In September 2009, Bernadette and I with other Rotarians were part of a trip, organised by PP Saby Sebastian, to India for us to see the work our matching grant had achieved in The Precious Children Project.
Our time in India was truly amazing and enlightening in seeing first hand the many and varied works of Rotary International. During this time we had the privilege to visit Prakshpalaya a remote Village four hours drive from Bangalore.
Our Rotary hearts went out to these children and their enormous thirst for education, that lets them endure less than adequate accommodation, which lacks basic safe and hygienic conditions. Their plight cannot be ignored and a truly achievable goal has been set for a group of Rotarians from District 9790.
We need to raise $130,000.00 to build basic accommodation ( Not achievable through matching grants due to the Global financial Crisis ) and with your help is quite achievable. I urge your club or you, as an individual to help us in giving these children the most basic of human needs.
I look forward to your response to this most worthy cause.
Yours in Rotary
Michael McCabe PHF,
Foundation Director 2010/11
President Elect 2011/2012.
Ph: 0403 036 252.
Email: michael@mjauto.com.au
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| This is the room where they live |
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| As you see the walls and floor are concrete with corrugated iron. |
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| Ventilation is provided through open, shutter less windows! |
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| The Bathroom is Clean but primitive. |
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Recently a group of Rotarians from Sunbury, visited Prakashpalaya, a remote rural village in Karnataka, India. It took us four hours from Bangalore to reach this isolated region. Fr. Thomas Vailatt, a Salesian priest took us there to see the work done by the Salesians of Don Bosco.
They have set up a regional centre for the education of young people at Prakashpalaya. The students come from remote villages in the hills that border Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The villagers are peasants who cultivate the land belonging to landlords for a share of the harvest. The income from that is minimal and they cannot afford to send their children to schools.
The Salesians initiated a project to provide free accommodation and lodging for these children. They have built through the generosity of a Sydney couple a hostel for the boys.
It accommodates about 120 boys in basic clean facilities. However, the girls who want to further their education have only a shed to call as their home. There are 38 girls who share this shed. It is rather primitive - damp concrete floor, infested by rodents, lice and the occasional snake.
Fr. Thomas needs our assistance to help these children realise their dreams by providing basic clean accommodation. He is in the process of building a hostel to house 120 girls.
It will cost him A$169,000 of which he has A$30,000. He needs another A$139,000. It will be fantastic if we could donate some money towards realising his and the children's dream.
We are requesting all our friends to give generously to this cause. Your donation is tax deductible. So if you donate say $1000, you will receive up to $470, depending on your marginal tax rate.
A brochure from Fr. Thomas is above. as well as a contribution form. Please complete the form with your name and address and return it to any of us so that we can organise your tax receipt.
Your donation will be personally acknowledged by Fr.Thomas. He will also maintain a list of donors who will be remembered in the Salesians' and children's daily prayers.
We can assure you that 100% of your donation will be used for the construction of the hostel for the girls. If you had visited the place as we did, you too would be moved to give generously.
The children are very smart, intelligent and keen to study. One of the girls topped the Karnataka school final exams last year. She wants to become a doctor.
Time and time again, experts say that educating children, especially girls, is the key to ending the global 'cycle of poverty.' - Kathleen McHugh
Whatever help we can give will have a great permanent impact on the lives of these children and their families and others that will come.
Michael & Bernadette McCabe
& Saby Sebastian
Saby and Bernadette are planning to revisit in November 2010… and see the progress of the Hostel…. We have great confidence.
