What we do

Summer Camp | Youth Work | Hospital Visitation | Cheering up the elderly | People Living with AIDS | Underprivileged Children

Summer Camp

We organized Summer Camp—"Around the World" for children ages 2 to 12. Through this four-week program, children learned to recognize and identify countries and cultures of the world. They utilized age appropriate extension activities dealing with the world at large to enrich their learning experience and level of understanding. We used fun and lively methods including music, drama, art, singing and sports, for further exposure.

Children also used various tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. They also received hands-on experience in helping to make a difference in their community/part of the world, by doing a simple performance at a Home for the Aged where they joined in on a celebration we organized for the lovely people there.

The end goal was that the kids had a great time, whilst learning that "Music is a language EVERYBODY understands!" and the "The heart of man is the same the world over.







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Youth Work

Provinssirock is the largest international rock festival in Finland. It takes place in the city of Seinäjoki in Southern Ostrobothnia and has been held every June since 1979. The festival is often sold out and has enjoyed crowds of 75,000 people watching world-famous bands and artists including: Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Placebo, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paramore, Marilyn Manson, The Sounds, Alice in Chains, Within Temptation, David Bowie, Faithless, Faith No More, Garbage, Suede, Hatebreed, etc.

Our volunteers have attended this event for several years where they set up and man a tent to provide information about our volunteer work overseas. We also use the opportunity to share our personal life experiences, lend a listening ear, and give help and counsel to the many young people there who are desperately searching for answers to their life's problems.

Here is the life-changing story of one young man we met at this rock festival:

A Lethal Combination

Matti, a 19 year old boy who came to our tent at a rock festival, had just taken a lethal combination of drugs & a drink with straight alcohol. "I shouldn't even be alive!" he said. We sang him a song & talked to him for a couple hours, answering his many questions about life and death. "My life will never be the same again! I want to stay alive & do something to help others." We invited him to stay with us for a couple days to learn more. During this time he decided he would like to go take care of his girlfriend who was pregnant. It's been three years & he has stayed clean of drugs & his formerly violent, weapon-filled lifestyle. Matti now has a beautiful wife & child!





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Hospital Visitation

We visit the largest hospital in our locality to encourage & comfort the patients, particularly in the cancer ward as most of them are in a heartbreaking state. One of our friends sponsors roses for us to distribute as we go around to revivify the spirits of these dear ones & their families.

"There is a Heart that feels your heartache; there is an Ear that hears your prayer; there is an Eye that sees each weary step you take; there is Someone who cares!"



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Cheering up the elderly

For the most part these dear people are very lonely & don't get many visitors, and children at that! So they especially enjoy the company of our kids & young people and have a bash singing along to the songs and sometimes join in on the entertaining games and lively competitions which lift their spirits. This also provides the children with an opportunity to reach out and share their happy smiles and see the direct results of how a little bit of love goes a long way!



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People Living with AIDS

One of the local newspapers reported that due to the tourism industry and the large influx of migrant workers from other states, Goa with its small population, has the highest percentage of HIV cases in India. Helping these people to overcome stress, anxiety, and family difficulties is a goal that we are working day in and day out to accomplish. We do this primarily through counseling programs which we conduct throughout the year.

Our efforts to help People Living with AIDS goes beyond providing food and clothing to those who hunger and whose clothes are threadbare. We provide spiritual support and strength to those whose hearts lack and whose spirits are famished. We have found laughter to be the best medicine & just doing fun activities like going out for a day at the beach, to a movie, or on a picnic, makes a world of difference in giving these dear ones a positive outlook which is vital for their physical survival as well.



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Underprivileged Children

We conduct musical programs, parties and fun events for orphan and street children, most of who have very little, or no entertainment otherwise and spend their lives begging on the streets, or earning petty cash in dirty market places. We also help find sponsors for donations of food, clothing, toys and other essential items for the needy children in local orphanages.

The sight of young children running barefoot through the narrow wet streets of the slum areas in the city, broke our hearts and we determined to do what we could to offer them assistance in some way.

These children have never received any kind of education, primarily because their parents, who are mostly daily laborers, have had to focus on making enough money to feed their families.

We began by providing some of their immediate daily needs, but we felt that if we were to truly impact their little lives we needed to offer a more long term solution to a better lifestyle.
So we are running a school for them which provides them with a basic education, a nutritious midday meal (likely the only one in their day), a glass of milk, and an avenue to learn hygiene and manners and make them more ambitious—desiring more out of life. Then we help them find placement in larger schools, which often involves getting them birth certificates as their parents are uneducated and have only a guess at their child's age.

A smile on the face of one of these little ones is more than worth any effort on our part!



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