Catherine Hamlin's trip to meet her sponsored child

I recently traveled from Vermont to India solo to meet our child, Ayush, at the sponsor site, Holy Cross Convent and Vianney Home in Nellore. What a wonderful experience! I was welcomed warmly with a traditional welcoming ceremony and sharing a meal of delicious local foods. I learned of all the programs run by the sisters. The variety of programming was impressive ranging from physical and occupational therapy of disabled children to empowerment circles for women. Throughout my visit, I was treated like a star: everyone wanted their picture with me! I felt truly special. Meeting our sponsored child was exciting. I visited him in his school and met his family. The sister who runs the Chalice program graciously agreed to interpret for the visit, although our child was able to communicate with me in English! We enjoyed getting to know each other more.
The visit made real to me the important work that Chalice does. I was impressed to learn of the scope of the site’s work: the sisters serve local tribal communities all over the state of Andhra Pradesh. When I was there, a young girl and her mother had traveled 11 hours by train to stay at Vianney Home for a month. The range of services provided is extensive including supporting education and nutrition for at-risk children, supporting single mothers and their children, providing homes for orphans, building homes and installing toilets, hearing clinics, and prosthetic clinics. I am proud to be a part of the team!