The Story of COG
Children of Grace Home is a testimony of how God answers prayer, of God’s special love for children, of how God can use ordinary people for his glory, and of how His grace and love can reach the hearts of children in every corner of the world.
The story began when Mike Cadge (our now head trustee) went to India in 2011 when he was 19 to teach English at Children of Faith Ministries, a Christian orphanage home to over 100 children, for 5 months. It was here where Mike gave his life to Christ, being baptised in India shortly before he came back home. Upon returning home, Mike and his old school friends Murray, Tim and Ryan realised they miraculously had all given their lives to Christ at similar times. So along with Mike’s twin Ben, they set up a Bible study together.
They met up regularly, sometimes three times a week, to open up God’s word, and decided to start saving up money together with the view of using it for a good purpose. So they prayed asking God for wisdom. Not long after, Anand Thandu, who runs Children of Faith Ministries with his wife Rosie, emailed Mike with the idea of building a new sister orphanage funded by a charity set up in the UK. Mike and his friends talked and prayed together, and saw this as God’s answer to their prayer and agreed to help start the new home. With the little money they had saved up, they opened up a bank account called “Christian of Grace Home”.
From here, a charity was set up in England late in 2012, and money started to be raised to build a home. After much prayer and fundraising, the charity was able to start sponsoring 12 boys in 2015. These 12 boys moved into rented accommodation next to Children of Faith Ministries while their new home was built.
The land for the Children of Grace Home was also purchased in 2015 and construction was completed in December 2016, with the boys moving into their new home in the same month. In early 2018, four new boys arrived to the home, bringing the total to 16 children.
All these boys from impoverished backgrounds, with most having lost one or both parents from a young age. They would likely have been working on the streets, or at risk to illegal or degrading activities. They would also be likely to have been deprived of an education, a happy childhood, and a secure future.
However, they are now provided with shelter, a nourishing diet, a good education at a local school, and a home where Christ is centred and where they feel safe, loved and happy.
Central to the home is bringing up the children to know Jesus Christ. This includes worship every morning and evening, teaching from the Bible, prayer together, Bible reading time, attending a local church, and living in a loving home in which Christ is central.
COG’s goal is not only to provide a home for these boys, but to them growing in Christ and to provide them with education, love and support so that they grow in wisdom and character and are adequately prepared for adult life and ready to serve others in the future. Donations, prayers, support and the kind work of those working for the children in India all ensure that all the children are looked after well and are brought up in the love of Christ.
Key Milestones
COG begins
Five school friends who had recently started a Bible study together, decide to found a Charity charity with the view of building an orphanage in Visakhapatnam, India. The friends, all 19 at the time, had been praying for a way in which to serve God together. Mike Cadge, the current director of COG, received an email from the founder of Children of Faith Missions in India (where Mike had taught English the year before), asking if he would like to be involved with starting a new orphanage. This was the answer to the prayer, and Children of Grace Home became a charity in September 2012. The read the full story, please head to the About Us Page.
July 2013 – Ben, Alex and Greg hike across the Alps
Ben, Alex and Greg embarked on a 400-mile hike across the Alps in aid of Children of Grace Home. The boys endured freezing cold temperatures and blistered feet but were rewarded with a cold beer in Monaco, raising over £1000 for the charity during the start up phase.
Mike’s cycle across Spain
In the winter of 2014, our head trustee, Mike, rode 1000 km across Spain on the pilgrimage route ‘Camino de Santiago’ in aid of Children of Grace Home. Mike faced endless hills, days of rain and even a patch of snow, raising over £1000 for the home.
12 boys move into rented home
12 boys moved into a rented house, right next door to our sister home Children of Faith Ministries. This was a big step for all the boys as they moved away from their homes into new surroundings. They will live here temporarily, next door to 100 other children, while Children of Grace Home is being built.
Land for the home purchased
Land for the home was purchased! Thank you to everyone who helped us raise the £11000 needed to purchase it. The land is 300 square yards and first phase of construction will include a home suitable for 20 children.
Paul’s 52-mile ultra-marathon
Paul Keen took part in a 52-mile ultra-marathon to raise money for Children of Grace. Even though he sustained a slight injury he managed to finish the full 52 miles and helped raise around £1000! His friends and trustees of COG welcomed him at the finish line.
July – Mike and Alex cycle to Greece for COG
In the summer of 2016, our director Mike and his close friend Alex cycled 2000 miles to Athens from Kent to raise money for Children of Grace Home. Both have previously done challenges for COG: Alex walked 450 miles across the alps, and Mike cycled 700 miles across Spain. This was their biggest challenge and they raised over £3000! You can still donate at this link: Alex and Mike Cycle
Building work begins
Construction for the home began. This was big news for everyone involved with Children of Grace Home and the boys in India cannot wait for the home to be completed, which is expected to be in September 2016. The home will be suitable for 20 children and will include a kitchen and common room.
New auto-rickshaw
The auto-rickshaw has arrived! We asked for prayers for a vehicle over a year ago and God has now blessed the children with their own auto-rickshaw. This vehicle (named Bas) will take the children to church, events, and days out, and will helping with other things such as grocery shops and medical trips if necessary. Here are the boys on their very first trip in Bas! Click here for more info.
Building work complete
Building work is complete! This has been our goal since the charity began in 2012, so thank you to everyone who has helped made this possible through prayer and/or support. The children will be moving in once their bunk-beds are fitted! For more info click here.
The boys move into their new home
The day we have all eagerly been waiting for finally arrived with the 12 boys moving into their new home. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped make this possible. The boys were ecstatic on the day they moved in and have all settled in well. For more info click here.
Emily’s trip to India
Emily is currently on her first trip to India teaching English to the children of Children of Grace Home and Children of Faith Missions. She’s staying for almost three months and is loving every minute. Thank you Emily!
Mim’s mural
Miriam completed her mural ‘Jonah and the Whale meets Finding Nemo’ inside the home. She is on her second trip to India to teach art to the children of Children of Grace Home and Children of Faith Missions. Thank you Mim!
Rosie’s trip to the UK
Rosie Thandu, who runs Children of Grace Home and our sister Orphanage, Children of Faith Missions, came to the UK on a week long trip to share her story at events and churches about how she and her husband, Anand, started an orphanage for just 5 children and how it has now grown to 120 children. She also shared their plans to build a Christian school for 800 children called Hope Academy, where the boys at COG will attend.
Sponsored cycled around England
Our head trustee, Mike, and his two friends, Kieran and Wes, cycled to the Lake District and back from Whitstable for Children of Grace Home and Parkinson’s UK. It was the furthest 2 of them have ever cycled and the furthest they have all cycled in such a short space of time. To donate, please click here.
Fundraising target for two new rooms reached
Big news! Our target of £17500 has been raised to build two new rooms. This includes furnishings, beds and even solar panels for the roof. Thank you to everyone who has donated and prayed for this cause. 8 more boys will be moving in soon!
Tim and Tish Visit
For 3 weeks Tim and Tish stayed at COG, teaching and spending time with the 100+ children at COG and our sister orphanage Children of Faith. Here they are all smiles with the COG boys. Tim was one of the founding members of COG all the way back in 2012, and he has served as a trustee ever since.
Extension Complete!
The boys are excited to have 2 new rooms. A bedroom suitable for 8 more boys and a common room. Thank you to everyone who has donated to make this possible. God gives the growth!
Four new boys
The 4 newest arrivals: Shanthivardham, Durga Prasad, Ajay Ram and Akshay. They’ve been with us a little while now and have all settled in well. Welcome to the home boys!
Please pray for them, especially that they would truly feel at home at COG, would build strong friendships with the other boys, and would grow in character and grace.
Such wonderful news! After many months staying with family members due to lockdown for the second time, the boys and girls from Children of Grace and Faith are back and have started a near year at school. Thank you so much for all your support and prayers during the past few months. God is good.
Garden and Playground Fundraiser
COG are raising money to buy land for a garden and a playground for our wonderful boys.
As you may know, we already have a garden and a playground, but the land is currently not owned by us. We have permission from the kind owner to use it for now, but we want to purchase it before it’s sold to someone else.
With your help and with God’s provision, we believe we can reach our initial goal of £15000 soon. Our previous campaigns to buy the land for the home and to build the home surpassed expectation and have resulted in 16 boys calling COG their home. We now want to secure their beautiful garden and playground for the future. So to join something special, please consider donating here: Garden and Playground for COG | Stewardship
Thank you all for your prayers and donations during this difficult time in India. With your help, we have been able to send funds to to help support to effort to reach over 200 local families with food and basic necessities. Members of the local church have been working hard putting together parcels and delivering them to those in need.
Meet the Team
Anand and Rosie Thandu
Married since 2000, and locals to the Vizag. Both were living and working in U.S.A when they started Children of Faith Ministries in 2003. They moved back to India to work full time in ministry and now take care of over 120 children from both Children of Grace Home and Children of Faith Ministries. They are known by the children at both homes as ‘Mummy’ and ‘Daddy’.
Mike Cadge
Married to Arpana, Mike is the head trustee of COG. He founded the charity in 2012 after his first trip to India in 2011 to teach English at Children of Faith Ministries. Mike currently works in Employability and serves as an elder at Emmanuel Church Canterbury. He loves cycling, walking, and bird-watching with his wife.
Ben Cadge
Ben is a founding member of COG and is the copywriter for the charity. He is the twin brother of Mike and lives and works in Kent. Ben has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and enjoys reading, fishing and doing leather work.
Ryan Hunt
Ryan is a founding member of COG and is in charge of web design and media. He has a degree in multimedia and works for City Church Canterbury. He is married to Megan and is father to Judah and Thea. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys reading a good book.
Murray Hatten
Murray is a founding member of COG and currently lives in Hong Kong where he teaches English at a Christian school. He regularly gives talks at churches and hosts fundraising events for COG. Murray also loves playing rugby and leads worship at his church.
Annabelle Wilson
Annabelle joined the COG team in 2015. She currently works for an NGO in London and has a masters in Disasters, Adaptation & Development. Annabelle organises and runs fundraising events and will be visiting the home in 2018.
Emily McGhie
Emily joined the COG team in 2017 after visiting the home for three months in early 2017 to teach English. She studied Business at university and currently works in publishing in London.
Tim Hampshire
Tim helped found COG home in 2012. He has a degree in Primary Education, works as a primary school teacher in Whitstable and is married to Tish. He enjoys playing tennis, practising music and is the treasurer and secretary for COG.
