The noise and dust of November carried itself into December as the repair and maintenance work of the Shelter continued. Workmen were part and parcel of the Shelter all this month and as the repairs are extensive we believe it will spill over into the next year. In spite of all the commotion and the noise we were able to attend to more than one thousand four hundred children. The children are enjoying the time as right before their very eyes very nice things are being produced especially by the carpenters. Non formal education has been carried our on a daily basis and all the staff has chipped in and done their part.

In spite of being woefully understaffed the Shelter has run smoothly this month. This is a great achievement because Christmas and children go together well. Visitors came almost daily and many gave donations both in cash and kind. Some visited regularly after the first visit. Many came just to be of assistance to the staff who were having a hard time with all the construction and repairs going on everywhere. Many of them came loaded with fruit, snacks toys and clothes. Familiar and friendly faces of Mavis ad Sharon Vickery were seen on many a day. In all we had close to 20 individuals who blessed us with their time and generosity.

This month has been a month of talks on various subjects. Every morning the children were gathered in the assembly hall and given a talk by the various staff. The topics included hygiene, behaviour with children and adults, addictions, earning and saving money, morality, the nation of India and patriotism, road safety, HIV/AIDS, good food habits etc. The talks had a very good effect as we can see a change in the overall behaviour of the children. Children also played a lot of games this month, both indoors and outdoors.

On the 20th our children went to Assagao for the El Shaddai X’Mas party. 25 children along with 2 staff members. All of them had a very nice time and would like to thank all those who made a great evening memorable. Christmas Day was made very special by the visitors and well wishers. They came in force on the 25th and made a great difference in the celebrations of the day. They came with snacks and soft drinks and sweets. They conducted games and activities for the children and all had a very good time. They ended the day by giving each child a Christmas gift which was so thoughtful of them. On Christmas Day we had exactly 100 children at the Shelter. We all had a great Christmas.

This month of December fieldwork suffered a bit due to lack of staff and ongoing repairs of the Shelter. We wish we could have reached out to many other children who have come to Goa only for this season. The year is drawing to a close and so it is our hope to reach out and help every child at risk or every child who needs our assistance. We want to be there for children who want another shot at childhood. We pray that we can make a difference in their lives for the better. We also wish everyone who has helped us by visiting, donating or even by spreading the word about Stepping Stones a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year 2008.

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