Hi...

Well I think we'll JUST ABOUT make 1000 wrapped Christmas presents this year (to give out in the slums). It was looking a bit bare in Santa's Grotto earlier in the month, but we have wrapped 952 I think and hopefully have another 50+ coming in the next few days which should take us to the 1000 mark!!! - The next thing of course is giving them all out! Hopefully we can do it in 2 and a half days (we have a birthday party on the 23rd and of course Christmas party on the 25th... Going to be very busy.

Anyway, to give people and idea there's a photo of the presents wrapped so far here



http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com/ChristmasCard.htm (bottom of the page)

Anyway, Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

you do a wonderful job Rob. So many children will be happy at Christmas because of the work you are doing. I'm looking forward to the photos. I was telling my class of children what life is like for many children in India. They were horrified but one of them ( they are only 6 or 7) said that at least they would have Santa to look forward to as he wouldnt forget them. I didn't know what to say to that

Hey... Thanks Fiona.... I've managed to put some photos up... Although the rest will have to wait a couple of days as I'm having a little break... (shattered)...

In the end we gave out more than 1000 presents, probably around 1100 which was a big suprise - thanks to everyone who helped out... I've just been out on the bike today and found a few more slums not so far away so will probably visit them also, maybe some fruit, toothbrushes, paste, soap and clothes... Will have to see what I've got.

Anyway do have a look


http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com/Pictures7.htm


http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com/Pictures8.htm

Last two sets of christmas photos are up! Christmas day was so busy I didn't really have chance to take many photos... But here's the last few... Thank you to everyone who has visited us in the last year and helped by providing donations.

Enjoy....


http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com/Pictures9.htm


http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com/Pictures1.htm

Hi
Have just read your latest news letter, always lovely to catch up with what is happening with C.W.T. Christmas time sounds chaotic but in some ways must be almost magical. We would love to be with you all to see the faces of the children, I'm sure I would be reduced to tears. We were only wondering about how the young girl who was so badly burned was doing and them low and behold she was in your newsletter. So pleased that
she has made such a brilliant recovery.
Who could have imagined when we first met you both that so much could have would be achieved in such a short time, all the hassles etc that you both went through to get where you are today.
Many thanks for all the updates and photographs, we haven't seen you for a while but it's lovley to keep "in touch"
Best wishes to you all for 2009.
H and D

Hi H & D
Glad you liked the newsletter... It's been so busy here that's why it's so late.... I will try and get the next one out ASAP, already written a few stories for it (there's been lots going on)... But I'm writing this as it was Holi today and as usual we make a day of it with the children, so at around 9:30 we headed off down to the slum packed with powder paint and water bombs and had such a good time (in both of our slums). I have hopefully uploaded a few photos of the days events here (although still uploading as I speak) http://www.ChildrenWalkingTall.com/Pictures.htm. I hope you like them...

It's 11:30pm here and I'm still stuck in the office, need to go home and try and wash more off this colour off!!!

Happy Holi!!!

Looks like everybody had a good time, keep up the good work Rob

Hi... There's lots of new photos now, Holi, The Mapusa Carnival and just a few from days at the house... Do have a look if you;re interested...

Let me know what yuo think

Thanks

Rob

What happened with the "Stret Kids Charity" thread? Got a message to say there was a new message, went to look and all was gone - can someone PM me?
Also, where's the lovely Fiona, I was going to ask her....

Oh well...

So more news about children getting married off too young!!!

Child Bride runs to Children Walking Tall.... (*name changed)

Robert was at "The Mango House" one Sunday afternoon when there was a knock at the door, he went to see who was there and sat in the porch was Rachna, a 14 year old girl that had been married off two years ago when she was only 12 by her family and sent to Marahastra just like the girl in February which we mentioned in our last newsletter.

Rachna was visibly upset and explained briefly that she had run away from her husband and his family who was abusing her. She had taken the 8 hour bus journey from Marahastra to Goa and her heart stopped as one of the family boarded the same bus but thankfully they did not see her at the back covered in her vale.

Robert called Savita who kindly came into work on a Sunday and helped translate. We spoke to Rachna for half an hour and she had a chance to clean up and offered her food, although she explained that they had starved her also so even though she had not eaten for 16 hours she still was not hungry. We tried to call 1098, the childline number but there was no answer, we tried a few more times, one time getting through but then the phone was just put down on us. After that we got in contact with Child Rights Goa who as always were a great help and always willing to put effort in for a child in need. They agreed to meet us (on a Sunday evening) at the Women and Child police station in Panjim to meet and take a statement, unfortunately when we got there there were no inspectors to talk to so we returned the next morning.

Rachna explained to the police that she was forced by both the families to marry the boy and she was being treated badly by her husbands family, she had tried to leave once before we heard but her mother had told her that she can live and die there. Her situation was getting worse as the family was putting more and more pressure onto her as she had not delivered a child yet. She said she was beaten and food withheld from her. Unlike many other young women in similar circumstances she was brave enough to take a stand and ran away and return to "The Mango House" where she had previously come for day care and food.

The police requested that her mother be present for questioning, a police car went tot heir home but had just missed her as she had returned to her village, a message was sent to family to instruct her to return for questioning.

The next day the mother arrived at the police station with the village elders and also a lawyer, when questioned the mother said that her daughter was 18 years old, although it was obvious she wasn't and we also had birthproof to the contary which we had on file from when she used to attend "The Mango House". According to this the girl was only 14. The police were amazed by what she was saying and when her daughter arrived she stopped speaking Hindi and spoke to Rachna in her local dialect and then said she couldn't speak in Hindi (which she had been doing for the last 20 minutes). None of the police officers could understand so continued to ask her to speak in Hindi, when she wouldn't Rachna became our translator, with the police, CRG and Savita picking out just a few words of the conversation.

Eventually the mother signed a statement and agreed that she would not take Rachna out of Goa and she would live with her in Karaswada and allow her to attend "The Mango House" each day. She would have the chance to rejoin school.

Wednesday was her first, and unknowingly her last day at "The Mango House", she came in the morning and had a fabulous day playing with her old freinds and even helped Robert in the garden laying out some soil for the new grass area. It was a joy to have her back, we took her home in the evening and was shocked to get a call from the slum at 11:15pm at night saying that her mother and brother had come to the slum and bundled her into a car and were in the process of taking her back to Marahastra against the decision by the police. Robert drove down to the slum, but all was quiet by the time he arrived, he then went to the local police station to make a complaint. Unfrotunately this took a long time and by the time the police had made a request to stop them at the border they were probably well past. After finishing with the Police Robert decided to drive into Marahastra with the hope of finding them... He drove to the border and was suprised to get there before the message from the police arrived. He continued and after an hours drive and nobody to ask directions and unable to read the signs that had changed into Hindi returned back unsuccessfully...

The next day Savita and Robert went to the police to see if there was anything they could do and although the mother had written and signed a statement to say she wouldn't leave Goa that apparently has no effect in the courts... So we are right back at the start. Since then we have heard from her and hope she will once again get up the courage to run away, the next time we will be less trusting of her mother who really seems to have no care for her daughter's happiness or health.

We would like to thank the women and child police station in Panjim, Child Rights Goa, Savita for her help and Rachna for being so brave and for choosing us.

It was felt in the best interest of the site that the topic be removed.

Kath

Hi All... I've updated aa few photos from a recent visit to the Naval Aviation Museum in Goa (Just in case you're stuck her a long time with the kids and you can't think what to do). It was actually quite good for the Indian kids.. Although sitting in the aeroplane was like sitting in a cooker! But a good day was had.. We finished off by going to Bogmallo beach and cooling off in the sea.

Pictures Below....
http://www.ChildrenWalkingTall.com/Pictures.htm

Hi All... I have done the latest newsletter, it's been so busy as we've been getting ready for the new schoolyear, we currently have around 150 bags in the office which are being filled with books, stationary, raincoats, uniforms and shoes... It's so busy But that will be in next months news....
http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com/Newsletter/2009-03.htm

There's also a few sets of photos too, it's been the school holidays so lots of trips out for the children...

Hope you enjoy

Thanks

Rob

Children Walking Tall has just been mentioned on BBC Local news, but i missed the first part and why! Ears pricked up when i heard the name. Does anyone know what its all about?

Hi Goangirl, I haven't seen it yet but it was about a local school who had raised some fund and bought us a trampoline (it's so good, although taken down at the moment because of the monsoon). 'Daz' works at the school and organised a fund-raiser and got all the children involved, when they delivered the Trampoline her was in Goa and also did some filming so they used some of that, unfortunately they forgot to mention 'Children Walking Tall' when they showed the film (Arrgghh!!!! - So a chance really wasted, but Daz phoned up and got them to mention it the next day..

Oh! I see! Thanks for that Rob! Have some fond memories of a trampoline! Hope to see you at some of the meets next season. Last time I saw you was at Lazy Days. Keep up the good work!

Devastating news!!! http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=23982&cid=26

OMG that's not right is it??? Rob tell us what is going to happen now?
what about the children??
We are planning a visit again this year with loads of 'goodies' lined up! compulsorily including some more vacuum packed horrors from our knitting ladies (who appreciated seeing the photos showing them the work you do,) I loved visiting Mango house it changed the way we think,
Anything we can possibly do to support you...

oh my goodness. that is absolutely dreadful. I hope they can overturn this. Sorry to hear that Rob.

I'm sure you're busy sorting all this out but just want you to know that you have my full support (and I'm sure everyone elses). If there is anything we can do please let me know.

Fingers crossed for all of you at CWT.

hugs xx