SPORTS DAY AT HOPE HOME CALCUTTA

FINALLY, THE BIG DAY ARRIVED...WE HAD AN EXCITING DAY OF SPORTS AND FUN AT THE HOPE HOME GROUNDS ON MONDAY, JANUARY 28. WE HAD REMODELED THE FIELD TO GET AS MUCH SPACE AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENTS AS COMFORTABLE AS WE COULD. HERE'S A FEW OF THE EVENTS...

LYDIA WITH HER SHOT PUT THROW...

 THE TEACHERS & STAFF TOO HAD TO TAKE PART IN AN EVENT-TUG-OF-WAR...NOBODY WON AS THE ROPE EVENTUALLY SNAPPED!! THANKFULLY NO ONE GOT HURT

THE NEEDLE AND THREAD RACE...STUDENTS HAVE TO RUN 20 METERS AND COME AND PUT THE THREAD IN A NEEDLE AND RUN BACK...

SACK-RACE...SOME OF THEM REALLY KNOW HOW TO SPRINT, NO MATTER WHAT THE CHALLENGE IS...AND IN THIS CASE, HAD TO OVERCOME THE SMELL OF POTATOES (WE USED POTATO SACKS)

DEMONSTRATES HOW WELL PARENTS HAVE TRAINED THEIR CHILDREN...A RUN OF 25 METERS AND WHOEVER IS ABLE TO PUT ON THEIR SOCKS AND CANVAS AND TIE THE LACES AND RUNS BACK FIRST WINS THE RACE...

LEAH, YET TO BE ENROLLED IN PRE-SCHOOL WASN'T ONE TO BE LEFT BEHIND...THE SOLO PERFORMER!

 STUDENTS HAVE TO BALANCE EARTHEN VESSELS ON THEIR HEADS AND BRISK WALK 25 METERS TO WIN THE RACE...DEPENDS ON HOW ROUND OR FLAT OUR HEAD IS!

 HANDS BEHIND THEIR BACKS, STUDENTS HAVE TO BALANCE A SMALL GLASS MARBLE  IN A SPOON PLACED IN THEIR MOUTHS AND BRISK-WALK 25 METERS...WITHOUT THE MARBLE FALLING OFF...

 BISCUIT RACE...RUN 20 METERS AND TRY AND SNATCH A BISCUIT (COOKIE) WITH THEIR MOUTH WITH HANDS BEHIND THEIR BACK AND RACE BACK...AND THEY GET TO EAT THE COOKIES THEY PLUCKED FROM THE ROPE...

 THE RACE...GET SET...GO...WE HAD 50 METERS, 100 METERS AND 200 METERS RACES

THE MARCH PAST...

THE HIGHER YOU GO THE HARDER YOU FALL...FORTUNATELY WE HAD PLACE ENOUGH SAND FOR THEM TO FALL UPON...THE HIGH JUMP EVENT...

THIS IS ONE EVENT WHICH IS SUITABLE FOR ALL AGE GROUPS...MUSICAL CHAIR!

DISCUSS THROW...WOW! SOME OF THEM CAN REALLY THROW FAR!

AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVERYONE ENJOYED AND THE BONUS WAS AN UNEXPECTED HOLIDAY ANNOUNCED BY DEV FOR TUESDAY...ENOUGH TIME FOR THEM TO RECOVER FROM THE ACHES AND BRUISES AND THEIR TIREDNESS...BUT WAIT, SOME OF THE KIDS SPENT THE WHOLE AFTERNOON AFTER THE SPORTS PLAYING CRICKET!

THANK  YOU FOR STOPPING BY AND VISITING US! GOD BLESS

SPORTS DAY...PRACTICE IN FULL SWING!

SPORTS DAY IS SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 28. WE HAVE RE-ALIGNED OUR GROUNDS A LITTLE BIT TO CONDUCT THE GAMES AT THE HOPE HOME GROUNDS ITSELF (SAVES LOGISTICS AND MONEY!) THE STUDENTS ARE ALL EXCITED FOR THIS IMPORTANT SCHOOL EVENT AND HAVE BEEN PRACTICING THEIR MARCH PAST...SHOT PUT...RUNNING...

HOPE CONNECT

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT AWARE, THE HOPE HOME CALCUTTA RELEASES A MONTHLY NEWS E-UPDATE TITLED, HOPE CONNECT TO ALL WHO ARE ON OUR REGULAR E-MAIL LIST

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE  'HOPE CONNECT' REGULARLY, PLEASE MAIL US YOUR E-MAIL ID AND WE WOULD BE GLAD TO ADD YOU ON OUR MAILING LIST.

SOME OTHERS, FOLLOWING OUR BLOGS HAVE ALSO REQUESTED US FOR OUR PHYSICAL MAILING ADDRESS. IT IS:

HOPE HOME CALCUTTA

A-7/11, SRIJANI

OPP. THAKURPUKUR CANCER HOSPITAL

P.O. JOKA

KOLKATA (CALCUTTA) 700104

INDIA

TEL:+91-33-65341083

IT'S A GREAT JOY AND HONOR TO WITNESS A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE READ AND FOLLOW OUR BLOGS AND THE PROGRESS OF THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN. THE VIEWERSHIP NOW EXTENDS TO OVER 24 COUNTRIES - FROM AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND TO HONG KONG, SINGAPORE, PAKISTAN, MALAYSIA, UKRAINE, U.A.E., SAUDI ARABIA TO...FRANCE, U.S.A., CANADA, VENEZUELA, PERU...

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST, PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT ALONG WITH YOUR GOOD WISHES AND PRAYERS FOR THE HOPE HOME CALCUTTA AND THE HOPE EDUCATION CENTRE...AND THE LIVES OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS WE ARE SEEKING TO RESCUE, ESTABLISH AND EMPOWER! GOD BLESS YOU.

DEV SARKAR

hopehomecal@gmail.com

LYDIA, MARY AND ESTHER

LYDIA, MARY AND ESTHER ARE BACK IN SCHOOL IN CALCUTTA AFTER 10 MONTHS. THEY DID NOT RECEIVE MUCH EDUCATION DURING THIS INTERVENING PERIOD, BUT SURE ARE GLAD TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY AGAIN IN OUR SCHOOL - HOPE EDUCATION CENTRE!  THIS MORNING THEY WERE IN CHURCH AT ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.

ALL SMILES AND HAPPY. EDUCATION FOR EMPOWERMENT!

NEW YEAR'S EVE AT HOPE HOME CALCUTTA...

IN 2012 MARCH, WE WERE NOT CERTAIN HOW THE YEAR WOULD END...AS IT TURNED OUT, WE HAD THE BEST CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS AT THE HOPE HOME CALCUTTA LAST YEAR! (AS TESTIFIED BY OUR BOYS AND GIRLS AND STAFF). LEWIS SIMON, MY BUDDY OF OVER 20 YEARS WHO WORKS IN THE LARGEST AD AGENCY IN THE WORLD (BASED IN DELHI) - AND ALSO OFFICIATES AS OUR SECRETARY - TOOK SOME REAL FANTASTIC SHOTS IN HIS EVER-CHANGING CAMERA (AND ACCESSORIES). HERE'S A FEW OF THEM:

We were able to light up the Hope Home building with bulbs which we purchased this year - all by ourselves

It has been unusually 'cold' this year in Calcutta and the year-end saw the temperature dipping to around 10/11 C (high 50's). New Year's Eve we had a later dinner in the field in front of the bonfire

Wood stacked up for the bonfire 

The fire felt real good on the 31st night...we ate dinner at 9 p.m. and had our get-together from 10:30  p.m. !!

The fire looked, smelled and felt good...

Oh yes, we had the fire going and music while having our dinner!!

Having a good time!

And let the fire-works begin..the hallmark of the Hope Home for the past 10 years!

Specially ordered fire-crackers...the kids and adults all like them

Riot of colors from fire-crackers

Even the moon stood still watching the display in the skies!

Kezia, thoroughly enjoying her time...

Samuel with his portion...

Even Anjali enjoyed the light and sound...

Dev, not to be left behind...

IT WAS A GOOD START TO THE NEW YEAR...WE ENDED THE LAST TWO MINUTES OF THE YEAR 2012 THANKING GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS, MERCIES, LOVE, PROVISION AND PROTECTION THROUGHOUT 2012. MANY SHARED THEIR DREAMS AND DESIRES FOR 2013- THAT GOD WOULD CONTINUE TO HELP US TO HELP, BUILD, EMPOWER AND BLESS OTHERS - ALL THOSE WHO WOULD COME OUR WAY.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PART OF THE VISION AND DREAM OF THE HOPE HOME CALCUTTA AND THE HOPE EDUCATION CENTRE. HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR 2013 AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

DEV AND THE HOPE HOME CALCUTTA FAMILY

P.S. - for regular monthly updates 'HOPE CONNECT', please send me a mail to - hopehomecal@gmail.com