vidiyal

   a programme for street and working children    *    striving to promote child rights   

New Dawn India

Who Are We?

We are New Dawn India (Cooper Atkinson Trust), a Christian charity based in East Anglia, UK, has been supporting the work of the Vidiyal Projects in Madurai since their inception in 1996.  We have four Trustees - Mr. Neville Cooper, Mrs. Sandra Davies, Mr. Peter Ellis and Mrs. Sally-Ann Wells - and a close band of supporters who are involved in all aspects of the work here.  Our supporters are from a wide age range; adults from many different backgrounds and professions, individual young people and children in groups.  For example, a local school is sponsoring children and raising money for the new Vidiyal School.

What Do We Do?

• Many of the children attending the Vidiyal Centre are sponsored by our adult supporters, who love to communicate with them through letters and photographs and to follow their progress.  Mr. Jim Jesudoss sends us profiles of the children needing sponsors and Sandra Davies coordinates the linking of sponsors and children together. Sponsors receive letters from their sponsored children, along with up-to-date photographs.

• Other supporters make regular donations to support the work at Vidiyal, while not sponsoring a particular child.

• We run all sorts of events and activities to raise funds for the work of Vidiyal, including meals, coffee mornings, music evenings, dances, talks, food tasting sessions etc.

• Some of our Trustees and supporters give talks and presentations to raise awareness of the needs of the street and working children in Madurai, the work of Vidiyal and the Children’s Rights issues that are central to the Vidiyal campaign.  For this we use information received directly from Jim Jesudoss, as well as speaking from our own experiences following visits. 

• We send representatives to visit the Vidiyal Projects so that we can liaise more closely and show our support.   Trustees and supporters visiting Madurai pay their own travel expenses.

• Our UK administration costs are minimal as most of the work is undertaken by the Trustees.  We can assure supporters that every penny they give is used for the benefit of the children in Madurai.

• We produce newsletters to keep everybody up to date with what is happening and to distribute reports we receive from Vidiyal.

Our Privilege

We have been honoured to be welcomed as part of the Vidiyal family over the past few years and enjoy sharing across our cultures about the needs and achievements of the children in our different societies.  We communicate closely with Jim Jesudoss, his team and the children at Vidiyal.

We send special greetings to everyone involved with Vidiyal in Madurai and wish the Vidiyal family every success as we all work together towards the future goals. 

Comments from some of the supporters

“I count it a privilege and a joy to be one of the many supporters and especially to sponsor two of the children in the Vidiyal family.  I have had the advantage of being able to visit the projects taking place.  It made a deep impression on me to see these happy and enthusiastic children making the most of the opportunities given through the work and dedication of Jim Jesudoss and his team”.  Maureen Clarke

“It is great to be able to support this work in India by helping in the organisation of fundraising events. The events are always lots of fun; we have a great team all working together with the same aim.  It is also very rewarding, and very humbling, to know that by doing relatively little; we can make such a great difference in the lives of these children.  I am looking forward very much to making my first trip to India later this year and seeing the children and all the projects first hand.  I am especially excited at the prospect of meeting the girl that I sponsor”.  Rose Leech

“It is exciting to receive regular news of all the hard work being undertaken at Vidiyal and the achievements of the young people they are helping.  When I had the privilege of visiting the projects, I was moved by the commitment of the staff and the hope and courage I saw in the faces of the young people.  This confirmed for me how worthwhile it is to support this work”.  David Wells

“It has been a joy to be involved with the Cooper Atkinson Trust over a
number of years, particularly to be able to sponsor some of the children and to hear of the loving care that surrounds them. We are really excited to have the opportunity to visit some of the projects later this year and are so looking forward to meeting Jim and his team and to seeing 'our' children face to face”.  Lis Lifford

“Seeing this work in India at first hand was a gripping experience.  Wide eyed children, eager and enthusiastic to share, learn and succeed in their extremely challenging circumstances.  The impressive Vidiyal Centre, with Jim Jesudoss a wonderful “father figure” for all the children, was a heart-warming place to see.  It offers a window of hope in the face of adversity to all the children.  This is a “mixed blessing” work (all in a positive sense) with blessings flowing from us to them and from them to us.  A thoroughly wholesome situation”.  Carl and Dianne Harvey  

Comments from two of the sponsored children

“I cannot express the gratitude of the children here for what the sponsors are doing for them”.  This was a comment from a young man who was sponsored for about ten years and is now working and self-sufficient.

“When I came here I had nobody in the world to care for me.  Now I know that I have a loving family in England who cares for me”.  A comment from a young orphan boy.

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