The Trust started in 1990 when Pat, on what was meant to be a one off visit took on responsibility for a small children’s home that was in danger of closing. This was the beginning of a long and often difficult road to develop projects with long term friend Muthukumar, that today include a shelter home for street elders, a slum lunch centre, tuition facilities for over 100 slum children, support for a leprosy colony and in the past 5 years development of a programme under government licence to help the poorest children suffering from cancer. This followed a 16 year project to provide palliative care to housebound Dahlit cancer patients.
The Trust is registered in India as well as the UK and had always promised to send all donated funds to the projects.
As a registered Trust we retain ownership of all of our land and buildings.
Family Trip expenses were paid personally.
Dear Friends
After a shorter visit to India I can at last say that we have, following all the government criteria, passed on our project, buildings and land, in Mavelikara, to the Marthoma Church. ( Mar - St. Thoma - Thomas). St.Thomas is believed to have taken the Christian faith to Kerala and established the church there.
The church has a lot of projects throughout the state and a strong emphasis on working with the poorest.
For those unaware of the history of our project a brief resume.
The project was started with a building programme , 2 dormitory buildings and a dining block, to help children and families after the Tsunami in 2004. Tens of thousands of acres of paddy fields were contaminated by salt water and or destroyed, affecting the livelihood of hundreds of families who existed as workers on this fields. Families were divided as fathers moved to other parts of India to find work leaving children with a homeless mother who needed to work.
At the time we were running a boys and girls home in Trivandrum city in rented buildings, property buying beyond our means in the city area, but the opportunity to build our own complex in this devastated area was made possible by generous donations from our supporters and we were recipients that year of the Norwich Diocesan Lent appeal. So we moved! The early days were based in a cows shed as building was underway, over the next year our existing 40 children were joined by tsunami affected children, till eventually we had over 60 resident children.
Over the next 16 years we were able (thanks to sponsorships) to provide excellent accommodation for several hundred children plus have tuition facilities for many more.
Then came the pandemic.
As the pandemic eased we realised that residential accommodation was no longer a priority, or even a necessity in an area that had recovered from the Tsunami effects, our children were all reunited with their families because of the pandemic, so it was decision time.
Here I emphasis as always, that our Trust owned the land and buildings. Without intending criticism many foreign charities buy land or erect buildings that then become property of recipients. In the short term this may seem fine as projects run but at some point in the future ownership will pass to individuals who stand to make a substantial personal profit. There are many examples…….
However, I did register as a Trust before purchasing land and buildings which meant and means that ownership was secure with us.
Our complex had doubled in value over the years and there was an option for selling commercially. This was considered and discussed but there were complexities around tax, agents fees and also a myriad of problems to face as I was “Settlor”, which meant that nothing could happen without my permission. This was ok when we set it up, but changes in the law meant that no foreigner is allowed to be in that position now, this would have taken some sorting out!
However, commercial sale was not what we thought appropriate. The initial donors of our project to build the complex gave willingly to help those most in need, not for commmercial gain. It could be said that money raised if we had taken the commercial route could have helped our other projects, but in fact we would have lost a considerable amount in fees / taxes, to say nothing of the potential year(s) it could have taken.
Then came my meeting ( in the U.K.) with the 2 senior Bishops of the Marthoma church ( see previous report) and the decision to gift the buildings to the Marthoma church with the assurance that they would always remain church property and for project use.
In the 2 years that we were non functional we had actually appointed a social worker who was using the buildings for self help groups for local women, also our local friends and trustee had small projects running, so there was some use of the buildings. The bonus was that the church also took over responsibility for providing finance for them to continue.
So on Easter Monday after time in the local registration office our complex was officially handed over to the Marthoma church. They have yet to fully decide how to use the buildings but are considering a respite centre for children with cancer and possibly a home for destitute widows. We have absolute trust in them.
For our supporters there is the knowledge that thanks to them and the 16 years we were operational hundreds of children from our original homes and from the indigent communities affected by the Tsunami, were able to grow up in a safe place and to have an education and security. There are IT workers, bank clerks, chefs, masons, carpenters, even a Bollywood dress designer who would otherwise have dropped in to the child labour system. Now our Marthoma friends will continue with new projects.
The meetings and travelling ( more of that later) involved from Trivandrum to Madurai to Mavelikara meant that time on our remaining projects was somewhat limited. However we did spend time in Madurai and shared in the wonderful work that continues.
Madurai
Now we can concentrate our efforts on the slum that is the base for our work and on continuing with our support of the poorest children with cancer.
Drought remains a major issue in the slum where homes have no water, toilet or electricity facilities.
Our daily lunch provision for over 50 elders is literally a lifeline. We also help with medical care.
The work with our elders is so rewarding. These dear souls are so thankful for their daily lunch and often rely on us for medical care
Sewing Project (Jill Day Centre)
We are delighted with the success of this work. Slum mothers, many of whom had been building labourers, spend mornings or afternoons learning tailoring skills over a six month period. As they complete the course we donate a sewing machine so that they can work from home. Close to 100 have completed the course.
Leprosy colony
We are in our 6th year now of helping this small colony of 30 families providing monthly food support and medical supplies ( bandages, antiseptics etc.) Although many have had treatment for the disease they suffer from hand and limb deformaties. They are also victims of severe discrimination and our role with them is to show acceptance
Children with cancer
As you may have noticed from the photos I was not alone on the trip. With me was my daughter Jo ( a trustee) and grandchildren Freya and Daniel. Jo had not been able to visit for several years and for Freya who is almost 18 and Daniel 16 it was a first trip.
The special thing about Freya being there was that she had cancer at the age of 9 and needed several years of treatment. She was happy to share this and to show that she had recovered to the families on the unit that we care for. It proved to be a very encouraging thing for the families and I was so proud of her willingness to share openly.
We have been working in the paediatric oncology unit for several years now ( under licence) having previously worked with the main Regional Cancer Centre in Trivandrum for several years until the pandemic. Our Unit is part of a large hospital but without the facilities of the Regional Centre. It is undoubtedly overcrowded and lacking in facilities. However, we retain our links with the RCC and children have ( with our support) been transferred for example bone marrow transplants. Treatment is free for children but often short of essential medication and treatment options. Our role is to provide supplementary food and often medication which we source from wholesalers and transport, as many live in surrounding areas or other parts of the city without money to cover travel costs. The children we support come from the poorest sections of their communities.
The other main element is emotional support, something that our staff are well equipped to deliver.
We see this work as an essential for the future of our work as India evolves and progresses. We also support several children based at home, usually in slums or isolated ( drought affected ) rural villages. The essential food and medication we provide for these children is literally life saving.
So, we had a wonderful time with these special children.
The Children’s Centre
Our visit coincided with end of year exams for our children, in for some of the older children it marks the end of their formal education, however all of them will progress to apprenticeships or higher education. All of the children in our centre live in the slum and our centre is essential as we provide tuition and supplementary high protein food. Without electricity ( it gets dark at 6pm all year round) they cannot do homework. So we have a generator. Around 100 children are registered with us from 4-17 years. Even after completing their time with us most of the children remain as volunteers,excellent role models for the others.
If you are a sponsor of one of our leavers an extra
Letter will be with you soon.
So,a shorter trip than usual but essential as we had to fit in with the available appointments at registration offices and of course with the Marthoma Bishops over a busy Easter period.
Easter this year will always be remembered. On Easter Saturday we travelled from Madurai with an overnight stop in Kumily, then on to to Mavelikara a journey of 5 hours. On the way we passed uncountable processions of witness, each procession having hundreds of people. It was incredibly moving. It was also very special that all shops and offices closed over Easter as a mark of respect for the Christian communities. Even though Kerala has the highest Christian membership count in India it is still much less than a quarter of the population.
When I mentioned the processions to one of the Marthoma clergy he said “ if we don’t show, how will they see?”, words that have very much stayed with me.
An incredible experience.
As always we are thinking of our longer term future. We still have ownership of our shelter home and see that as security. Severe drought in Madurai particularly affecting slum areas where there is no hope of sewage connections indicate that we should try to continue for the near future at least. The children with cancer work really needs to continue and ultimately may be the focus of our work.
All that we do or have managed to do is thanks to your incredible support. It is 34 years now since the “ rescue” of a small group of boys - who are now in their 40’s. Our two main staff members, Kartik and Ranjith were part of the next batch, educated by us and now essential for our future.
Dear Muthukumar has been the mainstay of our projects for over 20 years, so we are as secure as possible. We hope and pray that we can continue to serve the very poorest in a simple but loving way.
Many hundreds of children have had educational and emotional support whilst living in conditions that photos can’t really explain, but they grasp the opportunities offered and are so grateful. Our elders, with life stories that would horrify now feel loved.
For the children with cancer we know ( without wanting to seem dramatic) that many lives have been saved by our intervention. We are open, fully registered with authorities and above all have secured our assets so that they will never benefit individuals but will be used for the poorest
So far it has worked!
Thank you all so very much for your trust and ongoing support. All you have read today is thanks to you.
With love and prayers.
Pat
Dear Friends,
As we approach Christmas, I had hoped to be able to say that we have completed negotiations to pass over our buildings in Mavelikara to the Marthoma Church.
Things have progressed but there are still minor difficulties to overcome mainly centred on tax issues. We still hope to pass the final hurdles within two or three months.
However, in spite of the issues we have needed to solve we do so because ownership of the 3 buildings and almost an acre of land is with us.
This is so important. Without intending criticism many charities buy land and/or erect buildings that in effect become the property of the recipients. Well meaning donors have no say in what happens in later years, as land and buildings increase in value. We have seen examples first hand of recipients of such donations having substantial personal benefit in the longer term.
This was the prime reason for registering our Trust in India. The Mavelikara project was built to help children and families after the Tsunami and to provide better accommodation for our boys and girls homes that were until then in rented buildings. It provided a substantial and beneficial home for several hundred children for over 10 years, but it is now no longer needed. We still run small projects, mainly self help groups, for local women and fishing communities, but do not need large buildings to do so.
A lot of options were examined, as previously reported, with selling particularly investigated as the land had increased in value. However, there would have been extensive tax, registration, agents and auditors fees that would have taken a lot of the “profits”. Also the money that was donated for that project was given for our ongoing service work. I am therefore now reluctant to go for a straight sale which would have to be commercial - and would have taken a good year or so anyway!
Starting new projects was briefly considered. This is really not needed in that area that had been devastated by the Tsnami but is now flourishing, so we began to look for another organisation that would continue our work with the same emphasis on caring for the poorest.
The answer came in two meetings I had in London, first with the most Senior Bishop in the Marthoma Church - the main (Christian) church in Kerala. This was followed a few weeks later with another London visit to the Marthoma area Bishop who has Mavelikara under his care (both in UK when we needed them to be!)
They are, as already reported, more than happy to take over our work ( with certain stipulations from us), and are already suggesting a long term care home for destitute elderly. They would / will also provide finance needed to support our existing ongoing Kerala work.
I went to India last month to meet both Bishops again, plus local clergy as we seek the correct path to move forward. See front cover photo.
This means that we are passing on our work to the church who are in a much better position to effectively use the premises. This is so important and those who contributed to those buildings will know that the work we started will continue for many years to come and will never “belong” to an individual (or group of) but will remain in service. This should happen at the end of March!
Those meetings/negotiations took much of the time I was in India but I did get through to Madurai which has been and will continue to be the main hub of our work.
Time in the slum was limited but I was with our elders over a lunch period, met all of our children and made a brief visit to the leprosy colony. Most of my time was spent at the cancer hospital where our work with the poorest children continues to be so important. We have undoubtedly saved lives by providing medications essential for treatment but unavailable in the hospital (we buy direct from a wholesaler.) This with our essential food bags are underpinned by the essential emotional support our staff offer to parents. I was able to contribute to this - sitting with a small group of mothers expressing (through tears); their concern for their daughters who were losing most of their hair during chemotherapy, by sharing photos of my own family member before treatment and after.
The families we help come from city slums or drought affected rural villages. The hospital is almost the only option for those who will be unable to access the specialist hospitals in Chennai or Trivandrum, though we have funded some bone marrow treatments at these centres. Staff are excellent but facilities basic, this was summarised for me by a visit to the ward that children will be moved to on reaching 13 years. It is male and female with barely a foot between beds which hold not only patients but also family support members. The heat was overwhelming. I met a 13 year old girl with her widowed mother, both malnourished. Mother can’t leave her daughter in those conditions to go out for food - she doesn’t have money anyway and doesn’t know how they will get back to their village if her daughter recovers or completes treatment. One of many (yes, we are helping them.)
The main children’s ward is overcrowded with two children having chemo lying on the floor. The staff are really good and families try to help each other. A birthday was being celebrated during my visit. It is perhaps important to say here that our work is not just ad hoc, but permitted under government and hospital authorities licence. Our own staff are there daily and have an important role, not just in providing daily food bags but also essential transport to and from treatment, many could not get to treatment without our ambulance support. As already mentioned accessing medical resources from outside the hospital is another essential role. If we didn’t do it some treatments would not happen..
The other projects
Other projects are continuing really well. Several of our children are taking final school exams - equivalent to our GCSE’s and ALL will be moving to apprenticeships or higher education. We have several children on degree courses now and virtually all of them move on within our groups to be volunteers. A reminder that these are all children from the slum where we base our work having been brought up in homes with no electricity, running water or toilets.
At the other end our younger children all attend regularly and are a delight to see!
Our elders still rely on our daily cooked lunch, which happens over two sittings in our concrete block in the slum. The promised toilets have never happened because of the continuing drought but the slum clearance programme we expected will not now happen, however, some families have now been given ownership of the “land” that their shacks have been built on (average 10 by 6 feet) so that if they can afford it they can erect a more permanent home, unlikely for our elders but a clear sign that any thought of moving the residents will not happen.
Our leprosy friends continue in their restricted environment, sadly 2 of our long term friends have died, but we still help 29 families.
Muthukumar’s visit
We are bringing Muthukumar to the U.K. at the end of November for a 2 week visit. He hopes to meet as many of you as possible.
We will be having coffee in St. Stephen’s Church coffee area - next to Marks and Spencer on Monday mornings 27th November and 4th December and Saturday 9th December between 10 - 12. He would love to meet anyone who can come! His programme is developing, one event being at Blofield Church on December 10th (11am service followed by a glass of wine) when I will be celebrating 40 years of church service.
Our work is obviously evolving and hopefully by the next report we will have more settled plans to report as we look at the longer term and what we can realistically achieve. Obviously we are thinking about the future as we always have been. I return in March which will mark 34 years of the Trust’s existence during which a lot of lessons have been learnt but also thousands of lives helped or touched thanks to your support. India of course has also changed a lot (I’ve deliberately not mentioned moon rockets) but many live still without basic necessities and they are the ones we concentrate on. Our sincere thanks to you all for such wonderful support, we would not have reached this point without you. We have always and will continue to use funds entrusted to us to help the poorest and to continue to offer unconditional love.
Christmas greetings from me, our trustees Paula and Jo and Muthukumar, Karthik and Ranjith in India.
Dear Friends,
Well, after two and a half years I have finally been able to get back to our projects, just a short visit but long enough to observe progress and to encourage and thank our wonderful staff for their incredible efforts over such a difficult time.
I can confirm that throughout the pandemic we continued with hot meal delivery for all our slum elders, delivered monthly supplies to the leprosy colony and provided support to the paediatric unit at the local hospital. This was essential. Lockdown restrictions meant that parents were unable to go outside to buy food for their children. We provided a daily food bag of fruits, biscuits, multi vitamins and other items. The hospital did provide one meal every day, a watery dhal, not enough for a child with cancer. Equally important was our provision of water coolers and replenishing them daily with clean filtered water. We also provided hand sanitisers, masks and gloves, none of which were provided by this hospital in a poor area. Transportation and provision of some needed but unavailable medicines were also priorities.
Our slum sponsored children were also supported with regular food supplies and as possible educational help.
It was very difficult for the children and the slum community. Being confined to a shack around 8 by 10 with no electricity, water supply or toilet for several hours daily over many months took its toll on all the people. The very strict lockdown undoubtedly saved lives but it doesn’t take much imagination to realise how hard it must have been. Our staff were given dispensation to deliver essential things like food and water and did so throughout the pandemic period. Although we provided PPE for the staff they all contracted the virus but thank God survived.
Our residential elders had been moved to a home in a remote village as we saw the pandemic increasing. They were safe there and we continue to support them. In the meantime our shelter home building was used on a temporary lease by another charity, the monies raised from that rental covering many of the additional costs with the cancer hospital.
I will just add a reminder that our city is drought affected and poor with many slums, progress or development of the slums is difficult when there is no water for drinking, without regular filling of water tanks, and of course no water means no sewage movement.
Our years of development and work experience allowed us to operate outside of many of the restrictions with our long term reputation with the local dignitaries being important.
So, an update on the children with cancer.
It was a real joy to spend time on the paediatric oncology unit with the dedicated staff. Currently we support 16 in patient children and another 20+ still undergoing treatment at home. They are in individual rooms which are much improved after our deep clean and decoration of the unit. Some of the children are very sick and need isolation, but others have little in the way of stimulation as they undergo treatment. The rooms are either side of a long corridor so I had an idea! A trip to a local shopping area led to the purchase of a battery car. The faces of the children when they saw it had me in tears. Suddenly the corridor was full, interaction began and great delight as they took it in turns to ride. One in to sixteen means queues, so we got another two cars!
This plus a couple of other play toys made for wonderful afternoon. The parents were keen also to express thanks for the essential food we have provided.
The Slum
I arrived at our slum in the dark so difficult to take photos but it was wonderful to see all of our ladies who never seem to complain, we were to meet at the shelter home the next day. The younger children were in our small hut lit by a generator for their classes, again great exuberance! We continue to provide tuition and care for over a hundred children in 2 locations. I met the older children the next day as they assembled on the rooftop of our office building. The older children frequently go on to degree courses, something beyond their dreams a few years ago, our graduates number well in to the hundreds now thanks to their hard work, our excellent teachers and staff and the strong desire to do well for their sponsors.
Shelter and slum elders
We had a lovely lunch together in the shelter home when saris were given to each lady plus a lavender bag (Norfolk lavender of course) made by Jenny one of our sponsors. This was followed by lunch. That the pandemic was difficult for them was apparent but they expressed their gratitude for the daily hot meals and contact. Four ladies died but we are unsure of the reason, largely the slum was not affected by the virus. The strict lockdown though difficult beyond, what we experienced here, saved lives.
Four new ladies joined the group at that lunch, bringing our slum elders back to 52.
Leprosy Colony
We have supported this colony for 7 years now. As they are always isolated the virus did not affect them but sadly 3 of our friends did die, life expectancy is short in the colony due to physical effects of the disease - not just the obvious disfigurements but also heart issues, constant chest infections and compromised immune systems affect the individuals.
As we do every month we delivered supplies for each family of rice, fruits, bandages, antiseptics and vitamins.
So now we come to a major piece of news.
Mavelikara
The Trust has been working for almost 33 years now and the early part of the work was in starting a boys, then girls, homes. These worked well in rented buildings in the Trivandrum area. Our work in Madurai (intially in conjunction with another charity) developed, changing with the decision to work there independently through the registration of a new Trust.
The rented buildings in Trivandrum district were not of the standard we wanted so fundraising began with a view to building our own homes.
Then came the devastating Tsunami of 2004. I went to India 3 days after the event as it had impacted our work in Tamil Nadu, experiencing scenes there I still find it hard to speak about.
In the Trivandrum area the tsunami effect was much less severe but had an impact on our home children, most of whom were from the coastal areas. These areas on the west coast saw less loss of life but severe impact on the paddy fields that were saturated with salt water. Over 700,000 acres were unable to be cultivated. For the paddy workers who lived from field to field as they harvested there was now no work. As a result many of the men went to other areas to find work leaving wives and children. It was possible for women to find work often as housemaids, but children were not accepted. So many children were living outside compound walls while their mother’s worked.
Land and building costs were much cheaper in that area so with money we had already raised plus being recipients of the Norwich Diocesan Lent project, we were in a position to buy some land and put up 3 buildings, a boys home, girls home and dining block.
Please note as I had registered the new Trust as Settlor the complex ownership was secure with us (these days this would not be allowed.)
So we were able to eventually move our children from the city area and to take many of the Tsunami affected children in to our care. It wasn’t easy, makeshift huts and even a cow shed were used for classrooms and accommodation as the buildings were raised, but eventually the Bishop of South Kerala opened our homes. We had by then over 60 sponsored children.
Everything progressed well along with our parallel work in Tamil Nadu for several years but gradually the need for the residential homes became less. We moved on to being a tuition/residential centre but even that after a while was not so needed. Our remaining children could be sponsored at home (better than residential care). Therefore by 2017, we were looking for alternative uses for the building as the numbers of children needing help decreased. Then came 2019 and COVID. Travel to India was not permitted and lockdown meant that our buildings were not in use.
The past 2/3 years have been difficult. New trustees were appointed and as the restrictions were lifted we were able to clean, paint and where necessary renovate the buildings. Lifting of visa restrictions have enabled me to return and now we look to the future of the buildings and operation.
Dining block
The buildings are being used. A recently appointed social worker has started soap making and self help groups for local women. A Skills training unit used one of the buildings for a year. We see a real need for the main area of our work to be with a local children's cancer unit (and the need for support there mirrors that of our Madurai work), but it does not need the number of buildings we have available.
Initially the plan was to have a respite centre for children from the local area and our Madurai hospital so that there was a clean and safe place available following bone marrow transplants and other surgeries as many of the children would be going home to rural and city slums. This idea had to be shelved because of infection risks and concerns about being away from hospitals. We have however been able to offer accommodation to some sick children - for example recently a mother whose newborn had heart surgery would have taken that child home to a fishing community shack. This sort of help however does not need a complex as big as ours and it makes sense to realise the value and release funds.
You will understand that in a short visit it was difficult to make definite decisions but after 32 years of working in India I can see that releasing capital by selling part or all of the complex will push us towards the long held dream of self sufficiency.
I have discussed the options with our trustees and advocate (solicitor). Selling all or at least part of the complex is almost certainly going to be the pathway.
The buildings have increased substantially in value and could secure the long term future of the Trust. This will take up to a year but will eventually enable a scaled down but efficient and largely self sufficient operation across all of our work.
So I need to go back (probably after Christmas) and then final decisions will be made.
Muthukumar will act on my behalf in the meantime as we plan and pray for the right decisions that will affect the future of our dependant people and our mission.
It is perhaps pertinent at this point to explain again the lives of the people we help. They are all part of the Dalit (Untouchable) communities living in city or rural slums. In Madurai our community lives in a large slum with no water, toilets or electricity. Most will live in rudimentary shacks and are reliant on government deliveries of water in this drought affected area. The local hospital helping children with cancer does it’s best with dedicated staff, but many children would not even reach hospital without our help and could not afford post treatment medications that are essential for recovery. Our ambulances have been invaluable. Average income of those we help will be less than £20 weekly.
In Kerala it is different. Drought and lack of water are not issus and the influx of Gulf money has widened the gap between the very well off and those in rural and fishing communities. Flooding is regular and those we help will be living in very poor slum like conditions. Children with cancer will face the same problems as those in Madurai. I can say with absolute assurance that many children in both areas have been only had life saving treatment because of our intervention.
After 32 years of project set up and development I can of course, see wonderful improvements in the infrastructure and progress in India. Perhaps in another 10 years or so our help will not be needed but we are at the coal face now. Along with this is the fact that our reputation has been developed by refusing to be involved in corruption, we have respect and co-operation from authority figures and the hospitals where our work has developed. Our carefully maintained assets can help to continue that work.
Key also are our staff. I cannot praise Muthukumar enough, he has worked so hard over so many years and hopefully our assets will enable this to continue.
You, our sponsors, have enabled all of this to happen.
We have maintained our promise of sending all donated funds for our work and have utilised those funds to help those in greatest need. We don’t have offices or advertising campaigns but have been deeply indebted to all of you who have kept our projects alive. Many hundreds of lives have been saved or changed. I wish that you could see the results of your support.
So, we plan, try to find the right path and continue to commit ourselves to the wonderful people we serve.
Thank you all very much.
Dear Friends,
Yet another month goes by, but at long last, subject to visa approval, I am able to report that I will be returning to India next month!
Visa issues have become a difficulty since the start of the pandemic, none being issued for a two year period and even now limited numbers as the country seems to be about 6 months behind the U.K. and currently is seeing a downturn in Omnicron cases. My application is in!
Projects
All continues to go well thanks to our wonderful staff. The work with children with cancer has been prioritised as using what little public transport available is too risky for children undertaking chemotherapy. 46 sponsored children are transported as needed. We provide around 50 food bags every day for the poorest inpatients and continue to give a monthly allowance to a further 52 who are in isolated villages and may be recovering from extensive treatment. More of this when I send a full report after the pending visit.
The elders on our lunch project continue to have a hot lunch every day (52), and we still provide supplementary food for our 112 children in the tuition centre.
The leprosy colony continues as always in isolation, our monthly food supplies for 27 families being an essential lifeline and we have recently restarted the monthly programme for their children and grandchildren who suffer the same isolation.
Plans for the trip
Staff and trustee meetings will be a priority. We are looking at a possible sale of one of the Mavelikara buildings which is underused (Kerala is in a much better position that Tamil Nadu). This inevitably means meeting with Advocates, Accountants and reacquainting myself with Indian bureaucracy! Most important though will be to see our wonderful people, it has been too long a gap.
So full report hopefully on my return!
Every blessing and thanks for your concern and support.
Dear Friends,
Greetings as we approach Christmas 2021 in the hope that our lives are slowly becoming more normal. As it is still not possible for me to travel to India until the new year (flight planning in progress!), this is an update - but I can assure you that we have been very busy in reordering life on our projects as the pandemic finally eases. Not only this but plans are in advanced stages for some changes.
This report will accompany Christmas cards from India. A sponsor recently asked why the reports come from India. The answer is simply, cost. Printing reports here (particularly in colour) is too expensive, in India the costs are much less than half of the cheapest quote we have had in the U.K. (even if they do try to help in presentation leading to occasional bits missing!). The biggest saving is postage, one mailing from India, is much less than in the U.K.
This also lays down foundations for the future. I reach 75 next year, when I hope to make my 58th trip, but obviously I need to be thinking about the longer term future of the Trust. There definitely will be a long term future because the foundations are laid in India, we have long serving and trusted staff and assets which will help financially by lease or sale in the future. Most of all we are well established and trusted, here and in India.
Jo and Paula can take on my role if and when needed, in Muthukumar we have the best security of all. You will have noticed that he is writing letters/reports now and this will gradually increase. We run a joint database and admin system and are in very regular contact, usually daily, as we build on that stability. Our Auditor, Grant (Nurden) has been a Godsend since joining with us, so the future looks secure.
This does not mean I’m stepping back!
With this in mind we are in the process of auditing our database and gift aid details, so enclosed with this report is a short form, we would appreciate it if you could fill this in for us and return in the SAE .
Just a reminder that we are very careful about keeping your details secure with data protection registration and very limited access to your personal details (Trustees and Auditor only.)
Our Projects
We are indeed now back to pre-pandemic working.
Over 100 children attend our drop in tuition centre, mainly in the evening but available in the morning too. Regular feeding programmes are also back to normal.
Our elders are now meeting in groups for lunch. Sadly we have five less, we don’t know if they died as a result of the virus, or just old age as there is no testing available. However most have been vaccinated now.
Our residential home is still on lease (more if that later) because we moved these very vulnerable elders out of the city to a small home run by distant relatives of Muthukumar in an isolated rural area. Our staff have visited weekly. It proved to be a wise move because thankfully they have all remained safe. The idea was to move them back when it is completely safe to do so, but don’t feel that time has come. However, it is possible that we will leave them there. All of the ladies were destitute and/or begging on the streets in Madurai because they were homeless with no-one to support them. They went to the city from remote areas so that they could beg. Now they are happy to be back in the deep countryside away from the city and actually would rather stay there.
This leaves us with our wonderful building which as already said, has been leased to a small hospice style charity. They seem to be excellent, are working with the poorest and cannot afford their own building. So they rent the building from us.
The money that they pay, around £50 monthly enabled us to expand our established daily food bag delivery to children with cancer. There were other children not on our project who were isolated in the hospital, so we were able to help them too. The only hospital food available was a thin dhal, not enough for a child with cancer.
All of the children in this hospital which cares for those too poor to access treatment in the major cancer centres will come from city slums or rural villages. As it is essential for a parent to stay with a child (limited nursing available) the impact on the whole family, already existing on inadequate income, has been profound. To say our food bags were essential is an understatement. So the income from renting our home was invaluable and enabled an expansion of our work. We also ensured daily clean water delivery, sanitation and PPE for staff and children.
Now we are restarting trips to the major specialist hospitals for bone marrow transplants and other advanced treatments. We continue to fully support almost 40 children.
There is more about this project which I will share after the project updates.
Leprosy Home
Our people in the colony are fine; they were already isolated because of the still outdated view of the disease, so they have remained safe. We had one loss, one of our oldest in terms of project participation, Krishnan, sadly had a heart attack. He had no family so as always we arranged his funeral. Throughout the pandemic they have had their monthly food deliveries (10kg of rice, fruits, antiseptics and bandages, biscuits, sugar, vitamins). A specially sponsored weekly children’s camp for children and grandchildren of leprosy sufferers has also restarted. This colony remains a joy to work with.
Our other ambulance work in Trivandrum has been severely restricted by the pandemic, but our friends from Care Plus have provided food packs and essential medical supplies throughout.
A major change that has taken many hours to negotiate (difficult from the U.K.) has been the re-establishment of our homes in Mavelikara. This is in Kerala which is in a different financial category to Tamil Nadu but still with many very poor areas, but with plenty of water and thriving cities. We began the homes after the Tsunami in 2004. The coastal area of Kerala was affected (nothing as bad as the awful devastation I witnessed in Sri Lanka), but the devastation of paddy fields destroyed by salt water had a profound effect on families. Without work many men who had been labourers/coolies on the fields had no option but to move to other areas to work leaving a wife who could not work as she had children to care for. It was a major crisis at the time so as many of you know we started and ran successful boys and girls residential homes for nine years, on our own site in purpose built homes. It took several years for that coastal strip of Kerala to recover but as it did it was obvious that the children should be at home with now reunited families. After closing the residential section we continued a tuition centre for another two years, but it became more and more apparent that even that was not essential.
The Mavelikara land and buildings are owned by the Trust. I Registered a new local Trust before buying land and then building. I am the “settlor” so nothing can take those assets away from us.
When setting up the Trust (under our U.K. umbrella) I appointed local trustees. I did hope that they would use their initiatives to look at other uses for the buildings, but sadly this did not happen. After two years of inactivity I began to take action - then the pandemic started. This caused another year of inactivity and as I could not go to instigate change things began to stagnate.
So action was needed. Fortunately I had contacts through the auditor covering that work and so recruited them to help with what has turned out to be an arduous time.
It was very difficult to dismiss the previous trustees, then appoint new ones and gradually through the legal system to regain complete control of the buildings. This has happened, so now we start again!
It has taken time to make plans but we have first of all leased one of the buildings (free) to a Skills Development project. This is being instigated and managed by one of those who has acted on my behalf throughout negotiations and is now auditor for the re-established Trust. This project trains disadvantaged young women to work in accounts.
We did make a small donation, but this will be a self sustaining and self financing project, obviously our building has helped them to establish, but it is not our project.
This leaves us with what was the Boys Home and Dining block.
Plans are to start children’s and elders camps, for those on our own projects and possibly by making the facilities available for other charities (who would cover their own costs). There is also the option of providing respite care for children with cancer from the local area. This is where a major change in our direction starts.
As the work with children with cancer has developed one thing has become very clear. If the child survives treatment they will be returning to city slums or poor rural areas. This generally means no electricity, almost certainly no toilet facilities so poor or non existent sanitation, limited water and poor diets.
We are already of course, thanks to donations, giving monthly food allowances to the poorest families, but we are aware of the other areas that have affected the families. It’s difficult to understand the emotional effects of dealing with a child with cancer which impacts on the whole family. We think/feel that to offer a sort of half way house between hospital discharge and returning home would do a lot to encourage and help the families to move forward. We are at the early stages of planning (I REALLY need to go!), but this can be started in Mavelikara, but it can also happen in another area closer to Madurai. A 3 hours drive leads to the hill areas where the air is fresh, it’s cooler, and a week of respite we know will help considerably as the family is helped to readjust.
A long standing friend (a horticulturalist) will help us to find a suitable house for renting, he and his wife will provide meals and help our staff who will know the families well. There is a lot we can do in a week. But most importantly we make the family feel that they are not alone. Paula is a paediatric dietitian, Jo a nurse but also mother of a child who had cancer - both are keen to offer their expertise. These are Dalit families, they matter.
Funding will come from utilising our assets via leasing and possibly eventually sales. It is early days but we are all excited about the possibilities. Because of our assets it is possible to plan for the future in this way.
So a lot has been happening! WhatsApp has been wonderful, Zoom and FaceTime, emails… but I do need to be there!
Good news, the children, elders and staff have enjoyed Diwali celebrations with parties and feasts and hopefully we can now look forward instead of marking time. Some photos are attached.
Our thanks again to you all for enabling us to provide truly essential help and services throughout the pandemic. The fact that most of our people have remained safe is thanks to your kindness and generosity.
Hopefully next time, I write it will be following a trip to India.
Every blessing, happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.
Pat
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
