The Orphanage & Judo Hall Trust Fund

In the short term, we hope to raise funds to ensure that the children whom Biranchi rescued from a life of great social deprivation can stay together, pay the bills and have enough to eat. Basic monthly expenditure at the Judo Hall is INR 45,000, which is approximately £610 GBP/ $1,000 USD. This includes food, electricity and sundry bills.

Further down the line, we hope to enter the next phase of our film’s legacy: the building of a permanent orphanage and judo hall to secure their futures and continue the good work of Biranchi Das. Your generous support will help us to empower these marginalised children living once again with deep uncertainty.

The Judo Hall & Orphanage						A policeman keeps armed guard outside the Judo Hall. Some of the children were key witnesses to the murder of their father-figure and mentor, Biranchi Das.
The Judo Hall & Orphanage						Clothes drying at the Judo Hall
Early evening training session at the Judo Hall						Sangeeta (Right). Sangeeta’s mum belonged to the lowest Hindu caste and they lived together in a tiny one-room shack without electricity or running water. One day, when Sangeeta was very young, she saw her mum catch fire while cooking with a leaking gas stove. Sangeeta rushed into the flames to save her mother. In the process, she was badly burned over her own body. She ran all the way to the Judo Hall to seek Biranchi’s help, who arranged for medical care. Biranchi took Sangeeta in and enrolled her into school. She is a sweet girl and an excellent judo player who never skips class.
K. Pawan & K. Pragati						Pradeep
Lulu						Basant’s father died when he was two years old. His mother could not afford to keep him. He came to the Judo Hall from the same slum as Budhia Singh, Gautam Nagar. Under Biranchi’s guidance, he went on to become the first national judo gold medallist to hail from Orissa State. Today, Basant is one of the senior boys at the Judo Hall, studying part-time for a BA Honours in History & Anthropology. Yet times are tough for Biranchi’s widowed wife Gita, who is doing her best to support everyone, and he may be forced to drop-out due to financial pressures at the Judo Hall
Manoj						Ricky
						Kargil was born in the Chinti Manswak slum area and has lived at the Judo Hall since he was a small boy. Biranchi quickly became a father-figure to Kargil, funding his education and teaching him discipline through judo. Kargil always said that he would give his life for Biranchi Das. He was an eyewitness to Biranchi’s murder and took the brave step of giving testimony in the court. Kargil is a quiet boy of high moral character and since Biranchi’s death has found a part-time job as a taxi-driver to help keep the Judo Hall afloat.
						Gudi hails from a very poor background. Her father earned less than INR 1,200 (£15:00 GBP/ $25:00 USD) a month as a moped mechanic. Gudi started going to the Judo Hall for meals and later began training there. She won many medals in judo under Biranchi’s guidance. A few days prior to his death, Biranchi applied for a sports scholarship for Gudi with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which she was later awarded. Thanks to the scholarship, Gudi is now studying for a Diploma in Engineering and would like to go on to study Electronics & Telecommunication at Degree-level. Unfortunately, Biranchi’s widow Gita cannot afford to fund her further studies.