India

Why is the help in India meaningful

1.7 million children die every year, due to poor health care

50% of the population lives in slums

The highest rate of child marriages in the world

Families that receive support find themselves in a difficult financial situation. Parents have to travel long distances for work and children often stay home alone, or they have to help their parents with work. Lack of food, drinking water, or healthcare is a common problem they have to face. Families live literally from hand to mouth. Without financial support, they wouldn’t be able to secure their children’s education. Many children live in remote villages with no infrastructure, so they are forced to end their education due to long distances. Thanks to your support, children from poor areas of India can fulfill their dreams and have a better chance for the future of themselves and their families.

Your donations secure

Education

Food and water

Healthcare

Study materials

Travel costs

Clothing

Summer camps and excursion fees

Whom do we help

Your support is sent directly to children of preschool and school age and college students. The children are supported either in schools or in particular centres, whose activities are described below.

The centre is part of the Karwar diocese and has been cooperating with Slovak Catholic Charity on the Children's Donation Project® since 1996.

Goals and activities of the centre

BPKS Honavar's primary goal is the development of a child and family via education. The centre offers financial aid to children from nursery school up to students of higher education such as nursing, engineering, and teaching. Social workers in the centre are available to the children at any time. They care about the children's progress and motivation during their studies. Other goals of the centre include spreading awareness about human rights and the drug threat amongst older students. Apart from the centre, children can also visit so-called 'children clubs' at local parishes that offer various activities focusing on discovering, developing, and applying children's talents.

Father Gabriel Lopes, priest, Director
My name is Gabriel Lopes, and I have been the director of BPKS Honavar since May 2017. My main job is to coordinate the operation of the centre and ensure that all the activities of the Children's Donation Project are efficient. Besides working at the centre, I facilitate the care of a nearby parish.

The centre is run by the diocese of Udupi city.

Goals and activities of the centre

A primary goal of the centre is to assist students who come from economically impoverished families, orphans, half-orphans, and children from otherwise less-favoured conditions. Another goal is to provide the children with a safe school environment suitable for their development. The centre organises many activities focused on the development of communication, responsibility, and personality. They raise awareness about the importance of education, hygiene, and health. The centre also focuses on effective time utilisation. During the summer holidays, the centre organises summer camps that focus on subjects appropriate to the age of children and their specific situation (e.g., about life values, ethics, education, and the environment).

Sister Veera Monis, catholic sister, Coordinator
My name is Veera Monis, and I am the local coordinator for Social Centre Sampada – ICDP in Udupi city. We have been cooperating with the Slovak Catholic Charity on the Children's Donation Project since 2001. Together with an administrative worker and four animators, we provide aid to children in difficult living conditions. We pay attention to supporting the education of children and youth by organising various camps and intriguing gatherings. We prepare them for a better future and teach them how to be reliable citizens of India. We created self-help groups to help aid women and mothers.

DJSC Vamanjoor is a centre of social assistance. The centre provides help to children from preschool age until the completion of studies, including children requiring special care, children with health or other disabilities, orphans, and half-orphans who often live below the poverty level.

Goals and activities of the centre

The primary goal of the centre is the education of children along with a focus on the choice of their future profession. The centre organises events and activities to raise awareness about environmental protection, health, education, human rights, and academic courses (tailoring, embroidery, umbrella manufacturing). The centre also oversees the organisation of summer camps and a children's club for the children to use their free time effectively.

Sister Joel Lasrado, catholic sister, Coordinator
My name is Joel Lasrado, and I belong to the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Queen of the Apostles. I am the local coordinator of the Dharma Jyothi Vamanjoor Social Centre in the Indian state of Karnataka. I am responsible for a program of support of the children's education with a particular focus on their future profession. My other responsibilities include a program for strengthening the self-help groups of women in the community, organising children's clubs, and specialised training. Along with 15 other co-workers, we help people who live on the poverty level and special care for people with serious health difficulties.

Sadhana Honavar is a school founded to contribute to the abolition of child labour. The school is a part of Muktha Youth, Women & Child Welfare Trust Social Centre. This centre is responsible for securing standard living conditions for youth, women, and children.

Goals and activities of the centre

The main focus of the centre is on health, education, talent development, and skills training. The centre supports students who achieve worse learning results by providing individual attention in separate classes, where they can progress at their own pace. The centre is devoted to developing the children's talents by organising children's clubs, computer courses, art and theatre classes. They support programs of young scientists and programs related to health (physiotherapy for people with physical disabilities and malnutrition treatments). They organise camps focused on medicine and stomatology. The school has prepared a career counseling program, professional preparation for exams, and skills training, mainly in computer science and tailoring.

Renee Joan Furtado, School Director
My name is Renee Joan Furtado, and I am the director of Sadhana Honavar school. I have a degree in psychology and Pedagogy of Special needs education. I believe that education is the key for children to assert themselves in every aspect of life. Thanks to the Children's Donation Project®, our centre succeeded in supporting dozens of children who wouldn't have a chance for education without the help.

Goals and activities of the centre

The main goal of the centre is to ensure education for children and youth and provide them with appropriate preparation for their future careers. The centre develops children's relationships with reading and literature. They organise camps and courses focused on talent development, such as theatre club, dance lessons, and a choir.

Maria Goretti Quadros, Coordinator
I am sister Maria Goretti, and I graduated in social work in the Indian city of Chennai and Coady Institute in Canada. I helped establish several shelters for impoverished people, consulting centres, hospitals, and professional training centres. Since 2012, I have been working as the director at St. Ignatius Foundation in Honavar, which also includes the Institute of Medical Sciences and St. Ignatius Hospital.

Goals and activities of the centre

The main goal of the centre is the development of a child via education. The centre organises summer camps and provides many afterschool clubs and free-time activities.

Father Clifford Roshan Pinto, Director
I'm Clifford Roshan Pinto, and I have been the director of Chaitanya-SMSSS since May 2018. I am responsible for the operation of all the centre's activities. From 2012 to 2018, I was the financial administrator of the Diocese of Shimoga. During that period, I gained practical experience in project management. As a director, I lead projects for the development of children, the empowerment of women, management of natural resources, health improvement, and state education programs for the overall development of the community.
Anie Fiallow, Coordinator
My name is Anie Fiallow, and I am the project coordinator for the Children's Donation Project® in SMSSS. I am responsible for the entire operation of the department of children's development programme, which includes: enrolment of children to the program, planning and organising summer camps for children and parent-teacher conferences, correspondence with the donor organisations, with local authorities, parishes, consulting with children and their parents and visiting the sponsored children in their schools and families.
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