Education & hope for 50 orphan children in India

    Monisha- A Young Woman of Substance!

The stories we hear from the IT hub of Karnataka are sometimes difficult to digest. One such story is that of our Monisha. She was born in Bangalore, where her family undertook odd jobs to make ends meet. As life would have it, she lost her parents when she was very young, and her grandmother was unable to provide for her and her older brother. Her uncle got her to New Home so that her future would be secure.

It was at the tender age of 6 that Monisha’s journey in New Home began.This shy introvert beauty would not mingle initially but it changed for good drasticaly with time. She was enrolled in St. Micheals School and completed Grade 10 there.

The school has list of achievements to brag during her period with them. She was a student who excelled in academics, sports and extracurricular activities. She represented Karnataka in Pune 200m sprint at National Level, was the school band captain 2012-2014, house team basketball, throwball 2016 winner. Her interest includes travelling, dancing, reading, creative writing, singing, movies and listening to music. She completed her 12^th grade in CMR PU college. Currently She is applying for positions as Ground Staff /Cabin Crew in the Indian airlines. She plans to continue her studies in business administration.

Being one of the oldest in the Home, she always volunteered to take responsibility of the younger children at home and have become a role model to them.

Where ever you have been you have made us proud Monisha! We wait to see your dreams unfold in front of our eyes. Wishing you all the very best in your future endeavors. 

    Celebrating our Graduates!

At the end of another Academic Year, there are yet many reasons to celebrate. Monisha and Thotsem are our 2^nd and 3^rd child to complete their 12^th grade from CMR National PUC on Feb 2nd and we are very proud of their achievements. At St. Michaels Graduation on 9^th of February we saw our three 10^th Graders Leshini ,Punith  and Sazhuni graduate.

At the Annual Prize Day, our other children made us proud.Chaitra made honors in English, Social Studies, and Computers; Maria made honors in English; Kateni made honors in Social Studies, Commercial Studies, English, Homescience, and Economics; Maria and Sneha both received Exemplary Leadership Awards; and Kateni bragged the topper of her class, Good Behavior and Up to Date Work Honor Roll.

Our NIOS students Prem, Shashi, Karthik, Sam, Bhavana, Ruth, and Renuka will be completing their 10^th NIOS Board Exams by the end of April. Raju and Esther will complete four subjects of their 12^th Grade exams and final two papers in October. NIOS is the Open Schooling (like homeschooling) syllabus, so these students have had their books open round the clock on our campus as they prepare.

 A Bittersweet Goodbye!

Emotions engulf us as we face the reality of our 5 New Home seniors, Monisha, Esther, Raju, and Thotsem and Bhavana. They have all completed 18 years of age and are ready to start their adult lives outside the home. It will be a transition for them and us, but we are excited to help them discover their life goal paths and wish them all the very best. We are letting each of them grow but will never let go. We are always the pillar they are lean on to.

Whats Next?

Monisha –  applying for positions as Ground Staff /Cabin Crew in a few Indian airlines.She plans to continue her studies in business administration.

Thotsem – Interviewed for a training program at the Taj West End. He hopes to be a chef in the hotel industry

Esther – Continue studying for her final 2 exams to complete 12^th, while gaining experience working in business/IT.

Raju – Continue studying for his final 2 exams to complete 12^th, while working in computer hardware engineering.

Bhavana - Completed  tailoring course last year, she will take up a job in a tailoring company.

    Fresh and Healthy Food

What great and eventful months we have had lately!  As summer begins and the heat kicks in, children’s health and wellness are our priority.

For proper nutrition, we feed our children homegrown organic fruits and vegetables! Thanks to the Fermezon team and volunteers, we have a beautiful Kitchen Garden with tomatoes, brinjal, chilies, cabbage, pumpkins, and more. Our children got to get their hands dirty as they helped with the garden by assisting in planting the seeds. We’ve been reaping the benefits! We have fruit trees like mango, papaya, and chikku also homegrown and ready for us to savor.

This has been a huge benefit for our children, both educationally and nutritiously – our homeschool children took walks through the garden and experimented with the different plants – feeling the leaves, skin and flesh of the vegetables – and some of our older kids have been learning how to cook with them.  We are so happy to be able to provide this for our children, thanks to those who have reached out to help us!

So much credit must be given to these young adults who have overcome challenges and attained levels of success. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for them!

 A big 'THANK YOU' to all of our supporters, well-wishers and donors. Without you, none of this would be possible.

" Take a Chance because you never know how absolutely perfect something could turn out to be."

Chance of a Lifetime!

Every child in New Home is a blessing to us. We have this amazing opportunity to go beyond our capability to raise them. When Sanha joined us 2 years ago, we never realized the impact we would have on her development.  At age one and a half, she could not walk or speak, and barely made social interactions. After series of tests she was diagnosed with speech and sensory integration delay due to an under developed splenium in her brain. Through extensive care at home and school, she is running, playing and shouting out her thoughts and words with joy!

Sanha has a long way to get to her age level standards, but we are doing all that we can through appropriate therapies to help her get there. It’s not very often you get to play such a valuable part in the life-changing development of a child, and we would not be able to do this without the continuous support from individuals, friends, families, and organizations. Thank you very much!

A Year closure to Remember!

What a Holiday Season we had this year at New Home! Christmas came to our children not just once, but multiple times throughout December and even into the New Year. We are so grateful to our sponsors, donors, and friends who made this time of year so very special for our Home.  Right from a surprise Christmas Pajama Party, to an afternoon treasure hunt, to wish lists and gift giving, to caroling at corporate offices, to special dinners and treats, we had it all!

Our children had the wonderful opportunity to join in the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at UB City, Bangalore. Some of our children got to see Santa Claus for the very first time as they had front row view and received a specially delivered treat from Santa himself. Their smiles proved it was an experience that none of them will forget. All our 53 children practiced all week long to prepare for Christmas Carols. They wowed the crowd, families and people from all walks of life, as they sang, danced, and wished everyone a warm and happy holiday.

The Time is Near!

Only a few months left of the school year and exam preparation is well under way! Our 10^th and 12^th NIOS and ICSE students have completed assignments and practicals and are now hitting the books day and night to achieve the best they can in the upcoming Board Exams. We are very excited to see the paths our children choose and help guide them along the way. Thanks to donors like you, we are able to provide them with quality education and push them to higher levels of success.

For our younger students, School@Home just keeps getting better! They have their newly donated school uniforms ON and are looking very sharp.Heather Lowry, from the UK, recently joined our school. She brings 33 years of teaching experience and is taking our school and students to the next level.

Looking forward to updating you on the progress of our children’s achievements. Please stop by our Home for a visit anytime you are in Bangalore or nearby – you are always welcome.