Apr
4
Written by:
David Strickland
4/4/2007 11:38 PM
Well guess the visa is here so I need to start the blog. In way of introduction I'll simply say my wife and I are headed to Bangalore India to start an orphanage.
I'm a computer programmer I've been in IT for almost 15 years now. I went through the dot net boom did the Y2K all night coding stints, wrote some good code and some bad but never doing anything of real consequence. About 5 years ago I met my wife. She was setting up an orphanage at the time in Bangalore India. I was burned out from coding tired and and taking some time off in India trying to do some good for a change. When my wife and I met we began to work together with the children of Bangalore. A couple years later we married. A few months after we wed my work visa ran out and I had to return to the states. My wife had to give up the orphanage and come with me. That was several years ago now and my wife and I just can't get it out of our blood. We are headed back this time to stay and start a home for 100 girls. Of course all this won't happen over night. It's going to take time and money.
After I'd been back stateside for about a year I heard Bill Gates heard about my exploits and decided to give up programming and try to do some good in the world as well. Ok maybe he didn't get the idea from me. But he's not the only one there seems to be a trend right now of coders bailing out. I guess some are just tired of trying to keep up, some want to try something a little more mentally rewarding. I figured I'd coin a new term and call it Billanthropy only to find out it's already been coined. Ok so how about a Billanthropist - as someone that takes tech money and helps the world with it.
Originally when we decided to do this about a year ago we decided to save up a big chunk head back and go into pure Billanthropy work Oh well medical bills a totalled out car and a couple family problems latter we found maybe that wasn't going to work. So now were planning on going and I'll work to support as many of the girls as we can. Maybe we'll never get to the 100 girls we wanted but we'll help out a few anyway. Of course we could stay here longer and save more and do more etc. however when does that end? No we'll go with what we have and do what we can. Plus it should make for much more entertaining Blog Posts. Ok well thats the introduction. I'll keep you all posted. If posts stop for no apparent reason chances are we didn't make it ;).