Living India’s New Website
By Living India on December 8, 2011
Welcome to our new web site. The journey that brought us to this point has been an exciting – sometimes difficult – but always amazing experience in our continued efforts to share our vision of holistic care for HIV-positive orphans in rural India and our goal to be a self-sustaining entity in the next three to five years.
Our facility, Living India’s Home of Hope, is at capacity, now we must turn our attention to long-term goals and programming for the 60 HIV-positive children under our care. Orphan care in India, especially for HIV-positive children whose parents have died of AIDS has a critical component of education. Orphan care is not a permanent solution for our children. The unexpected medical miracle of drugs and their long-term care means they will survive, grow up and they must possess a skill to sustain a life outside on their own.
We have several boys and girls who are 13, 14 and 15 years old. We are hopeful that some will attend college, but many will not. We must provide all of those who cannot achieve an education with a skill that will help them transition from the home to a village in the surrounding community or in a city.
In 2009 we began the process of creating a job skills training program for our home. Working in partnership with other NGOs, church bodies, professional volunteers and local government to initiate job skills programs on site.
We will begin in three main areas including:
- Tailor – 4 sewing machines, 1 teacher
- Computer Skills – 20 laptops, 2 teachers
- Dairy / Poultry barns – 50 cattle, 25 chickens, barn construction
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We have many of our older boys and girls enrolled in a tailoring class. We have one volunteer teacher spending every weekend at the home to teach the kids the basic skills of how to sew clothing, backpacks and other items that can be sold at local markets.
We have 20 laptop computers with Open Office software installed on each one. We currently have two volunteers coming out once a week to first establish competent typing skills and then will move into phase two in 2012 with basic word processing and Power Point training.
We are raising money to build a dairy barn and chicken coop to initiate an animal husbandry program and dairy business. What we do not consume will be sold in the open market. This accomplishes two goals, self-sufficiency and job skills training for our children.
These 60 orphans are going to defy enormous odds and survive in 21st century India. Living India’s pledge has been and will remain, to do whatever is necessary to provide the medical care, food, shelter, and education that each of them requires to have a purposeful life. Supporting an education that permits an HIV-infected orphan to live, as an independent adult, regardless of their HIV status, is our next challenge. Join us in defying even greater odds. Donate now to our Dairy Barn fund or provide school supplies for one of our kids for a year. No matter the amount every single dollar goes to the care and support of our 60 children and the many amazing adults who care for them day in and day out.
