Goats can earn an income for a family

mother with goat

This week we have a life story sharing by Mrs Irudhayamary. She has her own reasons to thank the sponsors both in Nandri, Ireland and CAT, Polur.

Mrs Irudhayamary migrated from a small village called Irudaiyampattil in search of employment and settled in Irudhayapuram. When she came to Irudhayapuram hardly had she known anybody and so nobody came forward to help her. Life was terrible for her. At this time, it is CAT which rescued her by sponsoring her son to educate in the second level education. It reduced one of the biggest burdens of hers.

Secondly and more concretely, CAT had given a micro-finance income generating loan to buy three goats in 2013. It had become their property and saviours. Later on, once the goats multiplied, she started to get income from them. For example, once the goats kids grew up, they can sell it around Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 2500/- and thus the goats supported them.  Therefore, for Irudhayamary, at least per year, she could earn Rs.20, 000 (€300). This would be great help for her to sustain the family. Now she is happy that she owns around 10 goats and gets some income from them.

Our Latest 38 Graduates

GraduatesTo graduate with a degree is a dream for most children and their families but especially for those born into poor rural villages.

This year 38 children finished their third level education with the support from our sponsors. Some qualified as engineers and others as nurses. Most of the children qualified in arts and science and would like to continue their studies so that they become qualified as teachers.

30 of the 38 children are the first degree holders in their families which is a great source of pride to the whole family. The father of one child from this group met with an accident and could not go to work. The family was in great difficulty as they also had to meet his medical expenses, feed and educate the children. The family were faced with the decision to stop her education because she had to work and earn to help run the family.

But with our Third Level Support Programme we helped her to continue her education. In addition we supported her mother with our Income Generating Programme to buy a cow, so that she would earn food for her family. Our Mothers’ Self Help Group supported the family with their savings and contribution.

When this child attended the meeting she was in full tears of joy and gratitude. Thank you to all our sponsors for your continued support.

 

A week with our India CEO

ceo-image

Visit to Old Town (a slum area in Vellore) Mothers’ group to set right the problems that were raising in the group. Mani……. is one of the mothers from the newly formed group from Old Town. She is mother of four children. The elder boy is of age 7 and the other three children are girls. Last two children are twins of 1.1/2 years old. She was about to sell the last two kids due to poverty and now since she had joined the mothers’ group she has some hope in life to bring these children. The members of the mothers’ group promised to help her out with the support of CAT to make sure that these children get good education. I promised to get admission to the first boy in the boarding home at Senganatham where we have built the toilets and other projects. One of the children will go into sponsorship.

I went to Parasur where we have four mothers groups We have cleaned the whole area. In order to advice people about cleanliness.

Went to our leased land in the afternoon, did the measurement for vermicomposed pit.

Moved on to Dindugal to attend a wedding and to visit the old age home which we have recently constructed funded by a USA sponsor

On the way to Dindugal I also visited Pavithiram and Theresapuram where we drilled bore well which was sponsored by JT an Irish sponsor.

Agreed on the distribution of the individual passbooks to each of our mothers with savings and loans. Evening went to the land and checked the shed which is under construction.

Discussed with Fr.Jacob who is in Chennai, who is also honoured by Life insurance company for successfully implementing the micro insurance for the women groups. He promised to guide me to implement the system for our mothers. We hope to implement a life assurance policy for our families within the next few months.

Discussed with the staffs on various mothers groups and condition of the children. Amali reported about a child who was sent home from the college for not paying the fees. We have arranged to get her back in the college by giving the parents higher education support from the money that we received back form the higher education loan. I also spoke to the principal of the college to admit her back in the college and we will send the parents with the money.

Went to Eleanganny to visit the school which is half finished and looking for support for the completion. I took an engineer for the measurement and to get the estimation for the work.

Spent the afternoon in the land. Paid the wages for the construction workers and checked the different activites that are carried out there. On Saturday 40kgs of brinjal were sold out at the cost of Rs 10 per kg. One of the staffs who work there is given responsibility to take the vegetables for selling.

Visited a school in Ranipet where more than 5000 girls study from 1st std to 12th std. These children are from the low waged cooli workers. Most of the parents of these children work in the tanneries in Ranipet. This is highly polluted job and the life span for these parents are very less. This school is run by sisters of St.Charles Borromeo. Even though this is run by catholic nuns, 90% of the girls are from Hindu and Muslim community. The catholic children are taught catechism and the non-catholic children are taught moral science. They have requested for sponsorship to the very poor children and a water purifier to the school. The school is well maintained and kept very clean.

How the income from one cow can educate a nurse

JeraldiJeraldi is one of our sponsored child who just written her school final examination. She is waiting for her result. She lost her father when she was just a child and the mother is mentally retarded. She would not know what is happening around her. Hence the grandmother of this child takes care of this child and her mother. D

ue to the sponsorship program, this child could complete her 12th std, and now she is willing to go for B.Sc nursing. She attended the meeting of 12th completing children that we conducted on 1st April and she expressed her future ambition. If this girl becomes a nurse, the circle of poverty for this family would be broken and she would be a great citizen for the country and I am sure she would help those children who will undergo such problems. Our third level loan scheme would support this child.

The grand mother got a loan for the cow and this is the cow that supported the school level education of this child. If we could help her to pay the college fees, and the income from the cow would support her monthly expenses.

This is the mother of Jeraldi with the cow. The grand mother is the one who looks after the cow and is the earning member of the family. Now they have paid back the loan amount and the cow is the property of the family now. What a change is created by our Income Generation program. Once we support the child to become nurse, the standard of the family would raise. Thanks to the sponsors.