Wednesday 25 January, we had a fantastic private view with a focus on philanthropy at Belgravia Gallery. We had speaks from Bread Tin as well as Camila Batmanghelidjh from Kids Company.

Thanks to the generous donations from Helen Naftalin and Stephen Brearley, we are one step closer to building new toilets for the residents at Shanthigramam. We still need to raise a further £500, and will be hosting an illustrated lecture on Leonardo DaVinci by Lydia Bauman of the National Gallery to raise the funds. Watch this space for more details soon.

HEAL has expanded over the past few months. Please visit our other projects page to find out how. If you are interested in volunteering for HEAL or any other Sebastian Hunter Memorial Trust programs, please visit our volunteering page.

Seb’s Projects India has partnered with the Humanitarian Clowns Abroad to organise a huge event for next September. Twenty clowns from across the world will be coming to Vellore to visit CMC Hospital wards, CHAD and RUHSA community hospitals, slums, tribal villages, colleges who have partnered with the Eco Trail project, DREAM project Schools, Seb’s Schools, MBKG Orphanage and the government orphanage.

Humanitarian Clowns Abroad is a wonderful organization of clowns from across the world who go to developing and war torn countries to bring smiles and laughter to those who are struggling. The founder was a volunteer on our Eco Trail Project in 2008, and has been a wonderful supporter of our work since.

Seb’s Projects India will be hosting the clowns and doing orientation/support as well as providing guides for them as they go from show to show. We are hoping this will bring a lot of support and publicity to Seb’s Projects, and the clowns are hoping to donate at least 3000 Australian dollars from their project money to Seb’s Projects India programs after they leave.

Seb’s Projects India has started a new table designing project with six of the Illuminae women. The women designed beautiful mosaics for six tables and will be completing more in the coming weeks. With two tables, they can pay 1 month’s rent.

Once these initial projects are finished, we will work individually with each woman to see how we can link their own personal strengths to developing a skill that will provide a sustainable income, and monitor them through all the developmental stages.

‘I don’t want to beg anymore. I just really want to work.’ – Lakshmi, Illuminae participant

This month, Seb’s Projects India have started looking into the root cause of Neurocysticercosis as well as ways to improve access to healthcare for the tribal communities in Jawadhi Hills. See Chinnasamy's story.

Anup and Gerri attended a workshop at CMC’s community health department, and are now qualified as facilitators to implement the Community Led Total Sanitation Scheme (CLTS), a workshop held in communities to motivate them to use local materials and labour to design their own sanitation systems, and to eradicate open defecation. They will be running the workshop in four villages.

There are over 45 children now attending the Thattankuttai school every day. Sampath, a new teacher has also started at the school. Sampath, an experienced tutor, is very enthusiastic about the school and the challenges ahead of him.

We have organised for the roof of the school to be replaced after being damaged in the monsoon.

Emma Koshi and the DREAM project have started computer skill classes for 4th and 10th grade children as well as adolescent Education and Communication skills for the 14 and 15 year old children.

The Junior School at King's received twelve computers from Tharyan Koshi and were dedicated on the 22nd of August. The children at King's will now be able to begin their computer education much earlier.

The MBKG orphanage has two new additions to their family, Pavithra and Roghan.

• Pavithra's mother committed suicide due to family problems leaving her six children with her illiterate husband who earns very little money. Pavithra is the youngest, at three years old and needed more care and attention. She was admitted to the nursery and goes to lower kindergarten.
• Roghan has a similar story. He is four years old and also attends the lower kindergarten. Roghan has already impressed the teachers at the school with his ability to learn very quickly. He is very cheerful and friendly.

Pavithra and Roghan are two of the many children at MBKG who, as of yet, do not have sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring a child please contact us or visit our donate page.

The DREAM program is now at Seb’s School, Senji Mottur, teaching English to 1st-5th standard. The program at Seb’s School also teaches farming and gardening techniques, encouraging the children to actually get out in to the field and plant.

In November, Seb’s School received its first computer from Tess Data Solutions. Computer Skills sessions are now being taught to 4th and 5th standard.

Mic Olsteen has been doing a wonderful job at Seb's School and the community is starting to recognize his presence in the school. Mic now teaches English classes in the evenings on request of the school's English teacher.