Gary Chamberlain
Frances' page
Fundraising for Friends of the Children of Orissa
Story
On 8 May 2016 I am running the Hackney Half Marathon. This is my first half marathon and I am running it to raise money for Friends of the Children of Orissa.
Friends of the Children of Orissa is a small charity which was set up in 1992 to fund girl's residential school Palli Unnayan Seva Samiti (PUSS), in Orissa. Orissa is India's poorest state. In July 2012, they expanded their outreach and started an amazing new project, called SOCH to rescue runaway children living on the railways.
Friends of the Children of Orissa have been supporting the children at PUSS for over twenty years. There are now some 400 girls at the school; they have come from a variety of disadvantaged backgrounds. Some are children of sex workers, or of beggars, some are from leprosy colonies and others were abandoned as babies.
I first visited the school eight years ago. I have had the opportunity to return three times since to see the incredible and inspiring work that the school does. The girls are given an education and the support of a loving home and community.
The stories behind why many of the girls are at the school are shocking and upsetting. They are in desperate need of a safe home and the opportunity of a future. The Government simply do not provide this. Schools like PUSS are essential in helping these individuals. For more information, please go their website at www.orissa.org.uk
SOCH, although only set up two years ago, has already helped over 2000 children. Thousands of children run away from their homes in India every year and end up living on India's railways. SOCH attempts to trace their families and facilitate a reunion, where appropriate. Where reunion is not a safe or viable option, they find the children safe homes at Charities or NGOs. Some of the children found by SOCH now board at PUSS. To find out more go to www.sochforchildren.org
I would really appreciate any donation that you were able to make. To give you an idea, £15 pays for a month of schooling for a child at PUSS school and so as the cliché goes- every little does truly help.