Rev. James Stevens OBE

1940 – 2019

All involved with City of Joy Aid, UK are saddened to hear that Rev. James Stevens OBE, founder of Udayan, passed away on Easter Sunday, 21^st April 2019 after a short spell of illness.

James, an Englishman, founded Udayan in 1970 when he borrowed a truck from Mother Teresa and set out into the Kolkata slums to rescue some of the children of leprosy sufferers. On that first night James took back to Udayan a mere eleven children. Today, the home provides accommodation, education and medical support for some 300 boys and girls aged 4 – 18 years old and over the years approximately 10,000 of Kolkata’s poorest children have been cared for

James and his wife Lallita visited the UK many times over the years. He spoke passionately and humbly at various schools, churches and other venues about his work in the service of the poorest of the poor and used his wonderful singing voice to help raise funds. Following his retirement in 2015, James continued to visit Udayan regularly to see the children. Those St Joan of Arc students who went on the school’s eighth trip to Udayan last February were able to meet him at Udayan.

May he rest in peace.