September, 2006

On 3 September 2006 we departed for Kerala - India, for holidays, to visit our friends Paul and Werner and also to see the functioning of SISP with our own eyes. While Werner looks after rescued animals Paul manages the school and the other projects. The school teaches more than 70 children daily who also get to eat twice a day, and a further 30 students from 16.00 for homework tasks and lessons.

They also have a dance teacher who does what he does with patience and tact. On Saturday and Sunday there are rehearsals for both small and large.

There are 6 teachers in full time service and 3 part-time. There are also 4 social workers with whom we spent 2 days visiting people who received monetary or food support - these people live in huts in which we in the West might keep our animals.

There are also women's groups who receive tuition from these social workers and there are small credit unions. We saw more than we can mention. All this has been initiated by Paul - it's just wonderful what he has achieved.

And somehow he manges to give medical care during the daytime and further respite care in people's homes in the evenings.

It takes so much strength and commitment to keep it all running and not succumb to the inevitable setbacks along the way while still remaining positive in the face of poverty and grief.

And yet Paul succeeds repeatedly with a lot of patience and determination, supported by his friend Werner, and of course the whole staff there. SISP deserves all the support we can give, no matter how small.

It was an enjoyable and enlightening (sometimes poignant) period in Kerala - both with the entire group at SISP as well as with the local population.

Thank you,

Lut and Guy.