Support the education of homeless vulnerable children by Sahaara, Mumbai

Support the education of homeless vulnerable children

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This program is fully funded because of donors like you.

Impact

Almost denied the right to education, Rajesh now dreams of a brighter future

Rajesh lived in one of the many slums of Mumbai. His family was impoverished and disadvantaged.

As his family struggled to meet basic needs, education became a luxury they couldn't afford. Little Rajesh stayed illiterate and was at the threshold of becoming a child laborer.

It was then that one of Mahima's staff noticed Rajesh and took him under their care. He was enrolled in the shelter home.

Mahima Home has taken Rajesh into their care. The two house parents and the staff take care of him and nurture him like family.

The shelter home provides him with the right environment for him to develop holistically through a family environment, quality accommodation and above all, access to good English medium education. His basic needs for proper clothing, wholesome nutrition, health care, and emotional care are taken care of.

Rajesh today has a secure family environment and education that nourishes him and helps him hone his talents.

He is a bright child who enjoys learning. He is good at academics as well as sports. He is a confident boy who enjoys making new friends and loves to play outdoor games.

From a boy who was denied his fundamental right to education, he is now soaring towards his future.

You can also help poor children like Rajesh get access to education. You can support organizations like Sahaara help more children who otherwise have no hope of an education. You can give with confidence because every program listed is GIVEASSURED.

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About The Program

What the beneficiary gets
Tuition
School Supplies
Healthcare
What you get
Tax Exemption
Periodic Reports
Program Description

Sahaara's 'Mahima Children's Home' is a shelter for parentless children and children whose parents are unable to look after them. The Home was started in July 1999 with only a couple of children.

Donations to the program contribute to the educational supplies, medical cost, the salary of the shelter home staff and the operating costs of the center for one child.

The home was started with the aim to provide shelter to homeless and desolate children, including street children and neglected slum children.

These destitute children are easy and helpless victims of abuse and bad influences. They are desperately in need of a family, and that is what the Mahima Children's Home provides them.

The home is a haven for boys who are either orphans, have terminally ill parents, or are children of trafficked women who are unable to care for them.

Mahima provides these children with more than just their basic needs. Holistic rehabilitation is offered to fourteen children through a home environment with dedicated caregivers.

The children are provided with English medium education. The energetic and talented boys actively participate and shine in sports and other extra-curricular activities like playing the keyboard and singing.

They play lead roles in school dramas, bag awards, and prizes. Many of the boys from the shelter home have been elected school leaders and sports captains.

Starting with 2 children, the home currently houses 14 children.

When you donate to this program, you give vulnerable children a chance for education that can help them dream of a better future.

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About The NGO

Sahaara, Mumbai
Sahaara, Mumbai Logo
Sahaara, Mumbai

SCS was started when a group of Mumbai citizens felt stirred by the abject poverty and dire needs of the poor in their neighbourhood. Today the work of SCS spans across Mumbai to impact several vulnerable people groups.

Mr. Max Fernand joined Sahaara in July 2012 and is currently its CEO. He began his career in a NGO dealing with education and with the mentally handicapped before joining as foreign exchange broker. He has worked 22 years as a foreign exchange broker and rose from a junior trader to head of a trading desk in a broking house that was among the top three in revenues in the country before joining Sahaara. He was also on the board of Sahaara from 2002 to 2011.

Full time staff - 55

Part time staff - 2

Consultants - 2

Total Receipts for 2015-2016 - INR 47976328

Total Payments for 2015-2016 - INR 42498917

Activities and reach for the latest full Financial Year

Number of children taken good care of and growing holistically - 14

Number of children helped in supplementary education and graduated to the next grade - 153

Number of children growing in awareness and confidence - 14

Number of children taught how to use basic Microsoft Powerpoint, Excel and Word software - 50

Number of children provided with meals during the day resulting in good physical, mental and emotional growth - 14

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founders
Founded in 1991
NGO Leadership

K Xavier Selvan

areas of operation
Area of Operation
Area of Operation

education | children

location of work
Location of Work
Location of Work

Maharashtra

awards
Awards And Recognitions
Awards And Recognitions

2012: Quality Initiative Mission Award 2013 for Innovation and Excellence in School Education

last audited
Last Audited
Periodic Compliance Checks by GiveIndia

Renewals FY 19-20

reporting
Verification Visit Reports
Verification Visit Reports

Verification Report 1

Verification Report 2

Program Updates

Program Updates

22 September, 2023

An update on the program you are supporting

#6

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

Total number of beneficiaries impacted was 19 in Naigaon (Maharashtra)


Challenges faced and next steps

Annual Day was organized in October 2022. 16 parents attended the same. The parents enjoyed watching their children perform confidently on stage.


Stories from the ground

Rohan* is a 12-year-old boy. His mother works in the sex trade in a Red Light Area (RLA). Due to his father�s absence, Rohan�s mother enrolled him in a boarding school. Sadly, due to income loss during COVID-19, his mother was unable to pay his fees. Thus, Rohan was sent off from the school. Rohan wasn�t in a safe place in the RLA, he also had to quit school. He was instead roaming in the area. Through Sahaara staff, his mother learned of Mahima Boys� Hostel. The staff understood the needs and admitted him to the hostel. As Rohan didn�t go to school for nearly 2 years, he lost his academic base. The hostel team helped him prepare for school interview. He did well and got admission in Grade 3 at a nearby English medium school. Because of his experiences, Rohan found it hard to trust people. However, he's improved through daily mentoring & counselling. Rohan likes to play football and is happy to continue his education in a caring environment. *Name changed to protect identity.


21 December, 2022

Provision of education to vulnerable children

#5

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

The red-light areas are a harsh place for any child to grow up in. The high level of exposure to risk and lack of opportunities poses a threat to the child’s future.

Sahaara Charitable Society works with the victims of commercial sex exploitation in red-light districts and runs education centres for their vulnerable children who are prone to abuse, neglect and second-generation trafficking. Through our work in the red-light areas, we identify the most high-risk children of female sex workers and admit them in the Sahaara education hostels with the consent of the mother. Here they are provided with safe accommodation, wholesome nutrition, mental wellness and quality English-medium education. This is undertaken with the goal of offering a safe environment for their holistic development through Individual Care Plans (ICPs). Concurrently, we also work towards reintegrating their parents towards a lifestyle of safety and stability so that the child can ultimately be restored to the family in a 5-year window period. We achieve this through developing and implementing focused Individual Reintegration Plans (IRPs) that ensure literacy and educational support, skills building, and mind-set and behavioural change, leading to safe and stable livelihood opportunities.

At Sahaara, we believe that reintegrating the whole family will break the cycle of abuse and injustice, and lead to lasting change.

About the Education Intervention: 20 children are presently residing in Mahima Hostel and are enrolled in an English medium school. Of this, 2 children were admitted in this academic year. The children actively participate in extra-curricular activities in school and explore their talent. One of the children participated in an Elocution Competition and shared about the Importance of Education. As some of the children are first time learners, the educational foundation is weak. In order to strengthen their educational foundation, remedial education is provided for the children to bridge their grade gap and help them achieve grade level competency.

1 child from Mahima Hostel has been selected for a school scholarship program.


Challenges faced and next steps

Admission of 2 new children in the English medium school was challenging as they could not get through in their written interview in the first two attempts.

For the next six months, with regards to education, our goal is to ensure that the children are able to cope with their syllabus and to ensure remedial education for children in need of academic improvement.


Stories from the ground

Dinesh* is 14 year old, semi orphan child. When he was very young his mother ran away leaving him and his elder brother with his father.

As his mother left, his father got very disturbed and suffered from depression. This led him to be unable to work on a regular basis. Dinesh’s grandmother found it difficult to manage the house by herself. However, the family was managed to survive with help from their relatives. During this time Dinesh and his brother were roaming with a bad company of boys.

Through a social worker the family came to know about Sahaara Hostel and enquired about Mahima Boys’ Hostel. After thorough background check, Dinesh was admitted into the hostel.

At the hostel he was homeschooled for a few months as he was very weak in studies. The Hostel team helped him practice reading and writing so that he was prepared well for the school written interview. He did well in the written interview and got admission in 4th grade at a nearby English medium school.

Through various interventions at the hostel, he is doing very well academically, physically and psychologically. He got acceptance in the hostel by the staff and children for which he was longing. Seeing him in a safe place, his father has also improved his mental health and has started working as plumber.

Dinesh is doing very well in the hostel. Now he is in the 7th Grade and doing well academically.

*Name changed to protect participant identity.


30 June, 2022

Provision of education to vulnerable children

#4

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

About Mahima Boys’ Hostel: The red-light areas are a harsh place for any child to grow up in. The high level of exposure to risk and the lack of opportunities pose a threat to the child’s future.

Sahaara Charitable Society works with the victims of commercial sex exploitation in the red-light districts and runs education centers for their vulnerable children, who are prone to abuse, neglect, and second-generation trafficking.

Through our work in the red-light areas, we identify the most at-risk children of female sex workers and admit them to the Sahaara education hostels with the consent of their parents. Here they are provided with safe accommodation, wholesome nutrition, mental wellness, and quality English-medium education. This is undertaken with the goal of offering a safe environment for their holistic development through Individual Care Plans (ICPs).

Concurrently, we also work towards reintegrating their parents towards a lifestyle of safety and stability so that the child can ultimately be restored to the family in a 5 to 7 year window period. We achieve this through developing and implementing focused Individual Reintegration Plans (IRPs) that ensure literacy through educational support and skills building, and the development of a responsible mindset through behavioral change, leading to safe and stable livelihood opportunities.

At Sahaara, we believe that reintegrating the whole family will break the cycle of abuse and injustice and lead to lasting change.

About the Education Intervention: Presently, there are 20 minor boys in the Mahima Boys Hostel. Out of those, 19 boys are enrolled in Girija Mhatre English High School and 1 boy is being home-schooled as he joined in December 2021.

The children are provided with educational tabs required to attend online classes. These tabs have been installed with device management software to ensure the safety of the device and to keep children from facing any online risks. They are also provided with educational materials like notebooks, textbooks, and stationery.

As schools started to reopen, the younger boys were very excited to wear uniforms and go to school for the first time since the pandemic. Since there are many new admissions in Mahima Hostel this year and children come from weak academic backgrounds, we realised the need for remedial education. Hence, we have employed a tuition teacher for the children to be able to cope with their studies.


Challenges faced and next steps

Most of the children had gone home for the Diwali break, and because of that, they were unable to concentrate on their studies after coming back to the hostel.

Also, a couple of children came back late from their Diwali break and thus missed the first few days of school.

Since there are many new admissions in Mahima Hostel this year and children come from weak academic backgrounds, we realised the need for remedial education. Hence, we have employed a tuition teacher for the children to be able to cope with their studies.

In order to ensure the safety of the children going to the school premises, we are providing them with masks and sanitizers.


Stories from the ground

Rohan is a 13-year-old, young and healthy boy. His mother is originally from Punjab. One day, his dad abandoned the family and left Rohan and his mother to fend for themselves. With no other alternative to feed herself and her child, Rohan’s mother got into the flesh trade in a redlight area. His education was also discontinued due to this situation.

As the redlight area is not a safe space for a child to grow, Rohan’s mother requested Sahaara staff to admit him to Mahima Boy’s Hostel. Rohan was then admitted to the hostel in July 2021. Once he was in the hostel, he was also admitted to the nearby English-medium school.

Rohan has been attending school on-site on alternate days. He was glad that he could continue his education. Rohan was also provided with the required support by the warden and the tuition teacher to help him perform better academically. Sahaara’s vision is to fulfill the dreams of the vulnerable and marginalized. Rohan was sure that he could now fulfill his dream of becoming a policeman with grit and determination.

*Name changed to protect participant identity.


28 November, 2021

Provision of education to vulnerable children

#3

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

16 Boys are currently present in the hostel at Vasai, Maharashtra. All 16 boys got admission to Girija Mahatre English High School. The overall academic records of the boys are good despite being new to the online mode of education. The required books for school were purchased at the beginning of the year and some stationary requirements like pens, pencils, drawing books, handwriting books, etc. have been bought regularly.


Challenges faced and next steps

New children didn’t have their documents and due to that, the school admission was quite challenging. However, we got all the children admitted to the school. We presently have 20 children in the hostel and will be providing them with a school education.


Stories from the ground

Anil* is a 10 years old lively boy studying in the 3rd grade. Earlier he used to stay with his mother in Bhiwandi. She stays in a rented home. She was brought into the sex trade by a woman from Kolkata. Anil’s mother is one of the beneficiaries of Sahaara’s reintegration program. During one of the mentoring sessions, she requested to admit Anil into Mahima Hostel. She realised his potential and wished for a better life for her child. Anil was then admitted to Mahima hostel and subsequently admitted to school. There has been an improvement in his height and weight. Anil is very good academically. His performance in school is excellent. Anil can now foresee a bright future for himself and has a keen interest in his education.


23 March, 2021

The future is still bright

#2

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The boys of the home have had to stay in the home once the lockdown came into full effect in March. All the boys got promoted to the next class. However, once school began, they have been attending classes online. This became a great requirement for any child who needed to stay in school and be up to date with their studies. The children were provided with tabs to attend their individual classes and to be able to submit their homework online.


Even the tuition moved to an online mode. All the teachers would work at assigned times to help the children cope with the educational needs. Sahaara believes in excellence and hence, every means required to help the boys achieve this excellence is provided. There is one teacher who comes home to teach them.
Going to school is not just an exercise in academics but also to build our inter-personal relationships and social skills. This has become a strained exercise with the boys having little to no contact with the other students from their school. In their case, thankfully they still have each other to build on these skills.


Their academic record in general is good. One of the boys who had joined 2 years ago struggled initially, but is coping with his studies now, with the help of tuition provided to him. The online studies are still hard to cope with in general and the children find the classes slow - very un-interactive. It cannot replace the human interaction that is such a dire need for all of us. However, their results have still been modest on the whole. Their academics have not suffered as much and we believe that they will continue to grow within their current environment. Their required books for school were purchased at the beginning of the year, though some stationary requirements like pens, pencils, drawing books, handwriting books, etc. have been bought regularly.- Extra tuition and study time during the lockdown has helped them be able to build on other literary skills.



5 August, 2020

Filling the young bright minds with knowledge

#1

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Filling the young bright minds with knowledge




The children perform exceedingly well at school and extra curricular activities, after having met their nutritional needs,
The boys are being given food as per the Menu set by the nutritionist.
The children are healthy and involved in Sports and Co-Curricular Development:
2 boys received Certificates for coming 1st in different Running Races in School.
2 boys received Certificates for coming 1st and 2nd in ‘Langdi’ Race in School.
1 boy received a Certificate for coming 1st in Marble and Spoon Race in School.


Providing a safe and a homely place to live for these children, makes them competent in their studies and other activities.
15 boys are provided with all basic necessities of education, clothing, toiletries, safe and hygienic accommodation.
The children were also provided with mentoring and counseling support.
6 children are being tutored to play musical instruments.
The boys did flower plantation drive in the residential society gardens.



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