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Although A Saga behind Success of Children Home
SAKSHAM Project – Prayatn Varanasi (U.P.)

No one can belief that a child dies from poverty in every 3 seconds - that's 30,000 children each and every day. India has a third of the world's poor - more than any other country and 456 million people, or 42% of the population, live below the international poverty. Estimate shows 18 million are street children and millions more are not in school and are involved in child labour, spending their day on the streets begging, and in the nights sleeping at the side of the road or on railway platforms. These are the reason for PRAYATN to serve for those children who have never dreamt of a good quality education and other basic needs.

Varanasi has a good cultural environment located on the banks of River Ganga is one of the holiest place of India and known as centre of learning and civilization for over 2000 years. Varanasi is also a city of temples and River Ghats. But in other side, socio-economic condition is very poor and the lower economic status deprives the children of several developmental needs and opportunities. The basic facilities like health and education are often neglected. In order to provide an enabling environment for mainstreaming the deprived children, Prayatn have joined their hands with BACK to Life Germany to help the underprivileged children of our country to realize their potential.


Origin and evolution f the Children’s Home

•     This home was started by a loving lady Stella Deetjen (In India known as Tara) from Germany came to India to help some leprosy patients at Dashaswamedh Ghat of Varanasi, and Coined an idea to start a children home for the kids of these helpless people and finally it came out with a name called “Back to life”

•     Her compassionate heart was deeply moved when she Shaw the children of leprosy patient in need and in a very pathetic situation at Dashashwamedh Ghat, the children were absolutely deprived from his childhood necessities. This was the beginning of Children’s Home.

•     Tara’s caring work expanded in scope and in 1992, started with few children in rented house then it shifted to Assi Ghat to accommodate more children, and acquired their own building at NAGWA.

•     In 2008, Prayatn came to serve the children through project SAKSHAM, took building on rent in Mehmoorganj (Varanasi).

•     From handful of children in 1995 in Dasaswamedh to 96 children nurturing their dream, studying in best schools and enjoying the milieu with Special care for the special children and Involvement in extra curriculums activity like Tabla and Kathak, Karate, Yoga, Tye and Dye etc.

Prayatn Children's Home, located at Shivaji Nagar, Mahmoorganj, Varanasi, is a warm and caring center for the destitute and neglected children. Girls and boys are residing in separate homes. PRAYATN Children's Home was registered by State Control Board, of Women and Child Development Department, Uttar Pradesh on September 5th, 2008.
 

Prayatn strives to nurture, protect, care and develop the destitute children who are left in the streets, GHATs of Varanasi, and also children from poor, suppressed by diseases like AIDS, Leprosy, and broken families. Its purpose is to promote the total development of children through loving care in a homely atmosphere with adequate nutrition and healthy social interaction and to educate all children till they are old and mature enough to venture out independently. Currently we have 96 children at Prayatn Children's Home out of which 30 children belong to leprosy patient’s families, 20 are street children, 15 were engaged in begging, and 5 are from those families which are suffering from AIDS. These children are from different age group as well as from different locations and background which is as per the table given …			Scilent Features of Our Children Home
		- - - - - - -	Separate hostels for boys and girls Centrally located, all schools are within reach School bus for the kids to take and drop For elder student separate bicycles are there Tuition classes for every child Separate guard for both the building Separate teacher for special children (for Physically and mentally challenged)

 

Sr.No.	Place of belongingness	Boys	Girls	Total No. of Children
1	BHADOHI	7	13	20
2	SANKATMOCHAN	11	2	13
3	DASHASWAMEDH	13	15	28
4	LUXA	1	2	3
5	NAGWA	3	0	3
6	MAHMOORGANJ	3	0	3
7	DASHASWAMEDH GHAT (Migrant from Bihar)	17	0	17
8	ASSI GHAT	2	6	8
9	MIRZAPUR	1	0	1
Total		58	38	96

Out of 96 Children 58 are boys and 38 are girls below the age of 18 and mostly are from Ghats, temples and streets of Varanasi. So, by the date we have 75 Kids from Varanasi, 20 from Bhadohi District. The number is expected to increase with time but because of resource constraint and our commitment for quality in service for holistic development of the kids, we have restricted to increase the number of kids.

Class wise distribution of kids is very interesting we have only one boy who has crossed the age of 18 and perusing his Bachelor Degree from Banaras Hindu University, Prayatn has provided him all the facility, but accommodating him out side the children home taking care the philosophy and legal implication of the home. Rest children are below the age of 18 and they are getting a good quality education in best schools of Varanasi and performing well at their levels. The below table has been drawn in accordance with the educational level of kids.

Here are some measure activities, being performed by children with support of 41 team members of Prayatn, out of which 20 are female and 21 are male employees. The team comprises 17 teachers (8 subject teachers, 8 skill development teachers along with one special teacher for meditation), Drivers, Kitchen staff, cleaning staff, Nurse, storekeeper, Accountant, Security Staff, Warden, Project level officers and Coordinators. The details of extracurricular activities for children are being organized by the Prayatn on regular basis (Apart from the school level program) to ensure the process of comprehensive development, which’s activity wise detail has been given below -
 

S.No.	Activities	Participants		Total
		Boys	Girls
1	Tie and Die	7	3	10
2	Beads Work	10	6	16
3	Drying	38	58	96
4	Meditation	38	58	96
5	Karate	31	17	48
6	Kathak	2	20	22
7	Tabla	1	3	4
8	Computer	25	25	50
9	Stitching	0	5	5

Now PRAYATN Children’s Home is a sanctuary for many destitute children who are either orphans or whose parents are mentally or physically or socio-economically incompetent to look after their children and all of these children attend school. The main source of income for BACK To LIFE is the donation or the help rendered by compassionate people.