Snehalaya- the home with love
A Better Way of Care
Opened in the second half of this year, our completed Stage One provides for 50 children. When the Final Stage is completed "Snehalaya" will be 'home' to over 200.
For a number of years, doctors at Gwalior Childrens Hospital, visiting health professionals and even volunteers expressed concern at the quality of care they saw at many of the conventionally run orphanages in the Gwalior region.
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And so "Snehalaya" (in Hindi it means "Home -- with Love") came into being.
Already occupying 5 acres of its 15 acre site, "Snehalaya" includes a school for children with special needs, a health and vocational training centre. The aim is to make the children as independent as possible. A Multi-Sensory room has been prepared in the school which will be used for special services to autistic children and those with profound learning, hearing and visual difficulties. This installation is unique --- the only one of its kind in Madya Pradesh and, possibly, in the whole of India.
The main building is a focus for the campus and includes a dining hall, volunteers residence and health centre. There are also five big halls on the ground floor for play, school, physiotherapy and vocational training activities. Additional features already in service include Hydro-therapy, a meditation room under waterfalls and respite care.
Together these services and facilities provide a true 'Care Home' ... a place where disabled and destitute children,. homeless women and the aged can live together with dignity.
As our founder, Dr. B.K. Sharma has said, "We took this big step forward for the sake of children at Mercy Home and those on the streets despite a shortage of funds. We made this decision relying on your generosity and future support as we have received thus far. With help, we will finish Stage Two -- including a hospital -- and reach our goal of housing 200 children."
There's more to be done!
Most important is the construction of more units to bring our residential capacity up to 200 children. We also have planned for a 30 bed hospital with a fully equipped diagnostic unit. We also need to complete our beautiful gardens, playgrounds and sports facilities. We still have to establish our model farm (complete with Gaushala (cow-shelter) which will provide much food for our tables!
The Official Opening ceremony on |
A visit from H.H. Jyotiraditya Scindhia, M. P.and Maharaja of Gwalior. His opinion of our new Care Home was most complimentary. |
Celebrated actor Tom Atler at the memorial to Dr. Meena Sharma who,until her untimely demise, worked tirelessly towards Snehalaya's success |
Planting in Snehalaya's farm --- which provides fresh produce for residents. |
Playing games brings the whole community together |
A meditation grotto beneath a waterfall. |
Our long cherished dream came true on 23rd Aug.06, when “Snehalaya meaning the home with love in Hindi” was opened for its first phase with five cottages, a community centre, school for special needs, multi-sensory room, meditation room under a waterfall with its own farms and gardens spread out over an area of 15 acres. Since then 4000 plants and trees have been planted in the campus. A rose garden has been developed around Dr. Meena Sharma Memorial in the premises and a thirty bedded MSM Rural Hospital has been started there on 23rd Aug.07 within the campus of Snehalaya. We decided to name these facilities in the memory of Meena as it was made possible to bring up Snehalaya only with support of Dr. Meena Sharma Memorial Foundation initiated with the estate left by Meena as per her wishes. At present there are 70 residents in Snehalaya including 38 children, mostly with disabilities and or sickness, where all live together as a family. It also has a poultry, bird house, Cow shed (Gaushala) with its gardens, farms, orchards spread out in an area of 20 acres now. Five more cottages are under construction expected to be ready by May 08, when we will be able to take 40 more disabled and destitute children there. Our target for this year to complete by next year are to complete five more cottages and to establish the school with vocational training facilities for 500 children esp. for girls from surrounding villages, who remain un-educated otherwise undergoing oppression all their life. When completed in few years time, Snehalaya will have residential capacity for 200 children with its own hospital and an integrated school with vocational training facilities. All these services and facilities are open to local community and the people from surrounding villages for day care and or respite care as well to provide for the health care and educational needs.
Progress so far and plans for future-
Over the year a rose garden has been developed around Dr. Meena Sharma Memorial in the premises and it is pleasing to see our rose garden in Snehalaya with blooming roses in different colours around Meena’s memorial now. A thirty bedded Dr. Meena Sharma Memorial Primary Care Rural Hospital has been started there on 23rd Aug.07 within the campus of Snehalaya. We decided to name these facilities in the memory of Meena as it was made possible to bring up Snehalaya only with support of Dr. Meena Sharma Memorial Foundation initiated with the estate left by Meena as per our wishes and full support of our children Juhi and Vivek.
This year we have further planted 4000 plants, trees and shrubs in the campus including teak wood trees on the borders and various fruit plants. Our cow shed and shed for poultry farm is ready too with cows, ducks, geese, hens, cocks and chickens. Soon we will have a bird house too. We are able to cultivate most of the land for farming this year growing mustard, wheat, potatoes, other seasonal vegetables and papaya on site, thanks to all the hard work by our life time volunteer colleague and supporter Mr. Narayanan. Five acres of land has been purchased further for Snehalaya by its founder from his personal money making it 20 acres of available land for the growing needs of Snehalaya now.
Our “Snehalaya, the home with love” Continues to provide a life with happiness and dignity to the disabled and destitute children. Beginning of the year saw our two children winning the Gold Medals in national special Olympic and abilympic games held in South India in Jan.07. Monthly sports day is held regularly in Snehalaya. We hold cultural programme too regularly for the children there. In addition we celebrate all festivals and occasions to let children enjoy happily as much they can as well let them be aware of all religions and occasions. With these aims we celebrate all religions and respective festivals throughout the year without any discrimination or reservations. We celebrated Makar Sankranti, Holi, Diwali, Eid and all the other festivals. Our Souvenir shop and vocational training centre in Snehalaya, brought up with the efforts of our volunteer couple, Sanjay and Mansi Joshi, continues to thrive at Snehalaya, where you can buy or place an order for any handicraft items or services from India to help us in this Endeavour. Hand crafted greeting cards, candles, file covers, bags, cushions and cushion covers and many more items are available made by children with disabilities and also souvenir items of charity with its logo including T-shirts, lapel badges, key rings, pens, Souvenir book etc. Please visit http://gchvols.pbwiki.com where you can see more updates, news, information for various events, participate in discussion or write your views and suggestions as well order for any items from our Souvenir shop.
Christmas and New Year were celebrated in Snehalaya campus in a big way with festivities including sports day and cultural events continuing for more than two weeks with support from local organisations and individuals with Santa Claus from FM 97.3 radio team. All children were invited for lunch and fun activities in Usha Kiran Palace hotel by their staff on 1st Jan. the New Year's Day. We are obliged to GM and other staff members there for their support and helping us in giving these children a life with happiness and dignity. (Here I will like to add that UKPH is the only five star hotel in Gwalior region, which I can not afford personally for myself or rather do not like to waste my own money for such luxuries, but) it turned out to be very good and a successful outing for children there. On 18th Jan.08 we hosted first cultural event with sitar recital by Mr. Bapat, poetry by national fame poet Shri Pradeep Choubey and entertainment by Mr. Mustaq Ali of 97.3FM radio in presence of Mr. Hari Mohan Sharma, the editor of Dainik Bhaskar, the most popular news paper in India, as chief guest. The evening was successful with laughter all-round. Our children enjoyed too and no body could say that these children are same as deprived as they were till only one and half year before. We are obliged for their support and giving their precious time for the sake of Snehalaya and its children.
At present there are 70 residents in Snehalaya including 38 children, mostly with disabilities and or sickness, where all live together as a family. Five more cottages are under construction expected to be ready by May 08, when we will be able to take 40 more disabled and destitute children there. It also has a poultry, bird house, Cow shed (Gaushala) with its gardens, farms, orchards spread out in an area of 20 acres now. Our target for this year to complete by next year are to complete five more cottages and to establish the school with vocational training facilities for 500 children esp. for girls from surrounding villages, who remain un-educated otherwise undergoing oppression all their life. When completed in few years time, Snehalaya will have residential capacity for 200 children with its own hospital and an integrated school with vocational training facilities. All these services and facilities are open to local community and the people from surrounding villages for day care and or respite care as well to provide for the health care and educational needs.
To complete this work our “Sponsor a brick appeal” continues, whereby £5 or $10 or equivalent in any currency pays for one brick with your name on it. £1500 or $3000 will pay for a room and £5000 or $10,000 will provide for a house to accommodate 10 children with their carer parents or consider sponsoring any part of this work as per your preferences. We will be happy to place a plaque with the name of your choice as its sponsor. We also look for sponsors to contribute towards sponsoring individual children in Snehalaya. As per “sponsor a child appeal”, just £20 or equivalent in any currency per month will pay for total maintenance of a disabled child there including home, food, clothes, education and health care with an opportunity to become independent or same can be done for £2000 once in life time. Please help us to provide a new life with happiness and dignity to these children in India. For any questions or further information please write to gwalior.hospital@care4free.net
