Problems in India

Many children in India experience different problems at a young age. First of all, child abuse is still a big problem in the country. Some girls but also boys are being sexually abused, traded or used for child labor. In addition, women have less privileges than men. The root cause for most of the problems is the caste system. The population is divided in different castes, which means that people from a lower caste have less privileges than people from a higher caste.

Activities in the homes

In addition to the basic activities such as giving shelter, healthy food, education, homework guidance, they organize other activities. At Paadhai the children can dance, sing and do more serious activities such as group discussions, acting and public speaking. During these activities important issues are discussed, like child labor, sexual abuse and feminism. As a result, the children do not only develop educational skills and they can face a fair competition when applying for a job.

Our experiences

Amal and Sunitha, the founders of Paadhai gave us a good perspective of the Indian culture. We were confronted with the inequalities between men and women, people from different castes and stories about child abuse.

Parents often arrange a marriage for their children. This mostly happens at a young age and without knowing each other, they marry. When married, the woman sometimes doesn’t have the right to speak and stays home to take care of the children and her husband. Through group discussions, acting and public speaking, the children in Paadhai are made aware of this issue. Something that we think is extremely important for the future of these children. Paadhai distinguishes itself in this area comparing to other foundations. Fortunately, you see that Paadhai's children are well-developed and, especially woman, become more independent.

What do they need?

Donations

To cover the costs of running the boyshome and girlshome, they dependent on donations. In addition, Paadhai wants their own building for the boys. Currently they are renting the building, which is very expensive.

Volunteers and Trainees

In addition, there is always a need for motivated volunteers and trainees who could help them with for example, homework guidance, as well as organizing different activities. There is no charge for doing voluntary work. However, you must pay the accommodation costs yourself.

Do you want to do voluntary work, donate or do you want to help Paadhai in another way? Contact us or donate via the form below.