I also found this from last year... A very cool video that one of our visitors took....

Only just seen your post re my video, thank you for your kind comments .

GM06
Ian

Yes.. the children took their photos home with them in their newly desgined frames... They looked great. I'm giong down to the slum today (It's Holi) so might see if I can see if any have them up... Although I am sure I'll spend most of my time trying to avoid being covered in colour. Had the children ring up this morning asking if we were coming down... So we didn't give it away and left them in the dark... :o)

The girl who was burnt is doing fabulously, the presure suit still needs to be worn for another 8 months though!!!! - She returned to her village in the middle of January as all her open wounds had healed over.

About 4 weeks ago now myself, Savita and 2 volunteers (Jenny and Louise) went on the motorbikes to see her in her village (about 7 hours drive)... It was really nice to see her 'at home' and she was very well... The other children are fine with her, there was the odd one who was a little mean (happens everywhere) but most were really good.

Akshay is fine... He's two and a bit I think.. His brother comes to the house although he wasn't feeling well yesterday, had a temperature, will have to see how he is today...

Will try and get the newsletter out in the next couple of weeks (although you know how it is.... )

Thanks

Rob

Glad to hear that the young girl who was burnt so badly is doing well, another eight months wearing the pressure suit must seem like an eternity, lets hope another child never has to go through what she has had too.
Glad that the children enjoyed "holi" I bet you were the main target for them to get. How many children now come to Mango house each day and how many go to the schools? Do they have to get to a certain standard to be able to continue with schooling.? Is it difficult to get the children to attend school regulary? What is the youngest age that you have them come to the house?
Judging by your needs list you have a lot of running repairs to do before the monsoon really sets in, brillant that you are getting extra man/woman power to help with the wall. Hope it all goes well. Many hands etc.........Will be in touch soon.
HFH

HI Rob,
Just found the new newsletter, good to catch up with all that is happening with Mango House and the children, think you answer all my questions I asked in the previous posting in the newsletter. Thats one e-mail less for you to have to answer!!!
Take care. HFH.

HFH - Hopefully we'll get chance to see the girl again (to do another check up), but unfortunately at present we're just so busy, even at the weekends recently... Lots to do!!!!

Holi was fantastic fun, really enjoyable, Jenny still has pink in her hair (he he he)....

We have around 50 children on the register (although I think it's 47 at the moment), but usually between 30 and 40 come each day due to being poorly or 'shuti' etc...

Age... We're never too sure how old they are as many of their parents don't know either... We think the youngest is 4 at the moment, and we try not to take children in much younger as we don't want to be a baby sitting service... As this might encourage them to have more children.... Although Ali's daughter (Cinderrella) who's one year old isn't much smaller than a couple of the slum children who are supposed to be four!....

The Royal Navy boys are hopefully coming to help with the wall... 50 of them - Should be fun!

Anyway, got to go...

Thanks

Rob

Hi Rob,

How are things out there, long time no chat.

Wish I could be out there to see those Marines building that wall. It should be fantastic and glad to see that they can get involved with the charities work as well. Hope to see some photos of that.

Have you had a chance to catch up on the little girl with burns again? Is she doing ok?

Must go need to get back and earn some more pennies to be able to come out again.

Take care

MDH

Hi....

The Navy boys are out on Tuesday / Wednesday, should be fun... I've been running around like mad trying to sort things out, just never enough hours in the day... The volunteers have been great - they've got a whole pirate theme ging on and they're teaching the children to sing ' What do you do with a drunken sailor' for when the sailors arrive... I wasn't sure if it would go down that smoothly, but the guy from the ship who's arranging it all says it's fine... !!!

They're not actually doing the wall now - long story which involves getting permission, various departments and not enough time - also the wall can't be extanded anyway due to building regulations over here (can't be higher than 90cm high). We've got the OK to build up our water tank (so both are the same height), which will be just as useful. Also MIGHT (if there's enough guys) get them to build a tree house out of bamboo... It would be great, but could do with a few ideas (pictures) of such things - if anyone on here know - that would be a great help. One of our last volunteers (Matt) did some great work with Bamboo making play equipment so we'll see what we can do...

The girl who was burnt is doing really well. She phone me up last week to say hi and to see how I was Isn't that just so cute!!!!! - Hopefully I'll get chance to see her again sometime soon... It's a whole weekend gone though... And at the moment I seem to be working pretty much every weekend...

Thanks

Rob

It's great to hear that the burns girl is doing well Rob. I'm glad you got the chance to visit her

Hi All...

It has been SO SO SO busy recently so haven't had chance to update much recently, I have received a couple of emails from the HMS Illustrious crew asking for photos of the day they helped out so thought I better post some new photos...

I hope you like them

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

Let me know what you think

Hi Rob,
Great pictures of the "Navy Day" Certainly looks as though a great day was had by all.Amazing to see so many people working for the children, loved the HMS Mango sign. Lets hope other ships may pay you a visit when they call in to Goa in the future. Well done to the lads and lassies of HMS Illustrious.

Love the pics Rob, the tree house is a great idea I'm sure the kids will get a lots of fun out of it!!
GFF xx

Yes, the children love the new 'tree house', they're alway in it, jumping from it, running around it - it's great. Bamboo is being more and more, hopefully we can get some more 'workforce' in to make a few more items. Who knows... Unfortunately everything always takes a wile - lots of buying (bamboo, string etc), transporting it... half a day goes just doing that! - The HMS Illustrious day I spent 3/4's of the day running around buying things - was shattered and hadnt really done anything!

Glad you like the pics, I will try and add some more shortly, but at present I'm 'running around' sorting things out for the new school term which starts in June. We've got all the pencil cases (and equipment sorted), we've got a good selection of bags and just ordering uniforms now... We've had around 100 children at the house over the last couple of weeks getting clothes and shoes sizes... Hopefully everything will go to plan.

We've had a few inspections over the past year and we've just got copies of them from the government... Here are two great comments which government staff wrote about our home "The Mango House"

Extracts From previous Government Reports on - Children Walking Tall - "The Mango House"

"The love, affection, care being showered on the children, as if the children were their own and that too by strangers / foreigners, was a big surprise to us..."

""¦The child was so dirty that it was a surprise that a foreign educated individual was taking care of the said child as if it was his own"

Great comments Rob...you must be very pleased with them. They are an honest reflection of the good work that you and your staff do at the Mango House.

WELL DONE ALL OF YOU

Great news Rob keep up the good work
ann&john

It is great news... Although the 'powers that be' seem to be taking quite a while to issue our new license which is always a little worrying, I hope it's not as much hassle and time consuming as getting the original one...

Crossed fingers..... it will be soon....

The HMS Guys have a show about them... The schedule is now up and we're the last episode...

http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.12667

http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.12771/changeNav/6568

Episode 6 Warship 23rd June 2008 at 9pm
The Harrier jump jets practise vertical take-offs, HMS Illustrious takes part in a submarine warfare exercise with HMS Trafalgar, and the ship's company carry out some charity work in Goa. (Us!!!!)

Rob,
Enjoyed the last set of photo's you must have some very talented volunteers with you at present, loved the colourful elephant.
I should think that the school holidays must be almost at the end and the children going back to school. must have been hectic getting them all kitted out. I bet you and the volunteers get a kick seeing all the children spick and span ready for school. How many children have you managed to get into school this year?
Any news on the license yet?
Have been watching "Warships" each Monday night , really enjoying the series, cant wait to see the episode on the 23rd.