Dear brothers and sisters, May Our Lady be our help, our shelter and our refuge! It is with great joy that I am contacting you again to inform you of the work being done in India with the Grace of God and your contribution, as well as that of all our Associates and Donors. The pulse of Orthodoxy continues to beat in far-off India! In addition to the regular worship programme, a number of solemn Divine Liturgies have taken place recently.

Functional life

On June 12, for the celebration of Pentecost, a solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Church of the Holy Trinity, in the Boys’ Orphanage, with the participation of our children from the orphanages and Orthodox members of our Church from the wider region. As every year, this year too, on August 6, a solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Greek Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour in Calcutta with the participation of the Orthodox Christians of Calcutta. Today, August 15, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated at the Holy Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary at the Thileon Orphanage. Many of our little girls and one of our little boys have their name day today.

Our orphans are progressing

Despite the economic hardship, due to the reduction in donations from Greece, all the programmes continue as normal: the operation of the schools and clinics in the villages, the two clinics (dental and ophthalmology) in the Girls’ Orphanage, the provision of breakfast to homeless children, feeding the poorest of the poor in Kolkata, the operation of the “Agios Ignatios” school and the two orphanages. A new borehole was completed at the Thileon orphanage, ensuring sufficient drinking water for its operational needs. The girls’ philanthropic journey continues and since June five more of our girls are now attending colleges.

Completing their studies is their key passport to survival in the future. This is the only way they have a chance of being rehabilitated professionally, as there is no family to support them. Some of them will then work in the mission. At the boys’ orphanage, our 21 orphaned boys are progressing. A laundry has been purchased and installed, filters have been installed to ensure drinking water, and the institution has been staffed by the support staff who care for them. All the boys attend their classes at the school “St. Ignatius”. The wall of the school – thanks to your love and help – has been completed. It is still to be fitted with a railing and painted. Similarly, the filling of the courtyard has been done and further landscaping needs to be done. Our school, despite the short period of its operation, has acquired a very good name. Thus, apart from our total 53 orphans, another 70 children from the surrounding area are attending our school.

Need for food self-sufficiency

It is as necessary as ever to move forward with the creation of a farm. The appropriate space exists. It is about 14 acres, 3 of which is an artificial lake filled with monsoon waters, just behind the site of the Girls’ Orphanage, and with proper management it could enable the 2 orphanages as well as the rations in Calcutta to be self-sufficient in food.

The aim through the creation of the farm is to meet the needs. However, there are some very basic requirements for its creation:

• The fencing of the area with a wall. The construction of the wall had begun in early March, but the sharp decline in donations forced us to stop.
• The subsequent filling of the area for cultivation.
• Employing local staff strengthens good relations with our local community, as it enables villagers to find work in their area and support their families in dignity.

Without these conditions we cannot proceed with the creation of the farm. Of course, a large amount of money is required to do this work. But the payback will be quick, considering the amount of money we spend on food: We are required to buy food for our 130 orphaned children and also to feed 300 people (the poorest of the poor and homeless children in Kolkata).

Major shortcomings

The dramatic decline in donations is worrying and troubling. I sadly predict that we may soon be forced to discontinue some of our programs, probably starting with the discontinuation of some of our clinics. But we must, at all costs, keep intact and stable the running of the orphanages, the continuation of the feeding programmes for the homeless children and the needy in Kolkata and certainly the continuation of the education of our children.

In these difficult times every donation, even that of one euro, takes on great value. Therefore, it is with great emotion and gratitude that we accepted your donation of 2,000 euros, for which we thank you very much. For us it is a breath of relief

With warm thanks and love in Christ

Mon. Nectaria