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Run
for Brighter Future !
We are delighted that we now have six
volunteers to run for Brighter Future in the The British
10K London Run that takes place on 12 July 2009.
Their ages range fro 15 to 70 - four ladies
and two men!
We will set up a secure method of paying over the internet
with JustGiving, whom we have used before. Each participant
can have a page on JustGiving where people can donate. This
will be set up nearer the time of the Run. Any one can make
a donation to any runner!
One of our greatest supporters has
offered to pay the £176 entrance fee for the 6 charity
places, so that our Brighter Future funds won’t be
depleted. Of course, if there are six more of you who are
willing to Run for Brighter Future, we will gladly buy another
Ticket to Run!
Another lovely
surprise!
The Betty Lawes foundation has very kindly
remembered Brighter Future International Trust again! They
built an extension on the roof of the original Prem Nivas
building so that we could take more children. We find new
children every month who need our care and support.
We now have 33 children at Prem Nivas
our first HIV home for the most malnourished and infected
orphan children. Children are referred to us by our social
workers, by doctors, pastors and testing centre staff. There
are many severely ill children and widowed mothers hidden
away in towns and villages for fear of stigma and discrimination
that the disease brings.
Our little boy with full-blown AIDS, Raja
Rao, is sadly very near the end of his life. He was in hospital
for a time but asked to come back to Prem Nivas to be with
his friends. Becky and Anjali have been a great help looking
after him, along with our staff. This task is especially
difficult because of his sickness, incontinence and his
failing mind.
We are indebted to them, and all
of our staff, for their selfless devotion at this very distressing
time.
Target £7300
by Dec 2009 for the new Senior Boys Home
We found out that the donations we received recently from
all over the world were given to us, instead of wedding
presents, to one of our sponsors. Olivia and Desmond said
they didn’t need wedding presents and recommended
Brighter Future to receive donations instead!
Prem Nivas
The visit of Louise, Trust Officer at
The Leprosy Mission, to monitor and evaluate all the projects
that they fund and see the building that The Leprosy Mission
made for us at Prem Nivas, was the highlight of the month.
Louise and several staff at the Peterborough
office, and their friends and relations also sponsor some
of the Prem Nivas children so they were all delighted to
see ‘Louise Aunty’. These children also enjoyed
meeting Louise at the airport. All the Prem Nivas have been
kitted out in new blue shirts, blouses, skirts and pants.
.
Govind, Ramesh and Eshwari have got measles as they were
not around when it infected lots of the children last year.
They will be carefully monitored for signs of complications.
Bapuji Leprosy
Colony
The colony was also visited by Louise for
TLM, as they were major funders in the project. Brighter
Future initiated the house building and raised £6000,
the Andhra Pradesh government gave £3000 and a hundred
bags of cement. The rest of the cost was funded by The Leprosy
Mission.
The official opening is set for 5 November. We have renamed
it New Bapuji Colony!
Picnic Time
Again
On Saturday 8 November, fifty of the older
children are going to the seaside and the nearby Vuda Park,
with its huge slides and climbing frames. This picnic outing
has been paid for by donations from Coty Ltd, participants
at the Kennington Summer Fayre and by a donation from JJC.
A bus and driver is hired for the day. Huge containers of
yellow rice and curried eggs, plus several hands of bananas
go with the children to the best and safest beach in Visakhapatnam.
There are golden sands, a shallow beach and lots of interesting
rock pools to be explored or treated as mini paddling pools.
The remaining fifty children will go on
another day.
Bundles of
Joy
Every year we give Christmas presents called ‘Bundles
of Joy’ to our leprosy patients in the six colonies
to whom we give medical and social care. We give them cash
towards the Communal Christmas celebrations. These centre
on a Big Meal to which all friends and relations are invited.
The money also helps decorate the colony with tinsel and
tissue paper, cut-out flags and re-whitewashing the front
of the houses. Each colony expects about 1000 rupees –
that is about £12.50!
At Bapuji, our adopted colony, each resident
gets a Christmas present, usually new clothes, extra rice
and dhal and little things like combs and soap. This is
the only occasion that they can get new things as they can’t
afford to buy anything themselves. We also give them some
money towards their Christmas dinner.
If anyone would like to help us spread
this little bit of cheer we would be very pleased to receive
donations towards the cost!
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