The annual celebration of Teachers’ Day was held this year at the offices of Larsen & Toubro, the company that supports CRS through its Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
Some of the pupils from the school at Hastings presented teachers with gifts, then there was a lamp-lighting ceremony and speeches, dancing by some of the children, and a play performed by one of the teachers.
We are sorry to announce that, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Canadian Friends of CRS recently dissolved as a group dedicated to supporting CRS.
We are very grateful for a decade of support by Sheila Johnston from Vancouver. After visiting Kolkata in 2010, she was inspired CRS’s work in education, the empowerment of women, and social justice issues.
She established the Canadian Friends of CRS to spread awareness about the needs of poor and marginalised people in India, and to raise funds for CRS.
The Canadian Friends channeled donations large and small from people across the country. The annual Penny Pot Tea, where supporters counted the small change they had collected through the year, was always a highlight.
Over the years they sent many thousands of Canadian dollars to CRS where 100 per cent of it was spent directly on projects.
The Canadian Friends also facilitated visits of the CRS Director and the Bishop from Kolkata to speak to local supporters; likewise individuals from Canada were privileged to visit CRS projects and see the impact of fundraising for themselves.
CRS would like to express thanks and gratitude to Sheila for her dedicated leadership; the other Directors – Sara, Keith, Roma and David – for their commitment over many years; and people across Canada who have given so generously.
Children at CRS schools celebrated Independence Day on 15 August. Buildings were decorated with the Indian tri-colours and each child had a small flag to hold. They sang the national anthem “Jana Mana Gana” and other patriotic songs.
Director, Rig David, and other colleagues from CRS headquarters visited Mahamaya in mid-July to inspect progress with construction.
Once completed the three-storey centre will be a tremendous resource for the community. The plentiful space will be used for education, women’s empowerment and health projects.
Kolkata has a new Bishop: the Right Reverend Paritosh Canning. His role includes acting as Chairman of CRS.
Bishop Canning began his tenure with a visit to the projects at G B Lane and Hastings, as well as the Nari Dana production centre.