IT was a chance meeting on Facebook which led to Ben Coates jetting off to India to meet a stranger whom he had been sending payments to.

Vinod Waghmare had told him all about an orphanage his family runs in the state of Maharashtra and, inspired by the work, Ben decided to send him a sum of money each month to support him.

But, having started speaking in 2013, Ben, who grew up in Colchester, decided he should visit his online friend to see what his money was really funding.

What he discovered upon his arrival left the 36-year-old “blown away”.

Ben, who studied at the University of Essex, said: “The background is Vinod’s family consisted of his parents, his brother and his sister.

“His sister had a son, but she passed away and the father was absent, so the son became an orphan.

“Vinod’s parents took him in and before they knew it, they started looking after many children in the area.

“They finished constructing a building in 2015, next to their family home, and try to pay staff a salary, but it can be very up and down.

“I was told all of this, but had never actually seen any of it myself.

“I started going to church in 2014 and began to have a different outlook on the world.

 

Friends - Vinod Waghmare and Ben Coates have huge ambitions to transform the lives of orphans in India

Friends - Vinod Waghmare and Ben Coates have huge ambitions to transform the lives of orphans in India

 

“I realised I’m fortunate enough to get a salary every month and it should be shared.

“So I would send Vinod money out of my salary, but eventually wanted to check out what he’s doing to see if it was what he said it was.

“When I arrived in 2015, I was blown away – it wasn’t what I was expecting. There was a really nice building and the children were so well looked after.

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“It amazed me how little they have but how far they can stretch their resources.”

Inspired by the work he witnessed, Ben went about establishing his own charity to try and access vital funds to support his friend’s work.

 

Grace Childrens Ministry International

Grace Children's Ministry International

 

Two years ago he registered the Grace Children’s Ministry International with the UK Charity Commission, which he now operates on a voluntary basis alongside his job in IT.

“I registered the charity about two years ago, but I’ve been working with my partners in India since 2013,” explained Ben.

“There’s about 70 children now who need to be fed everyday and taken to school. All kinds of fun and activities are then put on for them to enjoy.”

Ambitions are high moving forward, as a plot of land near the orphanage has been purchased as part of an expansion project.

Ben continued: “We are planning to build apartment blocks and a school.

“The aim is to build a home environment for the kids, rather than something which feels like institutional care.

“I’m really, really excited. We want to build a nice school and hope we can give the children their own space, all while protected by onsite security and CCTV.

“We still, of course, need to raise money for the day to day upkeep and running of the orphanage too. We’re very small scale and I’m looking to apply for funding and grants.

“I do my nine-to-five job in IT and then I carry out this work in my spare time; I don’t take a salary, it’s goodwill.

“I’ve got another trip planned next month where I will be going to visit the site we’ve purchased as an architect has drawn up plans of the school.

“Hopefully construction can then begin and we can give these children the best possible chance in life.”