Past Projects

Here are some of the other projects that we have been involved in.

Candolim Boys Home

This is a government run establishment, home for 31 boys aged between 6 & 18 years. ‘Government run’ in effect means that the building is provided together with a meagre allowance for food, gas and electricity.
The boys who attend local schools are responsible for the cooking, cleaning and the chores needed to maintain the general appearance of the home and ‘garden’. They have a dormitory, which has 12 beds – the remainder sleep on the floor, and under the beds.

When we first became involved at the home the conditions were very poor. The kitchen was very old and dirty with the walls crumbling and needing painting and most of the tiles were broken. The work surfaces were in an appalling state. Cooking is by way of two calor gas rings. The storeroom where the food was kept in plastic bins was also unacceptable and rats had chewed through the plastic and were living in the bins contaminating the food. There was no alternative but for the boys to eat this food.
We carried out many improvements including installing a water purification system and upgrading the kitchen. We also provided recreational items such as bicycles, football and cricket gear.

In 2007 having carried out what we considered was as much as we could do, bearing in mind we had no control over the establishment, we decided to seek another project.

The boys home		 The kitchen before updating New bikes for the boys

Buy a cow Scheme

In some of the more remote areas of India, such as the state of Andhra Pradesh, where the main crop is rice, the people struggle to exist. Unlike Goa, there are no tourists and therefore no opportunity to beg, ‘rag pick’, or make a meagre living from the work that tourism generates.
We worked in conjunction with a charity based in Manchester called Dovetales who work in Andhra Pradesh and we were pleased to have their help in starting our own ‘Buy a Cow’ scheme a self-help project that generates an income for a needy family whilst helping the community they live in. These families are not asking for handouts – just a hand up.
In our scheme, a cow is donated to a family in need, usually to widows who have been left with children to bring up on their own and have no chance to secure work.
We have been instrumental in providing two cows that were delivered to families in Kavvaguta and Vangoor villages at a cost of £350 per cow.

           Cows supplied to two		 families in Andhra Pradesh  

Damedem Care Home

This is a Care Home for children suffering from the HIV/AIDS virus. When we first became involved with this establishment in April 2003 HIV sufferers were treated worse than lepers, in fact such was the fear from the general public that they could expect to be stoned and driven out of the area.

Fortunately since then the HIV virus has been recognised by the Indian authorities and there are now government centres for adult men and women but sadly only two for affected children in South Goa, and this one in North Goa.
There is however still a stigma and fear shown by many including some medical personnel and this is due entirely to ignorance of the facts.

Many people still believe that the virus can be transmitted airborne similar to the common cold, or by the act of shaking hands and those infected with the virus are still treated very badly.

Over the past fifteen years as the general population has been ‘educated’ about HIV life has been made a lot easier for these children. They now are accepted into local schools and as they have grown up some have been offered employment locally.

In the past we funded an extension to the Care Home that was used as a sick bay for the children who are ill so that they can be tended to in peace & quiet and to avoid the spread of the illness to the other children.

In 2010 Caritas the charity branch of the Catholic Church provided a purpose built home for the children and undertook to staff and maintain all services so our involvement ceased.

Community Aid

From time to time we are asked to help fund medical expenses for children who have been injured or become ill and whose parents are unable to pay for the bandages, medicines etc.
In addition we are prepared to fund operations on children where again there is no funding available. For example a three month old baby who needed an eye operation to save her sight.

We have also taken out to India several wheelchairs and crutches which are in great demand as are all medical supplies such as bandages, gauze, rubber gloves etc but we are not permitted to take medicines into the country.

We have funded specific projects to help another charity, also in Goa, who run a residential care home for children that are either orphans or whose parents are unable to care for them.

A small school near Kerim in the north of Goa was discovered by two of our volunteers situated in the middle of the forest. The building measures approx 12 ft x 24 ft and has no windows and no electricity. Light is provided by keeping the door open! Nearly thirty children were being taught here with no desks and chalkboards that were worn out. The volunteers arranged for a local carpenter to make desks and new chalk boards which we funded as well as cooking facilities.

Disaster relief

In 2005 we went to Sri Lanka following the Tsunami. With limited money we were able to provide homes for four families, cooking facilities to some of the people who had lost theirs, sewing machines to two ladies so that they could restart work and food and clothing to as many families as we could afford.