Sponsor quality food and nutrition for abandoned children in a shelter home

Impact

Rani lived with her parents till she was three years old. Her father was the only earning member of the family. **Her mother was blind and took care of the house.** Fate struck hard when her father suddenly passed away. Her mother had no means of livelihood and she had two elder brothers who were not responsible. She sought help to raise the child. The Juvenile Metropolitan Magistrate advised her to enroll her in the shelter home. So, her mother, **keeping Rani's best interest in mind decided to enroll her at the Bal Gruha Home.** Rani grew up in the Bal Gruha with other children like herself. She was given the love and care that she deserved. When she turned 3, she began to go to the in-house Balwadi school. She grew up as an Ashramkanya, as the girls who live in the shelter home are lovingly called. Once she was six years old, she enrolled in a neighborhood school. **She grew up under the care of qualified social workers who nurtured her. They looked after her educational and emotional needs.** Rani completed her Secondary School Certificate exam. She didn't however have interest in academics. She was more creatively inclined and had a good aptitude for drawing and craft. She used to make excellent greetings cards. So, the social workers of the ashram encouraged to learn art and take drawing exams. She continued to stay in the Aadhar Gruha shelter home as she didn't have any family to go back to. **She completed her art exams and started training in embroidery and craft. Upon the advice of the Ashram supervisors she started doing embroidery work at a local shop.** She also started teaching tailoring and embroidery. Her classes became popular in that area and it became her identity. She soon started her own business. As the business grew, she moved from a rental to her own premises. In the course of time, she received a marriage proposal from a teacher in one of the Taluka schools. With the help of Shraddhanand Mahilashram's marriage committee, she got married. Today she is happily married as well as owns her own successful garment boutique. **Many girls like Rani who would have grown up on the streets with no safety or future are now happy and contributing members of the society.** **Your help can make many more abandoned and destitute children like Rani find a safe shelter. You can donate to their food expenses in the shelter home. You can give with confidence because every program listed is [GIVEASSURED](https://www.giveindia.org/giveassured).**

About The Program

Shraddhanand Mahilashram runs a shelter home for abandoned children. They provide shelter, food, healthcare, education and overall development. They aim to give them a normal childhood so that the children can grow to be happy, independent and responsible citizens. The home is also recognized by CARA (Central Adoption & Resource Authority) and works to get the children adopted into good homes. The children are mostly bought in by the Child Welfare Committee or through the police station. The police find the children abandoned in railway stations, bus stations etc. At times, the parents who can't take care of the children surrender them to the shelter home. There are three types of Balgruhas ? $B!F(BPrathamik' for children from birth to 6 years, Kanishtha for children from 7 to 12 years, and Varishtha for children from 13 to 18 years. The girl children stay in the Ashram till the age of 18 years. The boys stay till the age of 6 after which they are referred to other shelter homes. The Ashramkanyas, as the girls in the ashrams are lovingly called, attend different schools in the neighbourhood. Health, well-being hygiene, basic needs, education, food and provisions are provided to the children staying in the homes. They are also coached in many co-curricular activities such as music, dance, and sports. The children also go on educational tours. Many activities like in-house competitions and workshops handicrafts,ceramic painting and mehandi are conducted so they can have holistic development. The Ashramkanyas are grouped in houses and housekeepers are there to supervise them. There are qualified social workers who nurture them and look after their educational and emotional needs. The girls above 18 years attend college or vocational courses based on their interests. They are also married through the Ashram on receiving suitable proposals. This program covers the food and provisions of infants and toddlers who stay in the Bal Gruha homes. It also covers the staff salary which includes Social workers, nurse, attendants, house mothers, as well as electricity and telephone costs. When you donate to this program, you help abandoned and destitute children grow up in a secure and loving environment.

About The NGO

Shraddhanand Mahilashram started in the year 1927 in memory of Swami Shraddhanandji (Munshiram). Starting as a shelter for women, the now have an old age home in Vasai, the Bal Gruha in Matunga, as well as two hostels. Their main programmes include an orphanage and an old age home. The homes have been operational for decades and are run in a traditional set-up. They run a home for girls, as well as boys up to the age of 5, beyond which they are sent to boys' shelters. The orphanage has separate sections for babies, young girls, and older girls who are attending college. Shraddhanand Mahilashram is involved in their entire upbringing, school, college, and even marriage, in care the girls want to get married. The old age home is in Vasai, and has both paying and non-paying beneficiaries. Bal Gruha houses the smallest kids, Adhar Gruha houses the older girls and there is an old age home for women above 60. Shraddhanand Mahilashram works with a vision to help create a world free of destitute women and children.