Frishta News - Issue 3 - August 2005
Welcome to our third issue of Frishta News and a special welcome to our new supporters who are receiving this newsletter for the first time. This Newsletter is a little different in that the main report covers my recent visit to India. It was a very successful trip and much was achieved. I hope you enjoy reading of my adventures
Letter from India
I feel I could comfortably write a book about my three-week trip, so to limit it to a brief report seems to short change you, anyway here goes…
Travel Guide books will tell you that a visit to India will assault all your senses, and that is certainly true, but I find the impact on one's heart even greater and my experiences this time were no different. I was travelling completely alone this time, without the help of Rachel my Indian born wife, and without Sunny my brother-in-law who accompanied me for much of my last trip, and yet once again I felt completely at home and at ease despite the 45-degree heat, monsoon floods and a host of new people to meet and stay with.
In Delhi I visited an Orphanage aptly named Asharan (meaning refuge of hope) with room for 25 children. Most of their children are brought to them by the Police who find them lost or abandoned and often badly injured. The day before I arrived, a newborn baby girl had been left abandoned in the purpose-built cradle in the front wall – Asharan has five such babies. Some of the children's difficulties were obvious, downs syndrome, disfigurement and special needs, and yet it seemed to me that the greater their need, the greater their spirit and expressions of joy. Jay is just one example: a boy with a deformed front pallet and teeth, I had great fun teaching him Pat-A-Cake, Pat-A-Cake, and he took great delight in showing me his writing of the alphabet and then trying to twist my thumbs off! Although playing with children was not the purpose of my visit, it was good to be reminded amidst all the planning, networking, and charity governance, that Frishta was established for children just like Jay.
From Delhi, I travelled south by train for 36 hrs to Pune, where I stayed at the Good Shepherd Home for children, that I had also visited last year. My main purpose here was to be introduced to an Architect who I hoped would work on the design of our project. To be brief, Christopher Benninger, an American who has lived in India for over 30 years and is world famous (having won many prizes for his work), has agreed to work for Frishta! I discussed with him an outline design that transforms our initial thoughts of a children's home into a children's VILLAGE. The design will not only be innovative, but engender a sense of family and community and Benninger will also supervise the selection of the builder and oversee the construction - see www.ccbarch.com for more of his work. As I left Mumbai, to travel north to Punjab the monsoon rains were really starting and two days after I reached there I read in the Newspaper about the train track I travelled on being washed away by floods, train passengers up to their necks in water and 20,000 people stranded at Mumbai Train Station.
In Punjab I stayed with Pastor John Cyriac and his wife Shaheen in Panckhula, Chandigarh. We had only been in touch by phone and email previously, but from the moment we met I was impressed by their warmth and commitment and came to feel a part of their family. Jim Wiess, (Frishta Trustee) joined me from Delhi later on to meet our contacts and see the land.
Many things were achieved during our stay with John:
- the Frishta land is still a vacant plot and we visited the land twice, to check on it and the second time to consecrate it with 20 members of John's church.
- we plan to use an existing charitable Society called Healing Touch, that John is President of, to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals (FCRA) to allow us to transfer funds from Frishta in the UK to our own designated Indian Frishta bank account.
- we have secured the services of a good Chartered Accountant who will assist us in applying for the FCRA certificate that will permit the transfer of charity funds to India and avoid paying any tax there.
- met with a Civil Engineer to discuss the provision of a boundary wall/fencing and landscaping, and an IAS Commissioner (senior Govt. Official) re assistance with free trees for our land to provide shade and security screening.
- a very special and emotional moment for me was meeting with Sharda & Samuel and their five brothers and sisters. When I first heard of Sharda's plight from John, her situation inspired me to write the poem 'Two Worlds?' which you can find on our web site Two Worlds? Poem . Sharda is just 14 years old, but has been looking after all her siblings since her mother died over three years ago and their father all but abandoned them. She is recovering from Tuberculosis, contracted because of their unhealthy living conditions and lack of food; she has never been to school and has little chance of an education now that she has to be a full-time mother. However, we are hopeful Sharda will learn to read and also learn some sewing skills and I agreed with John some assistance for this young family out of our Frishta Mercy Fund – see below for pictures of the children.
- finally, Jim & I visited a small children's home of eleven boys from 4-11 yrs of age that is run by a member of the Healing Touch Society.
After a brief stay with Rachel's Mum in Firozpur, just before flying home I met with a relative of one of our supporters in Jallunder, who is a trained Lawyer and property businessman who has agreed to help deal with the local officials over the Frishta land issues, such as 'change of use', from agricultural land to residential use.
Looking back on the trip, I learnt so much about Orphanage registration, how to file Certificates of Abandonment, how to comply with the foreign contribution regulations, the legal requirements of setting up Trusts and Societies in India, and more - all essential stuff and the purpose behind my visit - and yet the greatest and most lasting impression was from seeing first hand young children sleeping rough at the Train Stations I passed through and the time spent with children in the orphanages visited. I hope after reading this brief account, that like me, you too will feel enriched and energised to spread the word of sharing in the privilege of helping Frishta's vision of a children's village become a reality. If you haven't already done so, why not become a Friend of Frishta by making a regular contribution by standing order? If you would like to do this, please drop me an email or reply to info@frishta.org.uk and I shall be pleased to send you the details.
Frishta 2005 Christmas Cards
I know it's early to be talking of Christmas, but the Frishta Christmas Cards have arrived and are available for purchase. Why not spread Frishta's vision to your family and friends and help add to our finances at the same time? We have three attractive designs and sizes, all in packs of 10 cards with Frishta's logo and web address printed inside, Golden Trees (£1.99), Star over Bethlehem (£2.49) and Following the Star (£2.99). See below for pictures of each type and click on the image to see the actual size.
For the Adventurous among you ...
You'll know that Frishta's funds have benefited from some sponsored runs in 2005, including Mindy Dosanjh's run in the Warwick Two Castles 10K race in June. So if you are planning to compete in a race, why not run in aid of Frishta? Sponsorship forms, leaflets and T-Shirts can be provided.
TimeOutDoors.com
Also, Frishta has teamed up with www.TimeOutDoors.com to provide a host of charity challenges, with exploits such as trekking the Peruvian Inca Trail (Sep05) or the Rajasthan Tiger Bike Ride (Nov05) and many, many more. So if you are still to arrange your holiday for later this year or thinking about 2006, why not visit the www.TimeOutDoors.com web site and search on the Frishta sponsored events.
And to close
During my visit it was brought home to me that religion is a part of everyday life in India, from the Sadhus (holy men) wandering barefoot along the roads, the many temples, gurdwaras, mosques (and even some churches) in the towns and villages, to religion featuring in television and newspaper articles. In India, the existence of God is an accepted fact and not an issue for debate as it is in this country. We know that Jesus cared very much for children and in the book of James we are reminded what true religion really is: 'Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by mere talk is deceiving himself. Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight and to refuse to let the world corrupt us' (Chp1, v 27-28 paraphrase). And that indeed is the aim of Frishta, to help the homeless and the loveless children that we have encountered on the streets of India.
Nigel Studley
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Mark 10:14-16