The Shishu Mandir Home was established in 1983 arising from the medical care of the doctor couple Mundhra who wanted to provide a secure future for seriously sick children from slum areas where they worked. They started a Home for up to 30 children, as they considered the character of a big family as the best basis for a sound development of these children. Presently there are 30 children out of whom 4 are babies and 26 are in the age group of 6 to 20 years. The relationship of boys to girls is 1 : 2.
Every now and then babies or also bigger children are given to the Home for adoption, since the Home has the licence from the indian government for promoting adoptions. More and more, these children find Indian parents so that a very small number only remains for foreign adoption. Among these children many times there are sick children, children with small handicaps or siblings who should be given to one family. The time for the adoption procedure for Indian adoptions amounts up to 4 months and for foreign adaptions up to 9 months on an average.
All children attend our own school as soon as they reach the school-going age. Afterwards they attend a college or another training institute according to their talents and intelligence. Like this 35 children have finished their professional education and found employment and 19 children are attending a college in order to pursue an academic profession.
One child with a special story (of woe) has been employed at our school as a secretary cum accountant. Her story is told under the name Geetha.
The guidance of the children is in the hands of a team consisting of the Home Mother, the Educator and the Director besides the staff for the cleaning and the cooking.
The space of the Home is very limited. For all the 30 children and the night staff an area of 210 m² is available. Many children have to share their bed with another child, a condition which they accept wholeheartedly. All children possess an own cupboard and a drawer.
The most important feature of the Shishu Mandir Home is the warm and child oriented atmosphere. They experience an attitude of benevolence and understanding which they have never experienced before. There is absolutely no physical punishment. Discipline is achieved by extra works and deprivation of cherished things. They call each other 'Akka' and 'Anna' and develop a feeling of sister and brotherhood between them, which becomes visible, when they leave the Home ultimately. They continue to spend their weekends together. The children are not turned out when they reach a certain age, only when they can stand on their own feet, they are allowed to leave us. Even after that they may temporarily come back, if they face grave conflict situations. Thus, they have a strong support in the Shishu Home which prepares them for life. The safety and security which they missed in their own families they experience in the Shishu Home. It is therefore understandable that some children want to remain in the sphere of the Shishu Mandir Home or School even as professionals.
When a child reveals a special talent, the Home takes all efforts to develop this gift to its full potential. Quite a few children are not endowed with a great learning capacity. For such children a talent in singing, dancing, painting, knitting, embroidery or similar, is of utmost importance. They are given special training in these fields to increase their self-esteem as well as prividing them the possibility of having a much desired side income later on.
Of course, we also have children whose early childhood experiences stigmatise them for life. Such children receive psychological guidance and supervision. They may remain problem persons for ever, but they get every chance for mastering their lives as individuals. In a special case we have been able to promote a girl, whose initial learning capacity gave cause for great concern, up to the level of a teacher and on top she became the speaker of her peers.
Gradually our children enter into the marriageable age, and in January 2003 we already celebrated the first Shishu-Child marriage. Tina, then 23 years old, chose her life partner herself and did not shrink away from marrying a Hindu, though she herself is a Catholic Christian. She was lucky to get her parents’ blessings. Also Viji chose her life partner herself. She married Kamal when she was 26 years old after reaching the qualification of an MCA. Apart from these two girls also one of our boys got married, Swami, aged 25 years and working as an employee of a Verifying Firm. His marriage was arranged.
The Shishu Mandir Home can well be considered as a centre for many ‘lost children’ who received security and strength for their future life and continue to receive this.
January 2010
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