CINI – CINI Australia

In November 2024, CINI Australia’s Secretary of the Board, Jaswinder Walia and his wife, Raj, visited our dedicated programs in Kolkata, West Bengal, including CFC, Ujjan, IICCHAA, and Sponsor a Mother and Her Child. They met senior staff, visited shelters, and interacted with children and adolescents supported by CINI. The visit, filled with love and dedication, left a lasting impact on Raj and Jaswinder. This is their story…

Dear Friend of CINI Australia,

As you are aware, we had the wonderful pleasure of visiting two charities in Kolkata in November 2024. The first was Ruma Abedona Hospice, which cares for the terminally ill and is supported by Ruma Abedona Australia, of which we are members, and Child in Need Institute (CINI), India, whom I am proud to be Secretary of the Board.

Visit to CINI

Our visit to CINI commenced with an introduction to senior members of their team at the Pailan office. Unfortunately, we could not meet the C.E.O., Dr. Indrani Bhattacharya, as she was busy preparing for her son’s wedding. However, the management team and unit heads spoke about their work and various projects. We then shared a meal sponsored by our team in Perth (Perth Well-Wishers for Kolkata). We finished the day by spending time with the training unit, headed by Mitun Bose.

Day 2: Amar Bari & Boys’ Day Shelter

On the second day, we visited the girls’ home in Amar Bari, where we presented a harmonium (an Indian musical instrument). The music teacher and the children were overjoyed and immediately sang songs, accompanied by the teacher playing the harmonium. It was a wonderful experience for us. The cost of the harmonium was covered by our group in Perth.

We then visited the boys’ day shelter, where the boys had come for the day to be bathed, fed, and prepared for school. Dressed in neat clothing, they entertained us with dancing and taekwondo—a truly wonderful sight. Unfortunately, we could not meet the two boys we sponsor, as they were sitting for their exams.

After that, we went to the railway station and met Babu Dey, the CINI unit head. There, we witnessed the rescue of a nine-year-old girl who had been sleeping at the station for three nights! She was registered at the CINI booth at the station before being taken to the CINI girls’ shelter.

In the afternoon, we visited adolescent children under the Rambagan Ujjan project. The children impressed us with their aspirations—one child, who had lost a parent to HIV, wanted to become an IAS officer, while another aspired to be a human rights lawyer.

Later, we walked through the ten-lane red-light area, where we spoke to a sex worker who shared her story. She was a single mother with three young children—an incredibly touching moment. Sutapa Dey from CINI translated the stories, helping us understand the struggles these women face to survive.

Day 3: IICCHA Project & Village Visit

On the third day, we visited the IICCHA project, where Dr. Rumeli Das and Suctindra explained their program. We met several young adults whose parents were living with HIV/AIDS and saw the distribution of food items and vocational training.

Later, we visited a shanty home in a village, where we met several beneficiaries involved in skill development programs, such as tailoring. We also met a mother of two children who was infected with AIDS but on medication (her husband was also on AIDS medication). We were informed that the village does not know about their medical condition due to fear of stigma. If their condition were discovered, they could be expelled from the village.

Please watch the 9-minute video sent to us by Dr. Rumeli Das:

Day 4: 1,000 Days Programme & Medical Center Visit

On the fourth day, we met with a team working on the 1,000 Days Programme (Dr. Sawti Chakroborty, Mitun Mondal, and Naresh). Our visit to the Amader Bari Medical Center was enlightening. We saw a baby being weighed and measured, after which her mother was advised that the child was suffering from malnutrition.

We also had the opportunity to meet the accounts team, and we were impressed with their meticulous record-keeping.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Mrs. Kakoli Dey and Pradyut for organising our program and accompanying us on various visits.

We feel blessed to have experienced the love and dedication of the CINI team in India. It was a heartwarming and unforgettable journey.

Raj & Jas

Family Fun Day Fundraiser Hosted by Perth Well Wishers

Join us for a morning full of FUN fundraising!

Come along to a wonderful Family Fun Day on 23rd March 2025, from 9:30 am to 12 noon! Help Perth Well Wishers to raise funds and support CINI Australia’s programs in West Bengal, India.

There will be Kids Games, Sausage Sizzle, Face painting & much more for your family to enjoy. Tickets: Adults: $20, Children: $10.

We look forward to seeing you at the Whitford Nodes Park, Hillary’s. Free parking available.

TICKETS

Thank You for Your Support

If you can’t join the event but would like to support our programs, please visit the CINI Australia GiveNow page to make a donation. For more information, please feel free to contact us by emailing admin@ciniaustralia.org.

DONATE

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful volunteers this International Volunteer Day, Thursday 5th December, by extending our deep gratitude for your commitment and support of CINI Australia.

You are the heart of our organisation and create a community of strength and compassion.

We simply wouldn’t be able to achieve the level of activity and fundraising for our life-changing programs without the many individuals that contribute towards CINI Australia each year, and you do so in numerous and amazing ways.

We wish you all the best for Christmas and the New Year.

Mother’s Day Celebration High Tea Fundraiser

Thank you to our incredible Mother’s Day Team for your tireless hard work and support. You contributed countless hours of your time planning and preparing the event months ahead of time. More than 30 of you sought donations, organised the silent auction and shawl stall, cooked delicious food and were there on the day to make it a great success for our guests. A special thank you to the 35 students from John XXIII and IONA colleges for bringing their hard work, creativity and sense of fun to the day, where many hands make light work. Thank you to John XIII for hosting the event at your fabulous venue.

A huge thank you to numerous local businesses that donated incredible prizes to our silent auction, raffle, reading roulette and Lucky Sip. There are so many of you, we are overwhelmed by your generosity even when times are tough.

We thank you all for your support in our biggest fundraising event of the year. Its success is the result of your efforts.

Fundraising for CINI Australia

Thank you to those who hosted an independent fundraising event on behalf of CINI Australia.

Thank you to Mia Lamport, for hosting a Big Bake Sale at Orchard Montessori Day Care for Children’s Day India. Cakes baked by Charlotte Terrier were enjoyed by busy mums and dads at drop-off and pick-up.
Thank you to Dr Ashwita Siri Vanga for hosting a Mother’s Day Morning Tea at her hospital in Toowoomba, QLD, and introducing a new community to CINI Australia.
Thank you to the Wonderful Women of Wyndham up in the far north of WA. The day was a spectacular and colourful event.
Thank you to “Perth Well Wishes for Kolkata”, for your fantastic fundraising efforts.
Thank you to Annette Chivers and her husband John Rich, for championing our Containers for Change efforts.

CINI’s 50th Anniversary

Thank you to our CINI Australia visitors who travelled to Kolkata in February this year to join in CINI’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations. Visiting our programs and meeting the women, children, families and communities we help is an important way to connect and learn about how we can do more. (Note: all travel to West Bengal, India is self-funded).

CINI Australia Board Members

Thank you to our Volunteer Board Members for their commitment to the organisation and the women and children in India. Not only do the Board provide excellent Governance to make sure we can continue doing what we do as an organisation, but they assist on a personal level in many of our fundraising efforts.

Pro-Bono Services

Thank you to SW Accountants and Advisors Auditors, for your excellent audit services and to Carbon Group Queensland for your accounting support.

Volunteer With Us

We are always on the lookout for enthusiastic volunteers with a range of skills. If you have an interest in events, are a dab hand with a computer, or just want to find out how you can get involved, please send us an email: admin@ciniaustralia.org

Our annual Mother’s Day event is our biggest in-person fundraiser, so get in touch now if you would like to be part of our upcoming event in May 2025. We would love to hear from you!

Tag: CINI

A Journey of Hope: Our Heartwarming Visit to CINI