With the dream of giving something back to the society, Captain Kananthanam Joseph Samuel along with his friends and family, started Jeevarathni, a shelter for abandoned kids, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
On a two-acre plot with a farmhouse, the plan of creating a residential complex for destitute children was born. However, the journey has not been an easy one. Joseph managed to motivate and inspire his friends and relatives to support the cause. Among them were Meena and Roland (who lived abroad at the time) who decided to volunteer for administrating the home and give the children much-needed care and guidance for moulding their future.
Michelle Cherian, a trustee, describes the initial entrants, "The first three children were found on the street. Some children were in danger of being sold when we brought them in and 80 per cent of them were girls. One child had two blind parents who were separated, while another girl was sold for prostitution when we rescued her, and yet another girl was from a family whose father, a police officer, killed his own wife. One of the girls at Jeevarathni had her mother being taken advantage of, given money and told to leave. You can find all kinds of heart-rendering stories here."
Having gained standard permits for the home, the organisation is still struggling with approvals and foreign currency permits for donations. The complex has six units that house 10 children each. The kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedrooms are built on the lines of the SOS villages. A 'mother' (housekeeper) looks after the children by cooking meals and sending them to school. The home has invited many visitors from the City who have come to enjoy the company of the children here and teach them. Aloma Lobo, chairperson, Central Adoption Resource Authority says, "This is not like other institutions. It is just like a home for these kids."
For the little ones
Apart from the funds that come from Joseph, friends, and generous individuals, money is also generated through events conducted by Jeevarathni. The trust conducts events like TCS 10K Marathon, Daan Utsav, Under the Stars and a music concert called Shine for Jeevarathni, where children choirs display their singing skills. People contribute for the daily meals of these kids and celebrate their moments of joy with them. Private companies do their bit by helping with solar lighting, general repairs and painting.
The organisation's sole focus is to help these kids get back into the mainstream of education. So, they sponsor two additional teachers in their school to teach them all the necessary skills. A tuition teacher also pays a visit every evening to help them improve their learning skills. Additionally, an IBM-sponsored project helped them improve their reading skills and learn computers. The organisation gets trained in the management of the entire programme that includes 20 minutes each for reading, computer training and craft.
The staff at Jeevarathni also helps the children develop good conversational skills to make them more confident in their classes. As the kids get older, they are put in Sainik School, a boarding school, and their fees is totally taken care of by the organisation. On her association with Jeevarathni, Michelle says, "These children are an extension of our own family and anyone who comes to the home is happy and really feel that the children are well taken care of."
The children at Jeevarathni are a happy bunch today. They are provided with all the necessary support and guidance in order to make their dreams come true. The dedicated efforts of the benevolent team of Jeevarathni are fine examples of how much a society can contribute to the betterment of those in need of help.
You can contact the organisation at info@jeevarathni.org
On a two-acre plot with a farmhouse, the plan of creating a residential complex for destitute children was born. However, the journey has not been an easy one. Joseph managed to motivate and inspire his friends and relatives to support the cause. Among them were Meena and Roland (who lived abroad at the time) who decided to volunteer for administrating the home and give the children much-needed care and guidance for moulding their future.
Michelle Cherian, a trustee, describes the initial entrants, "The first three children were found on the street. Some children were in danger of being sold when we brought them in and 80 per cent of them were girls. One child had two blind parents who were separated, while another girl was sold for prostitution when we rescued her, and yet another girl was from a family whose father, a police officer, killed his own wife. One of the girls at Jeevarathni had her mother being taken advantage of, given money and told to leave. You can find all kinds of heart-rendering stories here."
Having gained standard permits for the home, the organisation is still struggling with approvals and foreign currency permits for donations. The complex has six units that house 10 children each. The kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedrooms are built on the lines of the SOS villages. A 'mother' (housekeeper) looks after the children by cooking meals and sending them to school. The home has invited many visitors from the City who have come to enjoy the company of the children here and teach them. Aloma Lobo, chairperson, Central Adoption Resource Authority says, "This is not like other institutions. It is just like a home for these kids."
For the little ones
Apart from the funds that come from Joseph, friends, and generous individuals, money is also generated through events conducted by Jeevarathni. The trust conducts events like TCS 10K Marathon, Daan Utsav, Under the Stars and a music concert called Shine for Jeevarathni, where children choirs display their singing skills. People contribute for the daily meals of these kids and celebrate their moments of joy with them. Private companies do their bit by helping with solar lighting, general repairs and painting.
The organisation's sole focus is to help these kids get back into the mainstream of education. So, they sponsor two additional teachers in their school to teach them all the necessary skills. A tuition teacher also pays a visit every evening to help them improve their learning skills. Additionally, an IBM-sponsored project helped them improve their reading skills and learn computers. The organisation gets trained in the management of the entire programme that includes 20 minutes each for reading, computer training and craft.
The staff at Jeevarathni also helps the children develop good conversational skills to make them more confident in their classes. As the kids get older, they are put in Sainik School, a boarding school, and their fees is totally taken care of by the organisation. On her association with Jeevarathni, Michelle says, "These children are an extension of our own family and anyone who comes to the home is happy and really feel that the children are well taken care of."
The children at Jeevarathni are a happy bunch today. They are provided with all the necessary support and guidance in order to make their dreams come true. The dedicated efforts of the benevolent team of Jeevarathni are fine examples of how much a society can contribute to the betterment of those in need of help.
You can contact the organisation at info@jeevarathni.org