Aarti Children's Home and School 2018 update
Kadapa, Southern India
The Rotary Club of Maidenhead has been supporting projects to help Aarti since 2012. Abused, abandoned and orphaned children are given a home and an education by the charity. Aarti becomes their family for life and since the first child was rescued in 1992, these children have been flourishing, gaining qualifications, helping their younger “siblings” and moving out into the world as well informed, highly skilled young women. However, the charity does not stop there. The Aarti family has expanded its work by also supporting the local area, educating the children of impoverished families, training destitute women – often victims of gender discrimination and denied the most basic of rights, to give them work skills, enabling them to become independent and self-sufficient and therefore able to support their own children. Aarti also runs courses to raise awareness of good health, hygiene, women’s rights etc.
Prior to our first involvement in 2012, we had seen for ourselves the conditions in which the rescued children at Aarti were living. They were given love and care, but facilities were basic:
The Rotary Club of Maidenhead has been supporting projects to help Aarti since 2012. Abused, abandoned and orphaned children are given a home and an education by the charity. Aarti becomes their family for life and since the first child was rescued in 1992, these children have been flourishing, gaining qualifications, helping their younger “siblings” and moving out into the world as well informed, highly skilled young women. However, the charity does not stop there. The Aarti family has expanded its work by also supporting the local area, educating the children of impoverished families, training destitute women – often victims of gender discrimination and denied the most basic of rights, to give them work skills, enabling them to become independent and self-sufficient and therefore able to support their own children. Aarti also runs courses to raise awareness of good health, hygiene, women’s rights etc.
Prior to our first involvement in 2012, we had seen for ourselves the conditions in which the rescued children at Aarti were living. They were given love and care, but facilities were basic:
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Above: Rescued children in 2011
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Below: Photos since 2015
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Since the Rotary club of Maidenhead decided to become involved, our fundraising efforts have provided uniforms, furniture, equipment and toilets for the Aarti School.
Meanwhile, a new Children’s Village has been built, where the children now live in smaller family units, each with a “House Mother”. These House Mothers have all previously been girls at Aarti and provide a source of guidance and comfort for their younger sisters, who in turn form support networks for one another. The children no longer need to sleep on the floor, as we have been able to provide beds and bedding. 2018: Our latest support has been to add to the funding for a water project. Kadapa has minimal rainfall at less than 750mm per annum. Aarti is working hard to make the new children’s village self-sustainable by rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling systems. The water is to be collected in tanks, piped underground to a filtering system and then re-used e.g. for the cultivation of vegetables. This farsighted conservation project will not only help to ease the huge financial burden for the Aarti community but also benefit the young people by teaching them the skills to grow their own fruits & vegetables, which will in turn enhance their diet & health for a successful future. |
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