It has been exactly one year since the sudden and tragic loss of our dear friend Abhishek Banerjee (Bunty).
Abhishek was very thankful for the multiple gifts and talents he had been able to develop through his own privileged upbringing and education. This included, among many other things, a love of literature, a talent for technology, physical fitness, musical ability and team collaboration all centered around his deep personal faith in Jesus Christ. (To read more on Abhishek’s life see here).
As friends and family we have for some time wanted to do something tangible and life giving to remember him by and to pay tribute to him.
Abhishek was originally from Kolkata. Following discussion with his parents and wife, Jayshree we would like to encourage those who were touched by his life to support the expansion of a project run by Emmanuel Ministries Calcutta called Anandoloy (pronounced ANAND –OL-OY and meaning “place of joy”).
We cannot bring Abhishek back, but we can ensure that the impact of his life is felt and experienced by those who are much less fortunate.
Anandoloy is a residential home set up to rehabilitate children living on the streets and railway stations of Kolkata. Many of the children Anandoloy serves have been abandoned or have run away from dysfunctional or abusive family situations. They live in a sub-culture of their own where exploitation, drug abuse, crime and gang rivalry are all too common.
The Home is a sanctuary for street children driven to drugs and alcohol. After a drug-free period they are welcomed into the Home, slowly weaned away from earlier habits through special, non-formal education, and eased into a family-style community living. Sports, outings and a regular schedule make the Home a symbol of security, acceptance and affection. Finally, with vocational training, hope returns for the future, building them up as responsible citizens of India.
We would like to encourage friends and family to give as generously as they can in memory of our dear friend and to bring life and hope to those who have so little.
For those in the UK you can give tax efficiently through the giving page set up here.
For those in the United States please contact:
Beyond the Horizon
P.O. Box 828
Forest Hill, MD 21050
Tel: 443-677-7660
Fax: 410-452-8785
Email: Lking@BeyondtheHorizon.us
For those in India please see here.
We would like to request that you mark any donations as for Anandoloy Project (Abhishek).
Our apologies if your country is not represented here. In that case if you wish to make a donation, please send your gift to whichever office is appropriate to you.
Below are some happy memories of Abhishek that I am sure he would want us to remember him by.
“All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
(C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle).
Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.
