Chennai - India

Tonga - Help for children in Chennai

Tonga-Südhilfe, a charitable organisation whose activities originally focused on the islands of Tonga, is now involved almost exclusively with restoring dilapidated kindergartens in the Indian city of Chennai (formerly Madras). The kindergartens - or anganwadis, as they are called - are an important refuge for slum children.

Tonga-Südhilfe (Tonga Southern Aid) was founded in 1997. When it started out, the organisation made small donations to provide essentials for needy islanders. Tonga is a symbol of the South Seas idyll - but even in this apparent paradise there are people whom aid never reaches. Today the association steps in to provide disaster relief, for example, whenever one of the inevitable typhoons strikes Tonga.

The association's focus moved to India some time ago. In the metropolis of Chennai, the four major slums are lacking in just about everything. Like everywhere else, those who suffer most are the children. This is where Tonga-Südhilfe sets about restoring kindergartens for the local children.

Since the beginning of 2004 we have handed over two facilities to the parents and their children. A new centre is currently being built. It will house an office for a paediatrician, a meeting room for parents and kindergarten teachers and much more to support the work of the kindergartens.

More pictures to be found here