Visit to Mission Higher Secondary School

We had a wonderful program with the students of the Mission Higher Secondary School. The students sang and danced and joyfully welcomed me into their community. Then the teachers treated me to a potluck feast. Wonderful day!

The Mission Higher Secondary School has 149 students in 6-12th grades. 118 of their students are from the School and Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind, meaning almost half of their population is hearing impaired, visually -impaired, developmentally delayed or physically impaired.

New Sound System for Happy Valley

This morning, we unveiled the new sound system given to Happy Valley English School. One of our generous donors sent me to India with a donation to be given to the entire school to "do something special for all the children to enjoy and have a smile on their faces." Since Happy Valley is a school that has Morning Assembly every morning with a wonderful student choir and student musicians, we were able to provide 2 microphones with mic stands, a new amplifier and a new keyboard! Many thanks to all who made it happen.

An Introduction to Ebenezer

Yesterday, I spent the day at Ebenezer Home, English Medium and Hindi Medium Schools. We unwrapped the washing machine they purchased with the funds provided from FoPS, took a tour of the schools, and went into the nearby village of Partey.

Ebenezer Educational Society is comprised of three entities:

• Ebenezer Home, a live-in hostel for orphaned and needy children.

• Ebenezer English Medium School, with students from Nursery age to Class 8.

• Ebenezer Hindi Medium School, with students from Class 6 to Class 10.

Ebenezer Home currently houses 28 children: 21 girls and 7 boys. Most of these children have been orphaned or left at the home by relatives who could not care for them. Each child has their own bed and the house is separated into a girls’ dormitory and a boys’ dormitory. They have a fully-staffed kitchen and dining room and good washing facilities. Friends of Padhar Schools donated some funding for equipment this year and they purchased a new washing machine for the home, which we unveiled and inaugurated. Everyone was so excited for thier new machine.

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The Hindi Medium School currently serves 210 students in classes 6-10. They employ 9 teachers and 5 staff. The English Medium School has an enrollment of 87 students in Nursery - Class 8, with 9 teachers and 4 staff. We are looking forward to many more opportunities for partnership in the future.

SRCB Padhar AKA "The Blind School"

The School and Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind (also known by its nickname “The Blind School”) is a live-in facility for children with hearing, vision, physical and mental challenges. They work in partnership with the Mission School and in collaboration provide resource assistants to help the SRCB children learn braille, sign language and additional life -skills. Currently they are home to 190 students, providing housing, meals, care and nurture for each child.

This year, we’ve continued our Student Sponsorship Program by supporting 24 students, providing uniforms and materials, resource teachers and school fees for each student. We look forward to many more years in partnership.

Checking in with our Scholars at Happy Valley

Today we celebrated the third year of our Happy Valley Scholarship Program. This year we increased our funding for the scholarship program from $1000 to $2000 and that increase made a great impact. We were able to increase the number of students from 29 students in 2018-2019 to 35 students in 2019-2020. And we were able to raise the percentage of fees covered from 20% of school fees in 2018-2019 to 40% of school fees for 2019-2020. 

Our Scholarship program was developed as a way to help the children of the staff at Padhar Hospital and Happy Valley School with the school fees. A special formula was established with requirements to meet and for two years, those rules were followed exactly. This year, we expanded the reach to include all children of all staff members. And for the next year, we are looking to expand the program further.

This program is funded through a donation from the Vacation Bible School of FUMC Redondo Beach and the sale of items at our Annual Conference booth. We are grateful to our donors and those who make this opportunity possible.

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Day 1 in Padhar

As I am getting over my jet-lag, I am also becoming reacquainted with Padhar. After a great meeting with the Education Committee of Padhar Hospital who administers our Happy Valley School Scholarship Program, I took a tour of the new Operation Theater at the hospital.

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I’m doing fairly well with my jet lag. I’ve had some good naps and slept most of the night last night. I’ve had most of the day to rest and regroup.

Until later,

Krista

A Tale of Transportation

Today has been a journey, an experience of all the various transportation options available. The day started at 6:00AM with a car that picked me up and took me to the airport. Unfortunately I misunderstood my itinerary and ended up at the wrong terminal. So I hoped into a tuk tuk and went for a 15 minute ride to the other terminal. Got to the gate and flew to Nagpur.

After a smooth flight, my driver Rama picked me up and we were off to Padhar! All was going well; smooth ride, smooth road and then …. the tire was punctured. So, Rama got out his jack and spare tire, changed the tire by the side of the road (while I snapped some photos). Then we needed to stop in Betul to get the tire fixed, which was done very quickly. But, we made it home to the Padhar guesthouse where a warm lunch was waiting for me!

High Tea and Jet Lag

Yesterday, I had two things on my agenda: to sleep off some jet-lag and go to the Taj Hotel for High Tea. My theory of jet lag is to sleep when I am tired. Others go by the “ push through your tiredness to get on normal schedule” method. But that doesn’t work for me. What I do, however is to make sure I get out into the sunshine so my body recognizes what time of day it is. So after breakfast, I went back to sleep for 4-5 hours then got myself back in order and walked over to the Taj for tea.

I walked the familiar streets, witnessed the changes made, noticed the shops that were still going strong and made a note to visit when I return in a few weeks.

High Tea at the Taj is an amazing experience. I sampled different types of tea, ate small pastries and sandwiches and then indulged on various mini desserts. It was wonderful to sit and do some journal writing listening the piano player and watching the people at the Gateway of India.

Traveling, Re-entry and my second home.

Trip number eight, is it? It took my mom and I some time to work out how many times I’ve done this. When I made my first trip in 2008 I had no idea how important it would be, no idea what a turn my life would take because of it. And now, 12 years and 8 trips later…. it is like coming home.

It is a long trip now. My first 3 trips started in Germany, where I was living. It was a 7-8 hours trip. No big deal. When I moved back to the States, the trip became exponentially longer. When I was living in Kona it was a 5 hour flight to LA, an 11 hour flight to Germany, then a 8 hour trip to India… 24 hours on a plane. Now that I live in Southern California, it is only 19 hours.

My 2020 excursion began on Tuesday with an uneventful 11-hour flight to Frankfurt, a 45 minute pause (enough time to walk to the gate and board the plane) at the Frankfurt airport, and then a 8 hour flight to Mumbai. The last leg was an especially pleasant flight for this introverted traveler as I had a whole row to myself, so I stretched out and got some good sleep. The last leg was interesting as well as our flight was rerouted away from Iranian airspace due to current political tensions and flew instead over Saudi Arabia. With all the time changes, I arrived in Mumbai on Thursday morning at 1:00AM and by 3:00AM I was checked in to the Hotel Godwin in Mumbai.

I got the deluxe suite this time and they take such good care of me here! This morning as I was enjoying my breakfast and my first cups of masala chai, the waiter recognized me and said, “Welcome home.”

Today I have one job. Rest, adjust to the time zone and drink some more tea. I leave tomorrow for Nagpur and then on to Padhar.

Until next time,

Krista

Finishing Up 2019

Today we sent the remainder of our 2019 projects to India - funding for sewing machines, books and school supplies, teachers' salaries and funding for a school vehicle. With that, we conclude the most successful year we've had and we enter our 5th year as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. What a joy it has been to see FoPS grow and develop! Many thanks to all of you who donated, fundraised, sponsored a student, hosted a Facebook fundraiser, purchased items for sale. What a joy 2019 has been. May 2020 be a blessing.

Thanks! An Alternative Christmas Market Recap

On Dec. 8th and Dec. 15th, we hosted a table at Alternative Christmas Markets at Walnut United Methodist Church and at Chapel of the Valley United Methodist Church in El Cajon. Our partners from Hawaii Soap Company, PartCactus Arts and Lisa Hunter from jBloom donated some items and we printed some Christmas Cards. We raised a total of $570.00 and that will be used to purchase books and school supplies for Panchsheel Ashram School. Many thanks for your support!

#GivingTuesday 2019 in the books!

Thank you to our supporters and donors on this #GivingTuesday, we raised $1285. Our #GivingTuesday efforts provide books and school supplies for the 600 students at Panchsheel Ashram School. Thanks to Amy Aitken and Loreen Brown for hosting fundraisers and to all of our donors. Your gifts are invaluable to our students and we are so grateful.

Sweaters and Scarves - a #GivingTuesday Story

Last year, our fundraising efforts were so successful that we had some extra money. We’d raised about $600 and I informed those donors that I would like to provide the children with some “nice clothes” to celebrate Diwali. We provide money to purchase uniforms, but I thought it would be a treat for the children to have access to clothes they would not normally purchase for themselves. When I traveled to India In January, I brought with me that $600 and distributed it ($200 to 3 of our schools) with the explanation of the idea I had. The principals and teachers were very gracious and excited. The following day they approached me and asked if they could use the money in a different way. “We have a fund to buy warm clothes for children who do not have access to those. Can we use the money to buy sweaters and scarves?” It was rural India in the winter and it was cold, so I said, ‘Of course! Please use the money to buy the children what they need to keep them warm.”

All that to say, our work would be ineffective without the support of our contacts in Padhar, Baihiram, Paratwada, Shahpur and Sarni. They help us in immeasurable ways to know what is needed. For that we are truly grateful.

Ten Sewing Machines - a #GivingTuesday Story

As we get ready for #GivingTuesday, Here is an example of how your giving helps to provide HOPE for the children in rural India.

This year we started a new program to provide sewing machines for girls who finish the sewing/tailoring program. With each machine at $70 we will provide 10 machines for a total of $700.

Our friend and Board Member Loreen Brown donated her birthday to Friends of Padhar Schools with money directed toward the purchase of sewing machines for the students of Panchsheel School. Through her friends and contacts, her Facebook fundraiser raised $515.00 for our sewing machine program.

On the last Sunday of October , the children of Walnut United Methodist Church collected a special offering for our Sewing Machine Program. They “Trick or Treated” and collected change from the congregation and they raised $210.07 from their efforts.

With these two efforts, we are able to provide 10 new sewing machines to girls who complete the sewing/tailing program, thus providing their households with the opportunity for a steady income. Thanks to Loreen and her friends and the children of Walnut United Methodist Church for these gifts!

Shop Amazon Smile and Help FoPS!

Did you know you can help Friends of Padhar Schools just by shopping on Amazon?

Before you shop on Amazon.com, type in smile.amazon.com and choose Friends of Padhar Schools as your charity of choice. A portion of your purchases will go to support deserving students in rural India, at no extra charge to you. In 2019, we received a total of $140.86 from just 19 donors! Add us as your charity of choice and help us each time your make an online purchase!

#Giving Tuesday is coming up!

#GivingTuesday is December 3, 2019! We are hoping to have 10 people set up Facebook fundraisers to collect small dollar donations. Every $10 donation provides text books, writing supplies and notebooks for the 600 students of Panchsheel School.

What do you say? Will you host a fundraiser?

Fundraising Luncheon at India Palace, Alameda - Nov. 2, 2019

On Saturday, November 2nd, Board member Jaime Kim hosted a fundraising luncheon at India Palace in Alameda, California. Our Director Krista Givens flew up to Northern California to attend and support. We had 18 guests attend and eat a delicious buffet of Indian delicacies. After lunch, our guests bid on their selections from the silent auction, a table of gift baskets.

We had many items donated from our generous friends:

• Candles from Apothika Candle Company (https://www.etsy.com/shop/ApothikaCandleCo)

• Soap from the Hawaii Soap Company (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HawaiiSoapCompany)

• Jewelry from JBloom Love by Lisa Hunter(https://www.facebook.com/groups/1113128362081104/)

We raised almost $500.00 for the students of our eight schools which will provide books and school supplies for the next semester at Panchsheel Ashram School. We are so pleased to have connected with a whole new base of potential donors and supporters, and for the generosity of our guests!

New Overview Video

We are now supporting eight schools throughout central India. Take a look for an overview of our students, teachers and supporters.

This video is about FoPS Overview

New Computers for St. Mark Sarni

Sarni is a city in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh and is famous for Satpura Thermal Power Station and WCL (Western Coal Fields Limited) mines. St. Mark School is primary and secondary English Medium school and is comprised of 432 students and 35 staff.

On September 18, 2019, 4 computers were installed to furnish their computer lab with all they need. Many thanks to all our donors and friends who contributed to this effort!

Thought for the Day: Monday, March 25, 2019

“Let us Remember: One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world.”

Malala Yousafzai