CHEF was able to transfer $25,000 to The Lotus Children's Centre in Mongolia in 2016. The other focus for the year was to provide financial support for the continued education of four students in India.
SANJAY
Sanjay is from the poor Jhakhand state of India and has proved to be a very determined and resilient young man. He suffers a permanent disability as a result of a post operative infection after foot surgery. While he was recovering for a time in an NGO children's village, he became a very enthusiastic student and athlete and since then has competed in a number of interstate Paralympic meets in various sports. Having passed year 12 at a local college, Sanjay now studies engineering at S Sukhjinder Singh Engineering and Technology College in the Punjab. Although he receives funding support for his education from the State, this does not cover his board and lodging. The Children's Health and Education Fund is covering these expenses, which makes it possible for Sanjay to continue his education.
KRISHNA
Vimal Kirti "Krishna" Giri's parents live in Orissa state and run a small medical clinic in a rural community. Both are qualified acupuncturists and his mother is an experienced midwife. His father is also a qualified ayurvedic practitioner, orthopaedic technician and school teacher who divides his time between the clinic and teaching in the local school. The Children's Health and Education Fund has provided the financial support for Krishna to go to an English-medium school since his primary years. This year, however, Krishna is doing year 11, and needs to attend a school in the city to receive this higher education. CHEF will provide the funds for his schooling and board. With this continued assistance of their son's education, Krishna's parents have been able to stay in their rural community providing much needed medical and teaching services in the community.
MARINA
Marina Gupta's mother is a physiotherapist in a clinic run by a rural NGO. Her father works for another rural NGO. She has two siblings, one of whom is profoundly deaf and attends a school for the deaf away from home. Marina is about to start Year 10 and CHEF has been providing a full academic and boarding scholarship for her to study in a small English-medium school for the past 5 years, leaving her parents free to pursue their constructive work for the local community.
SUNITA
Sunita Kumari and her sister were orphaned while young and grew up at the children's village of a local NGO in interior Jharkhand state. Having completed Year 12 and then a basic nursing-midwifery degree, she is now finishing her 1st year BSc and is applying for a number of Nursing Colleges to transfer to BSc Nursing in her second year. CHEF supplies a study scholarship that takes care of all her application and admission fees and day-to-day nutritional needs.