|
|
I'm a vet student at Bristol university, in my 4th year. I went to TRUST in summer 2009 with Kat and stayed with Thirumaran for four weeks. A truly inspiring place, we spent lots of time with the children and did several projects. We also visited a hospital, worked in a vets and visited local schools. Now we want to continue to support TRUST, we are speaking in local schools about the charity and also training for the Paris marathon in April, which we are running for TRUST. Please contact me if you want any information about our Indian experiences, I would recommend volunteering at TRUST to anyone.
|
|
|
I first visited TRUST and India at Easter in 2007, with Becca. It was a whirlwind of new and exciting experiences and I feel really blessed that I was able to go. I was completely amazed by Thirumaran, his family, and all at the home, and all the work that is going on in the local community as well. I'm very excited that this support group has been set up and am beginning to collect ideas for ways in which to raise money.
|
|
|
Im a vet student from Bristol uni. i found out about Trust from another girl on my course who said she'd had an amazing time. I had booked flights to India within a week and promptly forgot about the whole thing for the next 6 months. I had absolutely know idea what to expect of the place. Allie and I went out to trust this summer. To say i was inspired by the place would be the biggest understatement of my life! It is the most positive, loving place i have ever been to. I actually found myself forgetting that these children have no parents, although Banu and the ladies that run Trust are wonderful.
We came home and immediately booked a place to run the Paris marathon to try and raise money.....hhmmmm...have never run more than a mile in my life! well training is well underway now and its going better than expected. Starting to think about fundraising now so if anyone has any ideas.....i just want to raise as much as possible for such an incredible place!
|
|
|
I first met Thirumaran and all at TRUST when I stayed with his family whilst working at a local hospital in early 2005. They were incredibly warm and welcoming and I had a great time. Before I left, Thirumaran told me of his plans to open a children's home to care for those affected by the Tsunami, which had occurred only a few months earlier. I came back home determined to help.
I visited again in spring 2007 (with Chrissie), by which time the home was up and running. It was fantastic to see Thirumaran's dream come true, with 40-something children being cared for, loved and given an education. A third visit last year with my parents was amazing. The difference in the children was immediately obvious. They were no longer individual children from disparate backgrounds, linked only by their need for protection. They are a family. They have support, love, and a bright future.
None of this would be possible without Thirumaran's boundless energy. Despite constant worry over where the next rupee will come from and seemingly innumerable hurdles to overcome, he never loses hope. I hope that TRUSTChildren UK will be able to provide some financial sustainability and allow Thirumaran to focus his efforts both on bringing up his, now extended, family, and improving the quality of life of others within the local community.
Sometimes when I look at the health and social justice problems we face at home and abroad it can be easy to get discouraged, and wonder what one person can do. But I think of the smiling faces of the children at TRUST, and it helps me remember that for them, we can make a difference.
|
|
|
My family have been supporting TRUST since my daughter Becca stayed with Thirumaran and his family during a gap year in 2005. I visited for four nights in May 2009 and returned determined to redouble my efforts to support the children's home.
|
