Australian man who spent a decade raising orphans in a small Uttarakhand town
Advertisement
Advertisement
“They starved themselves but ensured that we had enough food to eat..."25-year-old Gail Joyer was raised at an
“My father had died and my mother could not afford to take care of us. We had nowhere to go,” she said.
It was then that GSAM - an NGO that was working for orphan children in Banbasa under the leadership of a man named Rev. Maxton D. Strong - took responsibility of these 3 kids. However, soon it found itself running into losses and in 2004, the founder passed away. His son-in-law
Advertisement
“There wasn’t enough food for us at the orphanage earlier. After Uncle Rick’s return, he changed our lives. We got proper food. He also built a school where we got education. His wife taught us everything – cooking, sewing, laundry,” said Gail.
Rick first came to India in 1976 to deliver an airplane carrying 198 pure bred Australian dairy cows for a cross-breeding program to benefit the poor.
“I fell in love with the country, its people and The Mission”, he says.
Rick raised nearly 100 orphans like Gail at the orphanage since 2004 along with his wife’s help. She passed away in 2010 due to multiple ailments.
Advertisement
The kids, however, continued to savour a good life at the orphanage. Gail moved out of Banbasa after she turned 24. She now works in Gurgaon and is also pursuing a BA course in an Uttarakhand college.Another girl Hope, who Rick cutely refers to as ‘Hopie’, was 7-day-old when her parents, ashamed at the birth of a girl child, planned to abandon her on the street.
“I was lucky because the neighbours spotted them and advised to send me to GSAM. There was no looking back from there. They stayed with us in the same compound. We were all one big family,” she said.
Even Hope has moved to Delhi and works in Gurgaon. Others like them are either married or settled in England and Australia while a few have made their way out of The Mission to different parts of the country and are well settled.
A close friend of Rick tells us he visits his kids in the cities often to see if they are happy. He sleeps on the floor if there is no bed in their house. As for the kids who are grown up now, Rick is their only father who they visit in Banbasa during vacations and Christmas every year.
Advertisement
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- Colon cancer rates are rising in young people. If you have two symptoms you should get a colonoscopy, a GI oncologist says.
- Catan adds climate change to the latest edition of the world-famous board game
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!
- JNK India IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more
- Indian Army unveils selfie point at Hombotingla Pass ahead of 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market