SPA ITF Report 2005/2006
1. We undertook two new projects, one for the Rotary Eye Institute in Navsari where we sponsored £25,000 for the purchase of a new mobile eye unit and the other in South India where we supported one of Sewa International’s tsunami projects by sponsoring £15,000 towards the cost of building an orphanage and vocational training centre in Nagarcoil (Tamil Nadu).
The mobile eye unit project was completed successfully, with the unit now fully functional and helping mainly the poor families in and around Navsari who need cataract operations.
The tsunami project in Nagarcoil is expected to be completed by the end of this year (see 3. below).
2. The Bhachau project was completed successfully in March 2006. An opening ceremony was held by Shree Bhachau Prajapati Samaj on 30 March 2006 which was attended by the SPAITF office bearers, Jamnadasbhai H Mistry and Uttambhai D Mistry accompanied by their spouses Kusumben and Jasuben. The building is dedicated to SPA (UK) and is said to be the largest community centre in Bhachau. It will serve the needs not only of the Prajapati community but also other communities within and outside the locality. The whole of Bhachau and heads of many local and national organisations were invited to the opening ceremony. The event was highly successful.
3. The SPAITF office bearers also visited the Bhuj Children’s Home on 29 March 2006 and the Nagarcoil project on 8 April 2006.
The Bhuj Children’s Home is running well. The children are happy and well looked after. As the Home has no income of its own, the Bhuj Lions who are managing the project are wholly reliant on donations. They have appealed for these donations to continue.
The work on the Nagarcoil project was started in December 2005. The orphanage is called Sree Saradevi Anbu Illam (named after the person who donated the land). At the time of the visit, the ground floor of the building was almost completed and the first floor was in the process of construction. The ground floor will include dining hall, kitchen, storeroom, visitors’ hall, office, medical room and warden’s room. The first floor will have children’s sleeping quarters (4 halls and 6 bathrooms). The second floor will contain facilities for training centre, computer centre and health centre for the children.
Jamnadasbhai and Uttambhai also visited the Ashram where the orphaned children were staying temporarily. There were 33 children who would move to Sree Saradevi Anbu Illam when completed and in the following year there would be a maximum of 50 children.
4. There was an overwhelming response from members who wished to sponsor pages for the Bhajanavali (Bhajan Book) project which is managed by Dineshbhai Mistry (Sandesh editor). The Bhajanavali, which will have Bhajans in both the Gujarati and English languages, is expected to be published by the end of this year. All the proceeds from sale will go towards supporting new SPAITF projects.
On behalf of the trustees of SPA (UK) ITF, I wish everyone a happy Diwali and New Year.
Jamnadas Haribhai Mistry
Chairman
SPA (UK) International Trust Fund
Editor’s note: The visits by Jamnadasbhai and Uttambhai to our projects in Bhachau, Bhuj and Nagarcoil were made by them entirely at their personal expense for which SPA (UK) are grateful.