By Richa Wadhera
A few months ago, my sister and I were looking to take a dance workshop at an NGO. A friend of ours introduced us to Udayan Care, and we visited their office and met with some of their team. The workshop didn’t materialize, but we did learn a lot about the organisation’s work, and the amount they have grown, from their first home with 3 little girls back in 1996.
Dignity and self-reliance for the underprivileged. The agenda sounds simple, but is far from to execute on a day-to-day basis. The wholesome development of these children involves so much more than just educating them and giving them a roof over their heads. A lot of these kids come with huge baggage owing to their backgrounds; these stem from abuse, loss, abandonment and neglect. In order to address these, Udayan Care employs a Group Foster Care model, and a strategy they call L.I.F.E {Living In Family Environment}. Established by Dr. Kiran Modi in 1994, today, the movement has spread to 13 Udayan Ghars in Delhi & NCR, Jaipur and Kurukshetra, where 283 children - boys and girls - are being cared for.
What typically happens in an Udayan Ghar? Each ghar is home to between 10 and 15 kids, between the ages of 6 and 18 years. The kids are home tutored to be brought up to speed, and then put into schools {some even into private schools}, so as to be able to learn and engage with peers. During vacations, these kids attend camps for dance, music, art and more, organised by their homes. Some have even gone on vacation to the likes of Singapore and Australia, courtesy corporate partners and international volunteers!
On the home front, the model runs and relies largely on what they call ‘volunteer parents.’ People from all walks of life volunteer to parent these kids as their own – from encouraging them when it comes to education and extra curricular activities, celebrating birthdays and festivals, attending annual days and PTAs, to just being around for a one on one chat. This creates an amazing sense of family, support, love and security for the kids.
Even kids from well to do homes don't have it in them to move out at 18; Udayan accounts for their 18+ kids with an After Care Programme. A home in Greater Noida houses these kids, and some boys even live in independent flats or in college hostels. The focus is to prepare them to be financially independent and self-reliant. Some of these young adults are pursuing professional courses, while others have good jobs in the likes of Amazon and Mariott Hotels. Some girls are married and have even given their Udayan Ghars grandchildren!
Notes in our Little Black Book |
Udayan Care gives orphaned, abandoned and underprivileged children an education, a sense of family, and tremendous hope, equipping them to ultimately take charge of their lives and work towards financial and emotional stability, and become responsible citizens.
Contribute |
Spend time with the kids or share your expertise, even if it is just a few hours in a month. Read about volunteer experiences and get more information here.
You can make a donation for a range of causes, from higher education for a girl, to endowing a meal. Read more here.
Contact | Email them at volunteers@udayancare.org
Find them on Facebook here.
Read more about Udayan Care, and other programmes they have initiated here.
The crew at LBBD has come across some awesome NGOs that support a range of causes. Look out for our featured NGO every month, so you can stay up to date with the incredible work people out there are doing, and contribute in your own way. Until Next Month!