Reflecting on 2020 2020 proved to be a year never to be forgotten! It was a year of pain, of hardship and of untold grief for so many. For others, it was a time for reflection and introspection, time to reset certain life patterns and most importantly of all, a time which displayed humanity at its best, that of the selfless show of kindness we felt for one another. It is this very sense of community kindness that has made 2020 one to remember for One Kind Act. The resounding success of our Child of Mine Ball in Dec 2019, the continuing generous support of our followers through donations and fundraising efforts (especially that of the youngsters) and that of our loyal Sponsors and the invaluable bonding of new charity partnerships has meant that One Kind Act have achieved more than we could have hoped for in such a difficult year. It has meant that the TOTAL FUNDS RAISED IN 2020 WAS JUST UNDER £145K. You will see we have been able to continue to reach out to worthy Causes in India & Africa, comprising £150K of our grants. The remaining £100K of grants has been in our response to the COVID crisis here in the UK. Never before have we witnessed the courage and selflessness that some local charities such as LCK, OFFL & SWAT have shown in tackling food poverty amongst the poor, vulnerable and the homeless. We SALUTE all such charities for the dedication they have shown in 2020. A Bright Start to 2021 We have hope for 2021. And this first ray of hope has been inspired by no other than Alisha Malhotra, our Chairman’s daughter. Five years ago, after suffering a stroke, Alisha had to put her teaching career on hold. The work she did empowered children to stand on their own two feet. Five years on, she’s returning to education. In partnership with One Kind Act and Yuva Unstoppable, by launching Bright Start - An Educational Scholarship Programme to help some of the brightest but most marginalised children in India. Learn more about the Bright Start Scholarship Programme here For any other information on what One Kind Act do, please visit our website www.onekindact.org. If you like what you see, please DONATE. We offer our sincere thanks for your continued support. Team One Kind Act One Kind Act is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1160116)

        Welcome to our Newsletter.  We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. These unprecedented times of the pandemic present a whole new scale of challenges across society. It has been a peaceful, restful time for some, a time to pause and reflect. For many, however, it has been a time of immense hardship, struggle and deprivation.    OUR IMPACT   It is advisable to sometimes analyse and evaluate a journey, looking back to see how far one has come, what lessons were learnt along the way and what the path ahead entails.   As such we took the opportunity to look back, through the Causes we have supported to date, at our accomplishments in stark black and white metrics, a few of which we share with you here:   c.44,000 NO OF ADULTS/CHILDREN SUPPORTED THROUGH FOOD POVERTY & TOWARDS GOOD HEALTH IN THE UK  c.4,000  NO OF HOMELESS SUPPORTED THROUGH FOOD POVERTY & TOWARDS GOOD HEALTH IN THE UK  Over 700  NO OF ELDERLY SUPPORTED THROUGH FOOD POVERTY & TOWARDS GOOD HEALTH IN THE UK 24  NO OF NEW HOUSES BUILT IN SIERRA LEONE 95  NO OF PEOPLE HOMED IN THESE NEWLY BUILT HOUSES 16  NO OF VILLAGES LIT IN INDIA 206  NO OF HOUSEHOLDS LIT IN INDIA      10  NO OF NEW CLASSROOMS BUILT IN AFRICA 889  NO OF CHILDREN SUPPORTED TOWARDS EDUCATION IN AFRICA 41  NO OF CLEAN WATER TANKS/WELLS BUILT OR REPAIRED IN SRI LANKA & AFRICA We are proud of the difference we have made. These are not simply statistics. Behind them is the experience of real people, of children, elderly, mothers and fathers. Within these numbers is Arulmathy, a widow and below knee amputee, with 3 children. She had no choice but to persevere as a daily wage worker under harsh conditions to feed her children.  A well built for them enables them to have clean drinking water and ability to cultivate her small piece of land, giving her family food and basic income.   There's Frank, 89, in Harrow, a sprightly pensioner with a twinkle in his eye. He gets enough to eat during this frightening COVID-19 crisis and helps out his deprived neighbours through our support.   Govind's village in Maharashtra now has electricity. There is no fear of snakes and scorpion bites while walking at night. His mother does not have the persistent hacking cough from inhaling noxious smoke while cooking.     For the Turay family in Sierra Leone, life will never be the same.  They moved out of a slum into a proper home.  Each day they are grateful for running water, for toilets, for the chance to live with dignity. The first baby born in the village instead of the slums heralded a new dawn for another family. The baby named Destiny after the village has a positive future with more opportunities to thrive.   And the slum children Imran,7 and Arti, 5 would have normally spent their days playing and working in a rubbish pile, helping their mothers as rag pickers. They would search for bits of plastic, used tampon applicators, scrap pieces of metal. Now their days are spent, as is the right of every child, in a classroom and playgrounds.   CHILD OF MINE BALL   In December 2020 One Kind Act hosted a glittering ball, attended almost 500 guests to raise funds for children suffering from poverty of health, education and nutrition around the world.   Over £130,000 was raised which went towards three worthy, effective Causes:   - WORLD CHILD CANCER improves the diagnosis, treatment and support of children with cancer in low and middle-income countries and provides support to their families. OKA has donated towards their work in oncology, supporting some of the poorest communities in Malawi.   - HOME LEONE works in one of the poorest nations of the world, Sierra Leone.  They have relocated hundreds of slum dwellers in a village with proper homes, sanitation, running water and electricity.   OKA has helped to build classrooms and furnish a school in this village   - THE REAL JUNK FOOD PROJECT (now known as London Community Kitchen) deals with food poverty among families in UK.  They collect perfectly good food which supermarkets would otherwise throw away and make it available to deprived, hungry families on a pay what you feel basis.     COVID 19   In March 2020, a catastrophe unfolded on our doorsteps and within our communities. COVID-19 promised to bring untold suffering to the poorest, most fragile communities in the world.   Therefore, in full awareness of the unprecedented challenges, and in many cases horror, we were witnessing we whole heartedly and quickly launched One Kind Act's COVID-19 Relief Fund.  The appeal is for dedicated additional funds to urgently allow us to help our communities prepare for, and make it through, these terrible times.  We are well placed and in touch with local Causes including frontline groups to see what is needed and how funds raised can be most effectively spent.   Over £14,000 has been raised to date, with funds still coming in regularly. One Kind Act have boosted this from our own reserves and have granted over £18,000 to:   London Community Kitchen for PPE and to continue helping them towards providing hundreds of food parcels for the vulnerable, homeless and the marginalised people of our Harrow community   Organising Food For London (OFFL) to purchase long life food, drinks and fresh fruit and vegetables for around 300 homeless people being sheltered across 3 hostels and for 4 hubs set up to meet the food needs of 100 elderly and vulnerable families in the Harrow and Haringey districts of London   NishkamSWAT to provide meals directly to our brave NHS workers who are risking their lives to help the very vulnerable and sick within hospitals   One Kind Act committee member, Ritu Soni convinced Kellogg's to donate hundreds of cereal boxes to our effort.  Additionally, she persuaded The Seven restaurant, Harrow, to also donate food cooked in their kitchens to feed the poor of Harrow.  We were humbled that a restaurant which was making no money still had the generosity to dig deep and help others even while they were struggling. Thank you The Seven. . Mark Ramprakash, our patron visited the London Community Kitchen with the mayor of Harrow to see for themselves the families that were being fed, the dedication of the volunteers and the patience of those waiting in long queues to receive their food parcels.  They also launched the "Make Harrow Smile" campaign to do a kind act and then nominate others to continue this chain of kindness.   CHARITY PARTNERS   One Kind Act caught the eye of two larger, well established charities with a view to collaborate because they recognised the special value we, as a smaller organisation, bring to beneficiaries of our work. We, in turn recognised collaboration with a large organisation allows us to bring impactful solutions to more people. We believe collaboration is the right step when it deepens the positive impact an organisation makes on its recipients.   British Asian Trust is a unique bridge between the British Asian community and supporting great projects in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They are able to identify and reach the most vulnerable sections in these countries and ensure donations have maximum positive impact. We hope to support each other in our work, thereby expanding our scope of charity work.   Yuva Unstoppable aims to transform government schools into smart, clean schools with sanitation, clean water and technology. One Kind Act is impressed with their modus operandi of maximum impact with minimum cost and whole heartedly support their vision that the long-term solution to poverty is effective education. We have contributed towards their work with marginalised communities and frontline warriors during Covid-19.   IN CONCLUSION   Thank you for all your support to enable the remarkable transformations we achieved. During the pandemic your help is more important than ever before. We need your support to help people around the world suffering through no fault of their own. Become a supporter at onekindact.org. Follow One Kind Act on Facebook, Instagram (@okacharity) and Twitter (@OKAcharity)   We leave you with the words of Ritu Soni, OKA Associate, who penned this poem after observing mothers, fathers, children, the old and young waiting to collect their food parcels in Harrow.   I queued Summer heat Or windy gales I waited  For the food bag   I queued Patient and waiting Some looked to see My bag empty My heart full   I queued  My child hungry My world now different Nothing moves me   I queued Don't judge me Nobody gets it Until you are in it   I queued  They think they know why Now it's a test Am I now for real?   I queued For respect For eyes to open wide See me  I'm not invisible. A man a woman a child.   I queued.......   For eyes to open wide See me  I'm not invisible. A man a woman a child.   I queued.......     We all at One Kind Act send you our best wishes.         There are so many great things for you to discover on the OKA website Learn more about what we do and the OKA team on our About us page See the amazing charities we have supported on our Charities page Get stuck in to some exciting reading in our Community Magazine Kindly make a one off or monthly donation on our Donations page Buy tickets for an exciting event where all profits are donated back to the OKA charity   Facebook Email Website

        Dear Supporter, 2019 was a busy, productive and fulfilling year for One Kind Act.  We welcomed Sarah, Duchess of York as a new patron, hosted several fundraising events and undertook to support more worthy, noble causes around the world.  In keeping with our ethos, costs were negligible and almost 100% of money donated reached the needy.  Several new sponsors joined us, recognising the benefits of enhanced corporate social responsibility and the marketing they receive through our social media channels and mentions at big events.     Events   Our events are characterised by their fun, pleasure and joie de vivre, in keeping with our ethos of living your best life while giving to life. The CHILD OF MINE BALL in December was the largest, glitziest, fun-filled event marking a wonderful end to the year while raising much needed funds for children around the world suffering through poverty of health, nutrition or education.  Powerful speeches from Sarah, Duchess of York, Mark Ramprakash, Shamit Malhotra and Tyler, a young boy being lifted out of hunger who had the audience mesmerised. Live singing from acclaimed Navin Kundra had the dance floor filled until the early hours.  Feedback from guests was touching. There was deep appreciation for the sincerity and integrity of One Kind Act. To quote an example "we have been to dozens of charity events, the difference with you is it all comes straight from the heart". Over £130,000 was raised. Around 50% of the monies raised at the Ball will be granted to the three Causes present on the night, The Real Junk Food Project, Home Leone and World Child Cancer. The former two are projects One Kind Act have supported since inception and we take great joy to see them grow. In the long-term, thousands of children in UK and around the world will be given health, hope and opportunity where there is none.     The ever popular One Kind Act GARDEN PARTY in August was another sold-out affair. Held in the grounds of Raj and Mona Bhogal's country mansion, guests sipped cocktails, feasted on a banquet and danced to live music on a pleasantly warm summer’s day.  Over £20.000 was raised towards supporting disabled children in Kenya and providing water to poverty struck schools in Tanzania. The successful PRIDEVIEW CRICKET CUP brings out ever increasing crowds each year to enjoy the competitive cricket tournament, fun, games and stalls for all the family with an open bar and lots of food all day.  Over £30,000 was raised which went towards feeding the poor in UK, providing opportunity through sport to the underprivileged in India and to new school classrooms for the poor in Tanzania. Apart from the One Kind Act hosted events, there were several hosted by individuals who care about making the world a better place.  A Latino party, an afternoon of insights into the Kamasutra, half marathon, spinning class, art exhibition and ethical catering evening are just some examples of the diverse way individuals had fun while raising money to feed, educate and help the poor around the world.   Events   We are delighted to announce that in the 5-year life of One Kind Act, we have raised £850,000 to date, signifying our success year-upon-year in helping the needy. Our ethos to maintain minimum costs continues. We are so proud of almost 100% of money raised reaching the most needy with no unnecessary costs. We conduct thorough due diligence on the Causes to ensure they are with integrity, transparent and effective in bringing real improvement to lives. In 2019 we granted around £230,000 to some very noble Causes: SWAT, feeding and winter packs for London's homeless, building a food storage centre £12,510 Whisper, medication to treat Uganda's poorest children £1000 TRJFP, kitchen equipment, storage space, Christmas gifts for the poor £14,000 Home Leone, building proper new homes and businesses for slum dwellers £112,500 IHIF, a brand new rehabilitation centre in Patna with equipment for head injury patients £24,620 Made with Hope, foundations for 3 classrooms and 20 water harvesting tanks in Tanzania £24,280 Punarnava, feeding 100 neglected elderly in South India daily, £14,320 Via Ninos, supporting a social worker for street children in Ecuador £1,240 Compassionate Hands, construction of a dormitory for disabled children in Kenya, £12,500 OFFL, winter clothes and food for UK homeless £11,850 Mill End Community Centre, Christmas hampers for poor in NW London £500 We are always open to being introduced to new Causes that may be close to your own heart.  Please talk to us about doing a fundraiser together.  We have the experience and the enthusiasm!   Final Word   As you can see, we have brought real, effective improvements in some of the most deprived lives around the world. But we need your help to continue. Regular monthly donations, from as little as £5 per month (the price of a coffee or pint) are our life blood to facilitating our work.  Please consider setting one up. You can claim the tax back on your tax return too whilst we can use the gift aid to further aid the needy; so it’s a win-win situation. Or if you are running a business, become a Sponsor and enjoy exclusive invitations to our networking evenings and marketing on our social media channels and at large events.    It is Valentine's Day soon, the perfect reason to spread a little love around the world.  Donate Here   Look out on our website for upcoming events.  2020 promises to be another fun filled, joy giving one.   The Trustees and committee of One Kind Act wish you and yours a happy, philanthropic and peaceful new year.  

One Kind Act continues to be inspired by the generosity of its supporters and their efforts to make a difference to the causes we support. A recent donor’s gift and the reasons for it has prompted us to take a look at ‘smarter giving’.For many people, the giving journey mirrors their wealth creation progression and for many others, it is connected to personal experiences such as a particular ‘personal situation’ or from seeing the impact of inequalities and life chances around them. Some are influenced or encouraged by family and friends. Of course, human emotion and passions plays a big part in wanting to do something. Typically, individuals focus on wealth in stages such as growth, then preservation and finally legacy. Discussions about succession and inheritance may introduce the approach of ‘giving while living’. A period of self-reflection allows individuals to think about why they want to give, followed by what approach to take to achieve that desire and then to engage their family in the endeavour. The correlation between satisfaction in life and income weakens the further up the earnings ladder you climb. The more financial success you have, the more likely you are to see diminishing returns on happiness. Fortunately, there are other ways to be happy. Of them all, making other people happy through philanthropy is one of the most potent. And the difference you make in the world is your legacy. The rational, smarter and practical approach you take is quite important too. Donors are mindful of legitimate tax advantage available such as reduction in inheritance tax that benefit their estates and their nominated charities when planning for donations. For example, by gifting ten-percent of your taxable estate to charitable causes allows you to reduce the typical 40% Inheritance Tax Rate down to 36%. This makes a material difference for large estates on the actual tax bill and benefits the charity too – a ‘win-win’ outcome. With IHT tax-free allowances frozen for a long time and with rising house prices, increasing IHT taxable estates are costly and giving part to charity makes sense to reduce the tax bill. In addition, donors want to engage with their charity partners to dig a little deeper into ensuring their donations make an impact for their chosen causes or projects. The younger generation (being recipients of the intergenerational wealth transfer from their baby-boomer parents) are now being made aware that their education and starting point in life allows them to not only build further from what their parents have ‘invested’ in them but to do so whilst giving away part of that accumulated wealth to benefit those with disadvantaged life chances. By the same token, younger people have influencing peer groups and social media and, therefore, see problems and imbalances in the world at an early stage in their lives. They are encouraging their parents to think differently about philanthropy in terms of activism and are more aware of global issues and the continued need for philanthropy and greater social change. Their involvement can have a profound influence on the priorities of the ‘family legacy’."I believe in giving wealth away which was created. Sharing wealth with others makes me happy" (recent OKA Legacy Donor)

Sponsor Dinner 2019 One Kind Act hosted the annual dinner for Sponsors at Chairman, Shamit Malhotra's home on 22 March 2019.  Over 50 guests enjoyed a drink's reception and a 3-course meal while mingling and chatting.  Taz from The Real Junk Food Project, a cause supported by OKA spoke eloquently and movingly about the shocking waste of supermarkets on one hand and the hunger of deprived families, children and the elderly on the other. With the help of OKA, TRJFP has saved 250 tonnes of food that would have been thrown away and instead employed chefs to cook warm nourishing meals for the poor.  Ritu Soni, OKA Associate, gave a snapshot of where sponsors' money had been used to immeasurably improve and save lives. Ajay Khindria, OKA Trustee, spoke about exactly how much money had been raised, given away and the transparency and due diligence employed by OKA to ensure the most effective use of money.  The speeches were deeply appreciated by all present who undertook to continue supporting the noble work done.

There were many very tempting Auction prizes up for grabs at One Kind Acts’s Step A-Head ball held in January 2018 in aid of sufferers of brain injury.One such prize was a fine-dining experience - to be enjoyed in the comfort of one’s own home but at the hands of hospitality of One Kind Act and Vazzas Green Cuisine. Sanjay and Noreen Sumra came forward to very generously bid for this indulgence. The day, Saturday 1st September, was eagerly anticipated. Much exchange of conversations and emails regarding the format, menu and drinks were to be had, with no leaf unturned to guarantee an evening to remember.  And what a delightful evening it turned out to be!On a beautiful balmy warm night, against a backdrop of crisp green lawns and tall coniferous trees, an ambience of peace and serenity filled the space. There followed the delights of the evening….§  Mouth watering spread of canapes accompanied by pink bubbly§  Stunningly presented main dishes using the best of Vazzas fresh and wholesome ingredients, together with copious amounts of carefully selected high quality wines§  On call butler service provided by the OKA team to ensure that the quests were wined and dined to their hearts’ desireThe evening was a happy success, with both the hosts and guests truly appreciative, as were One Kind Act for having the kind and generous support of Sanjay and Noreen.One Kind Act would like to thank the chef, Varun Thapar, and his sous-chef Esha Thapar, of Vazzas Green Cuisine for their enormous contribution of providing all the food for free and for their very professional delivery on the night.  Please check out their website www.vazzasgreencuisine.co.uk.   

Lahore Kebab restaurant in Harrow was the venue for the third annual sponsors dinner hosted by One Kind Act.  A drinks reception followed by a three-course meal was a resounding success attended by almost seventy guests.  Around twenty sponsors mingled with half a dozen causes that had benefitted from their donations.  Feedback indicated it was deeply satisfying for donors to hear first hand how their money was being used effectively to improve lives of the impoverished in UK and around the world.Speeches from some of the causes highlighted the scale of the suffering in some areas but also the huge difference in bringing happiness and relief the money through One Kind Act had achieved. Amar, committee member of One Kind Act spoke comprehensively about the due diligence, the safeguards and the processes in place to raise money and ensure its use to bring maximum, long term impact with no wasteful costs to some of the most destitute.There was deep appreciation for the transparency of One Kind Act and pledges by all sponsors present to continue their support.

"I couldn't ask for more of a miracle" Mattie Lacey-Davidson speaks to charity founder and father of womanwho survived a brain haemorrhage about their efforts to give back..Read the original article in Asian Inspired Magazine. Also available in gallery below.In January 2016 a 26-year-old from Harrow had an unexpected brain haemorrhage and after a “miracle” recovery she is planning a charity event to raise awareness and funds for brain injuries around the world.Alisha Malhotra, now 27, is working with her father's charity One Kind Act to arrange the Step A-Head Charity Ball, taking place in January 2018, two years after she was hospitalised.Her father, Shamit Malhotra, explains: “She was very critical and we didn't think she would survive, She was in hospital for five months, we didn't know if she would survive or how she would be. When she woke up she couldn't speak, read, write or move.“She had to learn everything from the beginning and spent months in rehab, both physical and psychological. I couldn't ask for more of a miracle, I'm glad she's alive.Despite a recovery her father lovingly hails a miracle, Alisha is unable to return to work as a teacher because she has aphasia.It is a condition that affects the brain and leads to problems using language correctly. People with aphasia make mistakes with the words they use, sometimes using the wrong sounds in a word, choosing the wrong word, or putting words together incorrectly.Considering that she had forgotten how to speak when she awoke from a four-week coma and had to learn every single word all over again, Alisha has come a long way.Her father adds “We wanted to do something with brain injury because I know we are so lucky, the only reason she survived is because we live in this country. She had to be operated on immediately, and then the care that came, anywhere ’ I know we are so lucky, the onlyreason she survived is because we live in this country else and she wouldn't be alive. many other countries just don't have the facilities. “She has been an inspiration, she's fought so hard despite losing everything and she‘s come a long way, so we wanted to do something to help people around the world."Her noteworthy efforts don't stop there, Unable to work she is currently looking for voluntary positions and hopes to be able to mentor others.It is clear that she inherits her charitable attitude from her father, He founded the charity One Kind Act in January 2015. He explains why: “I have always tried to put money aside to help people, my father used to do that so I did it and I wanted to teach the same to my children."Visit onekindact.org for charity and event details.

Just Living? Having a Strong Moral Compass helps!Is your moral compass active?Today’s interconnected, mass social media society is quick to praise or condone actions. Witness the speed with which individual comments or visual images transform into collective opinion or video footage going viral. In one sense this poses an interesting dilemma for the individual – are you ‘with’ or ‘against’ the so-called popular ‘instant wisdom’. Do you stand up for what’s right when unpopular, show commitment to ethical standards and integrity through words and actions. In whose interests do you act and do you take personal accountability and expect the same of others? Is your moral compass active?In recent months, populism seems to have taken root - there is anger, sadness, frustration, mistrust, loss of confidence, etc – over a range of different issues, especially against the ‘the establishment’. This provides fertile ground for politics, business and ‘alternative facts’ to exploit. Images play a powerful role, they ferment passions when you see strife and turmoil in the Middle East or hunger and starvation in Africa or environmental damage from illegal deforestation and burning in Asia or, nearer home, abuse and exploitation of the young and vulnerable. Reputational damage is caused when you see mistreatment of an airline passenger, bloodied and being dragged off an aircraft or car emissions data misused to circumnavigate regulations or when cybercrime results in financial loss or personal information and data hacked into. And add to this continued bribery and corruption across the world between business and politicians. Mixed into this heady cocktail is ‘the media’ – print, sound and visual. Then there is social media, created for and by itself, the consumer digests its own news. Boundaries are weak between what is perception and reality, fact and fiction and news and fake news. Our sensory perceptions are under constant exposure to news, views, e-mails, texts, twitters and whatapps’ - the compass in your mind just whizzing around in no particular direction or purpose!The Third Sector – needs to watch its compass deviation?Back to the individual – he/she enjoys life and works hard (private sector), must pop-in to see his/her local GP (public sector) and is lucky to have an affordable place to stay (for example, housing provided by the third sector). This scenario in unlikely to be rare and is a simplistic illustration of our mixed-use economy. The role played by this third sector, the charitable and voluntary sector, is important. It provides another vital layer of a safety net and contributes to our cohesiveness. This includes a diverse range of organisations from social enterprises, community workshops and clubs/societies to think-tanks, private research initiatives and cooperatives. The notion of community spirit still thrives and in practice, individuals engage with each other in a multitude of ways to commit time and money in giving.From time to time the charity sector comes under the microscope – a well-known and powerful on-line fund platform that facilitates the raising of hundreds of millions of pounds has come in for much criticism over the quantum of fees it generates on donations plus related gift-aid and the transparency over its charges. Its defence might be persuasive – there is no reason why a ‘for-profit’ charity cannot operate as a ‘for-good’, highly professional, reliable and trusted organisation that has a proven track record in enabling a vast range of causes from raising funds. There is mutual dependency at work here – the technology and innovation provided by the talented people who run the platform acts as the ‘generator’ for fund raising that is scalable. But in turn, the platform becomes a ‘taker’, the bigger the volume of funds raised, the greater its fees. The danger for the platform is the perception of greed, arrogance and a sort of monopolistic behaviour arising from its success. If the public believes it is getting a value add service, the relationship will survive but its needs to be wary of the risk of moral hazard, of being seen as ‘taking but not giving’.Transparency is about doing the right thing, being open, accountable and trustworthy. However, it is possible for charities to be smart and business-like whilst retaining core values at the same time.Similarly, certain charities have been fined recently by the regulator responsible for data protection. Breaches have occurred in the buying, selling and sharing of personal information of donors, between charities and third parties. The aim was to exploit (‘data mine’) the valuable information that data analysis can provide of donors’ wealth, preferences and lifestyles, with a view to targeting alternative avenues for further donations. The involvement of third parties is to use technological capabilities that charities do not possess and in return, they are able to further data process the core personal information. The use and abuse of data, be it at work, in cars, on your mobile, tablet or television and the advent of the internet of things, poses interesting challenges. Who or what data really controls your personal moral compass?One Kind Act – a place to rebalance the compass?Well, if you embrace ‘compassion’ and play around with the word, then you can quickly reset your compass! Today it sees everyone is a staff member, an associate, customer, client, buyer, follower, a crowd funder, a whatsapp group member, etc. We are identified by mobile numbers, e-mail addresses, passwords, user ID’s, etc. Somewhere in there is a person, a living being capable of detaching from the omni-channel existence of handhelds and headphones and wanting a connection that makes a difference.OKA is that channel – a conduit to be part of life that makes sense of living, where through your own actions and interactions with fellow like-minded people, you get to build something worthwhile. Your personal compass will guide you to your destination – a cause you want to pursue, an event you want to contribute to, your expertise and time you want to volunteer or simply to give something that makes a difference with someone else’s life compass.Kaushik ShahSupporter of One Kind Act