Update on Emergency Appeal to help with medical expenses
Thanks to everyone who gave for medical and hospital expenses for the homes in India hard-hit by covid. World’s Children has wired $32,800 to help pay for medical and hospital bills for seven Sacred Heart children’s homes, as well as Assunta Asha Nilayam, Shanthi Nilayam and Bethel Orphanage.
All of the administrators and staff affected have recovered except Sister Rosemary from Assunta Asha Nilayam. She is still recovering after a long illness with covid and then black fungus that required a lengthy hospitalization.
We also want to share this note below from Sister Mary Hilda at Bethel Orphanage who recently contracted covid and typhoid fever at the same time. Your donations are paying for her bills and for the care of another administrator at Bethel who contracted covid.
“We were not hospitalized and stayed at home with the proper care of the doctor and medicine. But we underwent all the diagnosis, CT scan, x-rays, blood tests and rapid corona test. The other sister was with the ventilator and oxygen. By God’s grace she too recovered because she is young. For both of us the medical care and bills cost $380.
I feel very tired when I work. Kindly bear with me for some time. I thank you once again for the great help that you do for us.
With kind regards,
Sister Mary Hilda”
August Updates from the Orphanages in India
We know you are very concerned about the health and well-being of the children and their caregivers in India. We are providing the latest news from 23 of the orphanages we support in India.
Summary
The children and administrators are healthy and safe at this time. Some of the children are in the orphanages and some are with relatives, according to the rules of the various states. The orphanage administrators have been using sponsorship funds and extra money we have sent to help the children and their families with food, various supplies, and books as needed. Classes are being held online, but the administrators are hopeful that schools will reopen in September. This decision is determined on a state-by-state basis. At that time, all the children who are currently living with relatives or guardians can return to their orphanages and hostels. The orphanages listed some special needs they are facing at this time. Please continue reading to see the update from each children’s home.
Individual updates from the children’s homes:
Nirmala Matha Home for Children (8/17/21)
All the children and administrators are healthy right now. We have provided nutritious food for the children and arranged for medical checkup regularly so no children were affected by pandemic. At present 37 children are living in our home. 120 children are living with parents, 56 with relatives and 16 with guardians. We are constantly contacting the children and providing food and other supplies. We expect all the children to return to our home soon when school reopens on September 1st. –Sister Lourdu Mary
Little Flower Home for Children (8/17/21)
All the children and administrators are healthy and safe. Thirty children are living in our home. The other 67 are living with their parents/guardians. Frequently we have been communicating with the children. The children have to attend online classes now. We provide food items to the children’s families who very much need it. When school opens, all the children will return to our home. Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 may reopen for in-person learning. –Sister Anjala Mary
Athipet Home for Children (8/15/21)
All the administrators and children are healthy right now. 48 children are staying in the orphanage. 52 are with parents, 35 with relatives and 14 with guardians. We communicate with the children by phone and sometimes by visiting their residences. We supply food and other basic needs. They may return by the end of the month if schools reopen. –Sister Sargunam
Assunta Asha Nilayam (8/14/21)
All of our 28 children are living at the orphanage. All the children are enjoying good health as of now. But the administrator Sister Rosemary is still undergoing treatment. As of now classes are held online. Our food expenses are high and due to online classes, children are in need of WIFI facilities and equipment to listen. Computers are not enough. – Sister Amirtha
Happy Home for Children (8/11/21)
All the children and administrators are healthy and safe. 62 older children are in the home. Seven are new with three being orphans. Nursing students are staying on campus and 52 children are with relatives. We communicate with the children who are not in our home by phone and direct visits every two months because of covid. We are providing provisions for the children living with relatives. We do not know if school will reopen. We also help many street children who are really suffering from covid. Regarding the street children now we are caring for 8 children. Their family members are nomads. They do not have a permanent place. They have no other source for daily food. –Sister Eugine Leema Rose
Methodist Boarding Home for Boys and Girls (8/11/21)
All the children and their families, the administrator and staff are healthy and safe right now. Because of covid no children are living in the home. 72 boys and 69 girls are living with relatives. I am regularly in touch with the children and their families through phone calls and personal visits. We regularly supply food provisions, essentials and books. We do not know when the state government will give permission to allow the children to return to the home. We are having online classes from KG to PG.—Mrs. Pearl Sunder Raj
Fatima Home for Children (8/11/21)
25 girls and 7 boys are currently in the orphanage and 39 children are with relatives. We communicate with the children through text, as we are avoiding traveling by public transportation. For the children who are residing nearby, we provide the necessary things such as food, sanitizer, face mask, etc. Many of our staff and sisters have suffered with covid. –Sister Thangapushpam
Nambikkai Illam (8/10/21)
Children, staff and sisters are better now. 53 children are living in the home. 36 children are living with a single parent, 15 with grandparents, and 11 with relatives or guardians. We do communicate with the children and we provide food items, masks and soap to the families. 9th to 12th grade may begin school, but we are not certain yet. –Sister Stella
Sister Seline’s Memorial Home for Children (8/10/21)
All the children and administrators are healthy. 33 children are living at the children’s home. Relatives were afraid to take the children because all the children are HIV-positive. The children are attending online classes and we don’t have a confirmed date when the school will reopen. –Sister Nirmala
Balavikasita Orphanage (8/10/21)
All the children and administrators are healthy as of this date. All the children are living at the orphanage—44 girls and 34 boys. Students are having online classes and soon might have offline classes too. We have need of a separate quarantine room. –Uttam Kumar
Karunya Care and Support Center (8/10/21)
All the children and staff are healthy at this time. 15 children are staying in our home. Six are staying with relatives and nine with guardians. We are communicating with them by phone and provide food and supplies. Some of the children are able to attend classes online. Others cannot access an internet connection. We are waiting to hear when schools can reopen. – Sister Lizy
Sneha Sadan (8/9/21)
Our children and their families, the administrators and staff are in good health. At present, 13 children are living in the orphanage, following online classes. Eight of the children are in 10th grade and four are in 9th grade and one is in 7th grade. The remaining 26 children are living with relatives. 15 students are studying in college and are also staying with their relatives. We are often communicating with our children who are living with relatives and instructing them on the online classes and health tips. We give food supplies for families who are nearby. We are expecting the schools to reopen in September and then all the children will return to the orphanage. When the children return, we know they will need everything such as new clothing. –Sister Prakashanna
St. Elizabeth’s Children’s Home (8/9/21)
All the children and administrators are healthy. At present, no children are living in the children’s home. All are with relatives. We have provided food items to the children. We don’t know when the children will be returning yet. At present school is online. When the children are not able to follow the online classes they come to school for an explanation. We the teachers are going to school. –Sister Catherine
Marian Orphanage (8/9/21)
At this time, there are no children living in the home. Eight children are living with relatives. We have been able to communicate with them regularly. The children and administrators are safe and enjoying good health. We are taking precautions, but there is an increase of covid cases in our area. I bring provisions for the children living with relatives every month. School is online. Our primary needs are to provide food and education materials because families are unable to earn money due to covid. –Sister Arogya Mary
Miriam Boarding Home (8/9/21)
I am happy to say that all the children and administrators are healthy. Right now no children are at our home. The 14 sponsored children are living with relatives. We communicate with all of them and in early August they came to get their textbooks. They are attending online classes and their books and school fees are paid. Our greatest need is to provide provisions for the children. –Sister Anthoni Bonagiri
Sherman Girls’ Hostel (8/9/21)
It has not yet returned to normal but we are starting to open up slowly over here. We are not sure when covid will allow schools to resume. Currently our 35 children are living with relatives. I keep in touch by phone. Children can return to our hostel once school starts again. In the meantime, we have provided food kits to the children. At present, children are occupied with online classes and all are doing well. We thank sponsors and WC for the concern you have towards us. –Miss Rachel Reuben
Katihar Home for Boys and Mary Immaculate Home for Girls (8/9/21)
All the children and administrators are healthy as of right now. In Katihar Home for Boys, three children are currently in the home and 11 are living with relatives. In Mary Immaculate Home for Girls, currently 4 children are in the hostel and 10 are with relatives. We visit their families monthly and we have supplied food and sanitation supplies. Classes for grades 11 and 12 have already started. Grades 5-8 are supposed to begin soon and the smaller children will come back in the month of September. Colleges have not started classes yet. When the children return to the hostel, we want to help them study well since the poor children have not had access to online classes. –Father Xavier
Shanthi Nilayam (8/8/21)
As of now, all the children and administrator are healthy. Currently 39 boys are living in the home and four are with relatives. Every 15 days we are contacting these four to ask about their health and other details. We give these four families food and other supplies monthly. As soon as the schools reopen, these boys will return. The government in the state of Telangana is planning to re-open the schools in the second week of September. Due to covid, we have lost local donors that used to pay the staff salaries. We need an additional $540/month. –Vijaya Rani
Nithya Sahaya Matha (8/8/21)
All the administrators and children are healthy. In the second wave, some children tested positive but recovered very fast. At present, six girls are living in the hostel and 25 are living with relatives. We communicate with the children weekly and visit the families and bring provisions, sanitizers, medical treatment and money if needed. We hope the children will return soon, but we don’t know for sure. Not all can attend the online classes. We need to provide healthy food for the children and provide more salaries for employees to sanitize the campus. If schools do not re-open, we will need school supplies. –Sister Lourdu Mary
Lucile Colony Girls’ Hostel (8/7/21)
All children and administrators are healthy and safe right now. Presently, the girls are not living in the hostel, they are with relatives. I communicate with the children by phone. I have been able to give food and supplies to the children who are sponsored and to the girls receiving WC scholarships and some other needy children. – Miss Christina Paul
Raichur Girls’ Hostel (8/6/21)
All the children and administrators are healthy and safe. Six children are living in our hostel and 10 are with relatives. I communicate with the children regularly. They are eager to come back to our hostel. I am supplying food kits to the children. Some are attending online classes and high school students are attending classes in person. Our greatest need is to build a sick room for our children. –Miss Manjula Jacob
Swadhar Home for Children (8/6/21)
All the children and administrators are healthy and happy. At present 35 children are staying in the orphanage and no one has gone home. Since all our children are staying with us, we stretch a helping hand to their relatives. The children are attending online classes. Currently we are in need of a medical kit that includes: oximeter, inhalers, temperature gun, hand wash, vitamins, gloves, and some extra nutritious food. A third wave has started in our area around Tenali, so that is why we request these items. – Sister Suseela
