Greeting everyone and very happy Easter.
Needless to say I am still unable to return to India but hope that this will be possible later this year
In the year since my last visit, so much has happened for all of us, all we can do is pray for those who have suffered so badly, giving thanks that there is a possible clear path ahead.
As you would expect I have been in very regular contact with our staff and people, thanks to emails, WhatsApp and Skype and I am so thankful to be able to say that all of of those we support have remained safe. The various lockdowns in India have been much stricter than here, I often think as I am on my daily permitted walk of our slum people confined to very small huts with no electricity, toilets or easy access to water. Most are in overcrowded homes facing extreme heat.
However, our wonderful staff have managed throughout to support our elders and children with a hot meal every day, keeping regular visiting and meeting need as it has arisen.
Christmas was different this year as it was for all of us, the front cover picture shows the children with cancer we support with their Christmas gifts. Gifts were given to all of those children, in and out patients, slum elders and children, our exiled residential elders, leprosy families and their children.
Christmas gift distribution during a lockdown break.
Within the slum meal preparation and delivery has been the main function, however as I write the children are being allowed to our rooftop tuition centre in small batches. The elders lunches have been extremely important. The government has supplies food items on a regular basis, usually oil, grains and a few vegetables, but undoubtedly our meal delivery has been essential. As we have vacated our shelter home all of the cooking has taken place in our very small kitchen in our office area, again our wonderful staff have coped.
As mentioned in my last report we moved our most vulnerable elders to a remote village home, leasing our shelter home to another charity who had been city centre based. The elders have been very happy and settled and most important of course safe. This has made us think seriously about moving them back when the pandemic ends. Our now leased home supports a small hospice, the lease rental enabling us to provide a daily food bag of fruit, biscuits, cake, eggs and milk to the children with cancer who are in patients. Infection risk meant that we could not provide a hot meal. This is in addition to the monthly allowances given to each family.
We have also provided cool water dispensers which are filled with purified water daily, hand sanitisers, masks and other essentials to the children. In addition, we have supplied the paediatric department with oximeters and some other essential equipment needed for our children.
The leprosy colony is of course used to isolation, we have continued our monthly food packets and emotional support, work with the children there has continued but has been more limited.
The palliative care ambulances in Trivandrum have been unable to run because of traffic restrictions, however, certain vehicles were permitted to run so our funds have been switched to that support. It was also necessary to have a coordinator to organise the normal care to those in isolated villages, so we did contribute to that cost.
Where possible funds have been used for - as an example - providing chickens for a widow whose husband had been supported by our visits living in serious poverty, this as well as normal “welfare” care in providing diapers, food kits, bed mats etc.
In Mavelikara our buildings that for so long were home to boys and girls are are gradually being reused as we help to develop a self sustainable training unit for disadvantaged young women. The courses are ready but COVID restrictions are holding up further development. Apart from a small initial sponsorship of 4 students this will not be a responsibility for us financially but will make good use of our buildings until we can make more permanent decisions about their usage. This will have to wait until my return.
What the pandemic has made us realise is that our assets - 2 excellent buildings, are long term income generators for the future of the Trust. We continue to plan for the longer term future particularly as we develop the work with children who have cancer living in isolated, drought stricken villages. Undoubtedly, there will be changes as we look forward, but we do so with optimism thanks to the excellent support that has continued for so many years. We are so grateful for this.
India undoubtedly is changing, though the pandemic will have a very negative effect on structural improvement. We need to adapt also to any changes never losing sight of our determination and commitment to support and serve the very poorest. Matthew 25.40.
Thank you so much for sharing this vision.
Please stay safe.
Pat
