Spring 2024
As we head into the delights of Spring we wanted to take the opportunity to update you on what’s been happening since our Autumn blog. We have mainly been focused around arranging for Peter to visit India at the end of January, and then acting upon all that was learnt from the trip. Read all about it below!
We have been longing to add to the Abound Team to broaden our experience and skill set, while bringing in someone with a fresh perspective to help us as we develop the partnership of Abound with CEH. We are so excited that Jude Parkin, who attends our key partner St Paul’s Church Cheltenham, has agreed to become a full Team Member alongside Peter and Amy, and has already been getting stuck in - welcome Jude!
Since our last blog we have been overwhelmed by how God has moved donors to contribute incredibly generously – both here in the UK and the US. Therefore, we want to THANK YOU all for your incredible giving to help transform many lives in Odisha. The result has been that we have been able to complete the renovation of the boys’ dormitory at Balangir (see the amazing photos here), to stabilise the operating budget moving forward and plan additional building and maintenance works.
Overall, we find ourselves in an exciting phase where the immediate future for CEH looks secure and new opportunities to consolidate and even broaden the partnership of Abound and its supporters with CEH. Therefore, if you would like to explore how you can get more involved then please do get in touch with us at admin@abound.org.uk, or sign up to the mailing list.
January 2024 trip
The key purpose of the trip was to visit the hostels, to encourage the children and staff while confirming the many operational aspects of the hostel, developments and future plans.
Starting in Diptipur, Peter spent some time sharing with the girls from the CEH hostel there and the boys in the other Diocesan hostel, alongside Colin Laver and Ruth Craddick from Norton Baptist church, which funds the boys’ hostel.
It was so encouraging to see the delight of all the children as the team met with them, helped lead the weekly Christian Endeavour meeting and to experience something of what they are doing in school and the hostel.
The majority of the trip was spent in Balangir where the welcome and appreciation of a visit from Peter on behalf of Abound through song and dance was unbridled! Peter was invited to contribute to the nightly devotional sessions, joining in their songs, prayers and leading a brief talk each day. These occasions are always enthusiastic with singing, led entirely by the children, being a major component of the enjoyment.
The annual picnic trip this year was to the Hirakud Dam in the northern part of the Diocese of Sambalpur in Odisha. Hirakud is the largest earthen dam in the world, extending 5 kilometres across the Mahanadi River. A 2.5-hour bus journey each way, a trip to the planetarium and science play area, a picnic of chicken curry and rice, plus a visit to both ends of the dam was an exhausting but enjoyable experience for all. It was wonderful to see the children experience a fun day out which would normally be totally inaccessible for them living in their home villages.
The other highlight was to participate in the Republic Day celebrations in the high school and hostel. Republic Day on the 26th January commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India, and the country's transition to a republic in 1950. The children put on an amazing cultural show: explaining the history of Republic Day, singing, recitals plus traditional dancing and more modern dancing all choreographed by themselves.
It truly was a privilege for Peter to be the guest of honour at so many of the children’s events, building good relationships with the children and staff of the hostels.
An exciting part of the trip was to visit the new boys’ dormitory which had been opened in November 2023. The transformation was truly exceptional, however, it was not only the physical beauty of the dormitory, but the impact the new facility has had on the boys. They have embraced the gift of a beautiful dorm by keeping it spotless, uncluttered and truly valued, plus their behaviour has improved as they feel even more valued to have their living accommodation transformed. The impact has gone beyond the boys to include the parents, prospective parents, the local churches and even the alumni. It is as if the physical renewal of the building has re-energised staff, parents and children plus the alumni, to make CEH work and to invest new life into all that it does.
The result has also been to impact us at Abound. Lives are being changed, not just in terms of physical accommodation, but encouragement and hope for the future. We therefore wish to consolidate on these changes and address other building and maintenance priorities.
Finally, the visit was an opportunity to thank and say farewell to Bishop Pinuel Dip who retired on the 31st January. The Bishop’s support for the hostel has been instrumental in maintaining it over the years and as Abound has taken up the funding responsibility. He will be sorely missed, although he will remain in Balangir and continue as interim chairman of the Hostel Management Committee until the new Bishop arrives in September. It was great to see Rashmi Nanda’s commitment to the children in his new role as assistant to Mahendra – a great addition to the team. We are so thankful to Mrs. Joli Das who is providing a senior mentoring role to Bineta Tandy as she carries the responsibility for the girls in Diptipur. We are anticipating other staff changes in the coming months so we ask for prayers that the right people will be found – watch this space!
Bishop Dip with Mahendra Bag