving through their art.

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Kaliyuvamane students do it again with a wonderful performance at the Bahuroopi national theatre festival held in Mysore.

Rajesh Madhava has spent over a year working with the students on a range of projects.

Their confidence and communication improving dramatically.

Fantastic!

Kaveri with mum Chandrika.

Missing her friends and this great teaching. Well done to all the students and their teacher/facilitator Rajesh Madhava

Check out their wonderful school.

What next?

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Be prepared. There maybe a few postings about —- what next? I’ve adopted India as my home for sixteen years after first visiting twenty years ago and connecting with India from a distance in the 1970s.

Let’s not forget, I’ve been so lucky and—- i fell in love with the most amazing woman — MAnjula. But I’m slowly getting the message that I’m not wanted anymore (if I’ve ever been) and maybe just maybe I need to think afresh and try something new.

It’s not the people of India.

They are very friendly and welcoming. I’ve been and continue to be very happy here. I want to stay here and retire here.

It’s the system.

I’ve lived here on a business visa, all this time. It’s now getting increasingly difficult to do that. I’ve failed to get OCI supposedly because MAnjula died yet I’ve heard others have it in similar circumstances but in other parts of the country. I’ve tentatively tried other things and keep hitting (soft) brick walls.

It’s tiring.

When I first posted this on Facebook a friend reacted and introduced me to someone who might be able to help. We’re in discussion now.

As I reach 69 in a few weeks I recognise I can’t keep moving. I may have only moved here sixteen years ago but it feels like it’s always been my home.

If I must leave, I must, but my particular concern is my desire to continue to support and help Kaveri grow to her full potential. She really is like my daughter.

That’s my biggest worry.

As MAnjula, my muse,would say: ‘let’s see’

Who adopted who?

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… or who’s the boss? Well nobody really.

I refer to how kaveri (age 11) who in a little over three years has matured mentally, physically and socially. It is, of course, a very significant stage in life.

Kaveri (age 11) today with her mum Chandrika at a wedding of a member of the extended family in the village

As you can see she now almost as tall as her mum (age 29?).

I’m proud of her and the little help I’ve been able to be.

Early days, just a little girl, shortly before her eighth birthday.

On reflection, she’s always been quite ‘together’ for her age.

Off to school with her auntie (aka sister)

She’s just about to start her third school since I’ve known her. I’ve promised that Manjula’s Mysore will continue to support her education up to university and maybe beyond.

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Kaveri, Lucie and I

I’m — as Kaveri puts it — one of her nine mums.

Love

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One of the first pictures Kaveri (aged eight) created after she came to the house and felt MAnjula’s love

Marginalian

Comes up trumps again with great literary, political and philosophical connections.

I like her quote from Simone de Beauvoir

What then is love? Not much, not much; I come back to this idea. Sensitivity, imagination, fatigue, and this effort to depend on another; the taste for the mystery of the other and the need to admire… What is worthwhile, is friendship… this profound mutual confidence between [two people], and this joy of knowing that the other exists.

“The ancient Greeks, in their pioneering effort to order the chaos of the cosmos, neatly taxonomized them into filial love (the kind we feel for siblings, children, parents, and friends), eros (the love of lovers), and agape(the deepest, purest, most impersonal and spiritual love).”

I decided that we would continue Manjula’s sunshine goodness, sharing her love, through events and activities for young people.

The most obvious example is our continuing support for Kaveri.

Kaveri’s most recent art from this weeks summer camp
She also leaves me little messages.