Letter from the President
As a New Year begins, we express gratitude to all who helped make 2012 an amazing year for Rising Star Outreach. Our work for those affected by leprosy is to create opportunities for them to gain the skills to be self-sufficient. This is exemplified in the saying, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Through micro-grants, medical care, and education individuals learn skills for a lifetime, which creates a ripple effect that lifts entire families and communities! The micro-grant program, directed by Mrs. Padma Venkataraman, continues to help those in the colonies become self-reliant. Funds have been provided for many businesses; including snack shops, barber shops, a carpentry shop and businesses in both pearl jewelry and sewing clothing. With continued support, these programs will expand in the coming year, giving the recipients the gift of work and the gift of dignity to support a family!
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Barber shop micro-business and pearl jewelry micro-business. |
Rising Star’s medical team visited colonies each week and even traveled to mountain villages in remote parts of Tamil Nadu. Much needed medications, vaccinations and the tender act of washing wounds and changing bandages. These acts continue to give hope to those affected by leprosy.
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Dr. Susan Hilton helping patients and members of Moot Leprosy Colony standing by the medical van. |
Overseen by Dr. Susan Hilton, our amazing Managing Director, the campus is busting at the seams! Through our educational programs, the Rising Star campus now has 223 students. Other students have received assistance through our Perpetual Colony Education Fund. This year we are excited about a new English immersion program for students and teachers. Through the generous support of Reading Horizons and Imagine Learning the computer programs are being upgraded and enhanced.
Through another generous donor, full-time volunteers from Harvard University’s WorldTeach program have greatly assisted students and teachers. We look forward to another year of their expertise and personalized support.
It is wonderful how much our Volunteer and Sponsorship Programs grew in 2012! Rising Star Outreach benefits from volunteers who share their talents, their resources, and their selfless love to bless countless lives! The Sponsorship Program is also supported by the generosity of individuals whose contributions give hope and support to our students.
It is exciting to look ahead to 2013 and anticipate the possibilities awaiting Rising Star Outreach. My prayer for 2013 is that together we will continue teaching, sharing, and giving hope to our Rising Star Outreach community!
Happy New Year!
Sally Read
Volunteer
Rising Star Outreach would like to assist you with these goals! How are we going to help? When you come to Rising Star in India for a volunteer session you will be playing soccer and other activities with the kids on campus, there are no TVs and you will have fresh Indian food cooked daily along with fruit and vegetables. This is a great place to get a jump start to a new beginning!
Kyle Bergson, one of our volunteers, playing soccer with the boys. |
Miranda Rigby, a volunteer for Rising Star, sits with Sudha. |
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Volunteer coordinators posing on the Pathway of Hope |
I hope in the next year we will have more stories like this one where dreams are realized and charity becomes tangible and lives can be changed.
Thank you to all of you who volunteer time, money and labor. Rising Star is here because of your support. The work that we do is making a change.
We invite you to make Rising Star a part of your New Years Resolutions
Shoes, Shoes and More Shoes!
Students of our school with their new shoes. |
The children presenting a certificate of thanks to Larsen & Rosenberger. |
Annual Peery Matriculation School Science Fair
January 5, 2013 was the Annual Science Fair day at the Peery Matriculation School. The Rising Star Outreach students had demonstrations and diagrams of complex scientific topics like nuclear power plants, solar power, herbal medicines and much more.
Each student participating was required to give a short presentation on their topic and have a demonstration or a working model. Guests to the fair visited each booth to ask questions and evaluate their work.
-Callie Reagan