Child Welfare : Project Update 2023-2024
ANNUAL PROGRAMMES:’
1. Nutritional Support for Street Children:
– We support 45-50 street children by providing them with a nutritious meal daily, prepared by the Annamrita kitchen of the Iskcon Foundation.
– Every day, a big container of fresh food, as per the menu decided by the committee, is sent from the kitchen to the Salaam Baalak Chowpatty Centre for street children. This is their only source of nutrition throughout the day.
2. Educational Initiative – Lighthouse:
– Located at Macchimar Colony, Cuffe Parade, Lighthouse enrols 100 children aged 3 to 9 years.
– Since this programme is run in a fishermen community, we also have initiatives for the parents and grandparents.
– 2022-23 marked the sixth year of our programme, achieving our goal of being an English medium programme, with 100% of our students able to understand and speak in English.
Highlights of 2023/24:
– Medical Camps:
– Two medical camps were held, each serving 100 people.
– Taekwondo and Yoga:
– Offered to students throughout the year.
Celebrations:
Independence Day, Republic Day, International Day of Yoga, Grandparents Day, and Sports Day were celebrated.
Camps:
– Diwali and summer camps were conducted.
Volunteer Workshops:
– Volunteers from Hotel Taj President, HR College, Hinduja College, and Xavier’s College conducted workshops.
Field Trips:
– Visits included the CCI Club for a Christmas party, MUSO – Museum of Solutions, Snow Kingdom, and Colaba Woods.
Rotarian Visits:
– Throughout the year, many Rotarians visited our project for short interactions with the children. New Rotarians inducted this year were very happy to see our project and interact with the children, with some joining our committee for the coming year.
Special Celebrations:
– Some Rotarians chose to celebrate their birthdays and special days with our children.
Medical Aid:
– Two cataract surgeries were performed.