Every Sunday, out of concern for the poor, the Kangra Charitable Youth Club provides a free lunch to in-patients and their attendants at Tanda Hospital. Recently the Youth Club asked Nishtha for help because they are having difficulty finding enough sponsors in the local community. Recognizing the value of this program, Nishtha has promised to sponsor their free-meal once every three months. This week we bought the necessary supplies and delivered them to the kitchen. On Sunday, about 500 needy people received a good wholesome meal of rice, dals and vegetables outside the hospital.

We are very grateful to Dr. Shreya for her dedicated work running the Health Education camps in the villages. Since September she has visited 28 Villages and addressed 710 People including examining and advising 22 People living with special needs.

60 to 70 boys and girls from 5 local primary schools joyously participated in a two day sports program held on Rakkar ground at the beginning of their short winter holiday. With the help of our sponsorship students our team organised athletics such as long jump and high jump and fun games such as lemon and spoon race and sack races. On the second day an exciting obstacle race using the playground equipment as their course was the new event which challenged and enthralled the children. On both days healthy and fun snacks were organised and at the finale medals were given out to those who excelled. Thank you to everyone who participated and enabled this very special event to take place.

How extraordinary is it that young people who come into our area apparently have so little regard for the beautiful environment they come to enjoy that they will dump their waste like this. They neither care to use the bins or collection services provided. What kind of people are these that leave it for our team and local children to clean up?

Our team are kept busy on the farm all year, even when it’s cold. This week they are planting out the onion seedlings which they grew from seed. Ten kilos of ginger was harvested and there are good crops of white radish, turnips and cauliflower about to be ready. The soya beans will be roasted and enjoyed by the children during the afternoon program as a delicious and healthy snack.

Austrian Civil Servant Niklas’ last contribution – prettying the back of our riverside DO NOT THROW GARBAGE INTO THE RIVER signs! Thank you for your valuable service Niklas!

Over 220 single women attended the block meetings organised by our single women activists last week. Women who have problems can ask a panel of invited exerts for their advice and receive help immediately. Questions about disability pensions, domestic violence cases and medical problems were all addressed. The women appreciate the opportunity to get together, learn how to apply for help and stand up for themselves. Good work Nishtha single Women activists!

Nishtha activists have been presenting calendars to officials in the offices in Dharamshala and in the local areas, appreciating their help and co-operation. Have you received your copy yet? If not, please contact us!

Shalini and Kanishka, our students who are taking the Nishtha tuition classes this year signed up to do an online course called “Maths Matters” run through Aaviskar NGO. They are learning how to present maths in an exciting and tangible way so that the children learn the basic concepts of maths in a very direct and fun way. They immediately use what they learn on line in the classroom with the children with tremendously positive results!

Two additional schools on the hillside have asked us to supplement their midday meals. Kaswarkhas has 14 children while Kirku, which is even higher up the mountain has only 7. These are very poor labour families, some of whom are mine workers. Our team is keen to deliver food to these schools despite the distance it has to be carried from the nearest road head.