Provide Care for 30 Vulnerable Children in India

Dear Donors & Supporters

On behalf of the team and all the children here at Dayspring Home, we would like to give a warm thank you for all the kindness, support and generosity that you have shown us. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are incredibly humbled by the continuous support of our amazing donors that in turn, have provided the children at Dayspring with medical check-ups, education, nutritious food, and social support. We want to share with you a report covering a few highlights and events that have happened over the past few months. 

Pongal

In January we celebrated Pongal Festival with the girls at Dayspring. Traditionally, Pongal celebrates the end of the winter solstice and the festival marks the thanks-giving harvest for Tamil Nadu. Everybody enjoyed the day in taking part in the cooking of the sweet Pongal rice over the fire and playing games. It was also one of the girl's birthday in which we ended the festival celebrating with a big birthday cake. 

Education

Due to COVID-19 and the current restrictions minimising the amount of people within public, social, and educational spaces many of the children have not been able to go to school for the past year. This has been a  challenging impact that the pandemic has presented for many children across India. With the rollout of the vaccine in January it has provided some positive progress as some schools are now allowing a few students of certain classes to attend school again. Over January and February, five of our children have gone back to school which is an exciting prospect as we are hoping that as the months progress majority of our children will be back in class soon.

Exams

This month is exam season for some of our children. Over March, a few of our older children have exams. However still in the Virudhunagar district, some schools are closed due to the ongoing pandemic. 

Health

One highlight that we have seen over the last few months that we are happy to announce is that all of our children in Dayspring are in good health at the moment. Over the past few months with the support of our donors we have been able to provide the children with an integrated health approach encompassing both the emotional aspect and clinical side to fully support our children on a holistic level. 

COVID19 

Here in India, we are still facing the ramifications and feeling the continuous effects of COVID-19. It has been our priority at Dayspring with the aid of your generous donations to continue operations in a safe and effective way. As some of our children already have existing health conditions we are still trying to minimise the activity of our children outside of Dayspring, limiting the risk of community transmission whilst also continuing our remote studies and allowing safe spaces for effective social distancing.  

Thank you and stay safe!

Thank you again for your support - there are no words to express the gratitude we feel. You are helping us make Dayspring Home a safe and prosperous home for vulnerable children. Finally, we want to announce to you the arrival of new children to our designated home. Thank you for believing in us and making it possible to welcome other children in need. We hope you are all safe, and that the situation will improve soon. We will continue to keep you informed on how your money is being used and other ongoing activities of Dayspring. 

With best wishes and our sincere gratitude,

 Mercy Annapoorani, the Blossom Trust Team & the children of Dayspring Home

Links:

• https://www.blossomtrust.org/

Dear Donors & Supporters

 Thank you all for the kindness, support and generosity that you have shown. We are always incredibly grateful for the support of our generous donors, especially during such difficult times with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We hope this report will provide transparent updates on the positive progress being made at Dayspring.

Tractor 

With your donations, we have been able to buy a much needed tractor for Dayspring. The tractor has allowed us to safely carry heavy rocks that were on our ground allowing for land to be cultivated efficiently and prepared for for a bigger sow. Furthermore, the tractor has also allowed for the flattening of the land and continued preparation of the ground for plants to come.

Alongside agricultural benefits and an increased yield, the tractor will also have social benefits for the surrounding villagers.  We are looking to rent the tractor at a fair price to other local smallholder farmers to help them work with their land. This would allow for Dayspring Home to generate a small income and get closer to the self-sufficiency we’re ultimately aiming for.

DIwali Celebrations 

Despite COVID19, we were still able to celebrate Diwali at Dayspring. We limited the festivities to just the children at Dayspring, ensuring celebrations took place in small COVID safe circles. We gave firecrackers to all the children. In total, it was a safe and enjoyable way for the children to celebrate Diwali. 

COVID19 

India has been affected considerably by COVID19. The impact on Dayspring has been no different. In response to the pandemic and with the aid of your generous donations, we have been able to continue operation at Dayspring in a safe and considered way. For example, we have been able to move classes over the phone to reduce transmission and allow safe spaces for effective quarantining. 

Unfortunately, we have had two cases of COVID at Dayspring. One child alongside our Director Mercy Annapoorani, both caught COVID earlier this year. We were able to catch the symptoms quickly and isolate them both, ensuring that no-one else at Dayspring has caught the virus. Both have since recovered well and continue in good health. 

Thank you and stay safe!

We sincerely thank you for your generosity. We hope we have expressed the impact your donations continue to have on our beneficiaries, particularly in times such as these. It is only together that we can make Dayspring Home a safe and prosperous home for vulnerable children.

We will continue to keep you informed on how your money is being used and provide regular updates on the project. If you have any questions about the project, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

With best wishes and sincerest gratitude,

Mercy Annapoorani, the Blossom Trust Team and the children of Dayspring Home

Links:

• http://www.blossomtrust.org