Indian Army Colonel to NGO leader: the story of Colonel Mickie Uberoi of Sant Ishwar Foundation

GHAR is a shelter home that, true to its name, provides a comfortable home and a loving family for children who have been abandoned and left alone with no one to turn to. There are many children across India who are orphaned, abandoned or neglected to the point that they are in need of additional care to ensure their safety and good health. The idea for Ghar as a place of refuge for abandoned girls from marginalized communities was thought of by a group of army veterans led by retired Colonel Mickie Uberoi. 

After decades of serving the nation, these brave and compassionate army veterans saw that innocent abandoned children were not getting the care they needed and to make matters worse, their abandonment placed them at great risk of abuse and exploitation. Colonel Mickie Uberoi and the army veterans decided to form Sant Ishwar Foundation in 2018 to serve the needs of one of the most vulnerable groups of people – the girl child.  

Colonel Mickie Uberoi’s dream

Ghar is the result of Colonel Mickie Uberoi’s dream to start an orphanage and help children in need, from the time he was a teenager. “I was 16 or 17 and a cadet in the National Defence Academy and I remember saying that one day, I would open an orphanage to help children,” he shares. Sant Ishwar Foundation is the result of that dream and has transformed the futures of countless children since Ghar’s doors opened.

At the heart of Colonel Mickie Uberoi’s mission is the firm belief that each child deserves not just shelter and a roof over their heads – but a warm and loving home and caring family members. Being a part of a family is what Colonel Mickie Uberoi always wanted to give abandoned children, so that their futures may be better than the unfortunate circumstances that led to their abandonment. To support Colonel Mickie Uberoi, you can donate here.

Who are the children rescued by Colonel Mickie Uberoi?

The children who are taken in by Ghar have usually been found on the roadside by the police and local authorities and brought to the home. Before being rescued, the children were found roaming the streets and begging for food just to survive. Living alone, the children also have no parental guidance or adults to protect them from the harsh environment of the streets and as a result, many of the children are forced to adopt harmful habits just to cope with their miserable existence.

Colonel Mickie Uberoi shares that the children are in desperate need of urgent nutrition, medical care and protection. These are, therefore, the immediate needs that are tended to when the children come to Ghar. Once they are in a stable physical condition, the team from Sant Ishwar Foundation begins to work with the children and provide a guiding hand to help transform them into healthy young individuals on a path toward a bright future.

Ghar’s care and protection for the children

Ghar’s first concern is to make the children feel safe and comfortable in their new home. Ghar has four dormitories where the children have clean living spaces that allow them the space to recover from life on the streets – a life that no child should experience. The well-balanced meals that the children receive at the home ensure that the years of malnutrition that harmed their little bodies is lessened and the children can grow into healthy young adults with proper nutrition. 

Colonel Mickie Uberoi shares that “if poor children are given the same opportunities that we have been given by our parents,” there is no limit to what they can accomplish. Each of the children are enrolled in school so that they have the academic foundation to build their futures and succeed in the world. All of the children at Ghar are enrolled in English-medium schools except for a few children for whom the transition to English is a challenge. 

“There are girls who come to us when they are 6 or 10 years old who have never been to a school – ever,” explains Colonel Mickie Uberoi. In addition to their classes, Ghar also ensures the children are engaged in activities such as sports, music, arts and crafts, yoga and excursions to provide a holistic educational experience. There is also a library, activities room and computer lab Sant Ishwar Foundation has built a colorful playground in the home where the children can play and enjoy themselves; an important part of childhood that until Ghar, many of them had not experienced. 

The children’s transformation at Ghar

Six years after founding Sant Ishwar Foundation, Colonel Mickie Uberoi looks back on all the children that have come through its doors and marvels at their transformation into cheerful, ambitious and capable young people. When the children first come to Ghar, they are learning to adjust to the fact that they don’t have to feel afraid, beg or spend their childhood homeless anymore. Colonel Mickie Uberoi excitedly shares that “now when you ask our children, they will all say they want to become an army officer, an IAS officer, a collector or a pilot.” This is how the children’s lives have transformed from desperation to dreams. 

Colonel Mickie Uberoi’s appeal for help

“I am only a retired pensioner; where the money to run Ghar will come from is always a big concern for me,” shares Colonel Mickie Uberoi. But with your support, Sant Ishwar Foundation can continue to protect and care for the abandoned girls that are in need of a home and a family after a childhood of abandonment and pain. To support Colonel Mickie Uberoi:

Donate Here

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Shirley Bobby

Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.