Dear friends,

We have recently returned from a 3 week stay in India – visiting the projects which we have been supporting since 1999 and making sure that our donations have reached their proper destination. Travelling from one project to the next, we were delighted to see the progress which has been made and reminded of the vast network of individuals who are contributing so much to FOI activities.

Requests to visit new needy schools and orphanages came every day. It was so difficult to have to say “no” to some of them. We hope that the schools and orphanages we have chosen to help will be those you wish to help too. We were encouraged to see what a very positive spring-board effect our involvement has served in stimulating others both within and outside the Indian communities to make significant contributions.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR WOMEN

Our faithful partners on the ground, the SUEB, are doing wonderful things. We visited numerous self-help groups where the women decide amongst themselves, how they want to improve their lives and their living conditions. They elect leaders who will be trained at the SUEB centre and will then return and transfer that knowledge to other women.

On the 12th of February, we were very proud to inaugurate the Vocational Training Centre, financed by FOI, where women from 65 villages in Tamil Nadu will receive vocational training. These women from poverty-stricken families are often the only bread-winners. Learning a trade like card-making, tailoring, typing, packaging spices, jam and chutney-making provides not only a financial means of survival, but allows them to have a true sense of identity and positive self esteem.
A detailed report of how FOI has helped the SUEB is available on request.

Kovalam and Kolathur schools continue to receive funds for building more classrooms and for their extra-tuition programme. Over 250 children in this extremely poor area are receiving extra classes and nutritious snacks at the end of the school day. This programme has proved to be so popular, that other schools are requesting the same! On this trip we decided to extend this same help to another 6 schools by paying part-time salaries for 12 teachers.
(Chf 15 per month per teacher)

We also visited the Delhi slums where we are financing a primary school. Opened in the summer of 2002, this school welcomes 150 children who otherwise, would be scavenging dustbins and begging on the streets. We hope to provide TEFL workshops (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) for the devoted, often unqualified teachers.
ORPHANAGES

The AIDS virus is spreading rapidly, this means that by the end of this decade, the need for more and more orphanages will increase drastically. For this reason, we sought out a needy orphanage in the suburbs of Madras. The Bala Gurukulam Orphanage has at the moment, 37 children between the ages of 2 and 12. With our help, they will be able to expand their premises to receive up to 100 more abandoned children. We have committed to buying a plot of land and to sponsoring 10 children each year.

BETHEL HOME IN SALEM

In Salem, our funds have provided playground equipment, classroom materials and furniture
for 200 orphans at the Bethel Home. This orphanage now desperately needs help with water supplies as they are battling with drought.

SUYAM TRUST STREET KIDS PROJECT

The Suyam Trust for Street Kids has asked us to provide access to education for children who spend their days begging on the streets. These street kids live in absolute squalor. We are working in partnership by funding the purchase of a plot of land which will enable the Suyam Trust to construct a school building. This is just a start to a very worthy project.

CHILDREN TO CHILDREN

Thanks to the Geneva English School, we distributed 120 pencil cases, filled with pens, pencils, rulers, etc (30 kilos of excess baggage!) to seven schools. More than 1000 children benefitted from the generosity of the primary school children in Genthod.

Collections made by children in the Externat des Glacis and Ecole Moser, have been utilised for learning materials and school equipment in several village classroom.

THE FUTURE

We now need to replenish our funds. As you know, ASC IH, covers all the administrative costs for FOI and we are thankful for the many hours devoted to FOI by volunteers. This means that 100% of each donation received can be used to finance the various projects. Our hope for 2003-2004 is to raise a minimum of Chf 60,000 to cover the projects described above. Any additional funds received can be used to expand our help to more and more orphanages.

Already, we are planning a musical event for the summer, the sale of silk summer pashminas and beautiful hand-made cards.

We are up-dating our FOI website, www.Friends-of-India.net, where you will soon be able to find more detailed information, particularly recent photographs of our latest visit.

Maybe you would like to take on a particular project. The gratification of knowing exactly where your money goes can be extremely rewarding. Take a look at the list of projects below and take your pick!

Thank you so much for all your support.

Pam Walsh OBE,

PROJECTS NEEDING FUNDS