Acquisition of 5 Acres of Land in Birapratappur, Puri, Odisha (India) for the Construction of an Orphanage, a Child Care Centre and an Old Aged Home

Project location: India, Birapratappur, Puri, Odisha
Project start date: February 2015 - Project end date: March 2015
Project number: 2014-050
Beneficiary: SADHAN

 

SADHAN has been caring for orphans and old aged people for 24 years. In 1991 it established an orphanage in Phulbani, Odisha  (India) to cater to the needs of orphans, destitute and handicapped children. Currently 155 children live at the orphanage.
The orphanage was followed by and Old Age Home and a Medical Centre, which also provides medical care to disadvantaged members of local tribal communities with no access to any other form of medical assistance.
An English elementary school and middle school were later added in order to provided children with the necessary education. All children attend regular classes every day.
The construction and operation of the Phulbani centre was financed by Monaco Aide & Presence (herein after “MAP”), an humanitarian organization established under the patronage of HSH Princess Grace of Monaco and now presided by HSH Prince Albert II. For the last 35 years MAP has funded charitable programs worldwide to support the children and the needy. It feeds, cares and educates more than 6.500 children every day and has chosen to support SADHAN in India for SADHAN’s strenuous commitment to the protection and promotion of the childrens’ right to safety, health and education. SADHAN’s efforts and achievements in this area, are widely recognised and appreciated by the local community and highly valued by the governmental authorities of the State of Odisha.

Odisha is one of the poorest states in India. Orphans are often victims of violence, abuse, sexual exploitation and also targets of criminal organization active in organ trafficking. Aged people are neglected and abandoned when they can no longer care for themselves. Governmental programs to support the needy and marginalized people are insufficient and the population of orphans and destitute children steadily increases. This is particularly true for many female infants who are abandoned on the streets as unwanted. Odisha’s cities like Bhubaneswar, Puri, Berhampur and Cuttack, sadly display many children without any family ties who spend their days and nights in the platforms or on the streets. These children have the right to live, and to do so in a safe and dignified way. The same applies to elderly people who often die alone on the streets without anyone paying attention to them.
The proposed acquisition of the land in Birapratappur and the construction and operation of the Birapratappur centre is designed to provide orphans and destitute children with a secure and caring environment where they can grow up and study. At the same time the aged people will be provided with a place where they can spend the last part of their lives in respectful and serene environment and where they can eventually die with dignity.
In Birapratappur SADHAN intends to replicate the facilities it currently has in Phulbani and operate the Birapratappur centre in much the same way, and with the same objectives, as the Phulbani centre, benefitting from the experience and expertise acquired in over twenty years of successful operation of the Phulbani centre.

As noted above, orphanages, child care centres, and old aged homes are in short supply in the State of Odisha. Both children and the elderly are often neglected, abandoned and abused. SADHAN’s intends to provide both children and aged people with a safe harbor where they can leave. To this end, on the land to be acquired in Birapratappur, SADHAN will build facilities to house 100 children and 50 aged people in two different buildings. Separate quarters will be provided for boys and girls. Additional accommodations are intended for the 30 member staff (20 for the children and 10 for the elderly) needed to care and supervise the children and to attend to the elderly on a 24 hour basis. Additional facilities will include (a) a kitchen and a dining area where children and the elderly can in turn eat their meals; and (b) an elementary school and a middle school, which the children will be required to attend every day, except Sundays, for as long as they live in the Birapratappur centre.
SADHAN has the necessary resources to successfully undertake the project both from an organizational and human resources standpoint.

Organizational: SADHAN is a leading charitable organization in the promotion of socio-economic development and health care in the State of Odisha. Having successfully operated its own child care centre in Phulbani for over 20 years, SADHAN has acquired significant experience in the management of child care centers, which experience will no doubt be properly use for the benefit of the Birapratappur centre.
Human resources: SADHAN’s governing board is comprised of experts drawn from various disciplines (social studies, medicine, psychology) who will contribute, with their respective expertise, to the successful implementation of the project. SADHAN can also count on a well-experienced team of doctors and other paramedical staff who can competently address health issues and provide health related services. In addition, SADHAN also has a structured body of social development professionals, very experienced in early childhood education and children development, areas of the utmost importance when operating a child care centre.

The Nando Peretti Foundation has awarded a grant for this project. The land to be acquired in Birapratappur will allow the construction of an orphanage and an old age home. The orphanage will provide orphans and destitute children with a secure and caring environment where they can grow up and study. The old aged home will provide poor and abandoned elderly people with a safe place where they can live in a compassionate and caring environment and eventually die with dignity. Care and compassion for the underprivileged and marginalized people are the main characteristics of SADHAN, which Father Paul shared with Mather Teresa, whom he had personally known and worked with. SADHAN still maintains a close relationship with the Missionaries of Charity, the religious congregation established by Mother Teresa in 1950, from whom on several occasion SADHAN has received orphans and destitute children to care for.

SADHAN (Society for Accelerated Development of Harijan and Adivasi Nationals)

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