Consider an Indian Christmas card says charity with Lanarkshire roots

THIS year why not send some very unusual Christmas cards which have come all the way from India?

The designs are painted onto skeleton leaves of the Peepal Tree. They are colourful, beautiful, and because they are painted by hand each one is a unique work of art. The cards are being sold by Strathaven Friends of Health Help International and all profits from the sale of the cards will be returned to India, to the two centres where they are produced.

The leaves are prepared by steeping them in water for several weeks. They are then hand painted by lower caste women in southern India in craft centres or in their own homes. The money earned helps them to support their families.

The designs for the leaves are the work of Tom Sutherland, a gifted artist, who fronts Health Help International’s work in India. An Australian by birth, he has devoted his life to work for the sick and needy in southern India for the past forty years. In his early years he worked with Mother Teresa.

The Christian Charity Health Help International was founded by a Strathaven man, Ron Prosser, who was a member of the Rankin Church in the South Lanarkshire town. He now lives in Wales and the charity is based in Newport.

The charity focuses on communities in Zambia and India. It supports schools, care centres, and individuals with health needs. The administration overheads for the charity are kept very low enabling a very high percentage of all money raised to go to support its life changing work.

The members of the Strathaven Friends of HHI Committee have strong links with the Church of Scotland congregations within Strathaven and there are about 100 supporters in the town. Members of the Avondale and Drumclog Churches provide generous support for a number of tuition groups in Kerela, southern India. These groups provide extra help for young students and have been very successful in increasing their educational achievements.

The Friends also co-ordinate a Ragbag scheme which raises money from old clothing. There are collection points in four of the churches in and around the town and it raises over £1,000 each year. This is passed on to various projects such as building and renovating schools, building toilet blocks, or whatever is needed at the time. The Friends also run an annual bridge drive and host a bi-annual Scottish musical evening in January.

As well as the Christmas cards there is a range of greetings cards for all occasions with pictures of birds, butterflies, flowers, and of course elephants. All the cards sell for £1.50 and can be purchased online at www.sfhhi.org.uk

If you would like to find out more about the humanitarian work of Health Help International have a look at its website at www.hhi.org.uk Iain Park is a trustee of Health Help International, Chair and Secretary of the Strathaven Friends of HHI and an elder at Strathaven Trinity Church