History

The main feature of the orphanage is the unlacking effort of two unique people : Sunitha and Amal Arun.
They used to work as social workers for a convent ‘Mottukal’ in Chennai, but Canadian friends motivated them to start their own shelter.
What is so special about them? They are in a mixed marriage – come from different castes and have a different religion – so they wanted to create a pluralistic home for girls from different backgrounds and that is quite uncommon in India.

Sunitha and Amal graduated in social work and law so if they wanted, they could have the easiest life possible. Yet, they chose differently : coming from a poor background they count themselves lucky to have got the chance to study. That is why they want to return a favour to society.

The couple, together with its two chilren, Nayan and Nilan, live in the slums. Every single day is a struggle to find money for rice and school supplies. They have a few donors in Chennai itself and every day they cross the city in search of money, to try and get reductions for school fees, to get free vegetables at the local market...

Sunitha and Amal themselves do administrative work for other ngo’s in order to earn some extra money. In a way they are forced to do so as they do not belong to a specific religion and therefore do not receive funds from generous religious organisations.

I am amazed about their energy and drive to accomplish their lifework.

Who?

victims of child labour
prostitute’s daughters
street children
divorced parents’ children
children of ill parents, eg aids patients
orphans

Social work in the slum

 financing medical treatment, eg of cancer patients
financing higher education of poor students
information campaigns for and uniting of domestic workers
information campaigns about child abuse
free tuition at the lower caste primary school