Dear friends,
It has been another fulfilling month for BRIDGE.
BRIDGE has sponsored the education of three children deserted by their father. They live in Viveknagar, Bengaluru, with their grandmother and mother who works as a maid in two houses nearby. Two of the children had not paid the fees for the current academic year. One of them had dues of Rs 2,500. I visited their one-room house and spent some time with them understanding the situation they are in. It’s not just poverty that the family is struggling to cope with, but the trauma the children go through when their drunk father visits them occasionally and shouts at the family standing outside their home asking for money. Later, we (BRIDGE volunteers) introduced a locally famous person to the family and this person in turn has contacted the police and assured the family that the children would not be disturbed anymore. BRIDGE volunteers are also keeping tabs of the situation. Later we visited their schools and met the principals and discussed the family and paid their fees for the year totalling Rs 20,600. We have collected their performance reports and we will be monitoring their progress. We have assured them that if they improve their performance, we will continue to sponsor their education. Meanwhile, we are trying to get a more stable job for their mother, probably in a mall/retail centre where she can earn more than what she earns currently as a maid which is Rs 6000. She has completed her Grade 10.
Another family that BRIDGE has helped this month consists of deaf and dumb parents and their two children aged under 8 (see pictures). The children too are deaf and one of them is able to speak with the aid of an instrument. This struggling family from Kerala was looking for funds to buy a sewing machine as the lady in the house is a trained tailor. We have helped the family buy a sewing machine with Rs 25,000 from BRIDGE. This should help them earn a steady income.
I want to thank all of you for making these possible with your contributions. I must say that we are actually running short of funds. Besides helping new families, we also continue to support our existing BRIDGE families. If we can tap possible new sources, we can do a lot more. I am trying to make a case by writing to some companies and banks who could come to our aid. If you have potential sources, do pass on their details to me. I am happy to report that some of our volunteers are already making the rounds of banks to request them to pass on some CSR funds. We will do all we can to put a smile on the faces of as many persons as possible.