First Christmas preparations at VGF 2013

(ENGLISH - For German Version, please see below)

Christmas is coming closer! Everyone starts thinking about what he could give to their loved ones. Wish lists are being written and passed on, parents cross out the wishes that are impossible and see how many are left on the list that they could actually fullfill. Our children don’t write wish lists. They don’t want or expect much for Christmas (except much joy, singing and dancing and a beautiful evening). One wish, though, VGF wants to make come true:

In India more than giving several presents to each other, on Birthdays and Christmas, it is a tradition to get and wear one new garniture of clothes. That is why, for its children, Vivegam Godfrey wants to provide, along with a small toy, pencil, eraser, sharpener, some sweets and a balloon, one new dress for each of our children every Christmas. Otherwise most of them would not get any present for Christmas.

For this reason, the tailor of this village William, who is responsible for stitching their new clothes, came to the project on Saturday to take the measurements of each child.

The Project is doing its best to make possible a pleasant and joyful Christmas celebration for the children and this year also their parents. With this plan, more than ever, we rely on YOUR support!
 

For 57 children the new dresses alone will cost altogether 375 converted to Euros. The small presents we give to them will take 100 Euros. Since all the families are invited for the Christmas celebration this year, as hosts the food we provide will be prized at about 300 Euros. Additionally all our Staff members will receive bonus salary and one new dress which costs us about 250 Euros and for the stage setting we need to buy new speakers this year (onetime investment). The expense will also be around 200 Euros. For lights and decoration we will also need 100 Euros.

The Project cannot carry all the cost by itself, but we trust in God’s help and your support to be able to provide a Christmas celebration for the children. All of our kids are looking forward to this day the whole year, they are already preparing eagerly for the Christmas program, the Christmas choir is starting and we want to make them happy! Please help us. Remember that one Euro is already 80 Rupees! You have a bigger potential to help in India than you might think. We are glad about every single Euro we receive as support (of course also presents if you want to send gifts or sweets for the children yourself:
VIVEGAMGODFREY
Viveganantham Thotam
Vivegam Garden Road
Danishpet (PO),Omalur (TK)
Salem (DT)-636354, India ).

As soon as possible, we are glad to receive financial support since we have to start very early to organize and obtain everything. As a project with the task to run Christmas for 57 children, we have a huge responsibility. 

Something that everybody can do to support us is praying that everything will work out this year!
And if you want to help directly please see the information below.

If you want to send money from Germany and other European countries, transfer to the True Way Trust, our German partner associations’ bank account, so you won’t be charged:  

 Bank: KD-Bank (Die Bank für Kirche und Diakonie),
BLZ- 35060190, Konto- 1600018015
IBAN DE16350601901600018015
BIC GENODED1DKD

Here is the VGF Bank account if you send money from India:

 Bank: Account Nr:. 31191112580
State Bank of India, Omalur,
IFSC Code: SBIN0001030

From all other countries outside the EU, please use the following information:

 Bank: Account Nr:. 31077474788
State Bank of India Omalur,
Swift code SBININBB300,
IFSC Code: SBIN0001030 

 Rumba Nandri - Thank you very much! 


(GERMAN)

Die ersten Weihnachtsvorbereitungen laufen!

Weihnachten rückt näher!
Die Regale in den Supermärkten sind bereits voll mit Nikoläusen, im Radio laufen die ersten Weihnachtshits und jeder fängt an sich Gedanken darüber zu machen, was er seinen Liebsten zu Weihnachten schenken kann. Wunschlisten werden geschrieben, an den Weihnachtsmann adressiert und weitergegeben, Eltern streichen die Wünsche von der Liste, die unerfüllbar sind (Hund, Ferrari, Pony...) um zu sehen wie viele übrig bleiben, die im Bereich des möglichen liegen. 
Unsere Kinder schreiben keine Wunschzettel. Sie erwarten an Weihnachten nicht viel (abgesehen von viel Freude, singen und tanzen und einem wunderschönen Abend).
Einen Wunsch, allerdings, will das Vivegam Godfrey Day Care Centre seinen Kindern trotzdem erfüllen:
In Indien, mehr als das verschenken vieler verschiedener Geschenke, gibt es die Tradition, dass man eine neue Garnitur Klamotten bekommt und trägt. Aus diesem Grund will VGF dafür sorgen, dass jedes der 57 Kinder neben einem kleinen Spielzeug, einem Stift, einem Spitzer, einem Ballon und einer Süßigkeit, ein komplett neues Gewand bekommt. Andernfalls würden die meisten der Kinder nicht ein einziges Geschenk zu Weihnachten erhalten.

Aus diesem Grund, kam letzten Samstag der hiesige Schneider, William, welcherfür das nähen der neuen Kleider verantwortlich ist, das Projekt besuchen um jedes einzelne unserer Kinder zu messen.

Das Projekt tut sein Bestes um den Kindern, und dieses Jahr auch deren Eltern ein freudiges Weihnachtfest zu ermöglichen.  Mit diesem Plan sind wir mehr denn je auf DEINE Hilfe angewiesen!

Für die fast 60 Kinder kosten allein die Kleider umgerechnet 375 Euro( das sind gerundet 6,60 Euro pro Gewand). Die kleinen Geschenke werden 100 Euro kosten. Da dieses Jahr auch die Familien eingeladen sind, werden wir für das Essen, für das wir sorgen ca. 300 Euro bezahlen. Zusätzlich will Vivegam Godfrey seinen Mitarbeitern einen Weihnachtszuschlag geben können und ebenfalls jeweils für ein neues Gewand aufkommen - dies  werden Sonderkosten von ca. 250 Euro sein. Als einmalige Investition müssen wir dieses Jahr Lautsprecher für die Bühne besorgen (200 Euro), die für das Weihnachtsprogramm aufgebaut wird und für Lichter und Dekoration werden um die 100 Euro benötigt.
Das Projekt ist nicht in der Lage all diese Kosten selbst zu decken, doch wir vertrauen auf Gottes Hilfe und DEINE Unterstützung um in der Lage sein den Kindern ein sorgloses Weihnachtsfest zu bescheren. All unsere Kinder freuen sich das ganze Jahr auf diesen Tag, die Vorbereitungen für das Weihnachtsprogramm mit Tänzen und Sketchen laufen schon auf Hochturen, der Weihnachtschor hat gestartet und wir wollen die Kleinen glücklich machen! Bitte hilf und dabei. Denke daran, dass ein Euro bereits 80 Rupien sind! Wir Deutschen müssen erkennen welch großes Potenzial wir haben mit unserem Geld in Indien zu helfen. Wir freuen uns über jeden einzelnen Euro, den wir als Unterstützung erhalten und jeder wird zu hundert Prozent direkt für die Kinder eingesetzt. (Natürlich ist es auch möglich selbst Weihnachtspäckchen mit Süßigkeiten oder kleinen Spielzeugen zu schicken (sie lieben Haribo-Gummibärchen über alles!), das wir dann an Weihnachten überreichen können. Unsere Adresse ist:
VIVEGAM GODFREY
Vivegam Garden Road
Danishpet (PO), Omalur (TK)
Salem (DT) - 636354
INDIA)

Über finanzielle Unterstützung freuen wir uns so bald wie möglich, da wir schon sehr früh damit beginnen müssen alle Geschenke zu besorgen.
Als Projekt, dass es sich zur Aufgaben gemacht hat Weihnachten für 60 Kinder zu übernehmen, haben wir eine große Verantwortung.

Eine Sache, die jeder für uns tun kann ist beten, dass mit Gottes Hilfe alles klappt!
Und wenn Du finanziell helfen kannst (wenn auch nur mit einem oder zwei Euros), dann siehe die Information unten.

Falls Du Geld von Deutschland oder einem anderen Land der EU überweisen willst, dann am besten auf den Bankaccount unseres deutschen Partnervereins True Way Trust e.V., um keine Gebühren zahlen zu müssen:

Bank: KD-Bank (Die Bank für Kirche und Diakonie),
BLZ- 35060190, Konto- 1600018015
IBAN DE16350601901600018015
BIC GENODED1DKD

Willst du von Indien aus überweisen gilt folgendes Konto:

Bank: Account Nr:. 31191112580
State Bank of India, Omalur,
IFSC Code: SBIN0001030
Und von allen anderen Nicht-EU-Ländern verwende bitte folgende Informationen:

Bank: Account Nr:. 31077474788
State Bank of India Omalur,
Swift code SBININBB300,
IFSC Code: SBIN0001030
(Betreff: Weihnachten 2013 (o.ä.))

Vielen Dank - Rumba Nandri!

Latest News

There are some news to share with you!

Since the children have to passions - singing and Christmas (so do I) - last Saturday I could start the Christmas Choir! We practise once a week and for this month also do non-Christmas songs until the final preparation for the Christmas program starts. We're all pretty excited about this and I spent the last weeks practising Christmas songs on the piano so I can accompany them.

Some of our rabbits left our rabbit farm yesterday on their sad last trip to becoming meat.
They were weighed, documented and put in the truck. Little did they know what was going to happen to them (as you can tell, it is quite tough for me to write about that as a vegetarian) but VGF Farms is a very essential part of financing the project for the children's sake.

The chicken house is finished! The chicks now have a respectable piece of the property as their zone, so they can walk around freely during daytime. The house keeps them save from hungry animals at nighttime and I have the impression they really feel comfortable in their new home.

We got a small puppy called Milo, our future watch dog. When you look at this cute little baby dog it's impossible to imagine that one day the will be almost taller than me (it's a Deutsche Dogge).

Lots of new plants have been planted and pictures hung up in the Dining Hall as well as an illuminated globe and a poster with domestic and wild animals, so the place is getting more cosy each day. Also we have lots of visitors lately.
Come and visit the project yourself!
(Contact info@vivegamgodfrey.org)

3 more newcomers on VGF Farms!

 
Three little goats joined the Vivegam Godfrey Farms lately!    They are getting used to their new home and turn out to be very cursious lovely creatures.

Exkursion: The VGF Old Age Home

Last Saturday a trip to the VGF Old Age Home, which is also a part of the True Way Trust e.V. social work, was organized. Most of our children got the permission from their parent and could join the Exkursion. We travelled about one hour and the trip alone was one adventure for the children. The time we spent on the big property near the mounains was the most spectacular thing, though. The view was tremendously fascinating.

We met the lovely couple that is going to run the Old Age Home and work for the elder people. At first some work had to be done, like cleaning the rooms from dust and the whole ground from stones. All the children helped very eagerly. Afterwards they enjoyed playing games, singing and dancing as well as having a delicious lunch from our cook that was taken to the excursion just for that reason. Because it got unbearably hot, we found a nice shadowy place under a huge tamarind tree.

Lots of photos were taken and I learnt that the children not only love to be the photographed objects but also the photographers theirselves. So they experimented a lot with my camera and tons of funny but also beautiful pictures were the result.

At the end of the day we had a big assembly where the children sang praise and prayed for the big upcoming project and for the married couple that was made responsible for it. The old people are supposed to move into the building as soon as the water pipes and a water tank are set up.

On the way back I joined the children in the back of the truck which was quite an experience for all of us. The condition of the streets made it a rollercoaster drive and the children got very excited and when we sang very loud, as usual.
This day certainly brought all of us closer. I got to know them in a different way and every day I learn alot from and about them and I am thankful to be with them.


God bless you!