Heartkids News June 2008

This is eternally true:
He who does not do anything for others,
does not do anything for himself.
(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Dear (Heartkids-)friends,

I am back in India for a few days now. The warm welcome which my son Surya and I received has really moved me. It is so nice to be back with the Heartkids.

First of all, I would like to thank those who have helped to make the tour through Germany such a success. All in all, we have been on the road for 10 weeks and have had a few great presentations and many nice encounters. It is touching to see how many people are interested in the work of Heartkids, and, by their actions, become part of the project. A big THANK YOU to all of you who, in whatever way, are involved in Heartkids.

Now, regarding the situation on-site: The new school year has begun and the more than 220 boys and girls in our three centers have been provided with new school bags, school uniforms, pens and note

books.

This year, there has been a huge demand for places in the Tiruvannamalai day-care center; this time we focused especially on girls. Life is hard for girls in India; they are the most vulnerable group in the Indian society. Their parents put them at a disadvantage with respect to education and medical care which leads to a much higher death rate compared to boys. Frequently, girls are forcibly married and the dowry required for the marriage is so high that poor families have to incur high debts. Unfortunately, girls are often treated as second-class human beings. We want to counteract that and - by giving them a good education - enable them to live a self-determined life.

In the Heartkids Home the construction works on the three new Kids Houses are progressing well. They have waited for my return, though, to complete the roofs since this is a special act which involves solemn ceremonies. In a few days everything will be ready to hold those ceremonies. After that, we will start to put on the finishing touches. Several times a week, my Indian team and I receive desperate solicitations to take in abandoned and needy kids. It is always very hard for us to put the kids off until another time since we know that often they do not even have enough to eat.

Albert Schweitzer once said: “Do not accept so calmly the injustices done to others…” I wish us all that you find a way full of joy for yourselves to contribute to a world in which fewer people have to suffer. Compassion and social responsibility come in many different forms and ways. Angels have many faces.

One of them worked for us for two years as a Riksha driver (driving the school riksha, guests from Germany and school kids living far away from the Kidcenter). In May, he passed away very unexpectedly for us all after a short grave illness. He was such a good soul and we miss him very much. Thank you, Kumar, for working for Heartkids so reliably and with such loving commitment

“There is a land of the living

and a land of the dead

an the bridge is love,

the only survival,

the only meaning.”

(Thornton Wilder)

Thank you for your support.

Heartfelt greetings and best wishes to you from India

Judith Retz

(Chairwomen of Heartkids e.V. (registered association))