Bethania CAS Group
AIS Community and Bethania Association (orphanage)
Our association with Bethania began with the immediate tragedies, the loss of life and livelihood, the physical destruction and the mental anguish after the Asian tsunami in December 2004. The Atlanta International School community responded by joining hands with Kodaikanal International School in South India, utilizing the school’s local knowledge and connections to direct donated money and items to those in most need. This effort forged a bond between the two schools and introduced the Atlanta students to the Bethania orphans. The orphanage’s official name is Bethania Association and it is located near the small town of Kannivadi, Tamil Nadu. It houses both orphans and needy children.
The current president of Bethania Association is Barbara Block, a missionary serving MBMS International, the global mission agency of Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada and the United States. Barbara Block’s mission for the past 17 years involves teaching art at Kodaikanal International School, and serving Bethania Association.
In August 2005, Bethania Association was adopted by AIS teacher Mrs. Shanta Kalyanasundaram’s 12th grade advisory and became a CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) group.
Read about the CAS group in this Northside Neighbor article.
The group aims to:
- Provide our Bethania children with proper shelter
- Build a new dormitory for the children who have been recently placed in Bethania. Some of these children have lost both parents to AIDS
- Fund the provision of a good water supply system
- Nurture and care for the children in all aspects of their lives
- Send AIS student volunteers to work and teach at the orphanage
- Provide essential school supplies
- Sponsor Bethania children through high school, occupational training, or college
- Fund the purchase of a school bus
- Conduct a vigorous fundraising program to help us accomplish all of the above
- Create awareness of the needs of the Bethania children in the AIS community, and the Atlanta area at large
Already there have been several successes. Through various fundraisers activities and events within the community, the group has contributed funds to the building programme to provide additional living and storage space for the nine boys at Bethania and to repair a leaking roof.
AIS’s first volunteer, James Brindley spent eight weeks in Bethania during October and November 2005. He took with him additional money that had been raised, assisted with the building project, worked in the vegetable garden, helped prepare food, play with the children and supervised homework, English lessons and daily routines.
Immediate future plans include:
- the purchase of a school bus ($13,380)
- sponsorship to graduating (high school) Bethania children to continue their education ($6,250)
Further plans include:
- building projects to improve the facilities, provide proper bathrooms, a study hall, play areas, and to link the existing buildings with covered walk-ways, very necessary during the monsoon season.
The history behind Bethania Association
Originally Bethania Foundation, founded by Gene Hennig, and the present Bethania Association were one organization. The Foundation was the initial fundraiser for Bethania Home, which was founded in 1988, and also supported other child-related projects. Bethania Home was the vision of Dayavu Dhanapal, whose daughter, Priscilla Mohl, is still one of the managing committee members. About eight years ago, Bethania Foundation stopped supporting Bethania Home, and wanted to dissolve the home. A number of Bethania supporters formed a new association, reorganized the staff, and developed the Home and additional programs (like the AIDS Widows support program, which will expand from the present six to 10 families, and add a monthly health care visit and crafts/support group program as well). Barbara Block, an IB art teacher at Kodaikanal International School in India, is the president of Bethania Association, and Mr. Joshua Inbaraj is its director. Bethania houses both orphans and unwanted/abandoned children.
Currently, Bethania Association is supported through a missionary outreach program. MBMS International is the global mission agency of Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada and the United States. The MBMSI program supports Bethania as Barbara Block’s outreach project, and will send donations on to Bethania. The service they offer is tax deductible and accepted by US and Canadian governments; checks sent directly to Bethania Association do not have this same official recognition.
Bethania Association opened with 10 children in a small borrowed building on land next to its present site, while the original "House of David" was being constructed. This was followed by building a guest house/meeting place. Farm structures to house poultry for the eggs and cattle for milk were also built. The children help out with animal care chores, and some harvesting of fruits and vegetables on weekends for a small allowance. Produce from the farm augments the children’s diets, and any extra produce is sold to add to the income of the home. Guavas, mangos and suportas/chikus are the crops that are the main source of income. Recently 250 banana saplings were also planted as an additional source of income. There are plans to plant coconut palms soon.
The orphanage is located several kilometers from the small town of Kannivadi, in an area of fruit trees, sugar cane, and rice and grain crops, nestled up against the foothills of the Palni Mountains. The children attend a variety of schools in the nearby town, depending on their age or gender. Twenty-three children presently reside in the home, with others supported in residential schools and job training courses. Six children will soon graduate from high school.
Two of Bethania’s "graduates" are now on the staff. Selvam, a community health worker, is the housemother and offers the monthly health visits to the AIDS widows. Uma, with a business degree, assists in the office and with child care in the evenings.