During cold winter nights in Varanasi it is always a big challenge for our students to stay healthy. During the day the temperature is warm but as soon as the night comes, temperatures drop down to 7-10 degrees Celsius ( 44-50 degrees Fahrenheit) at night. Most of our students and their families sleep in small huts made of plastic sheeting held together with sticks, or in open air without any shelter at all. Consequently many of our students arrive at school with colds and fever. It is crucial that we help our children and their parents to stay warm at night in order to stay healthy. Thanks to BSS friends who gave donations during January we were able to distribute 170 warm blankets to our children who were in the most need of blankets.

We also had to take extra care of the youngest children of our school. Most of them come to school in their bare feet. Besides the risk of injuring themselves by stepping in a sharp object walking bare-footed, they also run the risk of getting sick during this cold winter period. We are very thankful that we were able to purchase warm cozy winter clothes and shoes and socks for our students in Nursery and Kindergarten. For some children it was a new experience: wearing shoes for the first time in their lives!