• Villages Are Transformed By Water
  Our water projects continue, despite the monsoon and cyclone over the Bay of Bengal. This year’s wet season has yielded less than the usual amount of rain, which will have serious ramifications to many throughout the region. As rivers dry up many villagers will suffer further hardship.
  
  We are drilling concurrently in two villages and training another bore well mason to operate our fourth rig. Since July we have completed another two wells. One village reported that, prior to a bore well, many were leaving the village and many huts were in disrepair. There was no hope. Now that they have a well providing clean water, the villagers are returning to repair their huts and gather together in the evenings to celebrate in song. The sense of belonging to a community has returned. This village is now full of hope and life. In another village the implementation of good hygiene practises has resulted in a significant improvement in general health. Villages are transformed by clean water and good hygiene.
  
  The bore well drilling at Rejoice is now down 110 feet and if all goes well should be finished soon. This will provide much needed water for our vegetables, trees and crops.
  
  
• Education Is The Answer 
  Even if tribal children complete their primary education there are few secondary schools in this region and usually the children have no means of travelling to towns to continue their studies. Our aim is to provide full secondary education for tribal children.
  
  Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors we have commenced literacy classes in two villages, one with over 40 children and eight adults regularly attending classes to learn basic literacy skills. We have just commenced classes in the second village with over 60 children. Our two Rejoice tutors visited the first village we implemented our program in recently and joined in one of the classes. After the lesson they gladly taught the children a couple of songs and encouraged our literacy tutors.
  
  Our older Rejoice children will be given the opportunity of starting apprenticeships in welding and electrical work once they graduate from eighth class. The tradesman working on our building projects will provide the training and education.
  
  In addition our children will have the opportunity to start pottery classes. The clay used for pottery is readily available from the nearby river and will provide another avenue for the children to express their creativity and learn a valuable trade.
  
  
• Let Us Rejoice!
  Saturday September 19 was the official opening of our multipurpose hall. Local council members, the surrounding community and a small team from Australia – around 150 people in total – attended the momentous occasion. There were many smiles and even some tears as it had been a long time coming. The children, now numbering around 70, will be able to have their meals in a proper dining hall. The kitchen is equipped to cater for large numbers of children as well as staff and guests. The hall will benefit the whole community as it provides a much-needed facility for vocational skills training and seminars. To cap off the occasion our boundary wall is now also completed, and when the steel fencing is erected will provide much needed security.
  
  
• Down on the Farm
  Millennium Development Goals aim to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger while ensuring environmental sustainability. To this end Jacob’s Well purchased farmland to generate produce and income for Rejoice Care Centre and the surrounding community, as well as finance future projects. We have recently purchased 700 hedging plants, lots of fruit & flowering trees, some foxtail palms and 20 hibiscuses. In the next couple of weeks we will be purchasing numerous medicinal plants.
  
  Our vegetable crops are flourishing after the rains and, according to ‘Curly’ Joan, “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye.”
  
  Our third cow recently gave birth to a girl calf and our hens have started to lay. Chickens are a major source of meat and eggs are in high demand. We have purchased an additional 150 chickens for both meat and laying as part of our income generating initiatives.
  
  Once we have a sponsor we are looking to build a steel reinforced cement 20,000 litre water tank that will store water from our bore well to offset the limited water supply. This water will be used to irrigate our sustainable agriculture initiatives. Other items on our wish list are a power tiller, rice mill and fish farm. We are also looking to implement solar and wind power technology to minimise our impact on the environment and provide sustainable renewable and reliable energy for Rejoice. All these projects are subject to sponsorship and availability of equipment and resources.
  
  
• Jacob's Well 2010 Calendar and Gift of Hope Catalogue Out Now
  "It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving." – Mother Teresa
  
  Thanks to the support of our sponsors, children at Rejoice have something to celebrate: improved health, knowledge and quality of life. Our Rejoice 2010 calendar features some of the children’s drawings and paintings. You can join them on their journey through the seasons as the calendar marks not only Australian holidays but also key Indian dates.You can personalise your calendar and write in your own events on each day of the year.
  
  Purchase a Rejoice calendar today and help us break the poverty cycle.
  To purchase a calendar download the order form.
  
  
  With a gift from our Justice and Hope Gift Catalogue you’ll be able to bless someone you love, as well as someone far away. Choose from our range of specific gifts or nominate your own amount and select a project gift category.
  
  
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