This Christmas...

For 20 years, Helping Point has been providing quality education to children from Dalit and marginalized communities. The charity equips them with knowledge, credentials, and confidence to break the cycle of poverty.

Today, it’s more important than ever to support education. We need to help children get back up to speed at school, having missed so much due to COVID-19 restrictions.

It’s been said that we’re all in the same storm in the pandemic, but we’re not all in the same boat. This statement has been especially true for children in Helping Point’s communities. The majority don’t have access to the internet at home so couldn’t learn online, and many families lost incomes overnight. While Helping Point provided study materials and emergency groceries, and St Simon’s teachers rang pupils regularly, nothing can replace face-to-face classes.

St Simon’s School and the Daycare Centres are now 80% open again, and our hopes are high for education in 2022. Once more, kids are receiving quality teaching and care from Helping Point’s teachers and staff, as well as uniforms and food - while following pandemic protocols. Without the generosity of our donors, this wouldn’t be possible.

This Christmas, please consider giving towards Helping Point’s educational programs - and give towards a fairer future.

Thank you, and Merry Christmas!

Latest News: Autumn 2021

Thankfully, things are starting to become more normal in Helping Point’s communities. By the grace of God, Covid cases remained comparatively low locally during the second wave, despite the devastating toll in other areas of India. We are so thankful to say that there have been very few Covid-related deaths in the communities, and we are hopeful that projects and programmes can resume usual activities soon. 

Challenges remain, however. Many families still can’t find work, which has increased hardship and food insecurity. Helping Point's team in India has found new ways of continuing to work and to demonstrate God’s love in action. Below are updates on what Helping Point has been doing - and will continue to do - to serve people in need as the community recovers from the impact of the pandemic. 

Covid-19 Response

Throughout the second wave in India when it wasn’t possible to travel, Helping Point staff stayed in touch with local pastors and other community leaders to help identify and support those in need. 

As Cpvid cases in the community remained low, the needs were different than anticipated. Rather than needing oxygen, the bigger need was for Covid testing, general medication like painkillers, masks and hand sanitiser. Helping Point provided these items, helped connect people with government-run testing centres, and arranged transport to take people to hospitals if they were really ill. Emergency grocery supplies were also given to families that needed them. Additionally, Helping Point reached out to a local medical centre and is planning to explore ways of working with them in the future.

Currently, the team is planning another major food distribution programme to provide food for 700 families that are still finding it difficult to secure enough work and income. 

St Simon’s School

St Simon's School is now open for the older pupils (aged 14+). 80+ children are now back, preparing for their important high school exams while following physical distancing and health protocols. Younger pupils are not yet permitted to return, but we are hopeful that restrictions will loosen soon.

The pandemic lockdown meant that the teachers had to find innovative ways of keeping the students’ education going and checking on their welfare. This has been a challenge as pupils are from a wide area and generally have no access to computers/internet at home. Every day, 5-6 St Simon's teachers have been phoning the pupils that can’t attend school, helping them work through educational materials the school has given them. 

One silver lining of the pandemic closures has been that the school has been able to undertake the following major building projects:

• Building a new block comprising multipurpose classrooms, offices, a science lab, library, and a new highly secure girls' dormitory with modern facilities. Helping Point repurposed building materials from the old classroom block, minimizing wastage and cost. 

• Converting the previous girls' dorm in the other dormitory block into a larger dorm for boys, while turning the ground floor into a multipurpose dining and worship hall. 

After the completion of the new block, we are thrilled to say that the entire school buildings will be cyclone proof, meeting all government safety requirements. 

Helping Point’s Churches, Jhola and the Wider Community

The day care centres in Andhra Pradesh recently reopened, and have been providing evening meals for the children thanks to the generosity of our supporters. During the closures Helping Point kept in touch with families and continued to help the most needy with food to supplement food provided by the government.

Helping Point's churches are also open! There is still a lot of fear of Covid in the communities, as well as some vaccine hesitancy, and the churches are encouraging their congregations to get vaccinated and praying for them for God’s peace and protection. 

At Jhola Children’s Home, the older children (around 20 children) are now back, although the younger kids can’t yet return due to pandemic restrictions. The younger children are currently living with their family/guardians but it is hoped that they will be able to return to Jhola in November. On a happy note, the construction of a new building is currently underway!

---

A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS - THIS ONLY POSSIBLE THANKS TO YOUR GENEROSITY.

Update from Helping Point's Communities

As you are probably aware from the news, Covid-19 in India continues to be a devastating national crisis. Cases are currently lower in Helping Point’s communities compared to the many areas, as they are in rural areas with a sparser population. In Srikakulam and Gajapati - two of the main districts where Helping Point operates - the official case numbers are around 16,000 and 120 cases respectively. Around 2,000 people in Srikakulam district are in hospital, although the need for hospital beds is far higher and many critically ill people are at home. By the grace of God, there are no known active cases among Helping Point's immediate communities so far, but there is a lot of fear.

St Simon's School, Jhola Children's Home, the daycare centres and the churches had been partially open for several months, but have all been closed again considering the rising cases. Another official lockdown started on 5 May. This means that, in practical terms, the situation for Helping Point’s communities is very similar to how it was during the lockdown in 2020. A huge number of villagers are struggling with an entire loss of income, and there is much financial hardship, including among church members. Many local people are labourers who are paid on a daily basis for their work, but no work is available. No work means no income and no money to buy food.

The government is distributing grain portions to alleviate hunger, which helps. Helping Point will be distributing food in the coming days, while also working on a wider strategy to help the community. The charity is also distributing masks and hand sanitiser, and trying to source basic medical supplies. Helping Point also hopes to collaborate with a local hospital to assist those suffering from Covid-19.

How you can help

• Please pray for God's intervention in this crisis, and for practical help, comfort and peace for everyone who is suffering.

• Please donate if you can, to enable Helping Point to respond swiftly to community needs by providing food and basic medical supplies.

Thank you so much for your support.

Helping Point's Impact in 2020

Despite the effects of Covid-19 and the difficulties of 2020, we are pleased to reflect on the positive impact we could make in 2020 thanks to the generous giving of supporters.

Although usual activities had to come to a halt in 2020, Helping Point was extremely active through the pandemic serving those in need. St Simon’s School and the church buildings became centres to provide essential food and supplies, and St Simon’s even became a quarantine centre for returning migrant workers for a couple of months. Thanks to your generous giving we were able to distribute groceries and thousands of meals to those who had lost incomes overnight.

The Helping Point India team took advantage of the gap in regular programming to carry out a number of necessary construction projects. At St Simon’s, this meant a brand new 3-storey, 600+ capacity school classroom block and an impressive new boundary wall. At Jhola Children’s Home, Helping Point was able to complete construction of a new girls’ dormitory, with room for 40+ children.

Thank you so much for your kind giving and support.

Why contribute to community recovery this Christmas?

The spread of coronavirus in India has quickened in the past few months with new cases of Covid-19 and deaths reported every day. The epidemic has expanded its footprint in the country and has affected over 9.39m people (Statista, 2020). It is estimated that by February 2021, 50% of the Indian population will be infected by the virus (Reuters, 2020).

Since the outbreak, Helping Point has been doing extensive work in the community to help people and support them during these difficult times. For example:

• Helping Point distributed around 3,000 hot meals to those in need at the start of the pandemic

• Over 100 returning migrant workers quarantined safely at the closed St Simon’s School building

• Emergency food bags have been distributed to around 1000 families through the outbreak

• Grocery items distributed include 8000 kg of rice, 600 kg of wheat flour and many other large quantities of food items

• 7000 face masks and 60 litres of hand sanitiser have been distributed to the community while creating awareness of how to prevent transmission 

Helping Point’s main programmes have been closed since March, but the buildings have remained active throughout the pandemic to run emergency programs. Please see our previous blog posts to learn more.

Few people in Helping Point’s communities have the internet at home, so it has not been possible to arrange online classes for the children. Therefore, every day teachers at St Simon’s School call pupils to check their welfare and advise on their learning. Recently, some pupils who live locally have also been able to attend socially distanced lessons in small numbers at the school.

Meeting the basic community needs of education, food, health and shelter remain the four highest priority areas in 2021. While we are continuing to help people in our communities in India and extend emergency support, we need your help to continue our existing services to meet the ongoing demand.

Our community has faced a very difficult year as so many people rely on daily labour, and the Covid impact on the economy has made each day a challenge. Ever resilient, people are working against the odds to take care of their families. Community recovery is not straightforward, but this Christmas please pray for them and consider giving so that we can strengthen their hands.

Christmas Campaign for Community Recovery

COVID-19 has had an overwhelming impact around the world.

In India, the majority of Dalit and low-caste people rely on daily wages to feed their families. Many lost their jobs overnight and are in desperate situations.

Community recovery remains a challenging puzzle.
Please help us to put the pieces together to provide essential resources to families and widows in poverty.

---

DONATE TO HELPING POINT THIS CHRISTMAS TO CONTRIBUTE TO…

Enable us to provide extra tuition for children without access to online learning

Contribute towards emergency grocery distribution for those most in need

Support Helping Point to distribute PPE, sanitizer and essential health information

Give toward the operation and maintenance of safe community spaces

The latest from St Simon’s School

Although St Simon’s School has been closed since March, the building has been far from dormant. Staff members have been working tirelessly in various ways to support pupils and the local community throughout Covid-19.

We’re thrilled to say that the construction of a new boundary wall around the school is now complete. The impressive wall makes St Simon’s even more secure by stopping farm animals from getting onto the site. Construction work for the third floor boys’ dormitory has also been able to restart following the initial lockdown period.

A handful of teachers and other staff members have remained working at St Simon’s over the past few months, while strictly adhering to safety protocols. Each day, three to five of the teachers at the school phone pupils to stay in touch. By speaking to 50-60 students per day, they have been providing support to the pupils and their families by checking they are OK, advising the students on their studies and checking that the families have enough food.

Online learning has not been possible, because although teachers and pupils use mobile phones they don’t have smartphones, and few pupils have the internet in their homes. Around 20% of the students live in areas with no mobile network and will walk to a nearby village to receive a mobile signal to speak with their teachers on the phone. Considering this context, the priority has been getting textbooks to the children so they can study at home. This has been difficult in some cases, but the school has been able to get textbooks to 98% of the pupils.  

In mid-September, Helping Point was able to distribute groceries and other essential items to 275 community members in Gumma village where St Simon’s is located. The charity’s local staff members surveyed the local village to find out who was in the most need, and priority was given to widows and those without work. Bags of food and other goods were distributed and people were very appreciative.

St Simon’s is set to welcome pupils back in the New Year, once the school has received the go ahead and relevant Standard Operating Procedure from the state government.

November Covid-19 update from our communities

Although the past few months have been very difficult in light of Covid-19, we are thankful to say that cases are currently decreasing in Helping Point’s communities. 

A large number of local families were ill with symptoms of the coronavirus, especially in April and May, but most have recovered. We are very relieved to say that there have been no deaths among Helping Point’s staff and among immediate community members, although there have been many deaths in the wider community and over 120,000 deaths across India.

Being as agile as possible, Helping Point has continually sought to help wherever it has been feasible amid the rapidly changing situation. The latest phase of the emergency food distribution programme took place in mid-October, and around 1,000 families have been helped. Helping Point will continue to assist those most in need who come forward for grocery supplies and other aid.

Helping Point churches

The churches were initially closed due to the coronavirus lockdown, but during that time they acted as essential centres to provide support to the community. Official food distribution programmes have been run by the pastors from the Lo Penta and Liviri church buildings, and grocery supplies have been held at other Helping Point churches so that everyone in the congregation has access to emergency food. Where possible, pastors have been phoning their congregations, or visiting people outside their homes when lockdown loosened if speaking on the phone is not an option. 

Four of Helping Point’s churches have now reopened, with social distancing protocols in place. Services are limited to 30-minutes maximum, with one song, one short Bible reading and sermon, and one prayer. The congregation has to wear masks, and these are provided to those who do not have them, along with hand sanitiser.

Daycare Centres

The Daycare Centres closed in March at the beginning of lockdown. During this time, we have been able to provide food to some of the children and their families via Helping Point’s emergency food distribution programme. 

Where possible, daycare centre staff have also been phoning children to check that they are OK and to ask whether they have groceries at home. If not, the staff members let Helping Point know and the charity has been dropping food at children’s homes. They have also ensured that the children received the schoolbooks provided by the government.

We’re pleased to say that the daycare centres should soon be able to reopen, with safety protocols in place. When Helping Point has permission from the government, the new evening meals programme will restart, funded by the generosity of our donors following our campaign last Christmas. The programme launched as a pilot in some locations at the start of 2020 and was feeding 150 children aged between 5-12 years old with cooked evening meals on weekdays. The plan had been to roll out the programme to all the daycare centres in April 2020. Although the roll out has not been possible so far this year, we are thrilled that the program should be able to start again soon. 

Jhola Children’s Home 

Jhola Children’s Home also had to close just before lockdown. The 48 children are still staying with family members or other guardians. The Warden has been calling the children daily to check their health and to provide assistance wherever possible and currently all is well.

The Jhola children have unfortunately not been able to attend online classes as neither their school nor most of their families or guardians have access to the internet. Helping Point has ensured that they all have the correct textbooks, however, so that they can follow some of the curriculum from home. We are waiting to hear when the children’s home can reopen again.

The return of the children is happily likely to coincide with the completion of the girls’ dormitory block which is currently under construction. It is expected that the roof will go on very soon, and that the building will be completed this month.

St Simon's students' exam success

The senior St Simon’s pupils with Bidyuta Singh, founder and director of Helping Point India, photographed earlier this year

Amidst these challenging times, we are pleased to share some good news with you from St Simon’s School.

The pupils were able to complete their final high school examinations before lockdown. It’s our pleasure to say that these 20 senior students have now received their results from the Government of Odisha’s Educational Department. Once again, 100% of the students have passed, and 95% have scored very good marks. We are very proud of all the students and sincerely congratulate them!

Many of these pupils have studied at St Simon’s School for 12 years. They will now attend different colleges to pursue their studies further. Helping Point will continue to guide these young and women and we wish them every blessing for their futures.

We would like to thank all of St Simon’s teachers and staff for their tireless efforts. We are also very thankful to our donors and partners for their financial support towards this success.

St Simon’s School teachers earlier this year ahead of lockdown

July COVID-19 update from our communities

Food distribution in a local village earlier this month, before lockdown restrictions increased

In recent days, India has reported a surge in COVID-19 across its states and the impact is also being witnessed in Helping Point’s communities.

There are 22,693 confirmed cases in Odisha and 72,711 confirmed cases in Andhra Pradesh, of which 11,000 are in the north. Hundreds of new cases have been reported in the towns and villages where Helping Point is operating. 

We are still distributing food and supplies to the needy where possible, as India has been under varying levels of lockdown for nearly four months. Many people have lost their jobs and are without income and our support has helped them to have daily meals. However, the situation has become much more difficult and people are very fearful. 

Presently, the local government has imposed strict lockdown rules and regulations once more. In light of this situation, we have had to pause most of our food distribution and awareness programs as it is unsafe for the Helping Point staff to go to the communities at this point. Movement is restricted and no public transportation is operating at the moment. However, we are continuously paying heed to the needs of the people in the villages. As we have reserved food in various places, our local pastors and staff are helping communities wherever possible. 

Many people in the villages where we operate are sick at the moment with fever, cough and cold-like symptoms, including in Liviri, Hiramandalam, Gumma and Lopenta. Some are going to the government-run Primary Health Centres to receive testing and medication, while others are staying at home as they are worried about the stigma. The news of deaths in some local places is causing sorrow and alarm.

Kindly pray for Helping Point staff and the people in our communities. We thank our donors and partners for their continuous support and prayers for Helping Point’s work in India.

The latest on Helping Point’s COVID-19 response

Helping Point is continuing to provide community support in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus in India.

COVID-19 cases where Helping Point operates in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh remain comparatively low, but numbers are rising. There are now 355 confirmed cases in Gajapati district in Odisha and 60 in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh where many of our projects are based, and Liviri village is currently a containment zone (figures correct as of 24th June). There have been no reported COVID-19 deaths in these areas so far, and we are praying for everyone’s safety. Helping Point’s team and the children and families directly supported by our projects are well.

The situation on the ground remains very challenging due to lockdown. As described in our earlier updates, it is especially difficult for the poorest people in society to be without work, and to maintain physical distancing considering their living conditions. 

Given that St Simon’s School remains closed, the building was turned into a temporary quarantine centre for migrant workers. In May, two large groups (107 people followed by 111) quarantined at the school, and they have since returned to their home villages. The fact that Helping Point has been able to assist the community in this way is one silver lining amidst the difficulties of lockdown. Another blessing is that local authorities carried out various upgrades at the school to prepare it for the migrant workers. This included constructing four new toilet blocks, installing water purifiers and upgrading the electrical system. 

Helping Point has remained busy distributing food and PPE to local people who lost their work due to the lockdown, and is continually seeking to educate people about the virus. So far, our local teams have served meals to 2,000 people and have provided 350 families with groceries. We intend to support double this number of families with groceries in the coming weeks, as lockdown restrictions ease and our team can safely access more villages. Although places of worship are currently closed, pastors have been playing a part by giving out face masks and sharing information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

The children from St Simon’s School and Jhola Children’s Home are still staying temporarily with their parents or extended families. The warden at Jhola and his staff have been checking up on the welfare of the children and all are doing well. The St. Simon’s School teachers have been working for four hours each day, checking up on the children by phone to see what help and support they need. 90% of the children have access to a phone but connections can be poor so this is not an easy task. The team is also arranging for contactless textbook pick up from the school.

Although Helping Point’s usual operations are still on pause, we have incurred nearly £12,000 of unbudgeted costs since the virus outbreak. We are not initiating an official fundraising campaign at this stage as we are on standby in case COVID-19 infections increase. However, we would welcome additional donations to help meet increased expenses if you would like to give .

Please pray for safety and protection of Helping Point’s communities as we face this pandemic together worldwide. 

Update on our response to the coronavirus

Helping Point is working actively to provide support to its local communities as India remains under lockdown to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. 

The official lockdown began on 24 March 2020 and has been extended until 17 May. Last week five cases were confirmed in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, including a few cases very close to the town of Hiramandalam where Helping Point India’s office is based. 

Districts in India are classified as Red (hot spot), Orange or Green zones, dependent on the number of cases of COVID-19. Srikakulam district is currently classed as an Orange zone, meaning that it is in complete shutdown and only essential services are available. There are currently no confirmed cases in Helping Point’s other immediate communities, most of which are in designated Green zones, meaning a slight relaxation of lockdown restrictions.

The charity’s normal operations closed just ahead of the shutdown on 24 March, and Helping Point is abiding with all government regulations. St Simon’s School and Jhola Children’s Home kids are staying with their parents or extended families. Our staff are regularly in contact with the children to check how they are doing and to see if they or their families need any assistance. Some communication lines are currently down, but Gajapati district (where St Simon’s is based) is a Green zone so our staff can visit in person as needed whilst maintaining social distancing.

Helping Point staff distribute bags of groceries, masks, soap and gloves from our office in Hiramandalam

Helping Point has already initiated relief programmes from a number of its sites. Working with government authorisation, a team of 20 Helping Point employees is distributing relief materials in Srikakulam city, Hiramandalam, Jhola, Lo Penta and Liviri. While it is more difficult to assist those in Orange or Red zones, Helping Point is contacting community leaders in those locations to ensure that essential aid reaches those in need. 

St Simon’s school building will be turned into a temporary quarantine location for migrant labourers returning to their areas of birth from the cities. So far there have been three visits from the authorities to prepare to turn the school into a 100-bed centre.

Helping Point also plans to assist 800 local families who have lost their daily incomes due to the lockdown. These relief efforts will ensure that they receive an ongoing supply of groceries and other essential items over the coming weeks while they are unable to work. 

Helping Point is providing the following assistance:

• Providing cooked meals to individuals unable to prepare food themselves; this includes migrant workers returning home. In the first five days of the programme, around 1,000 cooked meals were given to people in Srikakulam and Liviri. 

• Distributing bags containing food and other essential items such as soap. In the first five days of the programme Helping Point provided 450 care bags. 

• Providing face masks, hand sanitiser gel and disposable gloves from a number of sites.  

• Communicating accurate information and advice in relation to COVID-19.

Helping Point is also working with local authorities to ensure that all community members have the information they need to stay safe and protected. This includes how to maintain social distancing when there are added challenges such as sharing a communal well, and effective hand sanitation when there is no running water. 

Our team preparing groceries local families in Hiramandalam

Our on-the-ground staff continue to use personal protective equipment to protect their safety while working tirelessly to serve others. Please pray for their ongoing health and security, and for everyone in Helping Point’s communities.

We are assessing the situation daily and planning ongoing relief efforts to respond to the changing situation as quickly as possible. We have not yet launched a formal fundraising campaign, but we welcome additional support at this time to empower us to act as quickly as needed.

Response to COVID-19

Like many nations worldwide, India is currently under lockdown to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. As of March 24th, 2020, the movement of the entire population of 1.3 billion has been limited as a preventative measure.

We are thankful to say that there are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Helping Point’s communities. Helping Point is abiding with all government regulations, and the charity’s projects closed just ahead of the shutdown. Our team in India ensured that all the children staying at St Simon’s School or Jhola Children’s Home were safely returned to their parents or extended families. 

Helping Point is providing aid to respond to community needs in this challenging time. This includes safely preparing food to be distributed to those in need, and communicating vital information on how to prevent the spread of infection such as the importance of hand-washing and staying at home.

The situation is especially challenging for Helping Point’s communities, as many people rely on daily wages from agricultural work to feed their families. As for so many workers worldwide - especially those in unstable employment - being unable to work is extremely worrying. The majority of homes in Helping Point’s communities are very small. Many of them of mud brick and grass roof construction with no running water, electricity or sanitation facilities. Therefore, not being able to go outside is especially hard for people, especially in temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius.

Please pray for everyone in Helping Point’s communities, in India, and worldwide, for safety and provision as we face this pandemic together. 

We will be in touch again soon with further information, and details of how you can support the relief efforts.

Update from our communities

Here’s what was happening in Helping Point’s communities prior to the lockdown in response to COVID-19. For an update on how the charity is responding to the coronavirus, please see this post.

Daycare Centres

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Helping Point has been providing meals four days a week to 150 children aged between 5-12 years old via our daycare centres. The new meals programme is in response to the drought in 2019, which left many impoverished families in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh without the means to adequately nourish their children.

Following the overwhelming response to our Christmas fundraising campaign, the meals programme was going to be rolled out to five of our daycare centres from this April. This is currently on hold due to the lockdown, but once restrictions are lifted, operations will resume and the programme will launch in more locations.

Malnutrition is one of the most significant issues Helping Point encounters amongst the children we serve, and we have already been seeing a hugely positive impact from the programme. The children’s concentration and capacity to learn has improved, attendance rates have risen and the kids seem generally brighter and happier.

St Simon’s School

Various developments were underway at St Simon’s prior to the current crisis. Construction work has been in progress to improve the school’s infrastructure, to comply with government safety regulations which mandate that all buildings must be cyclone-proof with concrete roofs. 

A new third floor is being added to the modern hostel block. When completed, it will be used as the boys’ dormitory, releasing the ground floor to function as a dining hall and as a church on Sundays. The windows and electricity were due to be installed on the third floor soon, but this is on pause due to the lockdown. Work was also underway to construct a secure boundary wall around the school - a huge task, as it first involves breaking up large rocks into smaller pieces suitable for construction. As required to meet government guidelines, the project will be completed before the end of 2020.

The third floor of the dormitory building is currently under construction

There is also a new teaching block next to St Simon’s hostel building, with 12 classrooms which will enable the school to increase its capacity to 400-450 pupils. Soon, the old tin- roofed single storey classrooms at St Simon’s will be removed, leaving space for further construction in the future if required. The bricks from the old girls’ dormitory will be reused elsewhere, whilst the boys’ old dorm will be used as a storeroom.

The new teaching block

In February and March, 12 St Simon’s pupils were preparing to face their final school examinations. However, all exams became suspended at short notice due to the COVID-19 crisis. Arrangements for rescheduling of exams are not yet known.

Once the students’ studies at St Simon’s are completed, these 16-year-olds will then move to junior colleges in Gumma or elsewhere. It is encouraging to hear of the difference the school has already made in the lives and life prospects of previous pupils, and we wish them every success for the future.

Jhola Children’s Home

A new girls’ dormitory for Jhola is currently under construction but this project has suffered a number setbacks to the timetable, firstly due to adverse weather (Cyclone Fani and then an extreme heatwave) and more recently due to the COVID-19 lockdown. All at Jhola are eagerly awaiting completion of the new building once lockdown restrictions are lifted.

We are pleased to report that a new well was installed in May 2019, to provide the Home with a reliable fresh water supply. See the photos here.

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Supporter Rob walks 50km for Helping Point

Rob in Kings Somborne his walk to Salisbury

Dawn at Farley Chamberlayne

The ruins of Clarendon Palace

Green crossroads in the 'middle of nowhere'!

Bridge over the River Test at Houghton, Hampshire

Salisbury Cathedral

We would like to say a big THANK YOU to our supporter Rob Hayter, who walked an impressive 30 miles (50km) in one day to raise funds for Helping Point.

Rob’s walk on December 13th followed the route between the ancient English cathedral cities of Winchester and Salisbury. The path is known as the Clarendon Way, since it passes hard by the ruins of Clarendon Palace, beloved by medieval kings for the hunting in nearby forests. It also traverses rolling farmland and four charming villages.

The walk took Rob 12 hours, plus a one hour stop for lunch. As there are few daylight hours this time of year, Rob set out at 4.15am to avoid having to do the final leg of the journey in the dark. Rob tells us the walk was fun… for the first 15 miles!

The walk to Salisbury has become an annual Adventide tradition. Rob has been doing it since 1996, and nowadays friends in Salisbury are expecting him. In recent years, they have even invited friends and neighbours round to join them and Rob to sing carols along with some of the sillier (but fun!) Christmas songs, such as ‘Frosty the Snowman’.

Thanks again to Rob, and to those who have generously sponsored him. The money will be used towards providing meals for children at our Daycare Centres in east India. Read more about our Christmas fundraising campaign.

Give the gift of nourishment this Christmas

WHY GIVE?

Crop failures caused by a blisteringly hot summer and late monsoon season have left many families in Helping Point's communities struggling to feed their children this year. To offset the impact of this drought, Helping Point will be providing weekly meals to children who attend our Daycare Centres in the most affected regions of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in India. Read more about the issue.

WHAT WE NEED:

Helping Point is aiming to raise 1 year worth of meal funding for our most affected Daycare Centres, to help the communities through this difficult time and beyond. We have a fundraising goal of £7,000. Please consider the below donation values and how you may be able to give this Christmas season:

• £6 - Meals for 10 children for 1 week

• £15 - Meals for 25 children for 1 week

• £30 - Meals for 50 children for 1 week

• £120 - Meals for 50 children for 1 month

• £350 - Meals for 50 children for 3 months

• Or any other amount you wish to give!

WAYS TO GIVE?

1. Give Online Now via our official donations page

2. Make a bank transfer or send a cheque - this way 100% of your gift goes to Helping Point with no card processing fees. Contact us for details.

Why give this Christmas?

This Christmas we’re fundraising to give the gift of nourishment to children attending Helping Point’s daycare centres in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. 

Why give?

Crop failures caused by a blisteringly hot summer and late monsoon season have left many families in Helping Point's communities struggling to feed their children. To offset the impact of this drought, Helping Point is fundraising to provide weekly meals to children in the most affected locations where we operate.

Child malnutrition is a huge problem within Helping Point’s communities and also in India as a whole. 37.9% of children in the country have stunted growth due to insufficient nutrition, and wasting (being underweight for height) is extremely high at 20.8% - the highest rate of any country worldwide, according to the Global Hunger Index 2019. Malnutrition caused 69% of deaths of children aged under five in India, according to UNICEF’s 2019 report. 

The locations where we operate are mostly rural, and the communities directly rely upon agriculture for survival. Many families rent land to grow their own crops to support themselves. Other parents are day labourers, paid a meagre sum for backbreaking work. When crops are bad, many families receive nothing. Even in the best of times it can be difficult for parents in these precarious situations to support their children. Drought, as we have seen this year, can make it impossible. 

Seeking to answer this need, we are looking to fundraise £7,000 this Christmas. This amount will not only help address the current critical needs, but also enable us to plan and provide one year’s worth of meals to areas affected by chronic hunger. This will help address long-term malnutrition, nourishing children and strengthening entire communities. 

How the funds will be used

The funds we raise will go firstly towards providing three evening meals a week to children at five of our daycare centres (also called community centres). Our wider ambition is to provide meals five days a week at all 10 of our daycare centres, and we will do this as soon as we have enough funds to support it. Currently, we are having to prioritise the communities where need is most urgent. 

Alongside the free midday meal that children receive at government schools, the funds we raise will ensure that kids will get to have an evening meal too. Proper nutrition helps a child to be healthy and to grow, learn, and thrive. 

Please consider donating this Christmas. All the money you give will go directly to provide the meals in India. Do contact us if you have any questions, or would like to get more involved with Helping Point.

How to give

1. Give online now via our official donations page

2. Make a bank transfer or send a cheque - this way 100% of your gift goes to Helping Point with no card processing fees. Contact us for details.

Thank you, and Merry Christmas!

The latest from Jhola Children's Home

48 boys and 16 girls between the ages of six and 16 now live at Jhola Children’s home, in the care of the Home’s pastor and his wife. The Jhola children continue to attend the local government school, and this year two of the girls passed the exam to attend the same government-funded college as the 10 pupils from St Simon’s School.

Numbers at Jhola have increased in recent years in response to community needs, to accommodate more children who would otherwise be unlikely to receive adequate food and education. A new assistant warden and his wife have come on board as a very welcome addition to the team, working alongside the existing warden and his wife to care for the children’s needs and provide a loving supportive environment.

Everyone is excited that construction is underway for a new dormitory block for the girls, which should be completed by the end of the year. This is a big answer to prayer, and we’d like to say a big thank you to Helping Point UK’s donors! Also, this year a new well has been installed to provide safe drinking water for the home with the support of Helping Point Canada.

Update from St Simon's School

It’s been a busy year so far at St Simon’s School!

This year there has been an increased focus on digital learning and on sport, particularly football, tag rugby (using equipment kindly donated by the Tag Rugby Trust), badminton, high jump, golf, and – of course – the ever-popular cricket.

St Simon’s has been increasing its learning resources this year with the help of Astragen, a Chennai-based organisation which supplies teaching resources to schools in India. Its representatives have trained St Simon’s teachers in the use of a range of new materials including DVD and video resources. The school is also expected to get high speed internet before the end of the year. This will have a big positive impact, including increasing the available teaching resources and platforms.

The new dormitory block is a wonderful addition to the school. At present the building has two levels, with the boys’ dormitory on the ground floor and the first floor for the girls’, with running water, showers and toilet blocks. Construction is currently in progress to add a third storey to the building, paid for by funds generously donated to Helping Point UK and Helping Point Canada. Once construction is complete, the boys’ dormitory will move to the third floor, allowing the ground level to become a multi-purpose dining and assembly hall to replace the building destroyed last year in the devastating Cyclone Titli.

St Simon’s celebrated India’s annual Teachers’ Day on the 5th of September. Pupils wrote essays about their teachers, their impact on them, and sang songs for them. Three new female teachers joined St Simon's staff recently, bringing the total number of teachers to 18. 95% of the teaching team are fully qualified teachers. The dedicated staff of St Simon’s School want to strengthen and empower their young people to fight poverty. The aim is to equip the children to stand on their own two feet so that in future they will be able to provide for themselves and their families and help transform their own communities.

This year, 10 pupils aged 14 to 15 passed their high school exam and will shortly start attending a government-funded college. Helping Point is very proud that every year some of St Simon’s pupils are able to progress to college to build their future career.

Community Focus: Education in Gajapati

St. Simon’s School is Helping Point’s largest community initiative. The school was founded in 2002 and works to meet the urgent need for education in rural India.

St. Simon’s is the only government-recognised school in Gajapati District, Odisha, that provides an English-medium education, which is very prestigious in the country. We are grateful to all global donors that allow this gift of education to be possible! 

The numbers in 2019:

• 206 total students on role, of which 150 are boarding at St. Simon's.

• 75 (36%) students attend free of charge.

• 131 (64%) students pay a small annual fee, based on family income.

Desks and beds for everyone!

When the school first opened 13 years ago the vision was that one day each child would have their own bed with a mattress. Bidyuta Singh, General Secretary of Helping Point, did not himself have a bed to sleep in until he was 23 years old and, like the St. Simon’s children, slept on a mat on the floor. Consequently, this is an issue close to his heart. We are pleased to share that each child boarding in the school now has a bunk bed with a mattress. They are sleeping much more soundly and children, staff, and parents (many of whom don’t have their own beds at home) are incredibly grateful.

“I am so happy to see the children of St. Simon’s School sleeping so well on the beds provided to them. Every single day of the last 12 years we have been praying for this. We thank God for this provision”

- Pastor John Edla, Warden at St. Simon’s School

Additionally, each child now also has a desk which incorporates a bench-style seat. Students are finding the process of writing much easier than when they sat on the concrete floor, hunched over their books. 

New computer room up and running

Twelve computers have been generously provided by GEM, a UK-based granting agency, and have been set-up in a dedicated computer room where all the pupils get to use them. It is hoped to have a fast internet connection soon as broadband towers are currently being built in the local village! Internet access will give the school access to many learning resources that are only available online. The aim is for the pupils to become literate in English and able to use information technology as this will greatly enhance their future career prospects. 

Education all the way to age 16

In the past, St. Simon's pupils had to travel to a Baptist-run high school in Bangalore to continue their education. Now, however, they can follow their high school studies at St. Simon's following the government curriculum, before moving to a government-funded place at a local college at the age of 16. Helping Point will continue to support them during this time. 

Twelve St. Simon's students have completed their Year 10 exams, and are awaiting the results to know if they have successfully graduated to college. The yearly exams in March are taken very seriously by parents and children alike. These exams are an important part of the St. Simon’s School year too, but staff also work to protect students from the intense pressure and anxiety these exams can cause.

Helping Point’s aim is to minister to the child’s whole life, and for them to know the love of Jesus in their lives. Parents’ written consent is obtained for the students to take part in the times of worship held each morning and evening when they learn Bible stories, verses and songs. The children are encouraged in their daily Bible reading and prayer.

Thank you to the many global partners that make the gift of education possible for students at St. Simon's School.