About News Our e-news for May Coming home!! We love to come home where we are loved and cared for. No distance of space or time can lessen the love our former children have with their foster mothers and teachers. On 20th May, the 13th RTU alumni reunion was held and 120 former RTU children came with their family members. They remembered the 93rd birthday of James Kimpton, Founder and Patron of RTU. They shared their memories of him and all he had done for them, and promised to continue their support to the children with us now. RTU New Year! For RTU, the new year begins on the birthday of Brother with our new children formally welcomed into our childcare programme. So, on 23rd May, we began our new year. The celebration was organized in Rajagopalan Auditorium with the children from our 4 Children’s Villages and 8 hostels, with their relatives and parents. Around 1000 people were there to witness RTU’s activities and Brother’s mission to the rural poor, through a video programme, a children’s cultural programme and our music group’s hymns. The celebrations came to end with a delicious lunch. In the evening, we had a special service followed by a dinner. Each one here thankfully remembered Brother and prayed for him on that day. Our Children's Villages and Childcare Programme New blossoms During May, we admitted 49 new children (20 boys and 29 girls) and 3 new foster mothers into our Childcare Programme. 49 teenage girls and 36 teenage boys moved from the small family houses in our Children's Villages to our hostels, making space for the new younger ones. More children will be admitted in June. Dhanusha, aged 16, came to RTU last year as she lost both her parents. She has one elder brother aged 18 who works in a private Army academic course centre in Cumbam, where he is also undergoing training. From his small income, he supported Dhanusha for the last year to complete her 10th standard studies. Even in that poor condition, Dhanusha wrote her 10th public exam and got 317/500 marks. After completing 10th standard, her brother found it difficult to send her to higher secondary school as his earnings were not enough to fulfill her educational needs. During this time, her brother came to know about RTU and its support to orphaned children. This month, he came to RTU along with her sister Dhanusha and asked us to help them. After seeing the pathetic condition of this poor girl, with love and affection we have welcomed her and have admitted her in Josephine Hostel. Now she is studying 11th standard in St Peter’s Higher Secondary School. She needs our love, care, protection and educational support. Student Exchange A group of 19 children and five staff members came from the Annai Velanganni Home in Pondicherry to spend a week of their summer holidays with us in Anbu Illam Children’s Village. They enjoyed our foster mothers’ tender love and care, and went out for visits and picnics. Marriage bells ring in RTU On 27th May one of our former children, Mangalam, got married to Mr Karthik Kannan. Her mother, Mrs Pappu, came to Miriam Children’s Village as a foster mother in 2002 with her three young daughters. Very sadly she died so we have raised them as orphans ever since. Mangalam studied a 3-year Diploma in Electronic Engineering. Now she is working in Madurai and is studying for a BE degree. She will continue to live in Madurai with her husband and will continue her job. We are very proud to have settled the girls nicely with a decent way of life. We wish Mangalam all the best in her married life. More marriage bells One of our former students, Lakshmi, aged 27, recently married Mr Gopinath. Lakshmi’s parents died, and she was raised by her elderly granny until the age of 5 when she came to us. She studied up to 12th standard in our schools and then successfully completed a 1-year Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery course in Theni. During her service, she also qualified as a Lab Technician. When Lakshmi was studying 10th standard, her grandmother came to visit her and, on her way back, was killed instantly in a traffic accident near the Ghat road. Now Lakshmi is working at the Holy Redeemer Hospital in Theni where she trained. Her relatives found this bridegroom and arranged their marriage as he had also lost his parents. We wish her all the best in her married life. Schools and Education 10th, 11th and 12th standard Government exam results were announced. From our Children’s Villages, hostels and rural villages, 62 students sat their 10th standard state exams and received 99% pass result. Sofiya Barveen and Absana Aafrin scored the highest mark of 448/500. 53 students sat their 11th standard state exams and all passed, Lavanya scored the highest mark of 527/600. 49 students sat their 12th standard state exams and all of them passed with 9 scoring above 900/1200 and 4 scoring above 1000. Nithya scored the highest mark of 1054/1200. (Read more) The results in RTU’s secondary school brought us great happiness and we are happy to share our students’ achievements with you. We are dedicated to a child-centered programme that promotes academic excellence through an enriched, rigorous inter-disciplinary curriculum. We are all committed to support all our children to reach their fullest academic potential. Now we are arranging the various college courses for the 12th standard students. The children in our Home Support Programme are given special support so that their parents can afford to send them to school. We are very proud of their achievements in their Government exams. Due to their family circumstances, it is unlikely that these children would have been in school sufficiently to sit any of these exams had it not been for RTU’s support. Our Annual Report 2017-18 is now available. If you would like a hard copy please contact us. We remain forever grateful to our donors for their generous and unending support to our children. I thank each one of you for being a big support to RTU and making our achievements possible. Thank you again for your compassionate support. We hope that you will continue to partner with us in our commitment. Fr J Antony Paulsamy, OFM Cap. Secretary and DirectorDownload a pdf of this Newsletter. Sign up to receive our News Manage Cookie Preferences