We from Paadhai Belgium aim at an Indian society where deprived children, young people and women in distress are given the right to lead a respectful life without threats from any form of abuse or any form of exploitation.

We want underpriviliged girls to become strong adults. We want to give them the opportunities to have a dignified future by means of providing shelter, education and by supporting serious and durable development projects.

Through financial aid (from gifts or financial adoption) we support shelter and education of Indian girls in Chennai / India.

The aim of our financial help is to increase the chances of development and the chances of a better future for underpriviliged girls as they are the weakest group in society. We put a lot of stress on education so our financial aid is mainly used for school expenses.

Sometimes aid is also extended to improving situations which are linked to educational problems like the home and financial situation of families and trauma handling.

The following key words are essential in selecting and observing the girls who need financial need.

Actual need : this means that without financial help the chances of education would strongly decrease or be non-existing.
Durability : financing should result in a dramatic increase in social opportunities in the long term.
Finite : at a certain moment (eg at the end of their school career) girls who were helped financially should have gained enough qualities to become independent and to build their own future.
Supervision : at any time reports should be available : Is the money well-spent? Is there growth?

By means of close contact between Paadhai Belgium and Paadhai India and by menas of regular visits to Paadhai India it is possible to closely follow-up evolution in the work field itself. Working methods are stipulated by mutual agreement and are verifiable at any time.

Through financial aid (from official subsidy and/or activities) we support serious development projects which benefit underpriviliged children in the slum where Paadhai shelter home is situated.

Financial resources firstly come from subsidy granted by Belgian authorities and secondly from activities (lectures about Indian society, world markets and cultural performances) organised by Paadhai Belgium. Paadhai Belgium decides which project proposals will get financial support. In selecting projects the following key words are taken into account.

Durability : our selected projects should help fulfil an existing need in the long term. We do not simply want to cure symptoms, but we want to offer effective and long-term solutions.
Continuity : our projects function according to our vision and continuing interaction and are therefore verifiable and can be adjusted at any time.
Involvement of the local community : our projects are supported by the local community. We finance projects which help to develop the local people. We do not want ivory towers, but we ideally want the local community to have a say in our projects.
Supervision : projects need to be transparant so that financial transactions and evolution or growth are verifiable.

Once again close contact with the local project leaders is hugely important. At any time we want to be convinced of their motivation and their efforts in good faith. Also supervision of working methods, objectives, professional qualifications and results are essential.

Only if all these conditions are guaranteed, small as well as big projects will be financially supported.

Hilde : creative centipede (She can weld, chisel and do mosaic). In short she is our home artist and designer. But she is a lousy saleswoman! She does not like to sell at our Indian stall.

Erwin : our apprentice Indian cook, makes delicious snacks to spice up our activities and he is responsible for technique (beamer, panels, traffic).

Katelijn : energetic and innovative power, she is marvellous with websites, photography, designing brochures and posters. She adores India, in fact she already fell in love with it 20 years ago.

Els : the starting point, uses her teacher’s skills to the fullest (administration, reports, files, mails). With her enthousiasm she inspires the others.

Joining of the AAS

When I first heard about Sunitha and Amal’s plans to start the building project and when I received a mail with the expenses claim I was a bit worried. How would they manage to find the € 50.000 to cover the costs?
Immediately I decided to go official.

I asked the city of Sint-Niklaas for help and ended up in Anja De Wachter’s office. She is the local official of foreign development and she invited us to join the AAS (Action and Advisory Committee of Solidarity), which is the advisory organisation of the city of Sint-Niklaas, dealing with international and north-south relations.

The AAS is a meeting place to get to know other projects in the south. The exchange of experiences between the different members of the AAS is very fruitful.
Also through the AAS the city offers us facilities eg they help us to find suitable accommodation for our activities.