Holland Wharf Girls' Hostel
By Gayle Davidson
The history of Holland Wharf Girls’ Hostel goes back to 1836, when missionaries from England arrived in Narsapur, a country town on the banks of the Godavari River, six kilometres from where the river empties into the Bay of Bengal. These missionaries began to educate boys, eventually developing the Mission High School. In 1953, 38 boys sat for their final examinations, during which time the missionaries were begged to provide the same opportunities to girls. The boys’ hostel was then closed.
In 1954, the Lord called Miss Joy Tilsley to open a hostel for girls. Joy was a fifth generation descendent of the original missionaries to this area, and had grown up there. Joy spoke Telugu like a local, had a deep connection with the area and a desire to further the Gospel effort. The Holland Wharf Girls Hostel opened in 1955. The 24 girls paid 10/-RS per month (approximately $1) and shared duties at the Hostel. Their evening meal consisted of rice and pepper water. What little money Joy had was spent on the Hostel. Joy never married, but devoted herself to the care and education of the many girls using the hostel as a safe place for them to stay and be educated.
In 1975, World Vision of India was approached, seeking their help with sponsorship. They agreed to sponsor 30 girls. This number grew to 150 girls by 1999. Later, policies changed and support was discontinued. Individual sponsorship was initiated mainly through Joy Tilsley’s personal visits to Christian Brethren Assemblies in the UK, Canada and Australia. Since then, there have been up to 380 girls from poor families at the Hostel each year.
Currently, there are 320 girls. Many come in at 5 years old and stay until completing tertiary education. On arrival, everything the girls bring is recorded – personal clothes, sleeping mat, bucket for washing (themselves and their clothes). The hostel provides each new girl with a travel bag, school bag, umbrella, Holy Bible (Telugu) and hymn book. Some girls are orphans or only have one living parent. Parents, mostly Hindu, work hard in the rice paddies or fish farms.
After Joy’s death, the godly women she had discipled were ready and prepared to continue the work. Since January 2018, Holland Wharf Girls Hostel has been managed by Manoharamani. Mani has a Master of Arts and Teaching degree. She was a Hostel girl while her parents worked at the Bethesda Leprosy Hospital in the days where there were up to 500 leprosy patients in the wards. Mani understands the needs of the girls. Under her leadership, the Hostel is a very happy place, is spotlessly clean, and provides a safe haven for girls from poor families to live as they attend various schools in Narsapur.
The aims of the Hostel have not changed over the last 72 years:
To give each girl a good education and a certificate that will be of use to her in the future.
To provide a balanced diet.
To provide medical care when necessary.
To encourage the girls to grow spiritually through reading the Bible as a guide to life.
There are Bible exams each year, and by the time most girls leave the Hostel, they have excellent Bible knowledge and are committed Christians.
Joy’s vision for the Hostel was realised in the big building programs she managed. Buildings are three storeys high, with access to the roof where girls can dry their washing and enjoy the breeze from the river. “The Lodge” is the building that contains the office, the sick bay and what was Joy’s small apartment. This was built by the Dutch East India Company that traded from Holland Wharf from 1602 to 1799. It was purchased in 1855 by a Brethren missionary, then later purchased by Joy for the Hostel. Unfortunately, the building is crumbling and will need to be demolished and replaced.
This year, 125 girls applied for a place at the Hostel. Of these, only 30 girls were accepted, because of the lack of sponsors. As the purpose of the Hostel is to give academic opportunities as well as nurture the girls to faith in Jesus Christ, the desperate need at present is for a sponsor for each girl. The Hostel’s motto is “He is Able”. Pray that this will again be proved as current issues are resolved.