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A new academic year has just commenced at Udayan.Presently we have 306 under care.125 children in our own Udayan Vidyalaya(School) in classes Nursery to Standard Four. 145 in Government schools – standard Five to Ten, 10 in Standard Eleven & Twelve.Four boys are Degree courses – three with honours.Twenty two are taking vocational training courses as Turners, 2 wheeler mechanics,Secretaries,Printers,Commercial Arts,Computer,Tailors etc.
Mr. Partha Sarathi Banerjee and his wife Deepa Banerjee
(both residents of Seattle, USA) are actively involved
with the well-being of the children of Udayan. They have
donated Partha's ancestral property in Jodhpur Park, a
prestigious location in South Calcutta, to set up ?Geeta-Kalyan
Center?. This center will provide shelter to the
college-going students of
Udayan who can not afford accommodation. The center
commemorates Partha?s late parents? names. In 2005,
Partha and Deepa were introduced to Rev. James G.
Stevens, OBE, founder of Udayan by the legendary
Australian cricket captain and Australian of the Year
Mr. Steve Waugh. Since then, Partha and Deepa have shown
their community service spirit by actively supporting
Udayan.
Partha is a successful Chartered Accountant from Price
Waterhouse (India and Australia) and is also a Certified
Public Accountant in the USA. Deepa is a South Asian
Studies Librarian at the University of Washington,
Seattle. Deepa has a Ph.D in American Literature and a
Masters degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS).
She is also a well-known North Indian (Hindustani)
classical musician and vocalist. She has been a disciple
of world famous Indian vocal maestros Pandit Jasraj and
Pandit Rajan Mishra.
Work is in progress on a first for Udayan.
An indoor and outdoor Sports Centre for Table Tennis,Chess,Carrom ( a typical Indian game – a little like billiards with counters rather than balls), Badminton, Basket Ball. This is being funded by the AC Milan Foundation in association with Leonardo De Araujo (ex football player of Brazil and AC Milan).This should be opened by Leonardo himself before the end of August 2006.
We have a spanking new Bus given us by the Friends of Udayan and SMOAT,UK. This is being used to take the children to school and on excursions.
If you would like to know more about Udayan and its work with the children of leprosy sufferers just drop me a line or better still an e-mail.
With greetings from Udayan and its children.
James Stevens
(The Revd.J.G.Stevens,OBE)
Founder/Chairman
Udayan
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