Help Orphans In India (GSAM General Fund)

When last we reported we were heading into Christmas - which is always a lovely time of the year. If you are following along with you weekly newsletters, you already know that our Christmas was a wonderful one. We had plenty of past staff and children return home to celebrate the season; there were bonfires, presents, snacks, picnics, games and everything you would expect from a GSAM Christmas.

We are now headed into summer. Blankets and sweaters are being packed away, we're spring cleaning and enjoying the warmer weather before the tormenting heat of summer sets in.

When we say "all our children are happy and healthy" this is not something we take for granted, especially in the difficult times we live in. We are indeed grateful for good health, for the food on our tables and the safety that we live in. We had a wave of the Omicron variant roll across our campus however it was quick and relatively painless - most everyone had it and recovered from it within a period of 10 days.

There has been plenty to do this last quarter, the most notable of the long list of work being:

• We started construction on our new Kindergarten building; the next big step in our school campus vision.
• Our mustard crop was harvested. Poor weather conditions meant the crop was not amazing, but we were luckier than most farmers in our area.
• Our kids are now all back in our school. COVID-19 protection protocols are in place, but it's great to have them all learning in a classroom environment again!
• We started our Northern Field Fencing Project which is also being fundraised for here on GlobalGiving.

Of course there have been hundreds of other things happening, day-to-day activities, micro-projects, repair jobs both big and small, birthdays, events and even a state election! If you would like to hear more about these types of things please do consider signing up for our weekly newsletter, you can see a sample of them here.

Looking forward, the next big job that we have ahead of us is finding sponsors and support for 8 more of our kids who are interested in persuing university degrees through our Mission University program. It's a massive job, but we've already seen the incredible difference a degree from a good university can have through Our First Graduate.

Through it all we are grateful for the incredible support we have seen from each of you as well as from GlobalGiving themselves. We're confident that this next quarter is going to be just as active, fun filled and adventurous as ever and look forward to partnering with you through it.

With Christmas only a few short weeks away it felt like a great time to share an update on things here. If you are getting our weekly newsletter updates you will know that, while COVID-19 cases are extremely low in our area, there has been an increase in cases of Dengue Fever. While we have not had any cases within our campus, the virus (and mosquitoes) are still of high concern to us.

In light and in spite of this, we are happy to report that all of our children (and staff) are healthy and well. We've passed through the humid monsoon and are now in the fleeting but beautiful Indian autumn weather; winter will soon be upon us. This period of year is the perfect time to play outside, enjoy the sunshine and just generally hang out with friends: We've dragged a big stump out into the yard with plans to set a bonfire in the first half of December. Our girls went for a camping trip to the jungle. Our boys are currently training for an upcoming cricket tournament in our local community. Fun is certainly in the air!

In November we celebrated Children’s Day with a bucket load of games, activities and treats for the kids. It was so much fun that we continued the games the following day! We put together a short video which helps to paint a picture of all the joy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BoFxWMuQtU

A big highlight for us recently was when one of our hostel children, Parwat, was selected to participate in a National Geographic Photography Camp online. Post camp Parwat was selected as one of the strongest participants of the 30+ students. Some of his photos and an interview will soon be shared in National Geographics publications. A very proud moment for us as an organization indeed.

While keeping in line with COVID-19 restrictions in our area we were able to have an in-person Annual General Meeting of our managing body. It was a great chance for our members and those who love our organization to discuss, share and celebrate the good work and progress through the last year.

In spite of some terrible weather conditions, including some major flooding in our area, our rice paddy crop has been completed. The final yield of the crop was not as good as we would have hoped at the start of the season, but given the conditions we were happy to get what we got. We will keep what we need for our own consumption and sell the balance to raise money for our day-to-day needs.

Finally we want to thank you, our amazing supporters. You guys have made this all possible. Come rain, come shine -through all the sesons! Your financial support as well as messages of encouragement really do make a difference in the lives of these amazing kids. Thank you for being a part of this journey.

Seasons greetings to you all!

~ Clifton.

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