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Frishta News - Issue 7 - August 2006

Welcome supporters and Friends of Frishta to our August Newsletter. A special welcome to 24 new subscribers! This month there are two great articles by guest reporters, both Frishta supporters.

Hope you enjoy the read...

Visit to a children's village in India

During our visit to India in April this year, my wife Rachel and Frishta supporter Gemma Watkins visited the SOS Children's Village in Rajpura, Punjab. Here is Rachel's personal account of the visit...

'It was an enlightening experience to visit the Rajpura children's village. From the very first moment it was quite an emotional experience. They were all such beautiful children who greeted us with garlands and my first thought was who could abandon such beautiful children? My eyes welled up and I could not stop my tears throughout the 3 hour visit. The village is built on 14 acres with 158 children, in small homes and 12 youths in a hostel. The Director explained how it was managed and how they raise funds, but the images of the children were flowing through my mind and I found it so hard to concentrate and take notes, that I had to ask the Director to repeat what he had said on several occasions.

We were taken to a room where the children performed songs and dances and my eyes focussed on one little 2 yr old girl in particular and I felt like adopting her and bringing her home with me! I was video filming the performance and I confess to focusing on her more than the other children. Later, I had a chance to cuddle her and carry her around with me. I did not bring her home, but if I close my eyes I still have a picture of her in my heart that is as fresh as when I saw her.

I was introduced to a baby boy who was thrown into a well and was rescued by a Sardarji (Turban wearing Sikh man) - he used his 6 metre long turban as a rope to go into the well and bring the baby out. The baby was taken straight to Hospital and spent 4 weeks in intensive care and later was moved to the village, where he is being well cared for and seemed to be thriving.

The children go to school, come home and play just like normal children do. Without this village they would be begging, getting addicted to harmful substances, working in dangerous conditions and easy prey to anyone who might beat or abuse them.

This was my first experience of seeing at first hand the changed lives of abandoned and former street children. I am grateful that I had this opportunity of seeing what a tremendous difference a well run village can make to children's lives.'

Frishta Child Sponsorship

Our main project is to open the Frishta Children's Village for 72 children in 2008, but we are aware of needy children who would benefit from sponsorship right now. Why not invest in a child's life? The return on your investment will last a lifetime! If you want to help transform the life of a child in real need (for as little as £20/month) please contact us at info@frishta.org.uk - we have pictures and profiles of both boys and girls for you to choose from.

 

Elevator Message

Have you ever wanted to tell someone what Frishta is all about, but were not quite sure what to say? Well help is at hand! We have developed the Frishta 'Elevator Message'. The idea is that we have a brief message that takes no more than 30 seconds to say, i.e. the duration of a short ride in the lift. I hope it proves useful when speaking with colleagues, friends and family about Frishta - you never know when or where you might bump into a future Frishta supporter and we, and by that I mean the street children of India, need every one of them.

Healing Touch Kashmiri Earthquake Relief

Since the earthquake last October in Pakistan and Northern India, Healing Touch (Frishta's sister charity in India) has made five trips to the devastated region on the Indian side of the border. The help given has included medical check-ups by a team of doctors, distribution of 500 blankets, 500 cooking pots, food, medicines and building materials. Although not involved with this relief effort, Frishta is pleased to be involved with a charity that takes such a practical, hands-on approach to helping the needy.

  
  

Top left: Doctors give everyone a health check. Top right: Medicines are distributed.
Bottom left: House building materials being unloaded. Bottom right: Appreciative villagers with the Healing Touch team.

Angels on the (10K) Run

Frishta entered a team of six runners in the British 10K London Run on 2nd July: Anne Boswell, Mindy Dosanjh, Annabelle Eddey, Jacqui Gordon, Natasha Simmonds and I. (Frishta also have six places in next year's race - so drop me a line if you want to compete.) Here Jacqui describes how she came to run for Frishta...

'For me it's important to have a good reason to pull on the trainers and get running on those freezing, wet, winter mornings. So, I sat down (good start!) in front of the computer to find that good enough reason. The London 10K Run in July seemed like a good start. The second and more thought provoking task was to find a charity to run for.

I couldn't dispute that most of the charities offering places in the 10K run were worthy causes, but equally they were national institutions with many supporters. I wanted to sponsor a charity that I could feel more a part of, where I could see where the money I raised was actually going and to be able follow it up in months to come, and a charity with a real human connection.

Frishta caught my eye. Here was a charity set up by one couple for a clear, tangible purpose and one close to my heart. In my 20's I had travelled through India and I was struck by the enormity of the population, people everywhere, and in the cities so many of the more vulnerable literally fell by the wayside. Frishta is a charity committed to giving refuge, safety and compassionate practical care to the most vulnerable collection of forgotten children - street children.

When I researched the charity further I was very encouraged that the plans to set up the children's village were drawn up with the support and commitment of the local community. Here was a charity where any money I raised could really make a difference.

So I had found my good enough reason and began training. I managed to fit in 30-40 mins. running most days between kids drop off and work - people got used to seeing me at the School Gate in running gear and my husband (we work together) became tolerant of my later, sweaty arrivals at work. The trade-off was my focused calm and increased energy - it is a true, but apparent contradiction that the further you run the more energy you have!

I spoke to my friends, family and anyone who was prepared to listen about Frishta and have managed to collect £645 in sponsorship money.

The run itself was surprisingly enjoyable, despite the scorching tropical heat! A real treat to run along some of London's most famous streets without cars and in the very good company of 20,000 other runners! Having never actually done a 10K before, I raced in after 1 hour 5 minutes. So I am definitely up for more - there's a 5K run in September. I'll be wearing my Frishta T-shirt again anyone want to sponsor me?'

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill

The Future

National Giving Week

National Giving Week is going to be the 16-22 October and this year we are being encouraged to give up something for our favourite cause.

I'm reminded of Shardha, who I met in India last year. She has cared for her brother and sisters since she was just 11 yrs old when their mother died and their father abandoned them all. Because of their harsh living conditions and days of starvation, she contracted Tuberculosis. She has never been to school, she has never read a book and her life and that of her orphan family has been very hard. We have helped support her & her family with food and medicines and things have improved dramatically. When I met her I was moved to tears at her maturity and resilience for one so young.
What are you prepared to give up to help street children in India like Shardha who have nothing and no-one? A donation of just £5 will feed a child in India for a month.
It might be…

Stop Press

I have just heard that Frishta has been chosen as one of the twelve charities to benefit from the Canary Wharf Charity Night on Thursday16th November - there were over 40 charities last year, so this is a real privilege. If you were work in Canary Wharf (particularly my HSBC colleagues!) this is an ideal opportunity to do the Christmas shopping and take advantage of a large range of discounts at the stores and restaurants - more details in the next issue of Frishta News.

How about You?

Recently, I was reading Rick Warren's book, 'The Purpose Driven Life, What on Earth am I here for?', when this quotation from St. Ireneaus caught my eye, "The glory of God is a human being fully alive!" For me this sums up the purpose of Frishta. Frishta is not just about fundraising (although it sometimes seems like it!) or even the building of homes, its whole purpose is transforming the lives of abandoned and unloved street children so that they might be 'fully alive!' With your support, I know that we will achieve our purpose. Why not make it your purpose too and become a Friend of Frishta - a friend to street children, today?

How to become a Friend of Frishta


Nigel Studley

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"Jesus said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the kingdom of God." Then he took the children into his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them!"
Mark 10:14-16