The Adventures of Appa

The Adventures of Appa

Ganesh Murthy (Appa), the protagonist of this book, was born exactly one month after India gained independence from British rule. As the second of five siblings and the eldest son, he spent his early childhood in the serene landscapes of Kerala with his doting grandparents. His youth was marked by travels across the country, including extended stays in Mumbai and Kolkata, where his family eventually settled. A shy and sensitive child, Appa was a keen observer of human nature, able to discern the quirks of those around him quickly. His vivid imagination transformed these observations into amusing tales he would then narrate with great flair.

Appa has always been a captivating storyteller. As children, we, his two daughters (authors), our cousins, friends, and even neighbours, would gather around him during evening power cuts in Calcutta of the eighties, eagerly listening to him recounting his childhood experiences. Laughter filled the dark room, and his stories often prompted requests for encores. Over the years, our friends from school, college, and work would visit our home with a single-point agenda: to hear Appa recount his adventures.

This book is a collection of some of the tales we grew up hearing. We have endeavoured to remain as true to the original narratives as possible, preserving their essence and humour. Yet, beneath the humour lies the poignant story of a child who faced fear and trauma, a child who had to mature far too quickly, and whose dreams were dashed before they could fully form.

ACT India: Ms. Nilanjana Das, Director and Chairperson, who helped us structure this book, and came forward enthusiastically to discuss the book's proposal at its initial stage, despite the lockdown challenges in India.

Asha Zurich Foundation: Dr. Pratyush Das Kanungo, Project Lead and Coordinator for outreach activities, Dr. Rajdeep Deb, President of the organization; and Dr. Sampada Bodke, Project Lead, for supporting this project and coming forward to collaborate for this book.

Humane Warriors: Dr. Naveen Shamsudhin and Dr. Rhythima Shinde, Founders, who were active during the Covid-19, with their Humane Warriors team supporting the daily wage workers across India. Despite a time-crunch they contributed to this book with their timely inputs.

Protsaah - Handcrafted Peace: Ms. Saloni Duggal Sreshtha, Director, who was in India to meet her artisans and was unable to fly back to Zurich due to the lockdown for a long time, despite that she took the time to contribute to this book and raise awareness for the cause.

Rice Mill Social Enterprise: Ms. Ruth Mumba, Director, and Abundance Foundation's Co-Founder Dr. Deepa Pullanikkatil who came forward to contribute to this book with their newly found project in South Africa.

Touching Heart: Ms. Helen Yi, Founder and Project Lead Ms. Sumona Das, who relentlessly worked on different projects and produced hundreds of facemasks herself to combat the pandemic in the USA; helped us get the Founder's interview for this book.

Ushthi Foundation: Ms. Olga Egli, PR and Fundraising Director, who contributed with her inputs, and contacted the Founder Mr. Kurt Büuuml;rki and the Executive Director Ms. Alessandra Grosse for the interview in this book; and Ms. Mirjam Hirzel, International Project Coordinator, for her valuable thoughts and inputs.