Dear Friends
It has always been my dream that I would one day do something for the less privileged people of my country, India.
Having lived here, in the Netherlands for almost 20 years, I have come to realize that society as a whole can do a lot for the handicapped by making them feel wanted and helping them to enjoy and
live a life just like the rest of us. Observing how well the handicapped and the underprivileged are being cared for here, in Holland, I felt it should be so also for those handicapped, in India where such people are sadly neglected.
For the past 5 years, I have been collecting money from my circle of friends and giving it to a Home “Kakumkarangal” in Madras. The amount though not a big one, yet in India for those people it meant a lot……
During my last visit to India, I came to know a very good person, a teacher, who was running a centre called Spandana Rehabilitation Centre for the mentally retarded people in my home town, Udupi a town in Karnataka state well known for its educational institutions, temples and Udupi Brahmin Food. This Rehabilitation Centre is established under the Chaithanya Charitable Trust (regd.)
I was touched to learn that this teacher had already housed 8 new inmates in his own house where he lived with his wife and a baby.
This I thought, was a great gesture on his part. The thought came to me that if I got some help from the goodhearted people of Holland, one day these people could have a Home of their own………one from which they never have to move.
Well, this is what happened next….
Mr. Joop Van Holsteijn, a very good friend of ours, had always been giving me donation for the needy in the past many years. When he learnt about this Home in Udupi, which was in dire need of help, he started working on it straight away-he called the newspaper, the notary, the bank………and........
The Fund UDUPIA was born, with Mr. Joop Van Holsteijn as its Secretary, Mrs. Hennie Alsemgeest as its Treasurer , and myself as its President.
We are legally registered with the Notary, Chamber of Commerce and we have a fund a/c with ABN AMRO 47 44 95 329
In the meanwhile, we are happy the donations are coming in slowly.
And I should not forget to mention Mary and Niel van Steekelenburg, very good friends of mine, who came up with the thoughtful idea of adding a request for donations for this cause in their invitation cards for the dinner they hosted for 125 guests during their 12.5 year marriage celebration and farewell party. Mr. & Mrs. van Steekelenburg and family are migrating to Canada soon. The outcome was simply heartrending.
The idea of forming this fund UDUPIA is not just to collect money for this particular home in my town alone. It just means that to start with we would take up this home Spandana established under the Chaithanya Charitable Trust, as our first project, and help them out once a year in kind or cash to achieve a reasonable living for those handicapped people.
Right now our idea is to collect money from the public by ways of donations, charity dinners, sale of my personal water-color paintings, Indian fashion/clothes show ect. the proceeds of which will be going to this fund.
We have also decided that we would never send money to any organization or charitable trusts, but would do this under personal supervision. This way, we will be sure the money collected has been used properly. As I visit Udupi every year, it is easier for me to keep an eye on this Home and help them out in whatever form we can…………all this is possible only if YOU help me…
In january 2004 I have registred a foundation in Inidia, the “Dr.T. N. Kelu Namnbiar foundation”. Once this foundation receives the FCRA licence we will be able to transfor our fund mony to India. This we hope to get done very soon..
Please help, it does not matter how much, even a euro would mean a lot in rupees. For donations in India our account number is 220/95 Catholic center brance, Syndicate bank Udupi.
( 1 euro = 55 rupees !! )
Thanking you in advance,
Rajani Lankhaar Nambiar
