The students who have completed their 10th year exams.

In Andhra Pradesh state the academic year finishes in May. The most decisive years are the 10th and 12th, when the National exams are taken .
These high school children have taken the 10th year exams, like our old 'O' levels, and are waiting for the results some time in early May.

Ramesh, Ruckmini, Ruth, Venkatalaxmi, Navnitha, Sneha, Jhansi, Isaac and Udala-Laxmi
with Victor and Mary. 

 These children have been given the opportunity of a Brighter Future because, had they still been living with their parents in the leprosy colonies, or living rough on railway stations, they would most likely not have been able to go to school. Their parents could not have afforded the fees that even the government schools need for books and exams. Many of the children would have been leading an itinerant life, going begging at various religious sites and  at the stations in big towns, marrying young and continuing the downward spiral of debt and begging.

Brighter Future is greatly indebted to the  kind people who have so generously sponsored these children over the years and given them the chance to have an education for a brighter future.

Most of these young people have been living in the Rainbow Home and DMC house since they were 6 years old.
It is good to see that girls are in the majority this year, they so often get neglected in their culture.
Victor says they have been studying well and we hope that they all pass with flying colours.

However, if they do pass and  want to continue their education, we will have to find more special 'student sponsors' to pay their college fees which are about £250 a year!!

We are still finding people who don't know they have HIV/AIDS!

Finding people who don't know they have HIV is the main work of our survey team working from our base at Karuna Nivas Children's Home in Narasannapeta.
Our doctor, social worker and project coordinator visit villages, meet the village officials and ask if anyone has died recently, is suffering from a cough or generally ill. They hold a 'health camp', examining people, listening to their problems and dispensing free medicines whenever possible. If they suspect that someone has HIV/AIDS they take them to be tested at the government centre in the district main town.

While the children of Karuna Nivas are at school we utilize their play area to distribute food parcels to those with HIV who have no regular income. They can earn only a few pence on days when they are not in the grip of fevers or body pains, which are a common side effect of their

HIV/AIDS infection. Many women do agricultural labouring  - such as harvesting or planting rice. Others do things like washing dishes in roadside cafes or going from house to house to wash up. They earn very little, sometimes only receiving payment in kind, a few old clothes or some left over food.

Brighter Future food parcels enable them to have something to fall back on when they cannot find employment or when they are too ill to work. Some of our women do have to support themselves,and a child, entirely on our 5kg. of rice and 3kg a month of assorted grains, oil and protein supplements.

Victor and I went to the project this month.  We met the five newly found HIV positive people, all ladies. They have been tested and put on Anti Retroviral Therapy.They are welcome to come every month for our food parcels, vitamins and general medicines. For those from more distant villages this is difficult as they cannot afford the bus fare. We give those patients something towards the fare.

This little girl was found in January 2014.

 Nilaveni  was admitted to Karuna Nivas in January. She was  referred to our staff by a village health worker. Nilaveni was living with distant relations who led an itinerant existence, going from village to village, as basket weavers.

Her parents had died and her grandmother did not want her. She was living in a leaf shelter at the side of the road with her relations while they sold their wares. We were lucky to have been surveying in that area and to have the chance to help Nilaveni.

I met Nilaveni on the evening before the Picnic as she had come to Shanti Nivas with Karuna Nivas children. I was worried that she would be disappointed at missing the 'picnic' but she  didn't know what the 'picnic' was. Despite her pretty dress ( given by Brighter Future) she looked so weak and was emaciated that she was admitted to the hospice immediately.

Luckily we had Vijaya in the hospice too. Vijaya had just started a course of TB treatment and was suffering from the side effects of this while

Nilaveni and Vijaya with the teddies given to
them by friends of Pastor Jude 

her body adapted to the new drugs. Nilaveni was given the bed next to Vijaya and they are now good friends.



 Nilaveni's haemoglobin count was very low, her skin was dry and flaking off, her body was emaciated.She had been tested and started on ART while at Karuna Nivas. She was clearly finding the strong drugs difficult to tolerate.  Her mouth was full of ulcers so that ten year old Nilaveni could only eat a cereal called ragi when mixed with powdered rice into a thin paste. She could not chew rice grains and did not like any vegetables. We managed to get her to eat a mashed banana and as her ulcers healed she was gradually persuaded to try a soft boiled egg, dhal and other soft foods.

She has a special non-soap product to wash with and baby oil to massage her body after her shower. Nilaveni has been put on a high protein diet and has extra vitamins and food supplements.

Nilaveni has never been to school but she can count and knows her numbers to 10. We asked Vijaya to read her some stories but she did not understand or remember them.

We took her for TB testing. Pulmonary TB was confirmed and  Nilaveni has now started a 6 month course of TB treatment.
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Five Little Donors

Five little children from Guraja school in Vizianagaram have donated the equivalent of 12 pounds to Brighter Future. It doesn't sound much to us but for these children it is a lot. They saved up the money from their pocket money.

More important is their response to hearing about the children of DMC House. Children from leprosy colonies and railway platforms. The kind of children that they see begging on the streets and at stations.

The young people had  heard about our organisation from Mr Raju. He visited their school and told the children about Brighter Future's work. Their parents were also motivated by their children's concern and allowed them to come to DMC House to meet our children.

Navya Sri (12 yrs old), Sarvani  (10), Thanuja (13), Vidya (9) and Ruchisha (13) save up the 1214 rupees  from their pocket money .
 and they bought
1  (25kg) bag of rice                                           850rp
2 packets of salt                                                   24rp
2 litres of cooking oil                                          160rp
and ball point pens and sweets for the children    180rp

 (The 88 children at DMC House and the Rainbow home eat 25kg of rice a day).