“Giving a home and family to an abandoned child”- This is the aim and distinct concept of SOS Children’s Villages to shape both the present and future of a child who has been deserted by his or her own family.
“Poverty and lack of awareness” are among the major reasons that lead to millions of Indian children being abandoned every single year by their own parents. Their future ends up either by living on the street or working in factories and mines in harmful environment or getting exposed to sexual harassment in a brothel. Their future is enclosed in a world where there is no place for terms like ‘family’, ‘mother care’, ‘siblings love’ or ‘education’.
However, there are many non-government organizations running programs to bring back their childhood and get that love and affection which we get from our family. Among these, SOS Children’s Villages of India is one such name that is a reason behind a smile on the face of millions of destitute children of India.
The term ‘abandoned’ is replaced with ‘blessing’ when a deserted child gets the haven of SOS Village. SOS Children’s Villages of India is a non-government child welfare organization who laid its foundation in 1964. Through its villages spread nationwide, the organization is reaching to several forsaken child of India.
What a child eyes are searching out at a tender age? No doubt, home, warmth of parent’s love, care of siblings and the most important education. SOS Children’s Villages of India is providing the same to millions of abandon children of India.
Recently I made a visit to SOS Children’s Villages of India in Bawana. Their home based concept of child care has taken a shape of 20 villages in the haven where every basic need of a child is fulfilled, and is given a platform standing on which the child grows up as an independent individual.
These 20 villages are not facilities rather 20 families where every child enjoys a home environment, and is nurtured by his or her loving mother (SOS ladies working voluntarily and taking care of these children) and grow up with his brothers and sisters (who are also destitute children). A one glance of such children enjoying every moment of his or her childhood under the social and homely environment reflects their safe and secured future.
The village looks after the growth of small children at this SOS kindergarten, who are shifted to SOS youth house in Sonipat, India for vocational or higher education. The same affection and care given to the children along with a mother looking after them left me overwhelmed. What touched me most is the bonding that all of them shared with their virtual family, which has now become a reality of their life. They are as much attached to each other as we all are with our mothers and siblings. All families staying here have their own schedule, children study in both boarding and day schools. Apart from the 20 family homes, a dispensary, one kindergarten, small library, learning center, community house, a store and staff residences are all that makes the new world for these children. I was amazed when I got to know that uptil now there have been 140 marriages that have been solemnized here.
Their efforts do not here end only. Among their child welfare programs, nutritional and health support, career consultation and job placement programs are among the actively played programs by the organization. The Indian Government has also shown its support for the concept by exempting tax on the donations that will be extended to the organization.
Nevertheless, a lot has been done but still the organization has a lot more to tread on this path of child care which is only possible with our contribution. Our support indeed can make the life of a child to blossom once again. We can also express our care to such children in the form of individual sponsorships, contribution to the education fund or simply by making a donation for an overall development of the children.
