Furniture funded by the Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission being presented to one of our tribal schools. Here are some pictures of the new furniture and the children dancing to celebrate.

Children and staff at Goodwill enjoyed Christmas parties, here are a few pictures

The 2011 Child Labour Index compiled by the risk analysis firm Maplecroft has illustrated the scale of the global child labour problem, with 68 countries ranked as being of “extreme risk” due to the level of abuse.

Emerging markets such as Bangladesh, India, Nigeria and Pakistan are child labour hotspots, according to a new study that warns British companies of the risks of sourcing goods from them.

A number of UK high-street retailers, including Primark and Monsoon, have been caught up in recent exposés of labour practices through rogue suppliers.

Child workers are most frequently employed in clothing manufacturing, and Maplecroft says 70% of them work in the countryside, making them harder to trace.

India, the worst rated of the vaunted Bric economies, scored zero, as it did last year. Its government figures suggest it has up to 16.4 million child labourers – although the US state department puts that figure closer to 55 million.

The problem is most marked in agriculture, including hybrid seed production, where Unicef says private companies employ 200,000 children in Andhra Pradesh alone.

My name is Hannah Mingo and I am the new fundraiser/administrator in the UK office for Goodwill Children’s Homes. I am really enjoying my new role so far and look forward to continuing the success of the charity.

It’s still raining in Tamil Nadu, it is impossible for people to get up or down the mountain at present. Everyone is safe and we are in regular contact with the team. We hope the rain will ease in the next couple of weeks…we’ll keep you updated!

We are please to say that Polly Gick and her husband Mikey finally reached Thandigudi last Thursday. They were welcomed by our local Treasurer and the people of Thandigudi after their long and rather wet ride! After staying one night they set off for Pollachi. We wish them luck with the remainder of their journey.

Long time supporters Polly Gick and her husband Mikey are currently cycling from Alleppy in Kerala to our Thandigudi Home – and everyone there is very excited about their arrival. They were due to be turn up today but they’ve been delayed. We wish them luck and hope the roads are cleared in time ….. more news as it comes in…

The rains in Tamil Nadu are causing havoc, the hill roads are blocked for the last 4 days and the phone lines are down. Our people are getting info through mobile phones and keeping in contact daily – so all are safe

A heart warming image of our Field Consultant, Christine King, playing the Rabbit Ears game with some of the children in India.

This image shows some of the first children taken in by Goodwill Children’s Homes.

The little boy on the left is Mayee and he is now our Trade Training Co-ordinator.