News Letter 2007

December 2007

Dear Friends of Ashadeep,

The season of grace and gratefulness is again approaching. All of us here in Ashadeep, Mumbai wish you a very happy and blessed Advent and Christmas.

Our thoughts and prayers of gratitude go out to you during this season. We would like to assure you that your generous help is really making a difference in the lives of many of our poor families and especially in the lives of the children and youth who are studying, acquiring skills and entering into worthwhile job opportunities.

Sakinaka Centre Children and Staff

Raincoats by Astaro - Internet Securities, Germany

Happenings and Events of Ashadeep:

1. Once again the school results this year were good.

2. 13 students passed 10^th std. Maharashtra Board exam.

3. 5 students passed 11^th std. Junior college

4. 12 students passed 12^th std. Maharashtra Board exam.

5. 9 students continue with their degree course in college.

6. One of our Children completed her Graduation in Commerce and is working now.

7.

410 children are in our kindergarten (Balwadis) in 6 centres.

8. In all we have 487 school and college going students under our care.

9. 45 students have undergone computer course last year. They studied the basics of computer system and the softwares like Windows XP, MS Office etc. All these helped many students to do their project work in studies and also to get jobs.

10. Many of our children were awarded merit certificates in various competitions.

a. Many students got scholarship from the Education Department.

b.

Many students got prizes and certificates in various competitions like Writing, Drawing, Singing, Sports, Best Students, Clay toy making etc.

11. One of our science students is continuing her 3^rd year general nursing course at Holy Family Hospital, Bandra.

12. One of our boys is continuing his 3^rd year Computer Animation Course and also working as an animator.

13. 25 girls and women are learning and practicing tailoring at Dindoshi Centre.

14. The children are encouraged to develop their talents in Dance and Indian Music.

15. Our dispensary over the years is successfully providing basic health facilities to poor people at Dindoshi.

16. We have started medical facility at our Sakinaka centre.

17. We continue providing support for the handicapped and sick patients, specially suffering from T.B., Anemia at our centres.

18. 300 children experienced a healthy and relaxing way of life at Marve, Aksa Beach during the summer and winter vacation camps. They were exposed to different skills and development programmes.

Sakinaka Centre Inauguration

News Flashes and Anecdotes:

Sakinaka Centre: It gives us great joy to share with all of you that with all the trials and troubles at last we completed the work at our Sakinaka centre and the children can enjoy the benefit out of it. Now it is functioning fully as our other centres. We are grateful to all our members of Hilfswerk – Münster and Gelsenkirchen-Rotthausen for their support and generous help for the development of the centre.

Durga Joshi

Durga Joshi is a determined and dedicated girl full of confidence to live a life with her own choices. This is what she has to say, “Friends, I am Durga a 27 year old orphan and handicapped girl brought up by Ashadeep. I was two years old, when I was brought to Ashadeep by my parents. Both my parents died at a very early age. Ashadeep has taken care of me. I got operated thrice on my legs, which enabled me to walk with the help of calipers and creches. Ashadeep provided me a house, where I live with my two sisters.

To earn my livelihood I take embroidery orders from shops and get it done by other poor and needy girls, which generate employment for 25 girls in my community. I thank Ashadeep for all their kind support and care, due to which I have come up in my life and am self reliant. ”

On 20^th Aug 2007, she was awarded a disabled friendly Motorcycle by “Rajiv Gandhi Foundation”, handed over by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, President of the ruling All India Congress Party in a function held at New Delhi. Durga now drives the motorcycle to collect and deliver the cloth material from shops.

Neha Puradkar with Children

Neha Puradkar 32 years old poor woman with four daughters, works in a small factory unit. She and all her four daughters were suffering from Tuberculosis since many years. She approached Ashadeep, when she was in a worst condition, unable to take care of herself and her children. She was depressed, since her eldest daughter was diagnosed with open Tuberculosis and her chance to recover was very little. Ashadeep started caring and supporting this family with the nutritional diet food like milk, egg, etc, which helped them to recover. Now their health has improved as seen in the picture. All her four children are coming to Ashadeep where they get educational help and support. The family is now happy and joyful.

Visitors from Germany: Our sincere thanks to all our German friends who visited Ashadeep and for their kind support. We are sure that all of them got some insight of our work and the activities of Ashadeep.

For ASHADEEP ASSOCIATION,

Ms. Huberta Francis.

(Trustee)