Tag Archives: Child Haven International

Helping a girl become a woman.

Child Haven International is mainly known for its homes for destitute children, but thanks to the support of our generous donors and volunteers we are able to help many people in many different circumstances. In our latest newsletter we brought you the story of a young girl in Nepal, the struggle she endured due to a rare medical condition, and how CHI was able to help her and her family. Here is her story from the Summer 2013 CHI Newsletter – Bonnie Lore section. Continue reading

Peace and Quiet

The following is a brief glimpse of what life is like at CHI Kaliyampoondi. Taken from her personal blog, it tells the story of one morning on Rene Cappuccino’s recent overseas visit to the CHI homes with Bonniema. 

You could not imagine a more peaceful or serene environment as this. The perfect temperature, a slight breeze, the crickets serenading in the distance… The catch? You have to get up before dawn to experience it.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I once again find myself awake at 4:30 in the morning and instead of laying in my sweat soaked sheets within my stifling hot room, I venture outside. Lo and behold – perfection. Had I known it was so wonderful out at this hour, I would have gotten up even earlier. This tranquil atmosphere quickly dissipates once the sun begins to make her daily entrance and the world awakes from her nightly slumber. But, that is when the fun really begins.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

As the sky just starts to lighten, the first of the staff emerge to begin the daily tasks required to keep such a large and well managed home functioning; sweeping the grounds, washing the floors, and lighting the fires that will eventually cook the mornings meal. The night watchman makes the last of his rounds, and the birds begin to greet the day.

The youngest children are the first to rise and sleepily make their way to the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. My grandmother is not far behind. She is surprised to see me awake at such an hour and can’t resist a gentle scolding about my lack of proper sleep habits. As she hums and jingles away doing her bathing and laundry, the sky continues to lighten and the children continue to emerge. A motorcycle passes along the nearby lane, followed by an ox and cart. The world around is waking as well and beginning the activities of the day.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe temperature is already rising and the lovely cool breeze is slowly fading away. The children begin to pass by, calling out and greeting, “Good Morning Sister.”.

“Kalai Vannakum Child Haven.”

 

Until next time,

Rene for CHI

Building a Home

One of Child Haven’s goals is for each home or project that we have oversees to own their own land and building.  This has of course been a struggle, but with the help of generous contributors and incredibly kind donors, we are well on our way to making this goal a reality. Our most recent endeavor is our children’s home in Gujarat.  Continue reading

Saving lives – one stitch at a time

Recently Bonniema and group visited another project that Child Haven International supports – the women’s project Manav Vikas Parishad (MVP) in Ghaziabad, which is near New Delhi in India. It is a small NGO that helps local impoverished women with training, medical care, and child education. Continue reading

Kindergarten in Kaliyampoondi

Kids are cute, but these kids are ridiculously cute. Their smiles are infectious and their giggles quickly become viral. It doesn’t take much to start them going – a look, a sound, the slightest touch, and the giggles erupt. They rapidly spread from one to another until the whole room is vibrating with laughter. Continue reading

A very special Anniversary

Yesterday, July 14th, we celebrated Fred and Bonnie Cappuccino’s 60th Wedding Anniversary and the launch of Child Haven International’s Diamond Jubilee Endowment Fund.

ChildHavenInternation-72

During the 60 years of their marriage, Bonnie and Fred raised their own 21 children, 19 adopted from around the world. They have also nurtured and provided loving care for thousands of formerly destitute children and women in India, Nepal, Tibet and Bangladesh. With their guidance, over the past years, CHI has assembled a future transition team which is intimately familiar with the people, philosophy and inner-workings which make Child Haven truly unique and effective. Continue reading

Top Ten Hints for a great CHI Fundraising Party

The Diamond Jubilee is fast approaching and we at CHI want to encourage all of our supporters to gather their family and friends for a fundraising party (a pot luck, BBQ, drinks, or even just dessert) and then tune into Bonnie and Fred Cappuccino’s webcast at 5pm EST on July 14. Continue reading

Education is Key

With such a massive population, a good education becomes all the more important if you want to compete for a job in countries like India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The job market is not keeping pace with the ever expanding population and students are having to seek further and continued education to compete for limited employment opportunities. Where a bachelors degree may have been sufficient in years past, now a masters degree is the minimum in some fields of work. Vocational training has also become increasingly popular over the years, providing students with a usable skill set immediately applicable after graduation. Continue reading

Smiles for Miles

Life can be pretty difficult at times. This is true for everyone, everywhere around the world, but maybe a bit more so for people who are living well below the poverty line in overpopulated developing nations. But no matter where in the world you are and no matter how desperate your situation may seem to be, you can always find a child with a smile. Continue reading

GUEST POST – A week in Nepal

This is a guest post from Rene Cappuccino (repeat CHI intern and volunteer). This post originally appeared in her personal blog –  www.repurposedredhead.com – in June 2012.

Namaste from Nepal! Due to the new visa regulations for Tibet, I was unable to accompany the rest of my group on that portion of the trip. Instead I remained in Kathmandu, Nepal at the Child Haven International children’s home. It has given me the opportunity to briefly live the life of an intern again and get to know the children and staff a little bit better. Continue reading