Comfort Aid International

December 2008 Report

Insha’Allah; your efforts to please Lady Fatemah (A) during these days of sadness and tragedy are going well. Another year has passed us by and we at CAI look towards the new one determined to consolidate and expand upon our successes and reflect and learn from minor setbacks. It goes without saying that all the […]

Lalaland

I once lived in a country called Lalaland, a finger sized oil rich kingdom clusters on Middle East map. Then, it was a good place to live, though there were teething issues common with all new states. It was relatively cheap, the money I earned was good and went a long way, there was decency […]

The business of fear

I am on my way to Afghanistan, my ninth visit there since 2004. Unfortunately, it is only Indian Airlines that fly to Kabul from India, from New Delhi at 07:45 AM. So for me, living in Mumbai, it is a night in New Delhi; no big deal except for the hassle. The flight to Kabul […]

The Indian psyche

I am back briefly; will be gone again tomorrow, off to Afghanistan…to constant danger and the anguish of a forgotten and abandoned people… India has come a long way; gone are days of dour infrastructure and endless red tape; why, you can actually apply for a passport and get one in a week, you can […]

Of Indian pilots

The idea that I, a paying passenger, need not know what is going on, sitting in the middle of a runway for half an hour without any explanation whatsoever, must have to do with Indian mentality and their pure patience, I guess. I was returning to Mumbai from Srinagar the other day, the flight was […]

Malaad

I am going to Malaad today. Just like Govendhi slums about which I have talked quite a bit on www.comfortaid.org, Malaad is a sprawling slum that is home to thousands of very poor Muslims who clamor for every inch of vacant space. I am prepared. Good comfortable shoes to overcome slippery surfaces, loose clothes for […]

Dog poop

Its been a struggle for years; especially since the start of my stay here in Mumbai – avoiding stepping on dog poop while walking the streets of Mumbai. This city has hundreds of thousands of stray dogs that roam the streets. The local municipality can’t touch them for fear of offending sentiments of minority religious […]