Project director Monica Augustine reflects on one girl’s remarkable journey with Batemans/Satkaarya.

Mariyammal, who is now 18 years old and pictured above, came to Batemans/Satkaarya at the age of 11. She belongs to the Irular Tribe, a marginalised community marked by economic and social disadvantage.

Mariyammal’s family was rescued from bonded labour by the International Justice Mission and efforts were made to rehabilitate the family.

It was at this time that Mariyammal’s mother expressed interest that her daughters be given an opportunity to find good education so that they could escape the clutches of poverty. This is why the girls were admitted into our home in 2016.

To Mariyammal, being in the city in a new home was a shock to her system, but she adapted herself very well to her new environment. She came with very little knowledge of English reading, writing or speaking. She started learning in the Batemans Open School (our preparation classes for children to bring them up to the level required to attend mainstream schools) and had a slow but steady start to her learning. She showed interest in learning the English language and was very enthusiastic about listening to stories. She enjoyed reading with Batemans volunteers from the UK and benefited a great deal from spending time with them.

Mariyammal’s vocabulary improved consistently and her communication skills became better with each passing year. Mariyammal successfully moved on to regular mainstream school and went on to complete her 10th grade, which was the first major academic milestone in her life.

Most girls in her village had discontinued studies and some had even married by the time they were 16, but Mariyammal took up science for further studies and successfully passed her 12th grade exams in May 2024.

Despite the odds stacked against her, Mariyammal has demonstrated exceptional determination and resilience, emerging as the first matriculate in her entire family.

Mariyammal is pictured (left) when she first came to Satkaarya as an 11 year old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With continued support and guidance from Batemans/Satkaarya, Mariyammal is moving on to university to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature. This is highly commendable and a great success story – Batemans/Satkaarya has helped Mariyammal help herself for life.

Mariyammal is also extremely talented at sports, dance, arts and sculpting. She comes across as a confident young woman ready to take on the challenges of this world and to make a difference in the lives of many girls in her community!

A sponsor’s perspective

Mariyammal’s sponsor Anne Desir says: “I have had the pleasure of sponsoring Mariyammal since she joined the hostel seven years ago and of meeting her on several occasions during that time, the first time being soon after her arrival. She was a very shy 11-year-old, who had no previous experience of English. She loved looking at books, pointing to pictures to learn the English words.

“I also remember her smile and her eagerness to join in. During later visits, I noticed her growing confidence in all she did; her fluency in English improving hugely and her smile had not deserted her! I couldn’t help cheering and clapping when I heard that Mariyammal was starting a BA in English.”

Could you sponsor a child? 

The rewards are enormous! To do so, please visit: www.batemans.org.uk/donating/sponsor-a-child

 

 

A recent visit to the girls’ home in Chennai drew praise from sponsor Camilla Drew.

Writing to our project director Monica after her visit she wrote: “It was so lovely to meet you and the girls. You do such an amazing job with all the girls, we were so impressed with all you are offering them.”

Camilla’s daughter Jess is pictured (left) at the girls’ home during their visit.

 

Our biggest annual fundraiser is approaching fast… the Batemans food stall at Truck Festival in Oxfordshire.

Each year, led by Batemans founder Alex Jacobs, around 40 (yes 40!) volunteers help to ensure it is consistently successful.

Planning, shopping, chopping, more chopping, cooking, stirring, more chopping, serving… it’s a non- stop workout. But it really delivers.

If you are not able to hold or help at a fundraiser here’s a way you can help, and without having to don an apron or shed tears from chopping onions!  Simply donate some money to help fund the cost of creating a wonderful food outlet. Your donation could help pay for dozens of onions, peppers, leeks, aubergines and potatoes for this fantastic fundraiser.

Last year Batemans raised more than £10,000 at Truck. With your help we can hopefully raise even more in 2024.

You can make a donation via our website www.batemans.org.uk/donating. 

Have you been following the extraordinary adventures of trustee Paul Crosby, who is travelling from India to the UK on an Enfield Bullet motorbike and spreading the word about Batemans/Satkaarya at the same time?

You can follow his journey, see the people he meets and enjoy some great pictures by visiting bullet4batemans on Instagram or follow Paul on Facebook.

And you can donate to Paul’s JustGiving page here.

In other fundraising news, May’s bi-annual plant and cake sale in Essex, co-organised by trustee Suzanne Kuyser, raised an incredible £1,800 for a number of charities, including Batemans.

We have plenty more fundraising events coming up later this year, including afternoon tea in Chelmsford (6 October), the Batemans Spice Lunch in Oxfordshire (12 October), the annual Cambridge quiz night (19 October) and another fantastic Batemans/Satkaarya raffle! Look out for more details in our next e-newsletter.

This January trustee Marion Mills made her first visit to Satkaarya.

“I was very reassured by the atmosphere in the hostel, the duty of care of the girls and their general demeanour and attitude towards each other. The girls were very well aware of their responsibilities, both towards the running of the hostel and their self-organisation.

 “They (the girls) were smart and had a range of clothes to wear as well as their school uniforms. The oldest girls seemed to play quite a responsible role in the helping of preparation of the evening meal but also were responsible about homework and revision for exams. 

“Raghland, Michael, Monica, Deepika, Nagomi and myself visited the site of the school we are planning to build at Sendrambakham. It’s a quiet, peaceful plot. The shelter feels a bit remote but there was evidence that developments were happening nearby.

“We also looked at the adjacent land and then toured around the village. Michael (Satkaarya’s driver) was able to call out names as we passed houses and engage in conversation, which shows how our team is building good relationships. The potential is great; the local people are keen for the school to be built as soon as possible.”

Some excellent news from Chennai is that our outreach programme is back underway after a change of staff.

Batemans’ founding trustee Alex Jacob and architect and trustee Paul Crosby are visiting Chennai this spring to push forward as far as possible on the planning applications and the actual building work planning.

Financially, Batemans-Satkaarya are ready to start on phase one of the building project, but clearing the red tape minefield is taking far longer and proving even more challenging than anticipated, despite our trustees’ long experience and knowledge of working in India.

Trustee Paul Crosby hosted a talk and slide show by his friend Paul Gallagher (pictured above) and fellow cyclist Dave, about their month-long unsupported cycling trip from Leh to Shimla through the amazing scenery of the Himalayas.

Paul Gallagher, a former volunteer for Batemans, was keen to support us and the talk, held in Paul Crosby’s offices in Kendal, Cumbria, attracted a full house. As well as a fascinating show, guests were also treated to nibbles of poppadoms and chutney plus the classic Indian drink, sweet chai. It proved a very successful evening – raising more than £630.

Books, for learning and pleasure, have always gone hand in hand for Batemans-Satkaarya. So it was no surprise to receive a request for more group books for the hostel.

However, it was  a complete surprise to learn that one of the young women we support, Jestina, has been awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Shri Krishnaswamy College for Women for her role in a workshop called ‘Read, Learn and Thrive’. It was a delight, too, to learn that fellow alumnus Yuvasree is about to complete her BA in English Literature.

Jestina also uses her skills to help junior girls in the hostel and has always emphasised that all the years of learning at Batemans‑Satkaarya and the wonderful reading experiences from the collection of books that she had over the years has helped her to become what she is today.

Meanwhile, Yuvasree has also motivated and encouraged many of her peers at her College to read books. She has always considered herself very privileged to have had access to a variety of books in the hostel library which helped widen her horizons and enhance her creative abilities.

Watch Yuvasree talking about her experiences here.

Fundraising can be fun and we welcome new or tried-and-tested ideas to share.

The Batemans support team in Essex stepped in to entertain local residents on what proved to be yet another grey and rainy February Sunday afternoon. A high-tea of donated home-made sandwiches, scones, cakes and plenty of cups of tea, plus table top quizzes, cheered everyone up. It also proved an absolute winner, raising more than £700.

It was so well received that another one will be held on Sunday 6 October.

Sponsored runs and walks are classic fundraisers. One simple option is to offer to lead a local walk or cycle ride for a small charge. Simply reconnoitre it first and ask a friend to be a back-marker to make sure all come home!

If you can, liaise with a local pub or café to book space for after-walk refreshments and perhaps finish off with a mini-raffle. Aim for fun and the donations will follow. Or provide self-guided route maps in return for a donation.

Want to hold a fundraising quiz night for friends? We can provide the questions and answers. Simply email Suzanne.kuyser@batemans.org.uk

Reflections from our chair, perspectives from a trustee’s visit to Chennai, children’s excitement at space exploration and latest fundraising news. Read all this in our latest newsletter.

Buy tickets now for the Batemans Raffle – and give yourself the chance to win one of these three beautiful prizes.  

All prizes come from Kalpa Druma, the renowned heritage arts, crafts and fabric store in Chennai, and will look wonderful in any home.

Prize 1: A beautiful cotton double-sided double bedspread known as a dohar.
The origins of these incredibly comfortable bed covers are rooted in the thought of a warm hug; one that makes you feel grounded and at peace.

Prize 2: A traditional peacock print in rich gold and turquoise.
The national bird of India, the peacock is a symbol of strength, power and prosperity.

Prize 3: A limited edition print of Ganesh.
This print is a modern interpretation of the much-loved Hindu god, Ganesh.

 

Raffle tickets cost £5 each, or you can increase your chances of winning by taking advantage of our five tickets for £20 offer. Click here to buy tickets.

Entries close on 30 June 2023.