"The poor will not come to us, we have to go to them"

Dear friends,

I am happy to introduce you this new edition of our Anuprerona which, in Bengali means "inspiration". The inspiration, as a breath from above, comes to rekindle in us the light, the courage and the hope. In the midst of sometimes difficult current events, this is all we wish for each other, as Christians will celebrate Easter, the great celebration of hope.

We have just experienced heavy storms and violent rains which caused some damage, particularly in Jalpaiguri. However, let us not forget that these showers are also called "mango rains". They foretell the monsoon in southern India and the summer in the north, and it is these rains that allow the mango trees to bear fruit and to delight us with the gift of what the Indians call "the king of fruits". So let us renew our trust by welcoming this inspiration from above, despite appearances, as we did on 25 March with the prayer of consecration to Mother Mary.

Here at HSP, with some sadness, we are turning a significant page in our history with the end of the medical projects supported by the German Doctors. However, everyone agrees that the renewal of HSP is continuing. The arrival of a new in-charge of the non-formal schools allows us to relaunch a service which brings hope to the slums, the reinforcement of the teams of the "Social Bureau", the heart of HSP, is planned for the beginning of April, the renovation of Lalkuthi is in full swing, and our teams, helped by the new volunteers, are finding more and more energy to go and meet the marginalized and help the poorest. Finally, the rhythm of your visits, dear donors, has resumed. We are filled with gratitude for the help and trust you give us every year.

Lots of love,

P. Laurent +

News

A bit of movement in HSP

Between January and February, 5 new MEP volunteers arrived in the Howrah and Jalpaiguri centres. Jeanne in Jordighi, Mathilde in Bakuabari, Hortense in Maria Basti, Aliette and Marie in Ashaneer. The arrival of new volunteers is always a celebration for the children and the didis and dadas. The volunteers are an essential part of the HSP family, providing an opportunity for cultural exchange, new energies and discoveries.

At the end of February, 16 children took the Madhyamik exam which concludes class X. Once the exam is over, they leave HSP centres to finish their studies at home. To celebrate their years at HSP, their departure was celebrated with dancing and singing by the other children of the home. We hope to see them again soon, either for a visit to HSP, during home visits, or if they apply to join HSP's After 10 programme which supports them throughout their studies.

HSP friends and family visits

As in the last quarter, we had many visits!

Former volunteers, families and donors came to meet the different homes.

In addition to Florence and Violaine who were there a few years ago, Hélène and Marco came: they were volunteers 15 years ago! Their arrival helps to reinforce the family spirit of HSP.

Jean-Marie Grillon from Alibaba & You came to Jordighi and Ashaneer. Pascale also spent the whole month of February in Bakuabari where she shared her physiotherapy skills with the children and staff. The arrival of donors and partners always gives us great energy and joy.

Father Laurent's family also came. His mother and two nieces had the opportunity to visit all the centres and the surrounding area. The didis were particularly happy to offer traditional dress to all for the commemoration of Father Laborde's birthday. Raphael received a visit from his sister, just before he left in mid-March, after more than two years of volunteering at HSP.

All of these visits were joyful moments, and above all great opportunities for the children to express all their artistic talents! Thank you cards drawing, singing, dancing. Young and old, girls and boys have enormous talent and they love to share it with others.

Come soon!

Art in HSP

Here, daily life in the homes is marked by little things, and punctual events regularly add a festive air to the day. In Howrah, the youths over 15years from Baksara, Lalkuthi and Ashaneer, had the opportunity to participate in a water bottle painting activity. The bottles were quickly covered with floral and traditional designs, revealing once again the talent of the children and their capacity for concentration and attention to detail!

The Ashaneer centre was also fortunate to have a painter decorate the walls with vivid murals that brighten up the rooms. The children often admire and observe these paintings.

Field trip to Digha for the youths of Jordighi and Bakuabari

The field trips to Digha are continuing to introduce children to the sea. At the end of March, the 20 boys from the Jordighi centre and the older girls from the Bakuabari centre took advantage of an expedition to Digha to see the sea. In addition to the joy of the trip and the discovery of the sea, there was also the joy of a stopover in Howrah.

The children, as well as the Didis and Dadas who accompanied them, were very happy to discover or see the centres of Howrah again.

Events of the month

• Work at Lalkuthi are going on. The fragile structures have been dismantled, as well as the old piping. A play area on the roof of the building will be built. You can find photos of the progress of the work in the following album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sLnwjyDenKfKLm3a7

• In Mogradangi, a road inside the centre has been renovated thanks to the BDO office. The children are very happy with the new asphalt road. The little boys bathroom was also completely remodeled as a child-friendly bathroom to facilitate the access.

• Various outings brightened up the daily lives of the children and adults in the centres: the young people in Jordighi enjoyed an excursion to the border with Bangladesh. This outing lasted all day and they had a picnic outside. The older children from the Howrah centres went to the book fair in Kolkata, and the women from Maria Basti went to the funfair. Every outing is a real celebration for the young and old! !

• In Maria Basti, refurbishment and consolidation work has been carried out: painting of the façade, installation of new windows, consolidation of frames, new beams for the cow shed.

• In Jalpaiguri, a big storm damaged solar pannels providing hot water. The trees havec been cleared, some trees were also cut down when too close of the home and the damaged panels were sent for reparations. No one got hurt during the storm.

   

• For the old age programme and special help, we provide rations and every two months, the distribution took place in March for 180 beneficiaries

• We have had other occasions for celebrations and reunions over these few months: Saraswati Puja took place on 26th January with a big Idol to celebrate the education God, it was the same day as the Republic day of India, many centers had the occasion to enjoy a sports day with varied events in January, we also celebrated the commemoration of Father Laborde's birthday, Holi, and the consecration of HSP to Mother Mary, we invite you to explore the details in the articles below.

Video

HSP in January, February and March

Portrait

Rekha & Sakuntala

Inmates in Maria Basti

"REKHA & SAKUNTALA are twin sisters. Before living in Maria Basti, they spent time in Lalkuthi and Mogradangi centers. They like to show that they are sisters by dressing the same, doing things together, showing each other what they just saw or did, etc. However, like every sisters, they are different. Rekha makes candles while Sakuntala works with jute. Recka is sweet and peaceful, she likes drawing and discovering new things. Sakuntala laughs at everything and keeps moving around, she is a very good dancer and has even won a competition organized by the town.

They are both a real help for the didis of Maria Basti, their autonomy, good humor and will make them both a solid pillar for Maria Basti.

Thank you everyone for your support."