Child sponsorship update from Shillong, India

Update for child sponsors from the SOS Children's Village Shillong, India from November 2008

Dear friend,
Autumn leaves start fading reminding us of the end of yet another eventful year of your love and support which we cherish in our memories forever. It gives us immense pleasure to share with you the events happening at your sponsored facility namely the SOS Children’s Village Shillong. To begin with, we are thankful to you for your kind help and contributions in realizing our dreams in helping those children who are in need.

A home for children since 1999:
This year we brought home 8 destitute children, the youngest one being a 6 Months old baby boy adding up to the current total of 143 children (59 boys and 84 girls) of resident children in the village under the loving care of 12 mothers and 6 Aunts. Spreading out over 11 acres of land the Village consist of 12 well-maintained family homes, a Youth facility cum office, Kindergarten, Auditorium, a Dispensary, a resource center, a community house, an Aunt’s house, 2 co-worker’s residential quarters, a Family Strengthening Programme office, Village Maintenance workshop and a Village Store. There is also a Children’s mini-park and a playground. These are being properly maintained throughout the year. This year, the Village is fortunate to receive a contribution for the construction of a Learning Center from the Life Insurance Corporation of India Guwahati branch. This will cater to the children’s potential talents and skills in the field of Music, a fully equipped and modernized library room and a computer room which will expand the old one. The co-workers and mothers are being trained all the year round and attended training programmes and workshops on various issues internally and externally.

Academic performance of children:
The Academic performance was recorded at a pass percentage of 83%. 21 children were detained in the same class whereas 15 children passed out exceptionally well. All children are doing fairly well academically. Some of our children are captains in various extra curricular activities in school. Our children also participated in various educational assessment tests conducted by the International Assessment for Indian School. We are happy to share with you that our village child namely Shynsharlang passed out her Class X Board Examination exceptionally well by securing 1st position. Seven children joined the vocational stream to enhance their aptitudes in Beautician courses, bamboo making course and weaving and Professional English spoken courses.

Children’s Activities
The children skills are being appreciated in sports event they participated in Football and Cricket matches during their holidays. Adolescence classes were conducted throughout the year with visiting resource persons. Quiz competitions were also held during the year. Gandhi Jayanti was celebrated at the village with children participating in drawing, painting and essay competitions. Children also went to Guwahati to participate in the International Day of Peace and Non-violence. 45 Children went on a safari trip to Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary whereas the smaller children of the village were treated to a day’s outing at Lady Hydari Park. The Wildlife week of the Forest Department, Government of Meghalaya was celebrated with the children participating in various competitions followed by Tree Plantations Programme as part of the “World Forestry Day”. Children also participated in their school functions in traditional dance this year. A workshop was conducted to sensitize the works of Mahatma Gandhi at Umran where school children from the district participated. “Environment day was also celebrated to highlight the importance of nature. Children attended Recitation conducted by the Ramakrishna Mission where two of our children namely; Banshanlang and Dahunmon received consolation prizes. The village children collaborating with the youth boys won the Friendly Football match at Umsaw.

Children's projects

Health
The children are taken for regular medical check up all year round and they are free from major ailments except for a few who had to be hospitalised and now they have recovered well. There are also Medical camps conducted the whole year with visiting specialised doctors. Vaccination and Immunisations were given to the children. Oral Polio drops were also given to the children below 5 years old at the village. The village also received Dispensary equipments from District Health Officer Nongpoh. A Routine Blood Test was conducted for all the children both village and youth.

Youth Facility
Youth house has 20 youths studying in different schools as well as in vocational training institute. The youth boys participated in various state / local level competitions in different disciplines like Swimming, Rock-climbing, Football and Cricket. Skhemborlang did the village proud by winning Sub-Junior category in Rock-climbing and mountaineering meet held at Shillong. The boys are all healthy except for few minor ailments. The Youth facility is also registered as a club in order to participate in inter district level games. They were included in the Bharat Scouts and Guides Meghalaya Unit as Members. They also attended a Seminar on “HIV/AIDS & Drug Addiction problems”. One youth appeared for the Class X Board Examination and passed. To imbibe in the boys the sense of discipline and responsibility they were engaged in various activities surrounding the youth house like preparing of bamboo-fencing, caring for the Flower garden, Channeling of soil and planting in the kitchen garden.

Community Programme
Through Family Strengthening Programme, we have reached 254 children (109 Boys and 145 girls) and 111 families in six villages surrounding the village. Two of these children passed Board examination successfully in 2nd Division. An initial step has been taken to reach our main goal of self reliance of the caretakers so that the children have access to various amenities for their growth and development: this is done by encouraging the mothers, caretakers to form Self Help Groups which sums up to 12 in numbers under the supervision of the Family Strengthening Programme. From these, 2 have completed their First anniversary. We are happy to share with you the work of a particular group namely “Jingkyrmen Self Help Group” from Bhoirymbong who has taken the responsibility of providing care and shelter to six abandoned children, the youngest of them being a two and a half year old who has started attending play-school this year. Each member of the Group had wholeheartedly contributed in helping these children. Currently the children are all doing well. Many among these Self Help Groups have started their own Resource centers which also functions as a tuition and meeting center for the beneficiaries. The Mother’s Day Celebration for the Family Strengthening Programme mothers was celebrated at with the participation of all the mothers from the beneficiary group.

The NABARD, a banking agency had sponsored for the Capacity Building programme and various trainings for Self Help Groups. As part of the Family and Community Based Activities there were many Workshops, Seminars and Awareness Programmes held during the year. Meetings were conducted at various villages by the concern Co-workers. Entrepreneurship & Skills Development workshop were also held for the beneficiaries in the field of Dress making and family book accounting. There were Quiz, Extempore speech, Drawing and Debate competitions held during the year at various Family Strengthening Programme locations and also at the Village Auditorium to engage the children in extra-curricular activities. There were various Health Camps held during the year for the beneficiary children. Workshops and seminars like Parenting Skills, Health related programs, etc. to help bring out awareness in the mothers, caretakers and the community as a whole to take care of the children.

Events and activities at Shillong, India

Village Activities & Festivals
The improvement of the playground behind SOS Youth House Shillong has taken shape through the fund given by the Youth & Sports Department of Meghalaya State Government. New Year was celebrated with the children, amidst the bursting of Crackers and cakes. The first Birthdays of four children were celebrated at the village with cake cutting and merry making.

Mother’s Day was celebrated with children preparing a small yet delightful programme for the mothers. The day witnessed the participation by all children displaying their talents in stage dramas, singing and dancing. The SOS Day was celebrated enthusiastically with the village’s children and the children from the Family strengthening programme participation in Stage dramas, singing and dancing too. On account of Meghalaya Day on 21st January 2008 activities like Essay writing, Recitation and Dancing were held at the village for the children.

Before winding up this report, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for your invaluable support towards the SOS Children’s Village Shillong. On behalf of all the children, mothers and co-workers, we convey our sincere regards to you and all members in your family and May the New Year brings with it so many wonderful memories to cherish for a lifetime.