The start to the New Year has been fantastic. The month of January has just picked up from where December left off. The Christmas spirit was still very much present throughout this month. Activities followed closely to one another. Every Unit had more than its share of visitors and kind hearted generous donations towards the betterment of the children in our care. This month also saw a lot of staff movement. Some left us for new beginnings, others for better prospects, yet others were moved to Units where their talents and strengths would be best utilised. New staff with the commitment and heart for children also became part of the El Shaddai family. Volunteers, friends of El Shaddai and well wishers helped and assisted wherever possible.

At the very top of the month, right on first January children were treated to a circus performance. Jim and Elaine Cowper sponsored the same and we thank them for their generosity. As far as children are concerned there could not be a better start to the year. House of Kathleen residents witnessed something very special. The first meeting of a sponsor and his ‘child.’ They saw a bond being formed that will last a long time. This same House also became Home to four more children during this month. A family of five in Calangute were fortunate to be in the vicinity of Little Acorns. Thanks to the efforts of staff there the mother is recovering from severe burn injuries and her children are being cared for in the Shelter. Stepping Stones in Margao is sporting a brand new look after extensive renovation and a sparkling coat of paint. The school reopened after Christmas holidays and students got very busy with their studies. The monthly review too is nearing completion.

The parties however continued in January. Shekinah House had a party where the sponsor came with enough food to feed one hundred adults. Rainbow House too had a party where a visiting teacher from the UK celebrated the birthday of her student AND her ‘child’ who is a resident of RH. A big cake with the names of the two girls, decoration, games and cheer and good food made the evening very memorable. Asha Deep in Panaji had more than its share of parties. Sponsors gave parties at the Shelter, invited children to parties at halls and church squares etc. The staff even had to postpone a few for later days as there were invitations almost daily. We thank all the people who have put the love of Christmas in the hearts of these children. A well-wisher from Scotland arranged a fireworks display for boys of Victory House. The entire village turned up for a fantastic show. The month ended with the in-house celebration of birthdays of children. All the children who were born in the month of January celebrated their birthdays with their friends.

Our co-founders Anita and Matthew returned back after a tough but successful visit to UK. New year, new plans, new hopes and new areas have been set where we can reach out and assist the children in our care and reach out to other at risk who need our assistance. We hope for a blessed year and we hope to be a blessing to others.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 at 5:30 pm and is filed under Events, Projects. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.