Letter from Paul - India

31st December, 2007

Dear friends

On Christmas Day our dance group put on a very successful performance at one of the restaurants on the beach where we also sold some of our coconut handicrafts.The tourists were delighted! Leni and her daughter, Jana, were visiting SISP and followed this special evening. They too were very impressed and returned home with definite plans to come back next year. That evening we raised 15000 INR (~275 Euro) in combined dance, sales and donations.

During day time visitor Wannes and student Hanne organised a Christmas party for the children and young people who visit the SISP centre. A morning full of fun and games, it was like a "Jeux Sans Frontières" or "game without frontiers"! In the afternoon the children had Chicken Curry on the menu, and that went down well.

In the afternoon, Hanne's parents presented the money they had raised in Belgium - 800 Euros for the new van, thank you very much! The children and young people received for the second time new clothes due to the Chrismass action of SISP Belgium, and these events meant that there were many heartwarming moments this Christmas.

Indians love lights and glitter. Some young people at our centre helped decorate our house and insisted on having a nativity scene - kitsch but touching and beautiful in an Indian way.

While the children were at home during the Christmas break, there was a Christmas personnel meeting, with the traditional Christmas cake and the awarding of the bonuses to the handicraft workers. The Coconut and paperbag makers did particularly well.

In my traditional talks with the staff I made special mention of Sindhu P., one of our social workers, for starting a group of micro credit with our clients. We must remember our goal that SISP is not just a charity but, as demonstrated by the microcredit group, it also does society-changing work. The poor must realise that poverty is an injustice and the politicians elected by the poor must be reminded of their responsibilities and of the corruption.

SISP staff play a crucial role in supporting our target group, the poorest. In the name of all staff and employees here on the spot, we thank you for your loyal commitment and contribution to SISP.

We wish you a wonderful holiday and, for 2008, good health to you and the loved ones around you. Thank you for supporting the poor and bringing a positive improvement to their lives.

Werner and Paul