Seasons' greetings to you all and welcome to the news on the visit to the children - Oct 2016.

Looking back on the work with the children, March/April visit was to check that the children we were sponsoring were attending school, and to sign them up  to the new academic year. At that time only half-year fees were paid to the school due to a lack of enough cash, but all the parents were promised that the second half will be paid in Oct. 2016

So the purpose of  trip in October was to pay the outstanding fees as well as checking that they are actually going to school and enquiring as to their progress.  Further it was a good opportunity to get to know more about the families and their living conditions, so where I could, I visited their homes and talked to the parents.

I found a few families had moved away from the village, and some families’ circumstances had improved to such an extent that they no longer needed the charity’s help. In these cases the funds were redirected to some more deserving cases not supported before, and also increasing the total number of children to 92.

Wouldn’t  be really great if next year we can afford to reach that magic target of 100 desperate souls?

Looking back to 2015

We had signed up to pay the fees for 79 children at this school !!

If you remember, when we started the charity last year, one of the driving force was seeing the state of the local school (APN) in such disrepair that the children had all of their lessons under a tree. At that time I suggested strongly to the Principal that if he does not improve the teaching facilities the children will move to other schools.

The Future is Bright

This year Oct. 2016  

The old building has been flattened and a new 8 class-room building is under construction, with a promise from the Principal that it will be completed in early 2017. 

Though the classrooms are not fully furnished as yet, The lower half of the school-rooms provide shelter already, and are being used for classes.

IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF YOUR HELP THAT WE CAN KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL    

Thank you!

“Letter From Laxmi”

The sponsors, Roy and Brenda, had sent a letter with me on my  trip in March to deliver to her, and this last trip Laxmi sent a reply. Roy and Brenda would like to share this with you.      

(Note -: Laxmi wrote her reply in Hindi, and it was translated by her teacher)

“Prabho learning to walk”

Prabho is the only child of single parent Sanoo,  he was 4 years  in 2015 and incapable of speaking or walking. The Charity has  agreed to sponsor him hoping  we could get him to school.

Something was seriously wrong with Prabho, It was a burden on his mother to carry him everywhere, he is house bound, with a bleak future. 

WINGS CHARITY mission is to help children into school, and with Prabho, this is a real challenge!!.

The first step was to find out what is wrong with him, and though it was thought that he had polio, Sanoo  did not have the money to send him to a doctor to get tested.

Further, Sanoo’s family (brother and father) hoped all he needed was better nutrition. I took some photos and short videos of Prabho trying to walk, and showed these to doctors in the UK, their  suggestion is that  possibly he is suffering with polio. 

The problem is that as Prabho grows, he will become  heavier to carry and this will be a real problem for him to get to any school.  The nearest school is 2Km away. So in March 2016 I found a good pushchair in the UK and took it to India for him, hoping this would encourage Sanoo to take him to school.

Despite the fact that the family was in denial, I left some money for Prabho to get checked by a doctor, and just before my return in October, Hurray! They had him tested at a hospital. The doctor carried out a brain scan, and prescribed medicine.

Though I could not find out the prognosis as yet.

IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE? 

I brought the Brain Scan radiograph and would really like if an expert could give an opinion on it as to his condition, as well as comment on the medicine that was prescribed. If you know any doctor or neurosurgeon who can help it would be really great

UNEXPECTED RESULT 

When I took the wheelchair for Prabho, I hoped it will help and encourage his mother to get him to school, instead of physically carrying him. But  this last visit  I was pleasantly surprised to see that instead they encouraged him to hold on and push it along, thereby strengthening his legs and improving  his balance.  He is making good progress compared to last year.  

There is a hope that next year (May-17 ) he may start school.