Sponsor's update from India (Part 2)
05/11/2007
The Sponsorship Secretary in Shillong (Maghalaya) writes: We have now been working in Shillong for only seven years and we are now looking after 136 children in our family houses, the youngest of these is less than one year old. So far this year, 2007, we have brought in nine new children. There are also 17 young adults who are still in our care as they complete their studies. We are also supporting 170 vulnerable children in 77 families in the local community through our Family Strengthening Programme. Our children are doing fairly well in school. Shynsharlang got good marks at the recently held Educational Assessment for Indian Schools conducted by the University of New South Wales and had received a certificate of appreciation. Edmund secured Grade C+ and Rymbai secured Grade B at the All India Talent Search conducted by the Children’s Educational Trust, New Delhi. The Chief Minister’s Office of the State of Meghalaya donated a school bus to the SOS Children’s Village this year and it is being put to good use taking the children to their respective schools. The SOS Nursery School is growing every year where our village’s tiny tots and children from nearby the village attend. The Dispensary is also functioning well with a fulltime nurse catering to the needs of the children. The small library is like a treasure chest of knowledge for our children along side the Computer laboratory. On weekends, one would find eager children queuing up to learn the basics of computer or do their project work.
H.P Mahapatra writes from Rourkela (Orissa): We are currently caring for 150 children who are living happily with their SOS mothers, brothers and sisters within the family atmosphere of the SOS Children’s village. Four new needy children were admitted to the children’s village and warmly welcomed which made them feel at home. They have adjusted well to their new surroundings and families. Five young adult boys have moved out of the village to learn to live independently as they complete their studies. At the end of the current academic year, I can report that the children’s results for this year were satisfactory. The good news is that four of our children passed the High School Certificate Examination. Two bright boys were admitted to Bishop’s Westcott Boys Residential School in Ranchi. It is one of the best residential schools in eastern India. Two girls passed the examination from the Council of Higher Secondary Education Orissa Board in Arts subject. One girl was admitted to the Auxiliary Nurse and Midwifery course at Hi-Tech School of Nursing in Bhubaneswar and another to the Home Nursing Course at Bhava Institute of Medical Science and Research. Punya Prava Panda was admitted to the +2 Science Course at Hi -Tech + 2 Science College, Bhubaneswar. Our SOS Social Centre has widened its service and is helping the community to start small scale business through ten Self Help Groups that have been set up in ten local communities. We have worked with local banks to obtain further support. We have also started raising awareness for HIV/AIDS among the local communities by raising awareness and advising village women to seek anti and post-natal care through Mahilamandals - local women’s clubs We work with the local Lions Club to extend medical help to the local community in particular eye treatment, skin care and the rehabilitating of people with disabilities working with the Regional Rehabilitation Research Centre. Forty single women and their children from the local community have received direct help with education, health and food. Three women have been helped to start their own businesses. Our Preschool Training Centre at Balwadi is now offering its services to 338 children in ten villages.
Harinder Singh writes from Rajpura (Punjab): We are looking after a total of 145 children (46 boys and 99 girls) in the 14 family homes that are SOS Children’s Village Rajpura. Two needy children were brought to the warm and caring environment of the SOS Children’s Village. Like all our children these two new ones will be guided in every step of their growth and development in accordance with their interests and potential. One of them is called Sahil who was abandoned when he was less than two years old. When he came to us he was critically ill. We were able to get him to hospital where he came under the care of a renowned paediatrician. He was kept in a ventilator for two weeks. He is now a chubby and playful boy. He has made remarkable progress and adjusted very well with other brothers and sisters of his house and of course he is greatly attached to his mother like she is to him. Our children have fared well at school in this academic year. Two girls have started their General Nursing and Midwifery course (GNM). One girl has joined in Apollo Hospital Ludhiana, a highly reputed super specialty hospital, after successfully completing GNM. One girl has finished her final year of Masters in Physical Education while another has a job in a firm of architects. Three boys are working in call centre jobs and one boy has been selected by a multinational software company, Wipro Technologies, from university where he is in his final year of his engineering degree. Our Family Support Programme has been expanded and now we are giving support to more than 207 children and 62 mothers. We have 62 children attending our bridge course education programme conducted within our premises where they are also served a balance, tasty and nutritious meal. All children under the programme have shown improvement in their education, general awareness and a desire to select a meaningful career of their choice. A new energy has swept through their families. The programme has been appreciated by the community. One girl from this programme was given a scholarship for General Nursing and Midwifery and she is in the final year. Three other children were given skill training for call centre jobs and have settled in jobs. Two children are being provided Vocational Training in skills that can lead to suitable jobs. The central idea is to provide 3 to 5 years of support so as to make the economically disadvantaged families self sustainable.
Suresh Jadhav writes from Pune (Maharashtra): We have 205 children in the village. This year we have given loving family homes to eight children, two boys and six girls. Special efforts were made for Lahu Ranjane, a four year old orphaned boy. He was brought to us to care for from a vulnerable section of society. He was very weak and his face was pale and dull. To start with, he found it difficult to settle into his new home but with the help of his SOS Mother, he became well adjusted. He is now living very happily with his brothers and sisters in his SOS family. He looks cheerful and quite healthy now. This year we achieved 96% pass rate from our Primary & 66% from Secondary school children. Priyanka and Parvati completed the two years course in Medical Lab Technician securing 68% and 58% of marks respectively. Ranjana performed well in the first year of Travels and Tourism. Sheetal got Grade B in the first year of Bachelor of Science. Kiran More who has completed his Computer Engineering course has the opportunity to work for a software company in Netherlands. Madhav and Santosh have completed their Bachelor of Computer Engineering and now they are working in well known Cognizant Software Company & SAF Software Company in Pune respectively. It is quite difficult to get jobs so we encourage our children to go for vocational training. All the young adults, both boys and girls who are doing Vocational or Technical courses are performing well and those who are working in various firms are doing their jobs satisfactorily. SOS Children’s Village in Pune is reaching out to the local community through the SOS Family Strengthening Programme. 42 families and their 84 children are being supported under this programme. They are from more vulnerable sections of the community and are given financial help to continue the education of children and also meet some basic needs. These children have achieved good results during this year. A change has been observed in the standard of living of these children. A group of 88 children with disabilities from Mumbai visited our children and stayed three days in the village with our children. It was a chance to make new friends.
N K Sharma writes from Latur (Maharashtra): this is a brief note of the important happenings and progress from the monsoon wet Latur. Drought-prone Latur eagerly looks forward to the monsoon rains. Much of the local economy depends on the monsoon and the promising start of rainfall this year has made us very optimistic. We are looking after 128 children, 43 boys and 85 girls, living in 12 family homes under the loving care and protection of SOS mothers. So far this year, we have given loving family homes to five new children. Two of our girls got married this year and two of our married girls were blessed with sons. Our children achieved a 97% pass rate in the annual examinations and were promoted to next classes. All children are keeping good health and they are all ready for the new school term with new uniforms, bags and umbrellas. Three of our girls are doing a degree in Social Work and another three are doing a nursing course. Two boys completed their degrees one in arts and the other in business studies. Another completed his Masters in Commerce with 2nd class and another completed a course in Computer Numeric Control and Computer Aided design. Some of the young adults in our care have now found jobs in banking, bio-technology, journalism and social work. To help all our young adults we organised a career week in the village. People from different walks of life were invited: doctors, engineers, lawyers, businessmen and teachers. We also organised a workshop to create awareness about HIV/AIDS among our adolescents. Our SOS Outreach Programme and Family Strengthening Programme are continuing. We are supporting more than 500 vulnerable children and their families. They are given a package of services including nutritional, educational and medical support with the purpose of ensuring basic child rights. Self-help groups have been organized with support from the District Urban Development Agency to make the vulnerable families self-reliant. Tailoring classes are run in two well equipped rooms to train around 80 women from the local community.
Swapna Banerjee writes from Kolkata (West Bengal): At present we are caring for 156 children, 52 boys and 104 girls. In June we two boys aged five and seven came to our village to be cared for. At present renovation work is going on at our village. SOS Children’s Village Kolkata is one of the oldest villages in India. It was founded in 1977 and the buildings need repairs. All of our children go to school: 20 are at nursery school and the rest at primary or secondary school. Most of the children were successful in the annual exams and went up to a higher class. Our older children are going on to university or to college. Three are at the University of Calcutta and another three training to be nurses. Others are doing vocational training courses in tailoring and soft toy making. Children are also having lessons in different cultural activities, dancing, singing and playing musical instruments such as the sitar or tabla. Some of the older children have got good jobs with reputable local companies. One has completed her degree in Bengali vernacular and has a job in a good school as a teacher. Another girl is working in a reputable hotel at Dubai having completed a hotel management course. One boy also got a job in a five star hotel in Kolkata. SOS Children is also running programmes helping vulnerable children and their families in the local community. The Outreach Programme helps 50 children. The younger children come to the SOS Children’s Village during the day where there a given a good meal and some informal teaching. Older children are encouraged to go to school by paying school fees, giving them books and uniforms. The Strengthening Motherhood programme supports single mothers who live below the poverty line. Financial support is given to them for the education of their children.
Manoj Kumar Suryawanshi writes from Khajuri Kalan (Madhya Pradesh): the village, which is especially for children of Bhopal who have special needs, is home to 63 children, 31 boys and 32 girls. One young girl was admitted to the village. They are all blossoming under the loving care of their SOS Mothers. At present we have 30 SOS Mothers and SOS Aunts (trainees) taking good care of these children in twelve family homes. We have started a Special Education Centre and specialist teachers are conducting classes according to each Individual Education Plan. This Centre is divided into two segments - Special Educational Centre and Therapeutic Centre. The Special Education Centre consists of seven units - Pre-readiness skill, Pre-primary, Primary - I & II, Secondary, Pre vocational, and Recreational unit. In these services, a child is given training in cognitive, social, language, motor and self-help-skills depending upon the current level of functioning, age and severity of the child. The Therapeutic Centre consists of Early Intervention Services, Physiotherapy and Hydrotherapy. In the second phase of the village development plan, Vocational Training Centre and Parents Training Centre are under construction. The third and final phase of project is the establishment of an Institute of Rehabilitation study. It is currently in the planning process. We are very happy to report that there has been a significant improvement in general health, language and social skills. A baby, Abby, who had a cleft palate, had a successful operation at Shivam Hospital, Bhopal. It is heartening Sharukh who needed support to walk now confidently goes to school without any help. In order to integrate the children into the society, an effort is being made to get some of these children, who have special needs admitted into mainstream schools.
Sudesh Malla writes from Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir: In the first half of 2007, six children were brought to the village bringing the total we are looking after up to 160. The children are aware of the importance of education in an increasingly competitive environment and as a result their academic performance is getting better and better. This year all the children performed well in final examinations and were promoted to next higher classes. One of our girls had an interview at Mahindra United World College, Pune and has a place to study for the Diploma in Information Technology in USA. One boy was selected for the South Asian Foundation Cultural Camp at Abbotabad, Pakistan. Nine children took part in a month-long course, run in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, on basic mountaineering skills at the Pahalgam Hill Station, Kashmir. An orientation program on HIV AIDS was also organized. The objective was to create awareness among the young people regarding HIV AIDS. This included young adults from the local community as part of our Family Strengthening Programme. The Family Strengthening Programme continues to grow. Today we are supporting more than three hundred children in the local community. They receive a regular medical check up. Our focus has also been to create awareness regarding the rights of children among these families. In April the fifth annual scholarship awards were made. About three hundred children were given scholarships. These children are mainly from families affected by the ongoing disputes in Kashmir.
Shobha Kaul writes from Jaipur (Rajasthan): We now are caring for 171 children and young people including three who were brought to us in the first half of 2007. Some of our children have started vocational training courses in accounting, nursing, fashion design and computer engineering. One of our girls has completed the course in computer engineering at Khaitan Polytechnic College, Jaipur. To promote the holistic development of our children, we organised a range of activities including meditation, yoga, quizzes and music & dance classes. There were also special classes for drawing, painting, embroidery and English language during the summer holidays. GE Money sponsored a sports Day for the children and we were honoured to have H.E. Smt. Pratibha Patil, Governor of Rajasthan as our special guest. Our Family Strengthening Programme is now in its sixth year. We are currently helping nearly 200 vulnerable children and their families, including some mothers who are HIV positive. They are being helped through our nutritional educational programme and with twice-yearly medical, dental and heath check-ups. Review meetings are held every three months with the beneficiaries to obtain a feedback to make the programme more effective. This year, children of families benefiting from the SOS Family Strengthening Programme have done well in their school exams. The village medical centre which was funded by Kuoni opened in the first half of 2007. It provides free medical treatment to needy people from the nearby community on a regular basis. One special story we would like to share with you Hena Pore from SOS Children’s Village Jaipur is 19 years old and is in the National Cadet Corps. In January 2007, she flew her Microlight aircraft at the National Cadet Corps rally attended by the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, with his cabinet colleagues and Defence chiefs. She was the first girl and also the first NCC cadet from the state of Rajasthan to fly at the NCC Prime Minister’s Rally.
M.G. Ramesh Kumar writes from Hydrabad (Andhra Pradesh): We now have 127 children, 57 boys and 70 girls, living in the village. We had seven new arrivals. The youngest is just two years old. A. Bhulakshmi is the youngest of three girls. Their mother died and their father abandoned them. It has taken some time for the children to overcome the trauma and to adjust to their new environment. Their SOS Mother has given them the love and affection they need and the children settled in, started mixing with other children in the village and enjoying their new life. The youngest is now at the SOS Nursery Scholl and the two older girls are at the local schools. All our children have done well at school, with all of them passing their exams with a pass mark of 60% or more. 20 of our children gained 905 and two were top of their classes. We have given extra tuition to children who are weak in studies. All children are growing healthy. Baby Sanjivini, who is just one and a half years old, was diagnosed with a hole in the heart. She had a successful operation at a local hospital in Hyderabad in May. She is recovering well. As a very important part of Family Strengthening Programme, we are continuing our support under the “Strengthening Motherhood Programme”. Under this programme, single mothers and widows who are struggling to maintain their family were identified from nearby areas of the children’s village. Such mothers have been given financial support for their children’s education. Presently, 38 needy mothers and 82 children are getting benefit through this programme. The children are now regular to school and their mothers’ dreams are fulfilled.
Relevant Countries: India.