The Children’s Home

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 maximum 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 3 children of pre-school age. The others 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 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, children with a mental disability or siblings who should be given to one family. The time for the adoption procedure for foreign adoptions amounts to 9 to12 months on an average.

All children – whether they stay with us or go for adoption – 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 15 children have finished their professional education and found employment. 11 further children are attending a junior college. They want to go in for 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 of ladies consisting of the Home Mother 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 fact that it replaces a family to a large extent. The children are not turned out when they reach a certain age, only when they can stand on their own feet, are they allowed to go. 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 and guides them, whenever needed. The safety and security which they missed in their own families they experience in the Shishu Home. It is therefore understandable that some of the 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 improve this talent. Quite a few children are not talented with a great learning capacity. If these children show a particular talent like dancing, painting, knitting, embroidery or similar, these children are given special training in these fields in order to increase their self-esteem as well as the possibility of having a much desired side income later on. In any case the children will obtain a maximum of development in the potential they are endowed with.

Of course, we also have children whose early childhood stage is overshadowed by very traumatic experiences to the extent that they remain stigmatised for life. Such children receive psychological guidance and supervision. They may remain problem persons for ever, but at least they get every chance for mastering their lives as individuals. In a special case we have been able to promote a girl, who initially gave cause for great concern regarding her learning capacity as such, up to the level of becoming a teacher for elementary schools 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, 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.

It does not seem out of place to regard the Shishu Mandir Home as a centre for many ‘lost children’ who received security and strength for their future life and continue to receive this.

October 2007