Tsunami Kids

By: The Gandy Brothers
Location: NF 920 GAN
Genre: Be the change you want to see

I have just booked my tickets back to India for the 5th time. I believe in the power of being the change you want to see. Whether it is in the field of education, business, health, the environment or fighting inequity and injustice- for the world to change, we all need to become agents of change ourselves. That does not mean we are in the business of  "rescuing", it means we are in the business of empowering, equipping, encouraging and working in partnership. I have seen it work in Africa and India. This story is ALL about being the change you want to see, there is no reason why any of us cant intentionally decide that we can be those agents. These boys have...

An absolutely amazing story, not only of survival, but of grief and building a life you never expected you'd have to from such tragic circumstances. The Forkan family had no idea of the horror that waited for them on Boxing Day, 2004. Most of the world watched the broadcasts in horror, seeing the destruction as absolute and overwhelming. So many cases of lose and pain, and this is the story of one single family during this time. For the four youngest children, it would be the nightmare of losing their parents and trying to find a way from the stricken country. Rob, the eldest, had to step up in unimaginable ways to get his siblings through.
 Gradually, Rob realised that he wanted to help other people. He wanted to create a social enterprise that would benefit orphans; 'orphans for orphans'. And so, Gandys was born. A brand of flip flop that echoed everything that they believed in with the profits going to provide a children's home in India.
Theirs is a remarkable story, all the more so due to their circumstances; it is a testimony to the benefits of dedication, self-belief and hard work. But it speaks too of the support of a family bonded not just by tragedy, but by the closeness engendered by their parents. It is a story about wanting to give back, not just to live up to their parents example, but to give back to those less fortunate than themselves. It is a story of four remarkable children who are determined to let nothing hinder their progress in this world, and along they way do some good for others.

Theirs is a remarkable story, all the more so due to their circumstances; it is a testimony to the benefits of dedication, self-belief and hard work. But it speaks too of the support of a family bonded not just by tragedy, but by the closeness engendered by their parents. It is a story about wanting to give back, not just to live up to their parents example, but to give back to those less fortunate than themselves. It is a story of four remarkable children who are determined to let nothing hinder their progress in this world, and along they way do some good for others.

It gives one much to think about, including the importance of good parenting; and raises questions such as what is a real education?