Dr Graham’s Homes, Kalimpong : Nestled on the outskirts of the town, Dr. Graham’s Homes Kalimpong is built in the verdant slopes of the Deolo Hills. It is the epitome of compassion and the vision of Reverend Dr. John Anderson Graham, who ventured to dedicate his life for the dream that he had. His dream was to build an institution for the for the abandoned and orphaned Anglo-Indian children who are deprived of love and opportunities for living a life of dignity.
During his visits to the tea gardens of Dooars in Darjeeling, Reverend Dr. Graham was deeply moved by the situation of a group of children more than anything else. Composing a large number, those children suffered hardship and loss. Majority of them were the illegitimate sons and daughters of the British Tea planters local Nepalese, Assamese, and Lepcha mothers. In those days, such hook-ups were common, but once the young tea planters are promoted to administrative positions the English brides would arrive in the tea gardens.
Eventually, the grief-stricken non-British women and their children were abandoned in no man’s land. By witnessing the situation and the difficulties of these Eurasian (Anglo-Indian) and distressed domiciled European children, his heart overflowed with a desire to find a resolution for their problem. Thus, more than a centuries ago, in the year 1900, Reverend Dr. John Anderson Graham decided to dedicate his life to his passions and dream. His dream fostered the inception of Dr. Graham’s Homes Kalimpong .
Earlier, while working as a clerk in the Civil Services in Edinburgh, Graham was encouraged and inspired by the Reverend John McMurtrie, the Minister of his Church to be appointed for the Service of God. After graduating from Edinburgh University, he dedicated his 3 years in Divinity Hall. There he cultivated an intense enthusiasm on the ventures of the Young Men’s Guild, which was an association that seeks to consolidate the young men of the Church in fellowship, prayer, study, and worship. This enthusiasm encouraged Graham to acknowledge the opportunity of serving with an overseas mission in some of the impoverished places in the world.
