fulfilling dreams - sos-in-en...them feel at home. children’s club there are three children’s...

Fulfilling Dreams 40 years of SOS Children’s Village Jaipur

YEARS

Building Families for Children for over 50 Years

2 3SOS SOuvenir SOS SOuvenirSOS SOuvenir2 SOS SOuvenir 3


Message from President

It gives me great pleasure to announce that SOS Children’s Village Jaipur is celebrating its 40th anniversary and has documented its journey in a souvenir. It is my honor to witness this day and present this souvenir to you.

Through the years, the Village has provided Family Based Care to many parentless and abandoned children and has nurtured dreams and transformed lives. The Village buzzes with the cheer and laughter of over 180 children today, being raised by loving SOS Mothers in secure

Family Homes. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all Co-workers, Mothers and Aunts, who have showered upon so many children their affection and love, making this journey of 40 years a successful one. I take this opportunity to thank all the Members of the Board of SOS Children’s Village Jaipur, who have lent their support throughout this period.

I would also like to thank our donors and sponsors for their sustained support which has enabled us to strive forward in our mission. May the Village continue to grow from strength to strength, empowering and enabling lives of children along the way.

I wish SOS Children’s Village Jaipur all the very best in all its future endeavours! Keep up the good work and continue to unleash new lease of life to once parentless and abandoned children in the city.

Best Regards,

S. Sandilya President

SOS Children’s Villages of India

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It is my desire to thank all those concerned entities whose guidance, support and inspiration helped us complete our journey of 40 years in long term child care and development. Regrettably, it is not possible to thank everyone in a single page of acknowledgement.

First and foremost I would like to thank the Hon’ble. Governor, Rajasthan, for his valuable words of encouragement on the occasion.

I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Ms. Vasundhara Raje, Hon’ble Chief Minister (Rajasthan) for her amazing motivation which enriched our souvenir. Her valuable endorsement and inspiring guidance were extremely helpful.

My thanks also go to Dr. Arun Chaturvedi, Hon’ble Minister, Social Justice and Empowerment, for his support, motivation; guidance and encouragement in all stages of our work were extremely helpful.

I acknowledge my indebtedness to all of them. I would also like to thank all SOS friends and supporters for making this day special.

Finally, I would like to thank all the Coworkers and support staff of the village for their dedication.

Date: 10th Feb, 2018 (D.R. PURI)President-SOS Children’s Villages Rajasthan

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT


Chapter 1 Organisation OverviewWe are an independent, non-governmental and non-profit organization working for the holistic development of parentless and abandoned children, women and children belonging to vulnerable families. Founded in 1949 in Austria, SOS Children’s Villages began its operations in India in 1964. For over 50 years, we have been reaching out to over 30,000 children and families every year through our 32 SOS Children’s Villages and 32 community projects in India. SOS Children’s Villages of India was established in 1964 at Faridabad near Delhi. SOS India has worked with children, communities, disaster struck and disaster prone areas, giving hope to weary communities and families. SOS India is the largest operation within the SOS International Federation of 134 countries.

Message from Secretary GeneralIt gives me great pleasure to share with you the journey of 40 incredible years of SOS Children’s Village Jaipur. Dedicated since inception to the service of children in need of care, this Village has been a beacon of hope for many since 1978. This souvenir stands as a proof of the remarkable achievements of our Village and how exceptionally it has risen in the ladder of excellence over the years. I convey my deep sense of appreciation to all

Co-workers, Mothers and Aunts who have been working hard and selflessly towards the upliftment of the underprivileged section in our society.

Our Village in Jaipur is a happy home to over 180 once parentless and abandoned children, brimming with laughter and joy. It gives us a great sense of satisfaction and pride to witness our children transform into capable, responsible individuals, contributing meaningfully to society. They assure us that we are moving along the right path!

I congratulate everyone in SOS Village Jaipur for having made this journey of 40 years successful! Our mothers need a special mention, as they have untiringly committed their lives to providing love, care and support to the children and youth in their care. It fills my heart with immense joy to see the growth of these children and how they have not let any obstacle stop them from fulfilling their dreams. I wish everyone at Jaipur Village all the success and glory in all their future endeavors.

May you continue to shine bright!

Best regards,

Anuja Bansal Secretary General

SOS Children’s Villages of India

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SOS Children’s Village Jaipur: GenesisSOS Children’s Village Jaipur, also known as Amar Jyoti Balgram, was established in 1976 in the heart of Jaipur City. This Village was founded as a result of sincere efforts of Raja J.K Atal (ICS Retd.), who donated five acres of land to build the Children’s Village in Jaipur after having visited the SOS Children’s Village in Greenfields. Dr. R.M Kasliwal was also a salient contributor in the process by donating a property in Sanganer, which is a major asset to us. He also devoted energy and care to ensure that the Village came up in time and was of the exceptional quality that would meet the aspirations of its founders. This Village was inaugurated on January 10, 1978 by Dr. Hermann Gmeiner, the founding father of SOS Children’s Villages. Today, the Village consists of 14 Family Homes and two Youth Homes.

On this occasion, Smt. Indira Gandhi also expressed her happiness and made an appeal to the common people. She added, “I hope that the people of Rajasthan will support the work of SOS Children’s Village Jaipur.”

Today, SOS Village Jaipur has completed 40 years of dedicated service to children in need of care and protection. Till now, two generations of children have been well settled and are contributing members of society. We are all very proud of them!


Chapter 2 Family Based Care (FBC)At present, SOS Village Jaipur comprises of 14 Family Homes that look after over 180 once parentless and abandoned children. Each Family Home is headed by an SOS Mother, who ensures a loving, caring environment for a child to grow up in. All children attend regular schools and are provided external tuition support, if required. Festivals of all national and international significance are celebrated with fervor in the SOS Children’s Village.

Admission of Children in SOS IndiaAs per the policy of the organisation, we take a child who does not have anyone to look after and is parentless or abandoned. For the same purpose, a home investigation is conducted as part of which, all relevant documents are collected and maintained as a record. Post this step, an approval from the District Children Welfare Committee is taken for the placement of the child in our organisation. The SOS Mother is always briefed about a new child beforehand in order to make prior arrangements, if any. When a child comes home, a welcoming ceremony is held wherein the mother puts a tilak on the

ProgrammesSOS India has two flagship programmes: long-term Family Based Care (FBC) for parentless and abandoned children and Family Strengthening Programme (FSP), which works towards empowering disadvantaged families in the neighbourhood communities. We are proud that we parent over 6700 children through the Family Based Care and 16700 children through the Family Strengthening Programmes across India.

Geographical Spread


forehead of the new child and distributes sweets among children and other members of the Village.

Quality SettlementAt SOS Jaipur, we provide regular guidance to children and youth to become independent, self-sufficient and participating members of society. SOS India takes all necessary measures to ensure quality settlement of all children.

Various sessions on topics like sex education, importance of health and hygiene in one’s life and HIV/AIDS Awareness are organized in the village to keep our children updated with the ongoing issues in society. Exposure visits are also conducted for children to get hands on experience in fields they wish to make a career in.

Youth HomesSOS Village Jaipur comprises of two Youth Homes which are located at a distance of four km from the Children’s Village. The academic performance of youth living in the Youth Homes has been consistent and satisfactory over the years. At present, sixteen youths are pursuing Vocational Courses and

are performing well.

To encourage our youth and shape them into confident personalities, several programmes and workshops are conducted throughout the year on a regular basis. The objective of these workshops is to inculcate life and soft skills in young, energetic minds. Besides these, awareness programmes on issues like Gender Sensitization, Importance of Health and Hygiene, HIV/AIDS, Importance of Education etc. are also organized for our youth.

Even though the youths stay a little away from the vicinity of the Village, mothers along with the Village Director ensure that they regularly visit their children and engage in celebrations like festivals and their birthdays to make them feel at home.

Children’s ClubThere are three Children’s Clubs in SOS Village Jaipur. The clubs are divided as per different age groups and they are as follows:

1. Junior Club: 6-10 Years

2. Children’s Club: 11-14 years

3. Youth Club: 15-18 Years

These clubs were formed with the motive to engage every child in significant decision making processes within the Village. These clubs organise and hold meetings every month to discuss, assign duties and make strategies for upcoming events. These meetings are headed and facilitated by an education co-worker. In case of any conflict, children and youth are always advised to resolve it on their own without external help. This helps inculcate a sense of responsibility, especially in young children. Only when a problem is beyond help can the children contact their immediate superiors to intervene.


Together We CelebrateAt SOS Village Jaipur, we commemorate days of significance and festivals with enthusiasm and joy. Below listed are some of the highlights from our Village:

(a) Christmas: From decorating our Family Homes to singing Christmas Carols together, children and youth celebrate this festival with utmost joy and excitement with their families.

(b) Youth Day: Every year on December 31st, Youth Day is celebrated at SOS CV Jaipur, where all settled youth come and visit us. They spend the day reminiscing their good old days at the Village and regaining touch with family members and other Village Co-workers.

(c) Environment Day: Children of SOS Village Jaipur celebrate this day with zeal on June 5th. This involves participating in activities like cleaning their surroundings, planting saplings and trees, painting on related issues and much more.

(d) International Day of Yoga: On the occasion of International Day of Yoga, sessions are organized in the Village, where children and youth are imparted knowledge about the importance of Yoga in one’s life. Some of the right ways of breathing and body movements are also discussed and depicted to help them apply it in their own lives.

Holi celebration at SOS Village Jaipur


Swaran Gauri (SOS Mother)

Thankamani Nair (Retired Mother)

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Gauri’s journey in SOS India began on April 24th, 2004. She was initially appointed as a trainee at SOS CV Visakhapatnam, where she had applied for this post in the first place. After staying there for a month, she was later moved to the National Training Centre in Faridabad, where she was further exposed to the roles and responsibilities of an SOS Mother. After completing her training, she was placed in SOS Village Jaipur in House No. 07 as an SOS Mother. At first, she was hesitant and shy but it took her no time to adjust well with her peers. As she got used to her new surroundings, she gained the confidence needed to run and head a family and ensured that she formed strong ties with her children. More than a mother, Gauri was a friend to her children, who felt comfortable sharing everything with their mother. Till date, she has nurtured 18 children out of which, nine are settled in life. At present, she looks after ten children who are all enrolled in formal schools.

Gauri feels thankful to God for having given her the opportunity to work for such a noble cause and be a part of SOS Children’s Villages of India. She adds, “When I was appointed as an SOS Mother, the first thought that struck my mind was how these children were solely my responsibility and I have to ensure their well-being and happiness in the best possible manner. Their future is what I wished to build and I am still in pursuit of the same. Over the years, I have been able to understand children in a better way. I also feel at peace with myself and am emotionally stronger than ever.”

Thankamani Nair was born in a middle class family and brought up in a small village of Kerala with four sisters and one brother. Even though she was always keen to pursue higher studies, she had to earn her living with the help of stitching and tailoring. After years of struggle, her real journey began in 1982 when she came to SOS Children’s Villages of India for the first time. From the moment she set foot in the Village, she knew she belonged there and wanted to spend her life serving many lovely children. Despite not knowing any other language other than Malayalam, she survived and succeeded her way in SOS India over the years.

During the course of her training (1982-1986), she worked with other senior SOS Mothers and gained insights about the roles and responsibilities of an SOS Mother. It was in December 1986 that she was appointed as a mother in SOS CV Jaipur. Since then till her retirement (2016), she has nurtured 25

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Dulfisha (Youth)

children and brought them up with selfless love, care and affection. Today, four of her boys and eight of her girls are married and are doing well in their respective lives. Even today, she is in touch with all her children despite not being in the Village.

Thankamani considers her decision to join SOS India as one of her best decisions so far. She feels grateful for having been given the opportunity to serve many parentless and abandoned children! SOS India is proud to have dedicated mothers like Thankamani.

Dulfisha is a young achiever who played at the Special Olympics World Winter Games held in Austria in the month of March 2017. She, along with other two girls won the Bronze Medal for India in Floor Hockey. She was felicitated at the State Level by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan on August 15, 2017.

Her eyes gleamed with confidence as she received the prestigious honour in the presence of thousands of people, who gathered to applaud the shining star. Her journey was not easy as she was brought to SOS Children’s Village Jaipur at the tender age of six after the death of both her parents. After coming to SOS India, she became an integral part of the SOS Family. She was placed under the care of Ms. Gauri, who selflessly loved the little girl with special needs and welcomed her into her family.

From the very beginning, she showed keen interest in physical activities and was encouraged to participate in sports at various school level competitions. A special coach was assigned to her to help her learn to play Floor Hockey. Under the supervision of the coach, she started wining many awards in various competitions.

The turning point in her life came when she was selected to play Floor Hockey in Special Olympics in the year 2017. The news filled the heart of young Dulfisha with immense joy. For her, it was a dream that was very close to coming true. To this she says, “I achieved this because of my SOS Family and my SOS Mother, who always encouraged me to perform better and do well in life.”

Dulfisha now aspires to participate in the Special Olympics again. SOS India is very proud of her!


Nivedita(Settled Youth)

Purshottam (Settled Youth)

Nivedita came to SOS Village Jaipur at a very early age and was placed under the care of SOS Mother Shakuntala Pandey. Bright and confident, she finished her schooling with flying colours and also completed her Masters in Business Administration (MB) from the Sikkim Manipal University. Today, she is working with Century Infra Power in Jaipur and is doing well. For her success, she gives all the credit to her mother, who stood by her as the guiding light and encouraged her to aim high in life.

Purshottam was just a day old boy when he came to SOS Village Jaipur in 1994. He was welcomed in the SOS Family and was adored by everyone the in the Village. Purushottam was placed under the care of his SOS Mother Anjali Mohapatra, who, at the very first glance of the boy knew that one day he would make everyone proud!

After successfully completing his schooling and college with flying colours, today, the boy has grown up as a healthy, smart young man. He grew up as a hard working child, who performed well in both studies and co-curricular activities. He completing his high school, he pursued his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Rajasthan. Today, he is a Process Associate in Genpact, Jaipur, one of the leading BPOs (Business Process outsourcing) in India. He is also pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) through distance education.

Purshottam often reminisces his days spent in the Village. He says, “I have so many people to thank who helped me turn the way I am today. From guiding me for my future to helping me overcome obstacles and challenges, I am very thankful to SOS India.”

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Kamini was left abandoned soon after her birth outside a nursing home by her biological mother. The girl was found crying outside the gate by one of the staff members of the nursing home. After several efforts to reunite the little child with her family, the doctor decided to reach out to SOS Children’s Village Jaipur.

On coming to SOS Village Jaipur, Kamini was placed under the care of SOS Mother Saibya Majumdar, who lovingly welcomed the girl in her family. As

Kamini (Settled Youth) Hena Pore

(Settled Youth)

Chandralekha(Settled Youth)

she grew up, she showed keen interest in dancing, singing and debating. In addition, she also had good command over the English language. To pursue her schooling, she was sent to Hermann Gmeiner Boarding School in Bhimtal, where she passed her 12th Board Examinations with flying colours (Commerce Stream). Post her schooling, she came back to Jaipur and took admission in International College for Girls, Jaipur to pursue Bachelor’s in Business Administration. She completed the three year long course with Grade A. Along with her regular college; she also did a three month long training course in Banking and Investment and a foundation language course in German language to enhance her skills.

Today, she is working at Deutsche Bank in Jaipur, where she joined as an Associate but got promoted and is now working as an Executive. Kamini says, “It is because of the encouragement and moral support given to me by my SOS Family that I’ve come this far in my journey. I will always be grateful to SOS India for the love, care and support that they rendered over all these years.”

Chandralekha was placed under the care of K. Thankamani Nair, who lovingly welcomed the little girl into her family at a very young age. Right from her childhood, the little girl showed keen interest in academics. After completing her higher education, she pursued a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from IMT, Ghaziabad. Today, she is working with a multinational company in Bengaluru and is doing very well in life. She says, “It is only because of my mother’s love, care and selfless support that I have achieved this much in life. Whatever I am today, it is because of her.”

Hena Pore came to SOS Children’s Village Jaipur when she was only a day old. An energetic child from the beginning, she performed remarkably well in academics. After having completed her schooling from St. Xavier’s Senior Secondary School Jaipur, she pursued her Bachelor’s in Commerce from International College for Girls in Jaipur. During her college days, she joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Air Wings. She was adjudged as the best cadet in the National Air Show in 2006, held at Bengaluru. In the same year,


Sagar (Settled Youth)

khushboo(Settled Youth)

Hena also became the First Woman Cadet from Rajasthan to fly a micro light air craft on the occasion of the Republic Day Parade, which was attended by Shri Manmohan Singh, the then Prime Minister of India. Later in 2010, she cleared the Services’ Selection Board Exam (SSB) and was inducted into the Indian Air Force as a Commissioned Officer. Presently, she is posted as a Flight Lieutenant at the Jamnagar Air Force Station.

Sagar was only a few days old when he was placed under the care of Yashwanti Patel. After completing her schooling from Tagore Public School, Jaipur, he pursued Bachelors in Hotel management from the State Institute of Hotel Management, Tamil Nadu. He completed his course with good grades and then got placed in a three star hotel in Jaipur. He regards his mother as his pillar of strength. He adds, “Whenever I feel demotivated in life, my mother has always encouraged me to get back up and try harder. Whatever I am today, it is only because of my family. ”

Khushboo grew up at SOS Village Jaipur under the loving care of Premwati. After completing her schooling, she pursued a five year long integrated BA (Bachelors in Arts) and LLB (Bachelors in Law) from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. Presently, she is working as a lawyer in a reputed law firm in Jaipur. For Khushboo, her SOS Family, especially her mother is the guiding force in her life.

STOrY BOArD Chapter 3 Family Strengthening Programme (FSP)FSP is a preventive community intervention programme, designed to prevent children from losing parental care and getting abandoned. It empowers children and women from poor and vulnerable cross sections like children of widows, single women or below poverty line families. This programme was initiated in July 2007 in Jaipur. At present, there are about 500 children and 225 youth in 147 families who are enrolled as beneficiaries under our FSP in Jaipur.

In the past ten years of our FSP’s work in Jaipur, 90% families have become self-sufficient and now lead happy, healthy lives without any external support. Under this scheme, children who complete education up to class 10th and 12th become eligible to receive Vocational Training, which helps them acquire basic soft and technical skills.

Another major part of the FSP is Self Help Groups (SHGs). An SHG refers to a voluntary group of men and women coming from similar socio-economic backgrounds who work together to solve common problems through mutual help. This inculcates a sense of responsibility and ownership in people. The effect of this was seen when 27 families constructed in house toilets with the help of their SHGs and the Government to improve their living conditions.

The FSP also offers a number of awareness programmes on topics like Child Rights, Importance of Good Parenting, Gender Issues etc. and capacity building workshops for all its caregivers. In addition, medical health camps are also organised for its beneficiaries.


Sitara

Sitara and her husband live in Basti Sita Rampura, a slum area in Jaipur, located at an approximate distance of five kilometers from SOS Children’s Village Jaipur. Working as daily wage workers, this coupled lived in very poor conditions along with five of their children. They lived in a small room without adequate ventilation and other basic facilities. The family was also found to be anemic and malnourished when examined.

Sitara was a housewife and her husband a daily labourer. Because of his drinking problem, he could not support the family and whatever little he earned, he used to spend it on buying liquor. Sitara alone could not manage three meals for her children and felt miserable. In addition, her children were also not enrolled in school and used to stay at home. To Sitara, their future seemed bleak.

Sitara’s life took a 360 degree turn when she got in touch with SOS Children’s Village Jaipur. It was at this time when SOS India surveyed the families in the location where Sitara lived and enrolled her family in its Family Strengthening Programme. Through the FSP, Sitara not only got support for her children’s education but also for the basic amenities that were lacking in their lives.

In 2014, Sitara became a member of a Self Help Group. She regularly started to attend SHG meetings and soon became an active member of the group. Amidst this, she also requested for a loan to buy a vegetable cart and fortunately, her loan was sanctioned without delay. She started selling vegetables and colonies and areas nearby and to her surprise, her sale reach up to INR 12,000 per month. Her joy knew no bounds as she could never expect this to happen and now, Sitara is able to provide nutritious meals to her children. Additionally, she has also admitted her children in regular schools. Today, her elder daughter Deepa is doing a Computer O Level Course from the Government ITI College. Her other two children Nishu and Sachin are studying in class 10th. Both of them are doing well at school and are hardworking and determined to do well in life.

Sitara’s business is slowly taking her family towards self-sufficiency and she is happy to see the progress so far. Seeing this growth, Sitara’s husband Bhushan Lal said, “SOS India has given us a new lease of life. I have no words to express my gratitude and I will always be grateful for all the support we have received so far.”

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Pooja Patwa

Pooja Patwa is a housewife while her husband is a daily wage earner. Even though they always tried hard to make ends meet, often, they did not make enough to cover their family’s basic needs. With his seasonal and meagre income, it was very difficult for them to take care of their five children. Additionally, her children did not even attend school regularly due to lack of stationery, raw material etc.

When her family first came in touch with SOS Children’s Village Jaipur, they were encouraged a lot and were made to realise their own potential to start with. She got help in opening a bank account and was also given support in providing education and nutrition to their children. As day passed, Pooja began to engage in various awareness programmes organised by SOS India on topics like Gender Sensitisation, Importance of Health and Hygiene, Child Rights etc. She also became a member of a self-help group and got trained on how to lead a stress-free life ahead.

Gradually, Pooja showed her interest in vegetable and fruit selling for which, aid was provided by SOS India. In the meantime, she also started a small petty shop in front of her house to earn some extra income. Her husband looked after the shop while Pooja engaged in the vegetable selling business. Now, they were able to manage their expenses well and things started to shape up in their favour.

Today, Pooja is a role model for many other women in her locality. She is always encouraged to share her experience with other such families to give them hope for their future. She says, “I have developed a habit to save some amount every month now. I do not compromise with the education and health of my children and I feel very happy to see them progressing well.”

To this, her husband adds, “SOS India gave us a new birth. I have no words to thank them for what they have done for us. I will be eternally grateful for their support.”

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SOS SOuvenir26 SOS SOuvenir 27

Playtime in SOS Village Jaipur

YEARS

SOS Children’s Villages of IndiaNational Office - Plot No. 4, Block C – 1, Institutional Area, Nelson Mandela Marg,

Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 110070, India

Tel: +91-11 43239200 Fax: +91-11-43239292Email: [email protected] Website: www.soschildrensvillages.in

SOS Children’s Village JaipurJhotwara Road, Opposite Peetal Factory

Jaipur- 302 016, Rajasthan

www.soschildrensvillage.in www.facebook.com/sosindia www.twitter.com/SOSVillageINDIA www.instagram.com/soschildrensvillagesindia www.youtube.com/SOSCVIndia

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YEARS

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