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Lets plan our Christmas Slum Party!
8th December 2009
We are now in the twelfth month of the year. Back in the UK the days will be continuing to get shorter, Christmas decorations must be going up and you will soon have to face village, town and city centres all over the country to face the crowds and attempt Christmas shopping. So instead of spending our festive holiday listening to carols, eating copious amounts of Quality Streets and wrapping up warm every time we leave the house we are really excited to be running our first Slum Christmas Party for 125 children.
It is going to be a party lasting three days where children from both of the slum communities in Thrissur can come and play games, sing songs, make various crafts, compete in mini-Olympics, eat a silly amount of food and just spend the three days with their friends having a Christmas they will hopefully remember for a while to come! We cannot wait for the team to come across from the UK and get started!
And if you are looking to find an alternative gift idea this year, why not consider buying a present for one of the Indian children we work with? We know so many children who would love a gift this year, no matter how big or small. Here are some examples of where your money could go…
£1 - a skipping rope, a teddy, a football, hair accessories, toiletries
£5 - a fun packed Christmas stocking for a child who would otherwise get nothing
£10 - a yummy Christmas meal full of goodness for 10 children
If you would like to give in any way, please click here for more information.
However you spend your Christmas, Love the One hope you have a super time!
Trip to Orissa
12th November 2009
The Love the One team recently made a trip up to Orissa, one of the poorest states in India, to assess starting a new medical work in this area.
Harrowing sights as we watched many families struggling in abject poverty.
Heart breaking stories as we met many people who had lost babies and children to preventable causes.
Hopelessness was seen in the eyes of the 8000 adults and children living in a relief camp having had their villages burnt down by rebel activity.
Hurting people every where we went.
Medical care in the area was pretty much non-existent. People have to travel 70km to the nearest hospital facility... but no-one has transport.
What would you do if you were 9 months pregnant, labour contractions have been going on for 12 hours and you start bleeding heavily?
Reshma delivered her dead baby whilst trying to walk to a medical facility 70km away. She left the baby on the side of the dirt track and walked home again.
How would you feel if your small child with simple diarrhoea slowly lapsed into unconsciousness as you hitch lifts on back of lorries to get to a medical facility... Priya was aged 1 when she suffered a stroke from being so dehydrated because she couldn't get medical help.
Meena was 11 years old when she got sick with malaria...and she was left to die when there was no-one to offer her basic help.
Would you feel desperate at having to return to labouring in the fields so as to survive and eat one meal a day... having to leave your 2 month old baby alone in your hut, asleep all day after you have fed her alcohol so she would not cry or wake up until you return.
Many babies are lost during the day to snake bite, diarrhoea or malaria in this way.
Would you lose hope if you live in a state of civil unrest where you fear for your life, knowing most people in the world will never hear of your plight.
We have met the people. We have heard their stories. We want to help.
Watch this space for developments early in 2010.
September Video Update
7th October 2009
A video update from Love the One. Thanks to Trent for allowing us to use their music.
Mobile Clinics Restarted
19th September 2009
The ‘Love the One’ team have restarted their Mercy Home clinics and have been travelling all over Kerala to see the children in seven Mercy Homes. Mary and Cat saw the children with the help of their trusted translators, Nimmy, Shalil and Preslin. Andy did an excellent job of entertaining the children through play and basic child health demonstrations whilst the children were being seen.
During just one clinic, there were many heartbreaking stories that the children had to tell. Many of the children have experienced all kinds of abuse before arriving at their Mercy Homes, including sexual abuse. A recent report by UNICEF and Save the Children found that at least 53% of all children in India experience sexual abuse, which probably means the rate is higher amongst the Mercy Home children. The needs were very great and there were a lot of medical problems to treat including scabies and other skin infections as well as undiagnosed asthma and eye problems.
Each child was counselled and received free medical treatment and the Mercy Home parents were encouraged to keep going in the amazing work they are doing. Over the following few weeks the team are continuing to travelling across Kerala to do weekly clinics for these needy children.