The BENITA children in Romania put on a great fundraiser this Easter in aid of the children in the slum in India!

What they raised is worth £75! It will make an enormous difference.

This morning was the final morning of interviewing children on the scheme and registering new ones. We've registered 71 more children on the scheme, which means that there'll be 221 children coming to the church after school every day, of which 94 still need sponsors.

It was good to see Shiva at the church today; the lady we mentioned in Tuesday's blog who is suffering with tuberculosis. She goes into hospital next week for her treatment but brought her two children today to register them for the after school club. This means that they'll be able to go to the church each day after school, where they'll be supervised to do their homework as well as being given a meal.

This week we have been really grateful for two young students from the church who have volunteered as translators. They have been invaluable to the process, helping the mothers understand what we are asking and Rachel and Jenny have really enjoyed working with them.

Today we have two more stories to share with you from families here in the slums of Chennai. Interviewing the children who are enrolled on the sponsorship scheme really does help to get an insight into the reality of life here.

The team have been in the Chennai slum meeting children and their families again today. Today is a public holiday in Chennai which made it easier for the older children to attend without missing lessons. It's encouraging meeting the older children and hearing about their dreams and aspirations for the future, for studying at college and the career paths they'd like to follow.

We wanted to share the story of Uvasree, who you can see with her mother in the photograph below.

Today, some of the children on the Chennai sponsorship programme came to the church centre for their annual update session with the team.

More photos from Rach Warwick here.

This week, Sharon, Catherine, Jenny, Suzanne and Rachel are in Chennai spending time with Kevin and Deborah and all the children who are part of the sponsorship project.

The team have spent this first afternoon visiting  homes in the slum with Kevin and his brother David. The people live along the riverbank. Each house has just one small room (about 10 foot square) which often accommodates up to 8 family members. It's the cooler season at the moment but even now the English find the rooms unbearably hot. Taking a tour of the slum area is a great opportunity for the team to acclimatise and see the families in the context of their homes before they come individually for interviews at the church later this week.

Sharon, Catherine and Theresa are in Chennai meeting the children we sponsor and catching up with Kevin and the SKM team. They sent these texts:

Hi just finished a very long day at the slum. This project really is about safety..poss should be highlighted more under this. Kevin has 41 new children he wants us to take on. One mother came last week to ask for help..unknown to her at the time her husband was hanging himself in his rickshaw. Asked onr girl what she did when her father came in drunk and beat her mum.. I just sit quiet..there is nowhere to hide when u all live in one room.

Just finished morning registration.. Now going to bank to change money then bk to interview. All ok, good job here will enroll 41 child but said we cannot give money until sponsors come. Children in scheme really benefitting from programme and food

Sponsorship covers uniform, books, sch bag, pencils, snack box, bottle, slippers, daily snack, medicine, staff contribution for homework club ..

Please pray for the mission team that is off to Chennai on 25th January for a week. They will be visiting Kevin, Deborah and all those involved with the SKM church in the slum. They will also be meeting each of the children who are sponsored through Grassroots. The children will come with a parent or guardian and meet one of our team and a translator. The aim is to get an update on how things are going at home, at school and any others things that are on their mind. We will then take a photograph and pray with them.

The team that are going are Sharon, Catherine and Theresa. They will also visit the children's homes, get involved with the home work club and speak in church services.

If you were interested in helping further then the best way is to get an "alternative gift" from the Chennai list. We also still need sponsors for 20 of the children in the scheme, but we are planning to give SKM the money and then trust that another 20 sponsors will join in over the next few months. The need of each of these children is awful and desperate. Children need to eat properly, they need a decent life, a proper education, medical cover and someone to care. We only ever decide to support a child if the need is extreme and if the programme can make a real difference. Sponsorship of a child contributes towards the cost of school uniform (which costs different amounts depending on the age of the child) including shoes, some school kit, most medical needs, daily food and a place in the homework club (6 days a week, 2pm to 8pm, including staff, materials and a snack). We also promise you that when you sponsor a child 100% of the sponsorship money you give goes to support the children.

Grassroots also works with SKM to work out which children are in even greater need. In these cases we will go even further and help pay for rent, cover costs of rebuilding homes (as they are often destroyed by fire, flood or  neighbourhood violence) or pay for more meals. If you need to know anything or have specific questions please feel free to contact the office. We will still have people able to help you while the team is away. Thank you again for your continued support and prayers.

HA

Here's a short video that explains the sponsorship programme that Grasssroots runs in partnership with SKM in the slum of Chennai. These pictures were taken during a team visit where we met each of the children and caught up on what was happening in the lives.

Dim lights

The team in Chennai had a lovely time in worship this morning. The church in the slum is packed to the edges and people up and down the stairs. The prayer and worship are oassionate and tuneful. There is both a hunger for God and a deep gratitude that the oppression of Hinduisms many spirits and curses have been lifted off their backs. Tears flow and we just get caught up in it... even without understanding the words.

Sharon spoke, with Kevin translating. Debra lead the worship. Then so many people longing to be prayed for.