Chennai – India

With the financial aid of HelpAlliance the Saranalaya hostel, refuge for abused and neglected girls, could be expanded. This enlargement of the building now guarantees an attendance adequate to the age of the girls.

The Saranalaya project supports a hostel for girls who used to live in the streets or who were neglected by their families and now find a safe shelter.

Once admitted in the hostel the girls start an adequate school education or vocational training the aim of which is to obtain a kind of training adapted to their abilities and producing secure income. Three options are offered: computer, secretarial and tailoring training.

With the financial support of HelpAlliance and the sponsors of “Indian Pillars” the previously very small premises of the hostel could be enlarged. The construction of a second floor will permit in the future a better and age-based care for the pupils and give the more grown-up girls the possibility of some privacy.

Moreover, the sponsors encourage gifted girls to attend a good English school, thus offering them a springboard to a secure and independent future. These are new perspectives they would never have had due to their family backgrounds.

The SARANALAYA hostel is headed by Anbu Illam, the Social Service Society of the Don Bosco Salesians, as well as a generously equipped hostel for boys. Wherever and whenever possible the girls can also use the facilities and equipment of this hostel, e.g the sewing machines.

At the beginning of 2007 the colleagues of the project “Indian Pillars” decided to move all children to these two new hostels. One of the reasons for this transfer was that an optimal care of the “Pillars” children could not be secured any more, because amongst others a change to higher level schools was imminent, however impossible in Mahabalipuram.