Helping a Children's Home - a few guidelines

Interested in helping a Children’s Home? Then read on:-

There are an estimated 18 million children in India for whom the street has become home. These children enjoy no protection, security, attention or care from responsible adults; they are forced to survive on their own, often in some of the most dangerous environments in the country. Children as young as five work as low-paid vendors or porters, or scratch a living by picking over waste dumps, looking for anything to sell for food.

Although some of these children have irregular contact with their families, others are completely abandoned, orphaned or are runaways. They are subject to abuse, neglect, deprivation, malnutrition, and exploitation; they have little or no access to medical care and are often the victims of easily prevented diseases such as tuberculosis, polio and measles. They are outcasts from society: preyed upon by criminal gangs, ill-treated by the law enforcing authorities. For the majority, there is little hope.

There are many Children’s Hostel’s in the Kovalam area and some are better than others. Unfortunately, not all are Government Registered and therefore the children MAY NOT be looked after according to the Government Guidelines.

Some unregistered homes are set up purely to line the owners pocket and only for the holiday season. Once this ends, the children are either sent back home or ‘dumped’ back onto the streets. Other homes are set up and the owner has a large, well kept house, land in another area, and/or a large bank account whilst the children live in poor conditions. Some have even allowed the owner to profit and then just abandoned the home leaving the children to fend for themselves. In others the children are mistreated, unfed, uncared for, and generally unwanted.

All the above examples I have witnessed in varies parts of India and I know people who have tried to help at homes and ended up being ripped off.

If you plan to help a children%26#39;s establishment then ask around for advice and information about the place, and when you visit ask to see the registration details. Here are a few tips:-

Have a good look around and a general look at the children. Do they look healthy? Are their arms/legs covered in a rash and are they itching? What about their clothes? What about the smell? Is there anything cooking in the kitchen area? How about sanitation (government regulations state that there should be 1 bathroom per 8 children.)? Is the hostel mixed (boys and girls)? Again, to be registered Government Regulations only permit boys OR girls. How many of the hostel owner’s family are living at the hostel? Too many means too many free loaders.

Arrive unannounced so you can get a true picture of what it’s like and how many children they have. If the numbers are low and the owner tells you that ‘X’ number have gone home check if it is school vacation as it has been known for some homes to ‘round-up’ local children to make the home look fuller.

Is it called something like Sleepy Boarding Home? This is a made up name and any establishment with that name is purely coincidental. Boarding establishments come under different regulations and are not legally allowed to accept visitors, gifts, and/or donations. A Boarding establishment is classed by the Government as a place where people stay (for a fee) and not a Charity. Simular to the YMCA.

An ORPHANAGE should be a home for orphaned/abandoned children with the odd 1 or 2 from poor families, and a HOME/HOSTEL should be for children from poor families with the odd 1 or 2 orphans.

If you get the wrong feeling at any establishment then don%26#39;t give anything, don%26#39;t offer to do a return visit, and make an excuse to leave. An example of a badly run Home can be found at:-

…yahoo.com/32/…tnl-lost-innocence_1.html

The police and courts have this year been doing suprise checks on unregistered establishments that house Children. They have been looking for sign%26#39;s of neglect, checking the accounts, checking where the moneies come from and goes, and making sure that they are following the Government Guidelines. Needless to say, some have failed and been closed.

Thomas Cook will allow people to take an extra 20kg of items to donate to a home providing that you send them details of the establishment that you want to help. You will need to get the Registration number and a copy of at least the 1st page of the Registration Document. This needs to be sent/fax/handed to Thomas Cook before you arrive at your departure airport. Thomas Cook will then issue you with a reference number to be quoted at your departure airport.

IMPORTANT NOTE:- Whilst I have stated that I have seen the neglect in some establishments for children, by writting the above I have NOT named any such institution and therefore CANNOT be accused of doing so nor can I be accused of relating any of the above to any specific establishment.

There are many good homes in the area but please do be aware of the above.

Regards

Paul

Helping a Children's Home - a few guidelines

A comprehensive and useful entry Paul.

KR

K

Helping a Children's Home - a few guidelines

Thanks

At the end of this coming week (27th March) the annual 2 month school vacation starts. Because of this we will have no children at our Home. This will also happen in many other Homes and Hostels but unlike ours, they may still have a few children present. Schools will be closed but there will be some NGO%26#39;s still operational even if low on numbers - after all, not many children would like to go to or attend class if thier friends are all on holiday.

We try and place our children with a family member, be it one or both of thier parents, grandparents, or aunt %26amp; uncle. This way they do not become institutionalised and/or forget about family life.

On Saturday 28th March we will be having a special holiday lunch along with payasam:-

spicelines.com/2008/07/recipe_creamy_indian_…

Also on this day we are expecting our final visitors for this season.

Then on the Sunday we will transport all the children home, at our own expense, to help save the families further hardship.

Our children will be back around the end of May as schools reopen on June 1st.

However, anyone is still welcome to visit us and anyother establishment as I am sure they will be happy to see you.

Regards

Paul

Happy Children%26#39;s Home - Helper