Exams taken - results awaited!

These young people have finished their 10th year at High School.

The tenth year in Indian schools is equivalent to the fifth form and the exams thay take are equivalent to our old 'O' levels or the GCSE's taken in years 10 /11. The Indian students take 6 subjects, which for our children in the State of Andhra Pradesh are, Telugu, Hindi, English, Social Science, Maths and Science. They must pass in all subjects.

Brighter Future's children this year include Rainbow Children and children from Prem Nivas and Shanti Nivas.If they pass all subjects they are eligible to go on to tertiary education in a separate College, like a sixth form College here in the UK.

That these  people have been able to get an education is because of the principal aim of Brighter Future. In 2004 Victor and Danny set up the charity to enable children from leprosy colonies and from slum areas to go to school, and have regular medical and loving care, so that they could overcome the poverty and stigma of leprosy into which they had been born. They would no longer need to go begging on the streets with their parents, With education they would  be regarded as 'normal children' and equiped to lead independent lives.

In 2006 another stigmatized and ostracised group of children, those born with HIV/AIDS were welcomed under  Brighter Future's umbrella.

The fact that we have two young men at university and thirty students in colleges speaks for the success of Brighter Future's strategy. Every year more and more children make it to college, and the predominance of girls among them is encouraging. The majority of these children did not start formal education until they came to Brighter Future. The children from colonies went begging with their parents or stayed at home as their parents could not afford the books or uniforms.

Children whose parents died of AIDS were asked to leave school.Some did not even start school because of the death of the family breadwinner or because they themselves were too sick . 

For three years the children at Prem Nivas were refused admittance by all the local schools, government, as well as private.That is why we started our own primary school at Prem Nivas. 

The bad news is that college and university places cost money!

University places cost about £500 a year and colleges last year were asking £250 per annum per student. Let us pray that the 10% inflation has not reached the education sector!

We are in great need of student sponsors - kind people to pay a young person's fees (which includes the compulsory uniforms, books and a bicycle to get there).

Could you support a student or gather together in a group to educate one! 

Gather 12 friends, relations or colleagues together 

at £2 each a month?

Our dear Jack Chappell has died

Our dear friend and benefactor Jack Chappell died on 30th March 2015. He was 94.  

"With deep sadness I send this message knowing Jack is no longer with us. He was a remarkable and kind person. His love and generosity for the poor and children will live on at Brighter Future in India. I know how sad everyone at Brighter Future India is knowing of Jack's passing. My prayers are with them, Gary, Kate and all Jack’s  family at this difficult time.Thank you Jack for all your love and support.Rest in Peace Jack".

Danny, Brighter Future UK

"I am really grateful to Jack for his kindness in providing a wonderful building and place for the children in NEED. Without Jack's support in 2004 Brighter Future could not be in the position it is today.As Danny rightly said it wass Jack who gave stability and opened doors for the care services for our children".

Victor, Director Brighter Future India

My daughter Karen got to know Jack and his wife Dorothy when they were parishioners of St Mary's Bullwell in Nottingham. Jack and Dorothy admired the banners which Karen had embroidered for the church. Dorothy offered embroidery materials to Karen as she was no longer able to manage her craft making because of ill health. One thing led to another and Karen told Jack and Dorothy about my volunteering work in India with blind and polio as well as my work preventing deformity in leprosy. In those days I was living permanently in India and it was not until Christmas 2000 that I took a month's holiday and was able to meet Jack. When I returned to India he gave me £100 to buy educational toys and games for the blind and polio affected children in Orissa. I sent him the photos of the children and he noticed that one young man had a very broken wheelchair. I had moved on to work in Uttar pradesh but Jack  arranged for the purchase of a new wheelchair. 

 I had started writing the Brighter Future Newsletter in January 2005 so Jack got to know that we wanted to purchase a permanent home for the children so that they did not continually have to change their 'home' as the leases ran out on rented houses and schools changed with each move. I returned home and started an appeal to raise funds to buy a permanent home for the children. Jack said that if I  raised £6000 he would fund the rest of the purchase price and legal fees.   DMC House was born in memory of his dear wife Dorothy. We opened the home officially on February 26th 2006, Jack and Dorothy's wedding anniversary. This date is remembered every year by the children of the DMC House to thank Jack and to pray for him and Dorothy.

DMCHouse

Jack meets Victor for the first time
When Victor came to the UK two years ago the first person he visited was Jack to express his thanks and gratitude for the gift of DMC House.  

 When I again went out to India in November 2006 Jack again gave me money to shop for the children. I stopped  on my way through Delhi and arrived by train in Vizianagaram with umpteen large parcels. The 'Jack toys' were given to the children for Christmas. 

When we built new  houses for the elderly residents of Bapuji leprosy colony jack paid for a house for which the owners were very thankful.

When a fire  destroyed a whole village of huts and mud thatched houses and the reidents lost everything, Jack bought each household a rice cooking pot.

He bought a rickshaw for two Bapuji residents, who were not very disabled, to share and earn a living for their families.

Jack also sponsored three children for ten years. He gave to other charities too.

Jack was a real gentleman with a sense of humour, a fount of stories and a generous heart. We hope that he did not suffer greatly during this last year . 

Thank you Jack for all you did for Brighter Future, God Bless You.