Help us equip and sustain the children's home

Unlocking Doors, Opening Futures

In May we celebrated the opening of the new KBM Children’s Home in Darjeeling. While there is work still to be done, the main elements have been completed—thanks to the amazing generosity of supporters from all over the world. But speaking as someone privileged to attend the opening, it wasn’t the splendid building with its modern facilities which struck me most forcefully: it was the hand-written letters, most of them beautifully illustrated, we were given by the children.

Instead of providing summaries, let me share three examples from across the age spectrum. It’ll mean so much more.

[GLOBAL GIVING: PLEASE INSERT THE THREE LETTERS HERE]

By providing accommodation and facilities which were a world away from the appalling conditions they replaced, we sent the children a message which, perhaps, they had never received before: “You are worth every rupee.”

By the date of the opening ceremony, our supporters’ generosity had enabled us to:

•   complete the boundary wall, so important for the safety and security of the children;

•   install water tanks to harvest water during the monsoon (at other times of the year, the water supply is woefully inadequate); and

•   complete a great, multi-purpose, activity room

But we have more still to do.

Apart from providing, in the newly-built home

•   maths, English and computer classes (essential for those children attending local government schools where the provision lags behind that of the local private schools), and

•   eye, dental and mental health clinics and girls' health awareness classes

we intend to

•   provide 100 new mattresses to replace the pitifully thin mattresses in both the boys’ and the girls’ dormitories;

•   provide 25 wardrobes to replace the dilapidated furniture;

•   provide 73 new curtains; and

•   guarantee sufficient water for the home 365 days of the year. 

Links:

• Darjeeling Children's Trust Website