Kidney patients

At the end of last year, Matthew George (who acts as our liason with Trivandrum General Hospital) started to provide anti-rejection drugs to about twenty patients who had received kidney transplants. These drugs are very expensive, but they are essential if the patient's
body is to accept the donated kidney; if they do not receive the drugs, the donated organ is rejected and the patient dies. Many of the patients are too poor to pay for the drugs themselves. Unfortunately, Matthew was unable to raise the money that he needed to provide the drugs himself, and so he came to us for help.
The drugs are too expensive for us to meet the full cost. Instead, we have agreed to send out 50,000 rupees (about £600) each month, which should pay about half the cost of the drugs, and the patients will have to find the other half themselves. This is very difficult for some of them, and a few of them have been very disappointed that we could not do more; we have explained to them that our funds are limited, and they seem to be gradually accepting this.

Thejas Orphanage
(Glory Orphanage)

Pastor Anthony runs a small orphanage for abandoned children. They are currently in very cramped accommodation which doesn't have a proper kitchen or washing facilities. Newport scouts have done a marvellous job of raising money, which has allowed us to buy a plot of land of about a tenth of an acre, and we are now building a house for them with the rest of the money that they have raised. The foundations are in and the foundation stone has been laid, so it is progressing well. This will be far more suitable: it will have proper separate accommodation for the children and Anthony's family, and it will meet government requirements. This will allow Pastor Anthony to register the orphanage so that it becomes official, something that is quite impossible with the present premises. Strathaven scouts in Scotland have made us their charity as well, and they will raise the money that is needed to finish off the house to a high standard.

Shanti Bavan (House of Peace)

Rani and Johnny run a home for disturbed people in Trivandrum. Tom Sutherland has known of this place for some time, but we did not come across it until earlier this year. They currently look after about 36 people. They do not get any government help, only a little support from a prayer group. We have agreed to provide a couple of 70-kg sacks of rice a month, but they need more.
The house itself is dismal — dark and very basic, but Rani and Johnny show the residents the light of God. The residents all help with some aspect or other of the housework — whatever they can do and which fits in with their abilities and inclinations — and the home is a remarkably happy place.

Children's Leukaemia

Another major area of expenditure out of our general funds is on children's leukaemia at Trivandrum general hospital. Every month the head doctor, Dr. Kusama Kumary, gives Tom Sutherland a list of medicines that the children need and that the hospital does not supply. This may be things like antibiotics and inoculations that will help children who are receiving chemotherapy through the period when their own immune systems have been suppressed, or who are being given blood transfusions that may be infected.

Such extra help may make all the difference to a child's life, as it may mean the difference between the treatment being successful and failing. We send out 40,000 rupees (about £500) each month for this vital work. We also sent out some money earlier this year to buy a refrigerator in which medicines could be stored — in the hot tropical climate of southern India this is very important.