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Its time once more to look back at the year gone by and thank God for His faithfulness upon our lives and to celebrate the birth of Jesus .

It has been a wonderful year watch the Lord lead and connect us here in New Delhi, India as we serve Him under the banner of Disha foundation.

The context in which we serve continues to remind us that we are living in the end days. The

plight of women continues to get worse and it gets more and more noticeable that the number of girls being born is dangerously falling resulting in soaring crimes against women.

Our circumstances are impossible but then we need to remember that we serve a God

who specialises in impossible situations. A God who cares for the weak and lowly. A God who came into

our dark and filthy world , to die for us, to give us eternal life and to love us with an everlasting love. As we walk with Him and Hope in Him, we know that there is hope for our country.

At this time of Christmas, please pray for us as we get ready to take the Gospel ,through All India Radio channels , in Hindi and English, to an estimated 80 million across the sub-continent of India. May Christ be born in many hearts across India and May you become a channel of blessing to many. Wish you and your family a very Christ- centered Christmas and New Year.

A baby’s hand in Bethlehem

Were small and softly curled

But held within their dimpled grasp

The hope of all the world (Leslie Savage)

Blessings,

Vinita Shaw CEO

Disha Foundation44, Charak Sadan, Vikaspuri, New Delhi | http://dishafoundationindia.in

DISHA is a Hindi word for Guidance/direction.DISHA FOUNDATION’S focus is to gen-next, families, girls/ women, senior citizens and emerging church leaders.

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October - November 2013 ISSUE 20 VOLUME 7

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and they will call Him “Immanuel”which means God with us” - Mathew 1:23

INSIDE

• Radiobroadcasts• Reportonconference• Vocationaltraining• Prayerrequests

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RADIO BROADCASTS

AASHARALO-RAYOFHOPE

From November 3,2013, a Sunday, AasharAlo(meaning ray of hope) – began to be broadcast from FM Kolkota. The program creates awareness about trafficking by telling the stories of girls who have been duped into prostitution, many of whom have been rescued.The program aims at cautioning girls and their families to blindly trust strangers as well as their own family -

Some of the stories that have been thus far told are –

My mother sold me . Where can I go ?I fell in love and he sold me in the red light

area

The people who sold me, would they sell and treat their own sisters this way ?

A listener from West Bengal- Thank you for your program. I once rescued a minor girl from a dancing bar. I found her restless and out of place. I paid for her and went to her room. I dressed her as a man and helped her escape. I took her to my friend’s mother who welcomed her and married her to her son since I was already married.

SPECIALGUESTATKHUSKKHABRI

This November ,KhushKhabri completed

one full year of weekly broadcast.The Hindi word for Good News, the program endeavours to advocate that the birth of a girl child in India is good news , particularly in the context in which girl babies are being terminated in the womb, thereby, skewing the sex ratio to dangerous levels which is leading to increased crimes against girls and women

Prof UshaBanda , social activist for many years , a poet and a former Principal was invited at Khsuh

Sexual harassment at work place and domestic violence

BAATPATEKIContinues

From May, 2013, Baat Pate ki (meaning Subject of importance) continues to go

on air in Hindi , every week. The program creates awareness about human trafficking.

A listener from Bihar - I was sold by my Uncle and Aunt when I was a little girl.My father had to buy me back from the brothel owners. Then I was married. He turned out to be a criminal. Then I married again. He was a violent man. Now, I am married to a third man and have children. I am happy now. I want my story to be told to the whole world because I was sold by the very people whom I and my father had trusted.

Available from www.newbookpublishing.com

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To celebrate the International day of the Girl child, a two days workshop was organised by Faith Academy at which the Team from

Disha foundation was invited. More than 1000 students heard about Gender equality and abortion from the Christian world view.

WORKSHOP AT FAITH ACADEMY , NEW DELHI

The International day of the Girl child was celebrated at St Michael hostel with much colour and gusto amidst the Auckland House girls from Simla dancing and the Langmai choir singing in worship to the Almighty God. There were representation of girls and women from Texas, US, Simla, Delhi and Jaipur . Five schools were represented and competitions were organised.

The first session was led by Mrs Vinita Shaw and the second was led by Ms.Katie Deloiz.A lively interaction was led by Ms. Lily, Ms Sarah and Ms. Sangeeta Robinson

CELEBRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD – OCTOBER 12, 2013

NEWPARTNERSHIPFORVOCATIONALTRAININGOFWOMENINNEWDELHI

Disha foundation started a vocational training center for 3 batches of girls and women in sewing and tailoring. The project was formally inaugurated by Mrs Vinita Shaw, CEO of Disha foundation. Mrs Vinita Shaw presented six sewing machines for the tailoring classes at the Centre.

Patparganj, an East Delhi locality, has 18,000 inhabitants. It is counted amongst the largest slums of India’s capital-Delhi. Many women are school dropouts or have not been to school

The women who had turned up at the Centre were visibly enthusiastic. The Centre,

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1. Please pray for an office for Disha foundation

2. Pray for the production of the fourth radio broadcasts from January 2014

3. Pray for the production of Christmas radio broadcasts – in Hindi and in English

4. Pray for the Christmas outreaches as we distribute warm clothes, blankets, sweaters at our projects.

5. Pray that more and more people would read the book, UNVEILED, written by Vinita Shaw and become aware of the plight of girls and women

6. Pray for the National Women conference to be held in Kolkota, India in January , 2014 and for Vinita Shaw who will be one of the speakers

PRAYERREQUESTS

All donations made to Disha Foundation will be exempt from Income tax under 80G. In orderto support us, please make a cheque/ DD in the name of Disha Foundation.

Compiled by Future Image Infotech Pvt. Ltd. | http://futureimage.co.in | +91-9868379247

they revealed, has changed their lives. Background of women who will benefit from

the classes –Guddi- My husband almost killed me . He

broke my legs and injured my eyes and abandoned me with my five children. I have rods in my legs and my eye is healed now, thanks to people who helped me.All my 5 children are enrolled in government

schools. I want to learn and earn and be financially independent.

Usha- My husband beats me up daily. I want to commit suicide.I come here so I can stay out of the house

A girl of class X- I want to spend most of my time at the center because at home, I feel insecure with my male relatives.

SupportofShakinaproject,GaneshNagar,NewDelhi

Disha foundation has adopted another project in Delhi where women are trained in tailoring, spoken English , Computer and beauty training .

The second batch of 8 girls were the proud recepients of Disha foundation’s certificate in sewing and tailoring. Beaming from ear to ear, they showed the wonderful dresses they had created.Students of class IX, they have been given this skill to add to their job profile in the years to come.

St.Michaelhostelgraduatesinsewingandtailoring