My dear friends,
We have turned 8. What an amazing journey we are making! I recall with satisfaction the baby steps we had taken during our early days and the more confident gait that we have acquired by now… All thanks to the constant support extended by our benefactors and co-travellers. Within this span, we have helped pull more than 200 families out of troubled waters, so to speak. Of course, more than monetary help, our assistance was more psychological, becoming a sounding board for these families, playing the roles of counsellors, and trustworthy friends. These count much more than financial assistance, as our beneficiary families would vouch for.
On our founding day, someone posed a question to me and I wish to share the same with you here: Could we have reached out to a larger audience during these years? The simple answer to the question is, YES. But there is a counter to that: Should we have? The answer: MAYBE and MAYBE NOT. But I want to draw your attention to our original intent: Provide qualitative support to families that have lost their breadwinners and not worry about scaling up. To that extent, I think we are right in staying the current course. Besides, we are limited by our resources, not just in terms of funds, but time and people. Our volunteers have a proper day job and we do not intend to employ anyone to do our work lest our funds be spent on salaries. Our current strategy helps us to pass on the entire money we raise to our beneficiaries without having to spend a pie on any expenses. So, I suppose we are fine the way we currently operate.
Now, as promised in my last mail, I am presenting here a summary of our financial statements for the year 2023-24. The numbers are for the period April 2023 to March 2024 only. Contributions after that will be included in the current financial year. Another point to note is that not all funds have passed through BRIDGE accounts as some of our donors have agreed to deposit funds directly into the accounts of some of our beneficiaries. But for the records, I have included their contributions too.
Total Contribution: Rs 22,32,210.00
Break-up of Contribution:
Shibu Joseph: Rs 5,22,860.00
ACT: Rs 5,00,000.00
Michelle Mendonca: Rs 4,77,350.00
Ajit Isaac Family Foundation: Rs 2,50,000.00
Wonder Biz Technologies Pvt Ltd: Rs 2,00,000.00
Shaji Thomas: Rs 1,80,000.00
Geetanjali Kapoor: Rs 65,000.00
Austin Scaria: Rs 25,000.00
Bindu Prakash: Rs 10,000.00
Anita Francis: Rs 2,000.00
Total Outgo Rs 19,65,350.00
Break-up:
Livelihood outgo………………………..Rs 8,25,000.00
Education aid…………………………… Rs 7,65,000.00
Medical aid……………………………… Rs 1,56,700.00
One-time outgo……………………….. Rs 2,18,650.00
(One-time outgo includes house repair help, wedding expenses help and school uniform purchase assistance for students)
Balance in our bank account as of March 31, 2024: Rs 2,66,860.00
As you may have noticed, there has been a slight fall in the contribution during the year compared to the previous year. But I am happy to say that we were never short of funds as we have met our objectives for the year.
I take this opportunity to thank all our benefactors who have made their contributions without me having to make a request for funds. You are the pillars on which our BRIDGE stands. Thank you my dear BRIDGE family. May the Heavens shower upon you the blessings that you deserve and keep you healthy and happy always!
I also wish to register our special gratitude to our auditors BOCO LLP for being a caring auditor, right from our inception without charging us a pie. I do not have to bother at all about the numbers, nor about filing our returns as the BOCO staff take care of the details.
I cannot thank enough our volunteers who spend a considerable amount of time with our BRIDGE families, listening to their stories, counselling them and planning their finances. Thanks to their efforts, I am proud to say that many of our families are able to stand on their feet both emotionally and financially. I also thank our well-wishers who contribute, in no small measure, with their valuable prayers, encouragement and support. Without you, BRIDGE would have remained just a dream.
Thank you everyone. God bless you all!
Shibu Joseph
A BRIDGE Over Troubled Waters
The Anchor for the Anchorless
Ph: 9739218181; 080-26830545
https://youtu.be/UJbXN1vJq3E