Anglo-Indians in Bangalore take Christmas to kids

The Anglo-Indian community guild in Bangalore reached out to orphans and senior citizens on Sunday, spreading the joy of Christmas with the spirit of giving and sharing. 

Every year, the guild gets together for Christmas, organising events for people who might otherwise slip through the cracks, with no one to include them in festivities. This year, the guild organised a ‘Christmas Tree’ celebration for children at St Mary’s Orphanage, D’Costa Layout. 

“Christmas is all about sharing and reaching out to those who might have no one to celebrate with,” said Ursula Fosberry, president of the community. On Sunday, more than 200 members of the Anglo-Indian community were present at St Mary’s Orphanage to distribute gifts and be with the children.

For the children, the visit was a rare treat. There was Santa Claus distributing gifts, and a special sports event was held too. Blankets and garments were distributed, as children sang songs and rushed to greet Santa Claus.

Fr John Anthony, director of the St Mary’s Orphanage, said, “There are two hundred children here. While some of the children were abandoned by families, some have parents who suffer from tuberculosis or are HIV-positive, and find it hard to care for them at home. At the centre, we teach them language, music and keep them engaged so that their time is well spent and they do not feel lonely.”

Talking of future plans, Fosberry said, “This season, we would like to bring senior citizens of our community who are living alone or in old age homes some Christmas cheer.” Fosberry also said that the guild is in the process of planning a community hall, for which funds are being raised. The Christmas ball this year would also serve to raise money for the hall, she said. “We are looking for land, and we will construct a community centre. We would also like to build a home for the aged,” she said.