India Can Be a Tough Place to Be a Kid
A merchant noticed the little girl begging outside his store. No more than 10 years old, Chitra was there every day, all alone. He called the place he trusted to rescue her from hunger and the dangers of the street: IGM Children Homes (IGM).
Chitra had to beg after her father died and her mother went missing. She sought refuge at a temple but was accosted there and fled again; she had been on the streets without hope before the merchant made his call.
In a country with few safety nets, Chitra had no choice but to fend for herself. Without a family or adult supervision, she became one of the forgotten ones; completely alone, invisible, and unprotected. Today, IGM is Chitra’s home.
She is safe, nourished, and going to school. Most importantly, she is part of a loving family who know this quiet and hardworking girl is still dealing with traumatic events. Her self-esteem is improving as she heals.
15-20 million abandoned children
India’s growing economy is lifting many families into the middle class, but the nation still has more “street children” than any other country in the world. It is estimated that 15-20 million abandoned children are wandering India’s largest cities with no home, family or future. As well as fighting for day-to-day survival, these children face additional dangers including human trafficking, forced labor, and sexual exploitation.
Love Has Found A Way
Most of us think of poverty as being hungry and homeless. IGM in Tamil Nadu believes the poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is much greater.
IGM provides a loving home to orphaned or abandoned boys and girls. Over three decades, it has saved more than 5,000 children, including more than 2,500 girls. After their rescue, children find a safe and healthy place to live, then experience the healing that comes from being part of a loving family, followed by education and the skills needed to thrive as an adult.
The organization was started by Jacob and Shanthi Williams who planted a church in Chennai in 1975 and took in seven abandoned children. The IGM was incorporated in 1985 and today operates four children’s homes caring for 250 boys and girls; provides vocational programs and higher education assistance to youth; and supports its local community through feeding, medical and emergency relief programs.
It’s All About the Empowerment Curve
A loving home nurtures confidence and self-worth
Then comes education, and the skills needed to earn a living and create a better future.
Opportunities for Girls and Women
Inequality has life and death implications for young girls in India. Many poor girls are killed or abandoned before or shortly after birth. If they survive, their future is bleak with limited access to education and frequently ending in forced servitude, early marriage or prostitution.
IGM was one of the first organizations locally to recognize the unique dangers for women and girls, and to create a separate girls’ home in 1999. IGM remains committed to women’s rights ensuring all the girls have access to education and later the ability to learn marketable skills through higher education and vocational training.
Vocational Training and Higher Education
IGM supports the continued development of its children after graduation by offering support for higher education opportunities. 9 boys are in ITI (Industrial Training Institute), 3 girls are in a staff nursing program and many IGM students graduate from the DMLT program – Diploma in Medical Lab Technology. IGM also provides vocational instruction in carpentry and tailoring to IGM and community youth, teaching the under privileged marketable skills that can enable self-support.