Dear Friends,

Every year, Easter comes in the season of spring to bring some new hope and strength to each of us who believe in the power of the Risen Lord. In this letter, I would like to share some news that speaks of the hope that we find in Christ Jesus who always strengthens us in our life of service to the poor.

Two silver jubilees

In the past months we have celebrated two jubilees: the silver Jubilee of this institution and the silver jubilee of my priesthood. This house was established 25 years ago as a school of printing and also as a catechetical and media centre. Ten years ago the printing school was shifted to New Delhi because in Kolkata there are less employment opportunities. I came here ten years ago and I got permission to use the empty space for the poor children of the locality and that is how my work for the poor started. Now after 10 years of work we have achieved a lot. About 750 children come everyday to study here and they receive other types of help like medicine, books and sometimes also clothes. The undernourished children are given every month some means of nourishment and on Saturdays about 120 street children come here and receive our care. Our institution is much more close to the poor now than before and on the occasion of the jubilee we realized even more, the importance of our work for the poor. We celebrated the jubilee of our house on different days for different groups. The silver jubilee celebration for the children was on January 11^th 2003 and about 1200 children had come to enjoy the musical performance by a famous folk singer. As a jubilee memorial we have installed in front of the house a statue of Don Bosco, our founder. Now, every day as our children come and go, they look up at this monument that shows Don Bosco standing in the midst of two poor boys and a girl and they realize why they have here a school that cares for them.

A book for the poor

During the past ten years, I realized that the poor do not have the money to educate their children in English medium. A good knowledge of English is an important qualification for getting a job. So I started a course called, “Spoken English” and through this course, I have helped many young people to learn English fast. With the experience of conducting this course, I have written a book called, “Spoken English with value education”. This book that has 216 pages, is well appreciated and more than 1000 copies have been already sold. So now in my jubilee year, I thank God that one of my dreams has been realized. The other dream was to find a place for the poor children to study and do their homework under the guidance of some good teachers and at the same time to educate those children who cannot go to a school. This dream too has been realized as we see our school campus full of poor children.

God cares

This year it became very cold quite unusually and very suddenly. So I had to buy pullovers and shawls for about 400 children who could not buy anything for themselves.

Baby Sima, a young girl studying in our school was suffering from Tuberculosis and we gave her the medical treatment and nourishment she needed until she got cured completely. In December she got a good marriage proposal and with some financial assistance from me she got married. In the meantime she learnt sewing and she will get from me a sewing machine this year. There are also 10 others girls who are doing a sewing course and in July this year they will be given a sewing machine each.

Nikat Parveen was a girl of 10 who had a clubfoot and could not walk properly. Last year I sent her for an operation and paid for the cost. Now she is recovering slowly and she comes walking to our school, very slowly. It will take a long time before the operated leg can become stronger and later on, one more operation will have to be done. Pinki Murmu’s condition is improving and the next operation on her tract for passing stool will take place soon.

We have been able to make twenty houses more in the villages, which were affected by floods two years ago. Now the total number of houses, made so far, has reached 60. We have also assisted a few families in the slums to repair their houses. Four houses in the Motijhil slum had got burnt in January this year and soon we hope to rebuild them.

We have been able to do a lot for the poor so far and so I am very happy also to conclude this letter on the note of hope in the Risen Saviour, with sincere sentiments of gratitude to all of you. I pray that the Risen Lord reward you all for your generous support and keep you always in good health.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter,

Sincerely,

Fr. Joseph Aymanathil, s.d.b

(April, 2003).

S.B. A/C. No 3296 Nitika Don Bosco

The Federal Bank, Tangra Branch

Kolkata 700 015