CHARITY WORK IN SOUTH INDIA

Many thanks to all of you who have made donations, large and small, one-off or monthly -that have helped so many people in the Kovalam area of Kerala in South India.

You just cannot believe how much good your donations have made - and hopefully will continue to make - to so many people . THANK YOU

If you are feeling kind-hearted, why not make a one-off or a monthly donation and/or organise a simple fund raising event. Last year, one couple sold some football programmes and made enough money to provide 3 new pieces of playground equipment for a small underfunded promary school...and you should have seen the enjoyment it brought to the youngsters when they were unveiled

A BIG THANK YOU  to runners and supporters from SUTTON RUNNERS in Surrey who collected £185 on their coach up to the recent London Marathon

POTENTIAL CRISIS LOOMING

You may have read in the UK press on Saturday 12 April 2008 that the price of rice in India has risen tremendously in recent months.

This time last year, it was around R10/- a kilo and now is is between R80/- and R100/- a kilo.....that is going to create a greater number more poor and potenially starving people in the country of over 1 BILLION (1/3 of the world's population) people.

Any donation, however small, will be spent IN FULL in helping very poor Indian families. PLEASE HELP NOW!!!

RECENT PROJECTS/CONTRIBUTIONS

Educational study trips paid for for 3 local primary schools

Part fees and living costs paid to an orphaned young woman to study for a nursing qualification in a neighbouring State

12 families supported financially each month for food, clothing and education of their children......but there are lots more families in  real need and 10/12 UK pounds a month is a great lifeline to the families.

10 primary school children's education paid for monthly

School fees paid for the son of a recently widowed woman and College Fees  paid for a young woman from a very poor family in a rural area to study for a Computer qualification

After school tuition centre funded for the next academic year starting on 1 June 2008 to provide employment for 5 part time teachers & provide additional education for 25 children a day for 6 days a week

22 families to receive a goat each to provide milk for their use, the surplus capable of being sold to provide a small income for each tribal family

6 families provided with a load of quarry rock that is then broken inot road stone and sold on - creating self sufficient businesses

Playground equipment provided for a kindergarten and primary school

Medical grants given to a 19 year old young man who was paralysed falling from a building on which he was working part time to provide income for his family; and also to another paralysed man of 30 with a wife and child. A further grant has just been given ( 3 March) to a 15 year old boy suffering from Leukaemia and who needs regular and expensive treatment. He will be sitting the equivalent of his GCSE's starting on 10 March....a brave young man.

WHY DON'T YOU HELP?  PLEASE!!!!

Just a few pounds will not be missed and EVERY PENNY you donated is spent in India on projects. This is unlike the 61% of the money donated to the 195,000  registered UK charities that is spent on ADMINISTRATION.....yes, only 39p actually is spent in situ.

If you decide to donate (either regular monthly payments or just a one off donation) contact me and I shall give you the charity bank account at HSBC Bank. We use this bank because money can be withdrawn in the nearby city of Trivandrum without charges being incurred

Here are some photos of projects that are funded or part funded by such donations.

Hareesh Mohan and his Mother Usha Kumar. Hareesh was studying for a BComm and, at the same time, working as the only bread winner in the family. IN December 2007, he fell from some scafolding and is now paralysed from the waist down...but in tremendouse spirits and has brightness in his eyes and a great smile. Thanks to you, the family received a cash grant to help them out of their finaincial difficulties and to pay for some treatment

As with Hareesh above, Sanal, seen with wife and son, had a fall from scaffolding whilst working as a mason 3 years ago. He has no compensation and has bills for medicine and physiotherapy of around R1500/- a month. A significant cash payment was made to him to assist. Thanks again to those who made donations, however small.

This is the home of a very bright young woman who has a place at a college, 24 hours rail journey away from home but no funds to pay for it although her local church helps.           Both of her parents (shown here) are disabled and unable to work and through your generosity, we have agreed to fund her training for 3.5 years.

This is the daughter, Vidhya, of the couple above. She had brilliant reports from school and exam results and has now just left to study in Andhra Pradesh...a 24 hour rail journey. Her fees of a little over £100 a year are being met out of donations by runners in my races and my friends. The significant thing is that by contributing to training, we are investing in the future of Vidhya's community

Some of the children from the Bethel School - 10 of who will have their monthly school fee paid for them

Omana and sister Esther receiving 150 pairs of specs to be distributed to poor people through a local church. These were donated by an opticians in the Home Countiesn and arranged by a couple from Bracknell Forest Runners

This Mother and 3 daughters (1 was at school when the photo was taken) whose Father is very ill are being supported by a woman runners from Kingston AC & Poly Harriers

A Rolls Royce Harrier and family are supporting this family who also take care of the Mother's sister and her daughter

This Mother and 2 children from a Tribal community are supported by a runner from Barnet & Herne Hill Harriers and his partner

Two families of 2 sisters with mental problems are supported by a couple, members Dark Peark Fell Runners & Hallamshire Harriers. The boy in green is a wonderful athlete, dancer and is academically bright.

This family, with no Father, live near our housekeeper. Always smiling despite actue poverty. They are supported by a couple who run for Formula One Crew, a Nottingham-based running club

On Sunday 30 September, no less than 250 families were given free rice as a part of an ongoing project to ensure that the poorest families receive basic food.

Over 200  school uniforms were given to loc al poor children, sewn by local women who were paid for their work and donated as a result of a coffee morning held by a personal friend in Cheshire

The Bethel School is only 1.5kms from the very good Aquarium but none of the children had ever visited it so we rented a bus and took the 98 children and staff for a school visit, paid for by a friend and his Mother. You should have seen the wonderment on the children's faces

A very poor family, supported by one of my race officials and former Epsom & Ewell Borough Council Councillor had no toilet. They are a family from the caste formerly known as Untouchables but now known as Dalits. They live in a forest community and when the toilet was built, it became a COMMUNAL toilet for the whole community, thus providing some decency for local people....and all for £70.  Unfortuately, recently their house fell down and now we need to raise a little over £1500 to rebuild the house with the help of the local council.

A Herne Hill & Barnet Harrier and his partner have agreed to support the very, very undernourished family who live in this house.                      The Mother is 42 with a 20 year old daughter who is very ill but who has daughters aged 3 and 2. The Mother's husband died and the daughter's husband 'did a runner'. They also paid for a well to be dug so that the family have a constant water supply.