Rejected by one’s own home, rejected by one’s own community – what really happens to the rejected? In a world that preaches love and equality, the statistics of the ones that remain unaccepted by their own society, the outcastes still remain hiked. In such a strife, it’s extremely fortunate that someone somewhere is striving to change these dishonorable norms of the society, that someone has been putting his all to the welfare of those who, till now,  hadn’t been living, but merely surviving.

How it all started:

We The People Foundation (created in 2012) is a brainchild of Jason Temasfield – a benevolent Anglo-Indian and Max Galstaun. Jason was adamant on establishing the foundation following the incident  of the October 2011 Amboli murder case  where his cousin Keenan Santos, along with Reuben Fernandes, was barbarously stabbed while they tried to oppose the unruly, indecent behavior of some men towards their female friends.Jason found it highly imperative to take a solid step against this, which in turn led him to be a braveheart, purposefully building a community filled with inspiration, talent, and warmth. It is quite surprising yet satisfying to witness an event organizer turned social activist who burns the midnight oil and fights for several causes including women safety, sexual harassment, supporting the disabled and more.

A guiding light with Jason is Mr.Vinod Rawat – a highly strong willed man himself. Together, they have been training and supporting artists who are physically handicapped, but of utmost talent. They have been working on a strategy where they would be marketers of their artists and support them through vigorous charity events, shows, exhibitions and more. During quite an interesting conversation with Mr. Vindod Rawat, he shared his take on such matters. “Money is needed everywhere. Unfortunately, almost 90% of the physically disabled remain single no matter how excellent they are. Hence, this is an initiative to get them all that they deserve,” says he.

The foundation houses artists from across places and times who ignore all the criticism and fly willfully on the path to success. I was fortunate enough to encounter two such mesmerizing artists.

Nadeem Sheikh, who was born physically disabled, specializes in portraits paintings. Throughout his entire life, he hasn’t, for a single moment, underestimated himself and his capabilities. The exquisite strokes that he makes with his foot on paper are worth much more than dimes. Clearly, Nadeem has never seen painting as a business, but a strong source of happiness.

“Paintings are a part of me. In life, everything duly happens for a reason. When we fall, there is also a way to get back up and rise,”says Nadeem.

Bande Nawaaz Nadaf is another such man whose gorgeous work can sweep anyone off their feet. He has been a part of several fairs and exhibits including the one at Jehangir Art Gallery. In spite of such a huge progress, there pervades plenty of disapproval and dismay in his opinion.

“People see us as disabled, not as artists” Bande Nawaaz states.

Hence, in order to refashion the situation, We The People Foundation is taking magnificent steps towards not only the well-being of artists but also the respect and recognition that they deserve. This, in turn, has led to another idea that the amount of commission that Jason and the other marketers would receive, would be put to use into the recreation, support and development of several such disabled folks.

Jason Temasfieldt being a noble man that he is, is a part of UN and has successfully been globetrotting to deliver talks and seminars on women safety, sexual harassment, and many such causes. With this, he has been able to churn out a large number of supporters – young and old, whilst also leaving a huge impact on social media.

“There is a whole word of people that indulge in indecent activities and crimes. What should be done is to show to them the other side of the coin, the good life. This way, they wouldn’t want to go back to the bad”, says Jason.

Along with acquiring a marvelous bunch of supporters, Jason Temasfieldt has also been featured on Satyameva Jayate- ‘Men Take a Stand.’ He has been given coverage by Mumbai Mirror and Savvy Magazine in its 2015 edition ‘Stop Teasing Women’. Jason has been awarded at the One Billion Rising Operation for being the only male activist fighting for women’s rights.

Jason Temasfieldt’s achievements in this sphere are as substantial as his passion and intentions.

We The People Foundation hence, has become an epitome of inspiration to the uninspired, a food of thought to the hungry and an exceptional weapon for the less privileged. One couldn’t help but wonder how much of a prosperous and a noble place the world would be if there were more such revolutionary initiatives like We The People.