ELectricAid Project of the Month

Practical help for the poorest of the poor in India

Fr. Raja Reddy is an indefatigable and charismatic champion of the poorest, most marginalised and vulnerable people in India. He runs a network of homes for old people, homeless street children, child labourers, HIV/AIDS orphans and disabled people in a rural area close to Madras.

ElectricAid has had a long relationship with Fr. Reddy. One of our pensioner members, Irene Dowd of Schull, West Cork, is involved in a support group for Fr. Reddy and runs a charity shop in Schull on his behalf. ElectricAid has twice helped one home, the House of Peace in Mylanvaran. In 2002, we provided €6,000 for a transformer, which enabled their new vocational training workshops to begin operation. They now train hundreds of children in activities such as auto mechanics, electrics, plumbing, motor rewinding, stone polishing and printing. In 2004, another grant of €6,500 from ElectricAid provided a solar hot water system for the complex, giving plentiful and economic hot water for the first time.

Fr. Reddy writes: "The solar project was completed with full capacity, which has been supplying enough hot water for the elderly people of the Aged- House, for the homeless street children and the child labourers. The regular supply of hot water has been a great source of strength to heal many skin problems like eczema, skin patches, itching, ring-worms for the children, and arthritis and rheumatics especially for the elderly people."

Mrs Dowd formally inaugurated the system on 22nd September 2005, during a visit to Fr. Reddy. ElectricAid is currently processing another grant application from Fr. Reddy. We look forward to a continuing fruitful partnership with his foundation – on behalf of the poorest of India's poor.