Hope For The Future

The event was a fundraiser organised by Derek and Muriel Peterson of the Hope Foundation Trust which is aiming to build an alcohol and drugs rehabilitation centre in North East India.

There was a table sale of bric-a-brac, household goods, and gift ideas as visitors browsed at their leisure for Christmas presents and enjoyed a cup of coffee with a biscuit or cake.

The Petersons held a similar event recently at Beulah Baptist Church which raised over 600 for the centre which will be build in the village of Pearsonmun, near Lamka in Manipur.

It is obviously a project dear to Derek's heart, who said: "We were both working for a charity for the homeless and alcoholics in Cambridgeshire, and while we were there a young lad, Lal, came over from Lamka to volunteer for the charity we were with. He started telling me what was going on in his own town with regard to drugs, alcohol and HIV. Initially I thought if I made a small contribution that would satisfy them, if they were looking for help. But as a Christian, I felt God challenged me to do something more and that is how I really started getting involved."

The Hope Foundation Trust bought a 3.5 acre piece of land near Lamka and is now raising money to build the rehabilitation centre which will also focus on helping those who are HIV positive, a common problem there among drugs users who share needles. The aim is to provide medical help as well as counselling, with a view to the future and a new life.

"I actually visited the place in March of this year and saw for myself what it is like. It is very difficult to describe - it was an eye-opener, and an education, and it was like being transported to a different world. It was both humbling and challenging."

Apart from the enjoyable business of sorting through what the stalls had on offer, visitors were also able to watch a DVD of work done in India at a similar rehabilitation centre.

Derek said: "It shows how we can educate them, support them, persuade them to come off drugs, and actually have employment skills in the hope they can get a job when they leave the place, which is one of the biggest problems, because even if they come off drugs, what is going to happen after that?"

For more information about the Hope Foundation Trust, call derek on

01424 220250 or email hopefoundation2007@tiscali.co.uk.