Newsletter July 2004
The streetchildren of Nav-Jeevan learned a lot in the last 1½ year. They can read, write and count. Their health improved because of good food and hygiene. Regularly new children came.
A big problem is that the children live under miserable conditions. If there is no money their parents force them to go on the street to work or to beg. Or they fell into the wrong hands. After a while they make their appearance at the Centre again. To give them more safety, security and a chance for a better future, a hostel is indispensable. When children can stay day and night, the chances of backsliding will be much smaller.
The plan was made very quickly, we had to buy land on which we could build a school and a hostel. But buying land in India is not the same as in Holland. A whole year we were running from one option to another. In the beginning we thought we had succeeded with the buy of a big house but at the last minute this was cancelled. Many options on pieces of land followed but every time problems did arise. Finally we succeeded: we bought a big piece of land of 30.000 sq.ft. Dutch NCDO-subsidy will be required. After a positive decree every donated Euro for the construction will be doubled. The construction will start after the monsoon in September.
In September Iris Wilkinson and Aneeta Patel will visit Holland, they will give information to the donors about the progress of the project and they hope to meet you then.
Children who need a hostel urgently. You undoubtedly recognise them from earlier newsletters.
Pinky
Pinky (12) was one of the most diligent pupils of Nav-Jeevan. Pinki has no mother. Her only brother, the 14 year old Suraj, recently died. She was heart-broken. Mrs. Wilkinson had made arrangements for his hospitalisation but he refused to go. He had become a tobacco and alcohol addict, he was working in some shop. Pinki seems to have reverted back to chewing tobacco which keeps her slow, sleepy and disinterested.
Mangal
Mangal (5) and Sunny have no parents. Mangals' head was again infested with lice, his head had to be shaved but not too close otherwise the skin would peel off. Once the skin heals then only anti-lice shampoo can be used.
Renuka
Hemant
After a marital fight mother was poured with kerosene and burnt to death. Recently the father of Hemant (5), Renuka (8) and Rajkumar (11) has a new wife with three sons. The stepmother and her sons beat Renuka. She and her little brother Hemant then flee to one of the neighbours. But Hemant stole something so he was driven out. He now sleeps in an old schoolbuilding and along with Mangal and Sunny keeps running around and begs when hungry.
Shubanghi
Shubanghi (11) has a mentally disabled mother who is divorced and a brother. Shubanghi was always a very regular visitor of Nav-Jeevan till her brother suddenly came back without warning to the house with a young wife. She was so excited, didn’t want to leave her sister-in-law and became very irregular and finally declared she wouldn’t come to the centre. We tried to reason with her, coaxed her but nothing worked. She was loosing weight. One day, again without warning, the brother and his wife left the house. Shubanghi and her mother were left very poorly off. We are happy Shubanghi is back in Nav-Jeevan now.
Quotation from e-mail of Iris Wilkinson (June the 16th 2004)
Yesterday I came across the following in a book I am reading: