Tag Archives: india

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.

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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.

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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

Volunteer Stories

We are fortunate to have some of the most wonderful, enthusiastic, hard working, caring, truly amazing volunteers in the world. Here are a few of their stories:

“In 1985 I was living in Fredericton, NB, attending the Unitarian Church. Fred came to speak about the new venture he and Bonnie were starting, Child Haven. In 1987, I volunteered my meagre services to work at the Home in Hyderabad. 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

The Empowerment of Women

One of Child Havens goals is the upliftment and empowerment of women. We strive to do this in several different ways. We employ destitute and disabled women in our children’s homes as caretakers and helpers. Often these women also have their own children who need help too. Mother and child both come to Child Haven where they receive plenty of healthy food, a safe place to live, quality education (often for the first time) and a new family to grow up with. Continue reading

GUEST POST – How CHI Changed Me

This is a Guest Post from Adrienne Mavalwala. After raising money for CHI through a bottle drive that her children held, Adrienne and her family volunteered for a mini internship at our children’s home in Kaliyampoondi, India. She and her husband and their three children spent two amazing weeks with the staff and children – helping out, having fun, and learning a great deal. Here is a little piece of Adrienne’s story – read more on their personal family blog – Five for India. 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