What Can You Get for $5?

For US$5 you could buy yourself a (overpriced) cup of specialty coffee.

Or you could buy yourself a magazine you’ll likely read only once.

Or, better yet, you could treat yourself to an anthology of poetry by talented young citizen journalists taking part in the Neighbourhood Diaries project in Calcutta, India.

Neighbourhood Diaries, part of the Calcutta-based NGO Kalam, trains marginalized youth to become citizen media journalists. Neighbourhood Diaries is also one of the projects on Rising Voices, an inspiring global initiative I've written about in the past.

When I first started reading the blog postings of these young men and women I had no idea I would grow so fond of them and of their realities, which they share unabashedly through their writings. Now, some of these same citizen journalists are featured in "Open Box" Kalam’s annual anthology of poetry:


"Khola Baskho or Open Box is a platform for marginalized youth to share their untold stories, reflections and artwork. We believe that all of us have stories inside us, waiting to be told. Through this annual magazine we wish to present to you the random thoughts, bits of poetry, and fleeting yet powerful insights hidden in the folds of the daily lives of artists living in the margins. And in this way, we want to build up a relationship between these anonymous poets and their readers."

The suggested donation amount of US$5 (you can donate more at your will) will go directly to support the Neighbourhood Diaries citizen journalism project. The anthology can be downloaded here. You may also feel inclined to read up on the latest update of the Neighbourhood Diaries initiative, which you can find here.

And if you still need more convincing...To see what your donation could help sustain, watch the fantastic video below (shot by the youth themselves). Now this is $5 worth spending.

(EDIT: If the donation button is not showing on the page, please visit back to make your donation. The button should be up and running shortly.)