| Dear Friends |
December 2005
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| Recently I had to bury one of our HIV+ children. Karthik Kumar was a terribly emaciated and profoundly weak baby boy when he was left with us by his mother who was too seriously ill with the AIDS virus to care for him. His father had died last year of this terrible disease. Karthik was not yet two years old. He died under my hands as I was tending him at the end. He quite simply seemed to go to sleep without a struggle. He is now in our small cemetery with ten other children who came to us too late to survive neglect and ill-health.
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| REALLY REACHING THE UNREACHED
A major problem that India will have to face in the near future is that of children of all ages who are affected by the AIDS epidemics. The problem is already with us but it will certainly escalate as the disease develops and increases. It is now acknowledged that much of it is still underground and hidden and yet to surface. Some areas around us are already very bad, and have reached epidemic proportions. Adults are dying and more and more children are left usually with grandparent(s) or an older child will care for smaller ones, which will be as inadequate as will be evident. But in all the media, in seminars, Government meetings, etc., who ever mentions this problem? I have yet to hear or read that this even enters the consideration of Government or NGO’s. Sex workers, lorry drivers and such get all the attention and care. But the end results of their irresponsible and immoral behaviour get no attention, publicity or . . . assistance: the children left behind as orphans.
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| From a handful two years ago we are now caring for more than 220 AIDS orphans and the increase is monthly. Of these 25 are HIV+. Seven have already died. We are open and available to any of such children with several programmes for them. One is to admit them to one of our four beautifully run Children’s Villages where they will experience a new family with a trained mother. Another is where they can stay at home with surviving parent(s) under our supervision, support and care. The longer they can stay at home the better. Eventually when the parents can no longer cope they will come to us. |
| This covers only this area larger than a county in England. What must the numbers be for all Tamil Nadu? For India? Again – who is caring? Very, very few. This is something we all need to look at and do something about.
I am now starting a kind of crusade for so many children in need of full-time care. People just do not know where to send such children for help. These nowadays truly are the unreached and I can foresee that in a year or two our Children’s Villages will house mostly AIDS orphans and children with AIDS. These have our top priority for admissions.
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| There is also the stigma and fear attached to this disease even if the child is not infected by the virus although it may be an AIDS orphan. We know from experience that these children are no danger to other children and with us they are fully integrated into our whole programme like the other children. For instance they go to school together with all our children. |
| For me this is a deep concern which can not and must not be ignored, swept under some carpet for any excuse. I want to wake up people in India and various foreign funding agencies about the urgency of this. These children whether AIDS orphans or HIV+ are entirely similar to other children, other orphans, though the HIV+ children will need initial medical care and then some monitoring as they get older. The recent news I have is that there are 12 million AIDS orphans in Africa. That needs to be really pondered over. 12 million is the equivalent of the total population of several large cities. And the population in India is vastly greater than that of the Southern countries of Africa. India has a population of one billion. Many of the victims are still hidden and unknown. Many adults are not aware that they may be HIV positive until it is too late and beyond treatment and they will thus be leaving yet more orphans. |
| Since this virus destroys all immunity to diseases, the children are more susceptible to any illness that may be around at any time. To cope with this we refer an ill child that our own clinic cannot treat effectively to a beautiful hospice not far away run by the Presentation Sisters. We helped initiate and build this place and we do have children there on a regular basis, until they are stabilized and can come back to us. |
| In one week we admitted 4 new children to our Children’s Villages. A brother and sister whose mother and father both died of AIDS and were left with old grandparents. Soon after the grandfather also died. The poverty of this family was extreme, there was no money each day even for food. This ruined family were formerly living in relative comfort with an adequate income. Now it lies in ruins. The two orphaned children, 14 and 9, are now permanently with us. In a way it amounts to RTU adopting them. They will be with us until they can be independent. |
| One baby girl was found on one of the large bus stations some 30 kms. away. We know nothing about the child, she has no history. She may be 18 months old. The baby boy is 6 months old, and has also been abandoned. This is the normal pattern all the year round. |
| HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
I wish to share with you some of the outstanding achievements of the past 12 months.
The most outstanding one was a major award given to Reaching the Unreached for the best institution in the State of Tamil Nadu for Women’s Welfare. This was given in Chennai at the Government Headquarters on Independence Day with a citation, a gold medal and Rs.50,000 (about £650). This recognition from the topmost level of the Government gave us all a great boost of encouragement. The Chief Minister, Jayalalitha herself gave the award among all the remarkable pomp of that day.
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| The inauguration in May of our fourth Children’s Village, Sirumalar, (Little Flower) increased the intake of children from needy backgrounds by another 140, many from AIDS affected families and the tsunami disaster. It is a beautiful home for the children, the best we could possibly provide with 20 delightful houses for seven children and a mother in each. All kinds of facilities have been included and it is now filled up without any suggestion of overcrowding, and saplings have been planted to provide shade for the future. The construction cost was made very quickly available by our wonderful friends in Germany. |
| A great deal of relief work is still being done on both the West and East coast for the tsunami affected people. The most remarkable are two large schools as well as several small tuition centres. We are aiming at permanent solutions. A great many others were involved in temporary help. |
| We have also built or completely rebuilt three other schools for villages not covered by Reaching the Unreached education work. They are substantial and attractive buildings always keeping in mind the happiness of very poor children and their teachers. We ever keep in mind the human rights of children:
“Humanity owes to the child the best it has to give.”
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| Because our Children’s Villages are full to overflowing we now have a large programme called Home Sponsorship Programme. As long as the children can stay at home with whoever is still in the families we support them financially as much as if they were in one of our Children’s Villages. This way the whole family will benefit. At present 210 families are on this programme and the average number of children in each family is 3. This works out at an equivalent of more than two whole Children’s Villages. This is being constantly monitored and reviewed and we meet the surviving adults every month when they come for their allowances. We run a similar though separate outreach for families affected by HIV/AIDS. There are now 45 families on this scheme, which includes counselling, medical care and various other supports. |
| Our children did brilliantly in all aspects of their education. We achieved 100% success in 10th standard Government Exams and similar excellent results in other exams. The Government authorities look upon our schools as models for other schools.
Our girls were the District champions for the sport Kabbadi and the boys for football (two years running). One girl, Angalishwari was the Junior Girls Sports champion. All this is very encouraging for our staff and children.
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To cap all these bits of good news it is very satisfying to report how well our grown up boys and girls are doing with their professional studies. So many have now completed useful courses, sometimes lasting years and many are now gainfully employed. Right now 43 children are engaged in various colleges for professional studies. Of these 15 are studying to be nurses, 6 are doing lab technician courses, and 12 boys are studying engineering.
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A typical success story is that of a girl who came into our care in 1983 as a baby. Recently she has joined our medical staff as a fully qualified doctor after 5 years in a large Government Medical College, an outstanding achievement indeed. Another girl is in the third year of her studies for MBBS in Madurai Medical College.
We have also had three weddings this year of girls who are now settled in life.
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All of this is possible thanks to the generous support of so many friends around the world. I need to thank you all for such a successful and satisfying year. May you have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and a coming year of good health, happiness and peace!
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If you are able to make a donation, cheques etc should be made out to Reaching the Unreached and sent to the following:
Max Philbrick, 11 Crofts Avenue, Corbridge, Northumberland NE45 5LY
Phone: 01434 632707
Email: max.philbrick@rtu.org.uk
If you would like to receive this newsletter in a large print version, please let us know and we will supply it.
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Brother James’ Christmas newsletter gives much food for thought. I would underline two points, the first is that RTU Village India are probably facing their greatest challenge yet. The W.H.O. forecast some time ago that HIV AIDS in India would be worse than it is in Africa. The management of RTU VI are at present engaged in urgent discussion to plan just how they will contend with all that HIV AIDS brings with it. Not least of their problems will be one of finance. HIV AIDS increases their medical expenses to an alarming degree. Many are depending on them. Secondly, as Brother said, they rely upon their support from friends worldwide; not least of these are your goodselves. This is a plea from all of us at RTU UK to keep up your support, which is so vital. If you are not using a standing order for your donation and can possibly make it a regular one, would you please consider using the standing order form overleaf. This is the only form of income which is regular, and RTU can rely upon and helps no end in budgeting. Thank you so much for your continued donations, and also for your welcome and support for Max in his new role for us at RTU.
With every best wish to you all for a happy Christmas and New Year.
David Cassidy, Trustee
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| Cordially yours, |
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| Brother James
Kimpton |
