The 230 children attending the El Shaddai Rise and Shine School, north of Chennai, are now learning in much better conditions, thanks to the generosity of FOI donors. New classrooms have been built to replace the single area where they all used to sit.

New classrooms for El Shaddai Rise and Shine School, Chennai

Thanks to support from Friends of India donors, new classrooms have been added to the El Shaddai Rise and Shine School. El Shaddai offers English-medium education to primary school children in an impoverished area of North Chennai, where most parents are either daily wage labourers or low-paid industrial workers. The 230 children who attend the school were meeting in one large room — the Church hall — on the ground floor. They are now learning in small groups in separate classrooms on the first floor. Attending an English-medium school, to which these children would not normally have access, greatly increases the opportunities open to them in the future.

 Friends of India stand at Paleo, 21st-26th July

Friends of India shared a stand with three other organizations at the Paleo Music Festival in July. Visitors to the stand could make a donation by purchasing miniature bricks which were used to build a model school on display at the stand. Of the 10,000 visitors to the stand, about 1,000 made contributions. The event raised a total of CHF 11,000, of which FOI received CHF 5,500.

Benefit concert for the Richard Walsh Music Project, 5^th September

Margaret de Marchi, longtime Friends of India supporter, organized and hosted a concert and dinner at her home in Arzier to raise money for the Richard Walsh Music Project. The concert was performed by the UK-based Albion String Quartet, whose members have performed with BBC Concert Orchestras, the Berlin Philharmonic, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Sir Elton John. The programme included pieces by Mozart, Borodin, Mendelssohn, and Haydn. Following the concert, a delicious Indian dinner was served in Margaret’s lovely garden, which has a magnificent view of the lake. Approximately 60 people attended the event.

Revamp of Friends of India web site

Friends of India has a new website with a new look and new features. Visitors will be able to make a donation, become a member, and subscribe to our newsletter – all online. The new site is interactive, so visitors can leave comments. You can also subscribe to receive automatic email alerts when new content is posted on the web site.

Friends of India Gala Evening, Thursday 19^th November

We hope very much that you will attend our Gala Evening in November at the Ramada Park Hotel in Geneva. The event will raise money for a vocational training programme for women and for transportation for an orphanage for blind children in Tamil Nadu.

Terry Waite, humanitarian, author and hostage negotiator, who was himself held hostage for four years in Beirut, will be the keynote speaker. The evening will feature a twelve dish Oriental banquet, musical interludes, a fashion show, a tabletop musician, and an auction an tombola with items from Audrey Hepburn, Roger Federer, Phil Collins and others. The price of the event, all inclusive, is CHF 180/person.

You will receive an invitation in the mail. To make a reservation, please contact Anne Standley:
Email: anne.standley@friends-of-india.org
Tel: 078 737 0399

Help us increase our impact in India

Thanks to your support, Friends of India is able to help underprivileged children and women in Tamil Nadu to obtain a basic education, learn an employable skill, and generate an income.

Friends of India Circle of Support for underprivileged children and women

Please make a contribution and help us do more!