Kandithankulam
 Projects Update
January 2014

Kandithankulam Development Projects Report

( January 2014)

 

This is my first report for the year. The next one will be sent around midyear as usual. We hope you all had a fabulous Christmas season in spite of the bitter cold. In all the 26 years we worshipped at Faith Church, the snow and blizzard conditions rarely pushed us to the extent of cancelling Sunday services. We tried to send some warm weather from here - but, it didn't work. We will do better next time!

 

Medical Camp (Free Clinic) 

  

A very successful Medical Camp (free clinic) was conducted on November 17, 2013. A record number of 400-plus patients attended the camp. The doctors ran out of medicines towards the end of the camp and one of them offered to go and get some from his branch clinic in nearby Alangulam. Though the Light Eternal Medical Clinic is being used as a Computer Center, it has all the facilities to provide medical treatment by a team of doctors and nurses to hundreds of patients during the Free Clinic. This time, 8 physicians (2 Gynecologists, 1 Pediatrician, 1 Ophthalmologist, 2 Dentists and 2 Family Practice specialists), along with three Dental Interns and two Optometrists donated their services. Most of the doctors brought with them their own nurses. Our capable Director there, Sam, provided them with lunch and mementos in appreciation of their generous services. We sent "thank you" cards and season's greetings to all the physicians.

 

Surgeon examining a little boy.
 

 

Family Physician (foreground) and Gynecologist (background).

  

Pediatrician at work.

 

In rural villages like Kandithankulam, many old people go blind due to lack of cataract screening. In all the camps, we bring in an ophthalmologist and optometrists and they treat eye diseases and do cataract screening. Afterwards, we arrange for cataract surgery for those who cannot afford it. We also provide transportation to eye hospitals in nearby towns. In one of the photos, you can see some old women who are having their vision tested.

 

Optometrist giving an eye test.

 

As usual, we gave tooth brushes and tooth pastes to the school children who attended the camp. The Dentist couple and their Interns treated the dental patients and instructed the school children on dental hygiene. As has been our practice, we arranged transportation for several patients, who were too old or infirm to travel on their own. This time, in addition, some patients from outlying villages who had heard good things about our Free Clinic, arranged their own vans and came for treatment by our doctors.

Dentist and Intern with patients. 
 

 


Image 30
Senior dentist with patient.
  
  

Computer Center 

 

The computer center is continuing to serve Kandithankulam and nearby villages. Besides the school children, other villagers are taking advantage of the center. Internet connection is still not available in Kandithankulam. We use desktops for the teaching of basic computer skills and the use of software like word processors, spreadsheets etc. Then before graduation, we arrange for the students to go to Sam's house in Palayamkottai, the nearest town, and get the basic training in the use of Internet. As I mentioned in my last report, the diplomas or the certificates they earn in our Computer Center help the students to get better jobs or pursue higher education.

 

There are some nearby orphanages which are supported by some foreign missions. We feel that the children from these orphanages will greatly benefit from some basic computer education. We have asked Sam to see how this can be arranged. We are hoping that before long the Light Eternal Medical Clinic will start functioning as a full time medical facility. We will then provide alternate accommodation for our Computer Center.

 

Toilet Construction

 

We have so far built 8 toilets for deserving families. Sam has sent a list of 6 poor single women with children to support who have requested help with this project. One of them is a single woman, who is a recovered leprosy patient. We built a small house for her about 5 years ago. Through this project we are reaching out to two new villages, Ponnangudi and Tuckerammalpuram. Kandithankulam is on a rural road about three miles from the interstate highway. Ponnangudi is very close to the highway and Tuckerammalpuram is a few miles down the highway. After talking to Sam, we will probably approve toilets for all the 6 families. 

 

       New toilet recipient with her neighbors.

 

In my last report, I reported how the Indian government is planning to build toilets for the village women all over India. According to the national newspaper, Indian Express, 60% of the women living in villages do not have toilet facilities. A modest estimate will put the number of such village women at about 200 million and it will take an eternity for the government to complete its laudable project. They have to use the open fields near their villages. In this connection a top federal official (similar to our Secretary of Health and Human Services) has said that "providing toilets will instill a sense of confidence, self-respect and security among these women."

The security aspect became sadly evident in a recent incident in a small North Indian village. In this village, land owners are all upper-caste people and the laborers belonged to lower castes. When a low-caste woman, a mother of four, went out at night due to the lack of a toilet in her home, she was brutally raped by an upper-caste land owner. The police did not take immediate action. After a lot of protests by the villagers and other concerned people, the aggressor was arrested. He is now free on bail and whether he will be punished is not certain at all. The eldest daughter of the rape victim lamented that she had been asking her father to build a toilet in their house since she is afraid to go to the fields at night. The Wall Street Journal, dated December 31, 2013, carried a front page article on this shameful event.                                                 

 

A widow in front of her new toilet.

 

We plan to undertake more village development projects and we will be calling a village elder to discuss their needs. He has been helping us in our work from the very beginning. Sam has had a series of illnesses in his family and he could not devote much time to our work for the past one month. Once things settle down, our work will gather more momentum. As always, 100% of all contributions go towards the development projects. 

As I conclude this report, I am reminded of something from the past. When the Light Eternal American Clinic was officially declared open in 2000, we were there. The then-headmaster of the Elementary School in Kandithankulam said a meaningful and moving prayer during the event. He paid a poignant tribute to our congregation and the two anonymous donors from our Church when he said:

"The people who have built this Medical Facility for us and helped us in so many other ways have not seen us. They do not know us, and we do not know them. But the spirit of compassion, generosity, and Christian love has motivated them to reach out to us. We thank you, God, for such wonderful people."

Thank you, and may God's abundant blessings be with you this New Year and in the years to come.

Saro

(Sarojini Ambrose)