Running FFC India costs about $25,000 to $30,000 per month. The home is located in Podanur Junction, near the city of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu State, in south India. The languages spoken are primarily Tamil, and English. We have over 450 children residing in India. The homes are comprised of 6 houses, which are owned by FFC. FFC has a large Special Care Center for children who are mentally and or physically handicapped. Excellent locally hired Special Educational teachers are employed to care for these children.

All other children attend local Indian schools, and many are old enought to attend colleges and universities, or are in apprenticeships. Several are taking nursing. FFC offers vocational training for destitute women and certain of the older children who have not made it through the regular school system. We have a number of blind girls, post-polio children, and children with a variety of special medical needs. The special needs are primarily health issues such as being HIV positive, speech problems with repaired cleft lips, mild cerebral palsy, Downs syndrome, one with a disfiguring skin disease, blindness and deafness.

Plans are being developed to build a structure that will house a school complete to Grade 12. Each year, our little school will grow a class bigger as the oldest group moves up a grade and new children enter the preschool. There are currently 62 children attending the school in FFC India.

Katie Richards has started a new initiative for FFC high school students who are having a difficult time in regular school. She has developed and implemented a full time 2 year FFC learning centre that will teach the students the core curriculum needed to pass 12th standard exam. This exam is essential for students wishing to pursue further studies in university or college. There is a strong element of teaching english as well as music, life skills, global studies and art to give them a rounded education. The students love the new classes and we are confident this will give them a good chance at passing 12th standard and an admission to university if that is what they choose to do.

EDUCATION IN INDIA

The new school building was completed in 2008 and a special poojah opening ceremony was held. The children in Grades 1 and 2 moved into the space and soon felt at home. The school educates all FFC children in its preschool and kindergarten programs. Then at Grade 1, those children with families and who are physically and mentally able, attend local schools in Podanur village. The orphans and those with various special needs and circumstances stay at our school.

We have hired the best teachers who all speak English as we feel it is important they learn English fluently as well as Tamil. Identified children also get instruction from a Special Education teacher and a Speech Therapist.

The students in the grade 3 class at FFC India are learning about food; their text books have chapters on body building and the perfect food - milk. In a recent class they worked together, and made a vegetable salad of carrots, small red onions, chilies, cabbage, tomatoes and salt. All eyes were on Shanthi, their teacher, as she demonstrated the washing, peeling, and chopping of the vegetables. A tossed salad was also made in a large bowl, and after the grade 3 students had a taste, the leftovers were shared with the grade 1 and 2 classes. At left, Shanthi is shown washing and peeling the vegetables.

SCHOOL FIELD TRIP

On January 7, the schoolchildren from FFC India went out on a field trip. The event was organized by one of the current volunteers at the site. They went to see the Malamula Dam, and then visited the snake park and the hanging gardens.

Some of the older children, who were out of school on a holiday, also went along to help look after the smaller ones. They took along some snacks for a picnic, and everyone had a wonderful time.

For two brothers, Jagasdesha and J Kumar, (shown at right) both of whom are blind, this is the first time they have been able to push themselves in a wheelchair. The project will have a huge impact on the twelve recipients of the new chairs by improving both mobility and independance.

NEW WHEELCHAIRS

Rajiv Khalsi from Canada visited FFC in February 2009 and introduced us to Mobility India. In the first phase of this initiative twelve children and adults living at FFC were measured and assessed for new wheelchairs. The wheelchairs were delivered last week. A team from Mobility India arrived to assemble and fit the new chairs. Mukil our FFC physiotherapist assisted them in the process. The twelve recipients were then fitted for their personalized chairs and given lessons in how they work.

The new wheelchairs are a dramatic improvement over the old ones. They are much more durable and easier to move. Jessie, shown at left, is already learning to move around by herself in her new 3-wheeler chair.

PONGOL FESTIVAL

The school children at FFC India walked to our goat farm to celebrate the Hindu festival of Pongol that honours all animals. You can see that some of the children are wearing their special Divali dresses. The entrance to the goat farm was decorated with a mandala of coloured sand and more patterns were made inside the paddock. The students of Sophie's class (in wheelchairs) also came along for the fun.

Then, standing inside the paddock, the kids watched the ceremony up close. As part of the event, the goats' horns had been painted and yellow tumeric was put on their backs. They were given bells to wear, decorated with flowers and given a treat of sweet rice. In the photo at left, Prakash is shown putting a flower necklace on Becky.

VOLUNTEER NURSE

WASHING MACHINE

The pedal-powered washing machine, which was developed by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is made from discarded barrels and old bicycle parts. It does not require electricity, can be built locally and provides employment, cuts the time spent washing, and reduces the pollution caused by washing in streams and rivers.

The photo above shows a washer of this type being built at the FFC India project by John Richards and the boys in Katie's class.

John recently reported that he had finished the machine, and was able to run a load of laundry through for the first time. John is seen at left demonstrating the spin cycle.