Give 400 needy children & youths a future in India

At the end of November, we visited our project sites in India. In Varanasi, in Robertsganj/Sonbhadra and in Samastipur/Bihar. We look positively into the future, although we are constantly confronted with new challenges.

The Government in India has decided that all child relief programs of the ChildLine India Foundation throughout India will in future be operated by the ministry itself. This means that our program at the train station in Varanasi stopped at the end of last year. This is a great shame because we worked very successfully and were able to pick up and care for over 200 children and young people in need in one year and hand them over to either their families or social institutions. We have to reorganize ourselves in Varanasi and see in what form we can carry out projects in the future.

We are running our program very successfully at our Keshwa Child Welfare Center in Robertsganj, Sonbhadra. Our school is growing, and we urgently need a second school bus to be able to transport all the children from the surrounding villages who would otherwise not go to school. The special Open Center Home program for 30 boys from poor families is stable and the children are integrated into school.

Within nine months in 2023 we will have trained 90 young women in sewing and fashion design, with another 30 to follow by the end of March 2024. This will mean we will meet our plan of 120 women in one year. The support of people with disabilities as well as the care program for people in the villages (outreach) and the promotion of women run parallel to the major programs mentioned.

In Samastipur in Bihar, two orphans were again given new families in 2023 and have a new future ahead of them. In total, we have placed more than 20 children since the program began and almost 200 children who ran away from home have been successfully either returned to family members or handed over to social institutions.

A successful year that opened up new perspectives for children, women and families has come to an end, but there is already a lot on the “wish list”. A second school bus is a priority, a possible expansion of the school is on the agenda and further attempts to obtain government-funded programs.

The team of 30 employees of our partner organization Creation India Society is motivated. We believe that we can help even more people with your extraordinary financial support.

Thank you so much for being so generous.

Our Keshwa Gurukul School in Robertsganj, Sonbhadra in the state of Uttar Pradesh started after Corona in May 2022 with five children. At the beginning of 2022, 50 children were already attending classes, and today more than 100 children are registered.

It is not only the number of students that gives us great pleasure, but also the quality of the education for BPL (Below Poverty Line) children that is so important and unique in the region. Classes are available to children from poor families free of charge.

We offer high-quality instruction that is otherwise only available in a private school, but which very few people can afford.
Of particular note is the fact that we teach bilingually, i.e. in Hindi and English. In addition, group work, music lessons, yoga interludes, joint trips to socialize the children, games, computer training and much more are offered, which is not the case in public schools. Around 50% of the students get a free lunch.

And we are organizing special events several times a year, such as International Yoga Day or Indian Independence Day, which are celebrated with a large program. And children learn the background and meaning of those events.

From this day on, we will introduce two students per report, who attend our school. Today we talk about Ansh and Jyoti. All family basic problem is poverty, as the earning of family is very poor. This is one reason why children are ofrench not allowed to go to school, but help their parents.

Ansh is an orphan, 7 years old, and lives with his grandfather in the Hydil Colony in Robertsganj. His grandpa does not have a steady job and only earns some money every now and then. Despite the difficult family situation, Ansh is mature for his age and is in 1st grade. He loves maths and would like to become a teacher.

Jyoti is 13 years old and lives in the village of Ghurma, Robertsganj, with her parents and three siblings. It was not easy to convince the parents to send Jyoti to school. This is a common situation in rural areas of India. It is unusual that all children in a family go to school. After several discussions, the parents agreed and Jyoti loves going to school and especially loves art. She would also like to become a teacher and is currently in the 3rd grade.

Thank you so much for your outstanding support.