Our team will be travelling once again to do our annual humanitarian work in India.  We have now improved the life and education situations of over 100 ultra poor children.  The families have a glow in their faces every time they come to meet us.  This year, it will take us about a month to do the sewa as we have added newer centres.  We are also keeping children in their homes and instead of sending them to hostels, we are placing them in much better English medium schools in their own towns.  6 of us will be travelling from Canada and two local workers will join us on "Our Journey" in Feb 2016.  

2015 update

Two members of our team will be doing the work this year joined by a new couple.  We managed to raise enough funds to get housing for two families - yay!  Lots of one time donations have poured in and as usual, our sponsors have been very supportive by sponsoring each child - $600 for the year which includes everything.  After four trips, I am unable to join my team this year ;-(

Will help them to do whatever I can while they go all over the map, beginning with Ahmedabaad, then to Porbander as their base and then into Kutch/Mundra.  Hopefully the newsletters will be sent and I will share some excerpts here.  

Began with Ahmedabad

Our whole team is back in India, together we raised about $4500 which is a record!   We have just visited all our families that we help with welfare funds and now we will do the rest of the route, Porbandar, Maliya Hatina and Kutch/Bhuj.  This year, we visited Sidhpur Girls Hostel for the first time and will also visit Hyderabad for the first time, so will keep you posted.  Thanks once again for all of you encouraging and supporting us to continue with this cause.  

Another Year's Journey Over

Our team departed end of November with me taking over $2000 in donations which went a long way in Gujarat.  The highlight was seeing all the familiar faces once more eagerly waiting for us.  In Ahmdedabaad we took on three new welfare families.  One of them was a young boy who had just become blind.  He said he wants to become a musician when he grows up, so we found a donor who is paying for his instrument and a music tutor.  In the Maliya Hatina hostel we celebrated with over 200 children with a feast and dancing in the outdoors at night.

After visiting the Bhuj Girl's hostel, I stayed for a few days in Mundra and visited the boy's hostel.  We funded a hot water "geeser" tank for them and three new computers.  Overall, as usual it was an amazingly fulfilling experience having been to India for over two months in total.  We have now begun fundraiser dinners in Vancouver which was very successful and another one in Calgary. 

This is the girl I have sponsored a few years later from the picture on the top right:

 

Leaving on the 25th of November once again!

Can't believe I am doing this for the 3rd time now.  So far, $1500 has been pledged/collected and growing.  Lots of community members have asked me to remind them for their donation.  A total of 5 of us women will be going on this trip.  We are sightseeing thru Rajeshthan first before beginning the humanitarian work in Ahmedabaad as usual.

Will end up in the Navjivan naturopathic health farm at the end of our work thru the slums - looking forward to that for sure.  The slums noooo, I have to be really strong and not break down in tears every time I see how they live and especially when they have young children.  We hear a lot of the welfare families are just waiting for our arrival....if you have any ideas on fundraising, the more I can raise, the more families can be helped by us personally.

All 100% of the funds go to the families, we come up with our own expenses to go to India and during our stay there.

 Hoping to continue my work as an online teacher while also dealing with a new country, new technology and jet lag and time change, etc...

 OK OK among all the good things such as getting to drive a tractor in the middle of the health farm where I was learning to lose weight...

and ride a camel all over a beautiful beach in Mundra...







or better yet, fresh coconut water instead of surviving on the cans from Costco out here...

That's it for now...stay tuned for further adventures in the 2012 trip, I have a feeling it's going to be a good one... 

This year I am supporting the rest of the team to do another year of "hands on" service in India. As it is the grand opening of the newly constructed Sofia Wing Building where about 100 girls will be residing, there are about 25 in the group going on Dec 28th, 2011.  They are all meeting in Ahmedabaad, then driving to Porbander in a bus for over 7 hours and then attending the Opening Ceremony in Maliya Hatina on January 7 and 8th, 2012.   

It would be awesome if you are called to donate any amount of cash as all 100% of it will be distributed in Gujarat locally by our team.  For anything over $50, you will get a report of how that money was donated in India.  I believe tax receipts may be issued for donations over $500.  

Last year we raised $3000, my goal is to round up $5000 this year, 2011.  As expenses have gone up, it costs $600 per child per year which includes everything from tuition fees, boarding and lodging, uniforms and clothing, transportation, medical, etc. etc. etc.  Most of our 40 or so sponsors have made a long term commitment to pay the annual costs until the child is 16 or passes Grade 10.  Please feel free to email me if you have any questions, sincerely, Nusri Hassam.

This is the newly constructed Sofia Girls' Wing

This is their lunchroom, they are fed delicious freshly cooked warm meals

They will NOT be sleeping in bunk beds anymore, each girl will have her own bed!