Author: shuktara
Adam and his family visit shuktara
Adam Thompson, Chairman of Shuktara Trust UK, along with his wife Kate and their two children spent last weekend (19th and 20th October) in Kolkata seeing Pappu and spending time between Anna Bari and Lula Bari. Below are photos from their visit.
at Anna Bari
ShuktaraX25 in London
On Sunday 13th October we celebrated 25 years of shuktara with our friends and supporters in London. It was wonderful to have Pappu, the chairman of shuktara, with us to celebrate ShuktaraX25. No-one knew he was coming, only David and Pappu’s wife Deepika.
We were delighted to have to our friend and supporter Fern Britton with us to interview David and Pappu.
Thanks also goes out to Xen and Elena and the team at Tsiakkos & Charcoal for their generosity in hosting the event.
And thank you to everyone who came.
During the afternoon, we showed this edited clip from the Shuktara Documentary Film which is still in production.
April news from shuktara
I was 65 on 20th January and had just got back to Kolkata in time to celebrate with everyone on the roof of Anna Bari. I told Pappu that I thought this year to just get a few decorations, but not to go over the top with flowers. Of course, when I walked into Anna Bari in the morning they had strewn rose petals on the stairs leading up to the roof and everyone from both the boys home and Lula Bari were sitting up there waiting for me.
I was 40 when I started shuktara with Anna and Sunil on 1st July 1999 and this year as we prepare to celebrate 25 years of shuktara I remembered that Pappu is now the same age as I was back then. This made me realise how quickly time goes and how magical these times and ages and dates are.
Soon after my birthday, Pappu took all of the girls from Lula Bari and the staff in a bus to the North of Bengal where they stayed by a large water body, took picnics and enjoyed some local dance performances.
Since our last newsletter we have had a number of one-off donations for which we are really grateful. Also two supporters have signed up to donate monthly. The worries of the trustees in the UK have momentarily subsided and this is an encouraging start to helping us sort our shortfall.
We have also been given an amazing opportunity to double donations from now until the end of June.
One of our longstanding supporters has just written to us to let us know how concerned they have become at the increasing shortfall between the amount of money needed to keep our homes running and the amount we receive in regular giving. They have offered to double every donation that shuktara receives by the end of June up to to a maximum of £15,000. If any of you are considering either a one-off or regular monthly donation, this is a brilliant opportunity to make your money go further and – if successful – will go a long way to helping us repair our finances.
If you are interested in making every pound you give turn into £2 for shuktara’s young adults, please don’t hesitate to donate by 1st July, shuktara’s 25th anniversary
We have recently had a few visitors who have stopped by on their travels. It was wonderful to see Mike Gibson who came with his partner Emma and 4 other friends after they had visited the Andaman Islands. Mike and his core group of friends managed to raise enough funds for us to purchase our girls home Lula Bari, in memory of Mike’s wife Lula who died in 2012.
Nigel Rogers and his sister Shirley also spent a memorable afternoon visiting both homes. We appreciate when supporters who have donated for specific things are able to visit and see where their money was used.
Please remember that up until the end of June your donations will be doubled and thank you for your continued support of shuktara.
David Earp
Happy Bengali New Year!
Happy Bengali New Year!
Saraswati Puja 2024
On the 14th February we celebrated Saraswati Puja at Anna Bari.
Lula Bari Winter Holiday
One of our supporters donated money for the Lula Bari girls, young women and staff to go away for a Winter picnic trip.
Pappu decided to hire a bus and he took them all to Purulia District where Shuktara operates an outreach programme.
This meant that Pappu was able to check up on things there and for everyone to have two nights away from Kolkata.
Pappu organised a dance performance on one evening and the next day they had a lakeside picnic.
On the return to Kolkata they turned up the music and switched the disco lights on in the bus and all returned home safely.
That’s Guria on the right, clearly enjoying herself. The disco bus was a great idea – see the videos below!
Shuktara Cakes outlet now open!
On 1st July the new Shuktara Cakes outlet opened and soon became a destination spot for everyone in Kolkata who loves the fantastic patisserie made by the Shuktara Cakes team. This dedicated team includes young men who live at Anna Bari around the corner as well as some of the young men who have moved out of the home and now live independently with their own families. Members of the team share the responsibilities of making the patisserie as well as staffing the outlet counter.
The new shop is a wonderful addition to the local community and is also a fantastic way for shuktara to be more visible in the neighbourhood.
If you are in Kolkata and want to visit the Shuktara Cakes outlet here is the address:
80 Narayan Roy Road Kolkata 700008
To order or for enquiries Ph: 9830760087
Shuktara gifted a new ambulance
A very generous friend of shuktara in Kolkata has gifted us an ambulance.
On 27 July we had special puja blessings conducted by our pandit Sumanta.
This ambulance will allow us to assist our local community, helping those who don’t have a vehicle, or can’t afford a taxi, to take their loved ones in emergency to the hospital or any other emergency it may be needed for.
We are very thankful for this donor who wishes to remain anonymous.