Childrens Charity, India
ARTICLE FROM THE HALL GROVE NEWSLETTER – 9TH FEBRUARY
Mr and Mrs Graham returned last week from a fascinating trip to India. In Mumbai, they met up with the OSCAR team and hundreds of enthusiastic OSCAR children, some of whom had visited Hall Grove in previous years. They re-connected with fellow fundraisers (including the Headmaster of Bradfield College who was on his own fact-finding tour) led by the indomitable Lucinda Sowerbutts.
The work being done by Ashok Rathod and his team, running football sessions for boys and girls from the poorest parts of the city and, through sport, encouraging school attendance, is nothing short of remarkable. The charity now supports thousands and is spreading into rural areas. The annual football festival hosted in the centre of the city brought 30 teams together, each having qualified in regional tournaments. The football was fast and furious, played in great spirit, and there was a carnival atmosphere. Many messages of thanks were conveyed to our Hall Grove children, staff and parents for their ongoing support, and there was a lot of chanting of ‘Hall Grove! Hall Grove!’.
A tour of the crowded slum area, the largest in Asia, provided a fascinating insight into the background of these children. The talent of the OSCAR children, the charm, courtesy and thirst for self improvement, left a lasting impression. No wonder India is one of the fastest growing countries in the world.
More information about the OSCAR Foundation in India can be found here
The Grahams took the opportunity to travel south into Kerala and had a most interesting time in the old city of Kochi and then up to the tea-growing hills of Munnar. Having followed the story of the tea leaf from hillside plantation to the processing factory, they have new respect for the humble tea bag!
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