Update 2: December 2009

Dear sponsor,

Thank you for your continued support of a child in India.  We have received very enthusiastic emails from SINAM over the past 3 months, and they have also sent us photos that I have attached  Thanks to your sponsorship SINAM was able to do the following things:

Evening Tuition:

SINAM now has 2 trained Teachers on it’s payroll who give evening tuition in both Sadayanodai and Karunthuvampadi, the two small villages where the children live.  During these classes, the children are helped with their school work, and they received extra lessons in life skills and environmental awareness. They are also given time for creative activities like drawing/painting and holding quizes. We are very proud to report that the children have been getting better marks as a result.  India’s education system is very rigid and test oriented and the schools’ quarterly reports on the children’s progress shows remarkable improvement in their weekly tests scores (This was certainly partly due to having the correct school materials!).

Parents / Care takers meeting:

SINAM is conducting parents/carer meetings on a monthly basis where parents are helped and advised on child care, parenting, and sanitation. SINAM’s counselors are also able to help parents with family problems

Personal hygiene and supplies:

Personal hygiene education was given to all the children in Sadayanodai and Karunthuvampadi and the sponsored children were given the following:

– Soap
– Laundry soap
– a Comb
– T-shirts
– Writing materials including Note books, Pens and Pencils, etc.

Children’s day

Lastly, children’s day was celebrated on Nov. 14 everywhere in India in memory of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was the first Prime Minister of India.  SINAM celebrated this day by starting a children’s parliament with the aim of promorting leadership skills. A total of 50 children participated in the event, and they were supported by 2 university lecturers and a member of the Children’s Parliament Network who came over specially from the neighbouring city, Vellore. During the programme, the children learnt about child rights and about how to conduct a children’s parliament. They then elected ministers (such as a food minister and education minister, a speaker, etc.) and created a parliament.  News reporters eve came to report on the event!

We are still looking for sponsors for another 18 children, so if you know of anybody who might be interested in sponsoring a child, or you would like to sponsor another child yourself, please don’t hesitate to contact us or to spread the word. Donations are always welcome and feel free to consider giving money to charity during the festive season, or giving half a sponsorship to somebody as a christmas present. The smile on the child’s face would probably be as big as your friend’s smile when they open the present.

Thank you again for your support, and we hope to be able to update you again in a few months time.