The Cathedral Church of Redemption put smiles on the faces of many disadvantaged children on Saturday. Their annual fete, organised to raise money to provide a better life for children of leprosy patients, collected over Rs. 50 lakh.
The 83-year-old church has been organising the fete for 40 years, proceeds from which go towards their Leprosy Patients’ Children Education Fund and towards maintenance of the church. Currently, the church is educating 151 children in different schools, from nursery through to MBA. “It is an opportunity for us to serve the people and give a second chance to these children,” said Kamlesh Jacob, convener of the fete.
The church takes in children from all parts of the country and funds their education, be it till the undergraduate or Master’s level.
Through this, they help them get the right platform and become independent. “Earlier, I felt that girls cannot do anything. But now I have the confidence to achieve whatever I want in life,” said 15-year-old Sunita Burman, a Class 9 student of Grace Mission School and a part of the project.
Many of those helped by this programme have now gone on to become computer engineers, teachers or nurses, said Jacob. One such member, Sushila Joseph, is now the principal of the church’s own school, the Cathedral Nursery School.
Through donations, ads and the sale of items at the fete, the church was able to collect over R50 lakh, with some money still to be counted. Last year, they had collected Rs. 52 lakh, a target Jacob said they are sure to cross this year.