News and announcements

Every month we send out some money to Tom Sutherland so that he can pay for life-saving operations and medicines.  A recent account shows just how vital this is.  Tom recently met someone had been trying to find him a couple of months earlier.  He had been hoping for help with a heart operation for his wife (these cost over £1000, a year's pay for many Indians and more than they can possibly afford), but had not been able to find Tom.  As a result, the operation for his wife had been cancelled and his wife had died.  This brought home to me just how vital our work is - it is literally a matter of life and death.

Over the next few days we will be sending out money to help with five heart operations.  Two were carried out after the families approached Shibu, our man in the hospital, whilst their parents were on the operating table and the operation was unable to proceed until the necessary supplies were bought.  The operations were successful and the patients have now gone home to recuperate.

We recently received very sad news from India: Pastor Sam has died after a long illness.

Pastor Sam was one of our longest-serving colleagues in India.  He had a heart for the poor, and in particular for the destitute women who live on the streets of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), many of whom have psychiatric problems.  He started taking them into his home, and then into a building in his back yard, before founding Thanal House, a purpose-built building which served as a refuge for them.  HHI has helped to finance much of this work.

He will be sorely missed by many people.  He was a man of great faith, of great compassion, and of great action.

Please pray for his wife, Valsala, and his daughters Shyni and Shalini.  Please also pray for Tom Sutherland and Philip, and for us as we work together to find a way of continuing this wonderful work.

Soroptimist International Coventry held a charity auction in early October to raise funds for HHI and for Philip Serrell's chosen charity. Philip expertly ran the auction - getting through over 50 lots, encouraging people to buy items ranging from paintings to walking sticks. This proved to be an excellent event and the Soroptimists raised £715 for HHI. They elected to raise funds for Thanal House for two years, ending next spring.  We wish to thank SI Coventry for all their hard work in planning and running this event which proved both enjoyable and very worthwhile.   

On a fine afternoon in August Hazel and Ceinwen, from Abersychan Pontypool, held an all day charity fund raising garden party. People enjoyed cream  teas, cakes and coffee and of course good company. All the cakes were home made and the whole event was held to raise funds for HHI and other causes. A number of the Management Committee and their partners went along and had a wonderful time. It was a lovely afternoon and a great deal of effort had been put into the whole event. Ceinwen was hosting a small sale in Hazel's garage while guests enjoyed tea in the sun in Hazel's garden. HHI also received £450 towards the container funds from Hazel and Ceinwen's market stall work and £200 from sale of hand made cards by Margaret Taylor, a regular donator to HHI. All in all a good afternoon with the proceeds of the garden party still to come. There are a couple of photos in the gallery.