Getting to know us!

 Students ask to visit Brighter Future children

It is always heart-warming when young people express an interest in learning about Brighter Future.

Some students from Maharaja College, SSSS college and a couple of ex students from Srinivasa college contacted Victor Director  to ask if they could meet the children who live at Shanti Nivas. the girls are hidden by the boys!

The visit was to mark the birthday of one of India's famous heroes - Narendranath Vivikenanda. Born in 1863, his birthday  - January 12th. is known as 'India Youth Day'.  Swami Vivikenandra  was a religious man, philosopher and poet. He traveled widely, learning about many religions and ideas, in India, Europe and in America. His spiritual leader, or guru, was Ramakrishna.

I saw  his 20 tenets for a good life  inscribed on a pillar in Rishikesh, on my first cycle ride in 1994.
                He has many famous quotes. this one is particularly pertinent to Brighter Future's mission.

                           "If a poor boy cannot come to education, education must come to him."

The students gave the children books about Vivikananda, pens and some dress material. They also played games with the children.

New mosquito nets.

I arrived back at Vizianagaram  yesterday after a trip to North India, to Allahabad and Patna, to visit former colleagues from my days working as a physiotherapy technician in part of the National Leprosy Control programme.
 My friend Rajni gave me two boxes to bring on the 24 hour train journey. They contained 25 strong, double mosquito nets. The children sleep on mattresses on the floor under the nets, which tuck in under and around the mattresses.

Vizianagaram has had hardly any winter this year but it arrived 2 days ago with night time temperatures of  14 degrees.With no glass in the  windows and  concrete floors  this can seem pretty cold to the children, I was cold with two cotton blankets, so more blankets were distributed to the children this evening . As it is still the Maker Sankranti holiday, the Hindu New Year, the children have no school and are watching TV as a treat.

Brighter Future Christmas Celebrations

This blog is taken from a Christmas news item composed by Hemant, Victor's PA.

Hemant compared the entertainment and was also photographer on the 22nd, the day of the children's party. He has prepared this account of the Christmas celebrations.

I let some children take my camera to record their day so I have added their photos to Hemant's article

Brighter Future Children 

Christmas Celebrations, 2015

“Hurray!! "Its party and celebration time” all children were in this mood with lots of 
preparations and practices for their individual and group performances. All were excited 
and waited for the 22nd of December as there was Christmas celebration with lots of 
songs, Magic shows, dramas, and dances.  Christmas was celebrated  this year with entire Brighter Future Family at the Shanti Nivas campus.

The Rainbow children woke up early, 6 o’clock and got ready for the celebration with their respective belongings for their performances. . Vehicles started picking up all the children from the Rainbow home at 8 o”clock in the morning and dropped them at Shanti Nivas. All the children travelled, along with care staff and Home mothers, in the hired vehicles.. 

Prem Nivas children treached at 9 o’clock in the morning. for them we arranged two 
vans. Home mother and care staff brought all the children safely from Prem Nivas, 

Gajapathinagaram to Shanti Nivas. Everyone had breakfast at Shanti Nivas

Karuna Nivas children had reached  Shanti Nivas the  previous day as they live 100 km away. Vehicles were arranged from the railway station.

Among the guests were children from Tribal villages in Orissa ( Odisha).

At 10 o'clock Pastor Elisha led all the children and staff  in the auspicious prayer. After prayer all the children started playing and the youngest children decorated the Christmas tree with Manyaji.The performers practiced their songs and dances.Boys played cricket on the Sue Davies sports ground
 Sharp 12.30pm there was an announcement for.Christmas feast. All the children enjoyed the feast; menu of the feast is Biriyani, chicken curry, cauliflower curry, rice, rasam, curd and sweets.

After lunch all the children took rest for a while. Mean while all the invitees started coming to the campus. College boys and staff were busy in decorating the stage for the evening performances. Boys and staff decorated the stage with colorful balloons, glitter garlands, lights, Christmas messages and more. The stage was set.We arranged snacks for all the children  are fond of sweets and ice creams so we arranged ice creams for all the children. Children are so happy by seeing the ice creams and enjoyed a lot.

At 5 o'clock the distribution of gifts to the children began, followed by the dancing and other entertainment..

Before the  cultural programme Baptist church pastor Rev Roland Garu gave message to all the children and staff of Brighter Future and prayed, after him the Baptist church asst Pastor Deva Kumar also prayed and gave a beautiful message about Christmas and Santa Clause. After that Mrs. Manya Norris, Pastor Elisha and Director gave speech 
and wish all the children Merry Christmas.  

     
Prior to the message and prayer offering, Gifts were distributed to all the children and 
patients all homes. Gifts are distributed by guests and elders.


The main attraction and interesting thing was gift distributions to children and the cultural programme and performance by Rainbow, Prem Nivas, Shanti Nivas, Karuna Nivas and Rayagada Children. 

Gifts are distributed to children by Director, Mrs.Manya Norris, Pastor Elisha, and elders of the organization. 

After the gift distributions the cultural programme started with a beautiful group dance performance by Young girls of Rainbow home.

 Programme continued with so many beautiful and energetic dance performances by boys and girls of Rainbow, Prem Nivas, Shanti Nivas, Karuna Nivas and Rayagada children home.
The centre of attraction of the cultural event was the Tribal dance of Southern Odisha 
“Dhimsa” performed by the tribal children of Rayagada children home. That performance boosted up the entire cultural event.

In between the group and solo dance performances there was a Magic show by a
young boy of Rainbow children home, moral and comic plays by young girls and boys of 
Nivas under Mrs. Manya Norris direction. 

There was a poetry drama on Lord Jesus’s birth by all home children. Finally the cultural event ended with a beautiful comic drama performed by elder boys of Rainbow home.Between the group and solo dance performances there was a Magic show by a young boy of Rainbow children home, Moral and comic plays by   on young girls and boys of Prem Nivas under Mrs. Manya Norris direction. There was a poetry drama of Jesus birth performed by elder boys and girls  of Rainbow home

The next event was the cutting of the Christmas cake 

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The final item was the singing of SIlent NIght by candle light.

The day ended with supper