Monday, December 20, 2010

November 2010 The Monsoon Hits With A Vengeance

After 2 years of failed monsoons, its wonderful to finally get some good rains. The well has water for the first time since August 2009. The government has released water into the irrigation channel that runs beside our property. Unfortunately the rain caused flooding and loss of life in some areas and the dirt road into our property has been impassable to vehicles for weeks.







Local farmers came to help with sowing our first rice crop.








Aaron and some of the boys preparing a field for sowing rice.










With the onset of the monsoon, colds and fevers are common because if you get wet in the morning your clothes won't dry in the humid conditions. A local family gave all the boys raincoats to keep them dry when walking to and from school.



October 2010 Karen's Visit Continued



Kenmore Baptist Kid's Church donated money for a TV so the boys could watch DVDs and learn about the world.










Every Saturday Night is now movie night. Here they are watching a video of themselves from one of Karen's previous trips.










We held our second goat day and gave out another 10 pairs of goats. Israel was kept busy with all the paperwork.






Karen with some of the people and their new goats.












Thanks to all those who donated money for the goats.
















Whilst Karen was visiting, the monsoon rains started and the fields began to green up with new growth. With fresh grass to eat, the cow's milk production increased and they were able to start selling milk again. The cow is pregnant and due to give birth around April. If good rains fall over the next 2 months, we'll be able to plant crops and buy more cows.




Karen gave the boys some books and drawing supplies.











They all enjoyed copying pictures from the books and coming up with their own artistic creations.











Israel and Aaron with the boys holding their new pencil cases that Karen's Mum made for them.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

September 2010 Karen's Visit

Karen got to spend 3 weeks visiting the boys in September and October. Below are some of the photos from her visit.


















Due to insufficient irrigation supplies during periods of low rainfall, we realised that the 5 acres of land at Errampatti won't provide enough food and income to care for our targeted 50 children. So we are now looking at buying another 10 acres of land to grow crops and have more cows and goats in another village where land is cheaper and water supply is more consistent. Above is a property we looked at in Anaikarapatti Village. It has 2 deep wells and is in an area of greater rainfall.


















We held the first of our village goat days in Kalikudi Village. 10 pairs of baby goats were distributed to widows, the elderly, unemployed and disabled. The participants will raise the goats for 6 months, then we will give them a breeding pair to keep, and the adult goats will be sold to fund the purchase of the replacement goats and another pair of goats to give to someone else in another village. We hope to give out 20 pairs of goats every 6 months.

















The goats will supply milk and income through breeding. Everyone was very happy to get their new goats.



















Thanks to some fundraising by Kenmore Baptist Church Kid's Church, we were able to take the boys on a 2 day tour. We visited waterfalls and an island just off the most southern point of India.


















Only four of the boys had ever seen the ocean before. They had a great time paddling in the waves.


















Jeremy and Simon donated their old k'nex toys to the boys and they had a wonderful time building all sorts of models.


















The boys have never seen toys like this before and enjoyed playing with them for hours.

July 2010 We need rain

As the heat of summer rose, the lack of water for irrigation continued to negatively effect our attempts to develop the farming activities that will provide income and food for the Home. The wells and bores on many surrounding farms dried up leaving many farmers without crops for income. We lost our banana plants, watermelon crops and the vegetable gardens couldn't be replanted. However with the monsoon months approaching Israel decided to plant a few trees and shrubs.



















Planting shade trees along the fenceline.


















Hand watering some of the new plants.


















The calf has almost doubled in size, but the heat and lack of green grass has greatly reduced the cow's milk production.

June 2010 Holidays and back to school

















The academic year finished in May and all the boys passed their exams, which was great news. They had a few weeks break from their studies and Israel and Aaron took them to a local park for some games and lunch.
















Two of the boys returned to their villages to live with relatives and two new boys joined the group. Welcome Babur (aged 7) and Abinesh (aged 12).

















Getting ready to go back to school with their new school bags.

















The boys in their primary and high school uniforms.