My wife Susan, and myself, have both been sponsoring the Kanji Project for over 24 years. We started by sponsoring Govinderaj, an orphan boy of about 5 years old, who was living in the Shanthi Lumen children’s home. We also sponsored Ramya, a girl of 5 years old, who was from a very poor village family and who attended St Anthony’s School. It was lovely to receive annual progress reports and photos of them, as well as the occasional drawings that they had done. It was very rewarding to see them grow up and prosper. We sponsored both of them until they had finished their schooling and had left St Anthony’s. We are still on Facebook contact with Govinderaj. We both now sponsor the local village families and the work being undertaken by the Rose Sisters. Having been a trustee with The Kanji Project for many years until we moved to Cornwall, and having visited Kanji and seen the work being undertaken, I can vouch that all money donated reaches the poor children and families in the Kanji area, as the charity is run on a purely voluntary basis.

Sponsoring a child in the Sunshine Special School gives me sunshine in my heart, for in the day centre, the deaf are made to hear, the dumb to speak and the lame to walk. And all this for the price of one cup of coffee a day. Sponsoring Tiroshiga, who has severe learning difficulties, gives me great joy. The Sunshine day centre is a place where he is treated with dignity and where he receives the loving care and expert services of the Rose Sisters.

I was introduced to The Kanji Project 17 years ago by my uncle, and I was instantly touched by the incredible work that the charity is doing. It is such a worthy cause, and my small donations can help to make a huge impact on the lives of my sponsored children. I have been lucky enough to sponsor three young men through their education and also support a village family. I look forward to reading the boys’ school reports and hearing about the progress that The Kanji Project is making in the town of Kanji and surrounding rural villages.

My husband Ted and I have been involved with The Kanji Project more or less from the start of the charity. At first just attending coffee mornings and later organising fund raising with our village and church: raffles, frugal lunches during Lent, summer ploughman’s lunches in the garden, church harvest lunches, stalls and selling preserves as well as gratefully receiving parishioner’s donations of £10 and £20. I usually display a ‘project’ to aim for on our church notice board. Over the years we have raised money to build a house for a Kanji worker and his extended family, raised funds to send 2 boys to mechanical training, girls to be trained as nurses and subbed school fees for students and medical training. Any funds over and above what is needed, goes into ‘the kitty’. Over the pandemic we have tried to continue to send funds, albeit reduced.

Sponsor a child in from £15 per month

Sponsors receive a regular report on their child, our twice-yearly newsletter and a card at Christmas from their child. Sponsorship helps to fund the community in which the child lives or is educated.

Sponsors are kept in touch with their children by an annual school report, a card at Christmas and our twice-yearly newsletters Sponsorship can also help to support the community in which the child lives or is educated.

Sponsorship makes a huge change in a poor child’s life. The cost of schooling in Tamil Nadu can be too much for many families, and in the aftermath of COVID-19 many children are finding it harder than ever to get back to school. Just £15 a month can help a poor family

to ensure their children finish their schooling or provide a safe refuge for a girl in need of full-time care.

The Kanji Project has been connecting our supporters with sponsored children for more that twenty five years, and over that time we have seen thousands of these children grow up into adults, earn a living and achieve great successes in their communities.

Stories like those of Manoj showcase the power that sponsorship can have. Manoj was abandoned as a baby on a rubbish tip in 1995

and given a home at our children’s home, Shanthi Lumin. He still works closely with St Antony’s today and was there to welcome TKP Trustees

to the school for the 25 year anniversary celebrations of the charity in 2019.

See some more of our sponsorship stories below, and download a sponsorship form if you would like to help.

St Antony’s School St Antony’s School educates around 1,500 students from poor, rural villages all around the Kanji area. By sponsoring a child, you can help to ensure that he or she can attend St Antony’s school and begin the climb out of poverty. Kanji Project supporters have been sponsoring students at St Antony’s since the charity began in 1993, and below are some of the stories that you can help make come true.

The Sunshine Day Centre The Sunshine Day Centre is run by the Rose Sisters and provides education for children with severe physical or mental disabilities. Staffed by two trained teachers and ayhas, the day centre can support up to 16 children. There is little provision for the education of these children and without the day centre, they would remain in their huts with the minimum of supervision. Attendance at the day centre frees up the mothers to go out to work in the fields. Though we no longer operate a sponsorship system at Sunshine for individual students, you can set up a regular donation to help support the continued running of the day centre if you wish.

Sponsorship Stories

As told by our Indian Partners

Selvam

Selvam’s father works in a restaurant in Chennai. There are 6 members living in their family including the grandparents. The whole family depends on the wages of Selvam’s father. He is not earning lot. They are struggling to educate the children and to pay for the grandparent’s medical treatment. Selvam is trying his best to study well. His handwriting is neat. He is in Junior Red Cross. He likes Tamil subject. His favorite color is blue. He finds Social Science as a difficult subject. He is good with volunteering service.

Kanishka

Kanishka has three sisters. Her father borrowed lot of money for their wedding and is only paying the interest and struggling to repay the debt. He is a coolie worker and working in a shop on temporary basis. He is also supporting his elderly parents who are often sick. The mother has no permanent job and they are struggling to educate Kanishka. Kanishka is very good in her studies. She is very active girl. She is beginning to identify, read and write Tamil and English alphabets. Tamil has 247 alphabets. She has good handwriting. She likes idly (a special dish that is similar to pancakes). She enjoys playing swings with her friends.

Barath

Barath's father works as a Barber. His mother is a house wife. He has two elder brothers. They are living in joint family with their grandparents. There are 7 members in their family. His father has no regular job. The grandfather suffers from oedema and often taken for treatment. They are struggling to pay for his medical treatment and this often leaves him without any proper treatment. The father is finding difficult to pay for all the children’s education. He is good in his studies. His handwriting is fairly good. He is very much interested in sports like football and good at running. He likes tomato rice. He usually plays half an hour with his friends after going home. His sisters help him to do his home work and to study at home.

Please note the names of these children and some minor details have been changed to protect their personal information.

To be sponsoring children in the Sunshine School gives me happiness and sunshine in my own heart, for indeed the deaf are made to hear, dumb to speak and the lame to walk, and this for the price of a cuppa coffee a day for myself. Which is most important? What is the value and dignity of a human life? Sponsoring Tiroshiga who has learning difficulties, gives me great joy and happiness in my own heart. For where disability is shunned in society, he now is now treated with dignity and gets the help he needs through the loving care and healing hands of the Rose Sisters.