We provide kids in orphanages tools to thrive, learn and develop. Our activities include skate lessons, arts (music, crafts, writing, drawing, dance..), period and sexual harassment education. All of these are focused on helping them release pain and trauma and build a healthy self-esteem and future projection.
We’ve been working at the Sneha Bhavan center in Manipur for 4 years. This home was started as a shelter home by sister Teresa with help from the Little Flower school and doesn’t get help from any organization. Sister Teresa does not want the students to be addressed with the term orphans. The students are from broken families, children born from parents with drug addictions, HIV positive and most of them don’t know who their parents are.
The 120 students are looked after by the sisters and wardens in the shelter home and live with the bare minimum. One of the main focuses of the home is to give the kids education in order to expand their life expectancy and possibilities.
India is a hierarchical society. Individuals are ranked according to their wealth and status, making the girls in the center stand in the lowest of the “social ladder”. We believe it’s only through education and opportunity that these girls will have a chance. We want to bring these tools to them.
The students are not exposed to anything but their usual academic studies at school. The only extra-curricular activity they have had is the skate and longboard lessons we’ve been giving these past years.
All forms of art (writing, dance, crafts, music, dance..) and sports not only provide fundamental tools for development and self-discovery but also healing tools to thrive.
Our aim is to introduce different disciplines to the kids and help them express through them, learn, communicate, expand, heal and help them find their talents.
We also provide menstrual cups and period education to all the girls in the program. Not only the girls deal with the taboo around their periods and lack of information but also the high cost of feminine hygiene products. One menstrual cup can last up to 10 years, making it a great solution.