VILLAGE CHILDRENS HOME - INDIA

Who are we?

Village Childrens's Home is a private effort devoted to the development and sustained operation of an orphanage in Southern India. Head quartered at Machilipatnam, Village Children’s Home & School, is a non-profit, tax exemption charitable Non-Governmental organization, registered in the state of Andhra Pradesh bearing Regd No.101/1988 on 02-05-1988.

The sole purpose of the organization is to provide adequate resource for the health, education and well being of needy children.

Our first project is an orphanage and school located on the coast of Bay of Bengal in the village of Pedagollapalem, Nidamarru hamlet, Kruthivennu Revenue region, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. The village is extremely poor, employment –opportunities are few, and welfare of the children of the community is slight.

VILLAGE CHILDREN’S HOME & SCHOOL is purely humanitarian and is not funded by any religious or political organizations.

Since 1988 we have been able to accomplish many good things but still have far to go. We acquired one and half acres of land on which a building for the home and school, kitchen-cum-dinning hall and residential quarters were built. We provided complete home for 50 children in the past but due to lack of funds at present we are providing to only 15 children.The present thatched roof buildings are designed for 30 resident children only.

How it all began?

Jane Mc Bride, an American school teacher, traveled to south India to have a look at the situation that she came to know Pedagollapalem village (500 meters away from sea) on the sea coast of Andhra Pradesh lay a background community unknown to urban Indians 50 kilometers away from Machilipatnam. Many of the children were hungry, suffering from a variety of diseases, and were receiving a sub-standard education from the government-teacher, who only appeared at the existing school one or two days a week. Although none of the common facilities were available, Ms. McBride left the village a month’s stay, inspired to return with help for the children.

In the later year, she and Mrs.Jhansi Rani, a resident of Machilipatnam founded the village children’s home with local members on the board sand got it registered (Regd No:101/1988) with the State government. Jane raised funds for nearly seven years and thereafter she had to disassociate with the organization due to old age. Later on Mrs. Jhansi, who was a govt. employee left her job and took active role to extend her services to V.C. Home in governing the V C Home independently with help of some of the local Board members

Aims & Objectives

The main objective is to bring around all the people under one flag irrespective of caste, creed, and religion.

To aim bringing out a spirit of oneness. To inculcate a spirit of awareness towards universal brotherhood amongst the younger generation.

To establish and run an orphanage, to admit and look after orphaned children and also needy children, by locating the same at selected places.

To promote and establish technical and job oriented educational institutions by selecting the places.

To open and maintain schools both in English and Telugu media at all stages.

To establish residential 7 Non residential schools for S.C, S.T and backward classes & Minority Communities under poverty line.

To provide vocational Job-oriented Training & Information technology to S.C, S.T, B.C & Minority communities under poverty line.

To provide Technical & Non Technical Trainings to destitute and poor women.

To provide drinking water facilities and to construct low cost houses and sanitary latrines with the assistance of HUDCO, CAPART & HABITAT INDIA.

To establish old age homes in rural and urban areas.

To formulate self help groups, Dwacra agricultural and non-agricultural groups thus develop by their financial assistance through R.M.K, SHIDBI, S.C, S.T & B.C. financial corporations of State & Central Government.

Activities

Ever since the inception of the home, there have been a large number of children benefited by achieving good standard of education in the home. The children of earlier years are settled in life and some are still studying college education. When the home was not there, the children of the surrounding villages of Pedagollapalem got a low standard of education. In this aspect the office bearers and members have strived hard to execute the activities of the home to the utmost administration and satisfaction of the public.

In this region there is none else knowing the existence of VCHome. By virtue of the activities of VCH, it has achieved a good name and fame on the developmental activities that are undertaken from time to time in this society. Thus the society has been catering the needs of orphans, destitute and poor children below poverty line, providing food, shelter, health and clothing & schooling.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOME

In the year 1988, Jane Mc Bride returned to India with $13,000 which she single handedly solicited through private donations given by Americans including many of Indian origin who were interested in her work. A home had been built, a private well dug and an office/ living space for volunteers, who would later come to work with children, had been constructed. The home began serving to 10 boys and 10 girls in August 1988. All children were admitted on the basis of need irrespective of caste or religion. When Ms. Mc Bride left to return America much has been accomplished.

In the spring of 1988 the buildings were finished complete with cement plaster and slate floors. A school room, teacher’s residence, a storage room for provisions and a permanent bath house were built. Electrical connections were completed. An attached school was open and a trained teacher was added to the staff for the twenty resident children and 10 non-resident of our home.

Desks and benches were provided for our pupils and dining tables for our home children. An additional 1.5 acres of land was purchased for the expansion and to plant 100 coconut saplings. Two American volunteers visited our project area with their own expense, staying for four months and trained our children in English, arts, crafts, and track and field activities.

We undertook replacing of roof with steam grass for both the buildings of the home and office space for volunteers. Quarters for water carrier and cook, lavatories and a paddy room were constructed. We added twenty more desks and benches in the school. We purchased 3KV generator, a television and a VCP (Video cassette player) in order to provide audio visual education in the school.

A building for dining hall cum kitchen was constructed as 10 more children are admitted in the home in addition to the existing 20 children.

Renovations of buildings have been done, hence an amount of Rs 2, 00,000/- has been spent over this.

As such the society could bring hope to the coastal villages, which even today is not served by any proper motor transport and provided a home and school for many orphan children. The society wishes to render still better service to the needy and is sparing no effort to cater their needs.

The Campus

In the VCHome campus, the following is the infrastructure and amenities provided.

 A residential thatched roof building for the accommodation of 30 children.

 Residential thatched roof shaped quarters for the teachers, cook and helper and watchman.

 A guesthouse is on the campus for the volunteers or guests.

 A kitchen-cum-dinning hall catering 50 children.

 10 + 10 toilets for girls and boys separately with running water.

 Two toilets for staff and one toilet for guests.

 Solar water heater of 2000lts capacity was provided last year for 24 hours generating hot water, as almost throughout the year the plumbed water in storage tanks becomes cool and the children are not able to tale proper bath.

 We have one 5KV generator working with diesel when there is power off.

Last year we purchased one acre of land adjacent to our existed land and planted vegetable plants & fruit plants.

How can you help?

Our yearly operating budget is INR: 7,00,000/-(Rupees Seven hundred thousand) or USD: 14,000/- covers food, clothes, medical care, education supplies, staff salaries, minor upkeep and traveling and administrative expenses for 50 children per year. The following is the utilization options to donors, who are willing to support: VCHome is exempted under Section 80G of Income Tax Act 1961 from Government of India, which means that all donations to us are tax deductible.

One year of education including books & tuition fee per child INR 2,000/- or $ 40.

One year of health, clothing & personal hygiene for child INR 2000/- or $ 40.

One year of food per child INR 8000/- or $160.

One year of Education, Food, Clothing per child INR 12000/- or $ 240.

Administrative costs like staff salaries, Internet, telephone, water and electricity charges maintenance, traveling and transportation etc is INR 100,000/- $ 2000.

Endowment Fund INR:1,00,000/- or $2000.

Contributions

Volunteer: You are giving yourself when you give your time and skill spending at VCH.

In Kind Contribution: Do you have equipment or goods that might make no difference by contributing the same.

Make cash donations: You can make a tax-deductible contribution to VCH.

Auntie & Uncle Program

Over and the above the terms Auntie and Uncle are used in India for benevolent well wishes. They are people, who have a special in the children of the family and are regarded as extended family members. The children living at Village Children’s Home are Pedagollapalem depend on your generosity for their basic day today necessities like-education and capital projects.

By donating Village Children’s Home, you can become an Auntie or Uncle. The daily cost of feeding a child in the orphanage is slightly more than INR 50/- or $ 1:00 per day and INR 12,000/- per year or $ 260- per year. Where you donate INR 12,000/- or $260- or more you also have the opportunity to correspond with a child you like. You will receive a child’s photograph and one annual progress report. Gifts in any amount to the endowment fund are welcome. This fund will eventually provide for our future self-sufficiency, stipends for high school, college, and vocational & technical education as well as start up funds for our children’s vocations.

Funding categories: -

Patron (INR: 50,000/- $ 1000 or more)

Donor (INR: 10,000/- to 49,999 / $ 600 to $ 999)

Supporter (INR: 5,000/- to 9,999 / $ 100 to $ 599)

Contributor (INR: 10/- to 4,999 / $ 01 to $ 99)

Yes, I want to be an Auntie or Uncle, a part of Village Children’s Home.

 Enclosed is my donation of INR/$: -------------------------

 I am donating INR/$(10,000/600) or more and I do/do not wish to correspond with a child :------------

 I would like to donate INR/$ to the endowment fund:--------

 I would like to host a video presentation please contact me:------

All donations are fully tax deductible. Please make checks payable to Village Children’s Home.

Name ------------------------- Phone/Cell -------------

Address----------------------

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City----------------------state----------------------------Country----------

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There are two ways you can make donations:

1. Make cash donation.

2. Mail your check to :-

President/ Treasurer, Village Children’s Home,

Project Office, D.No:21/527-1, Bhaskarapuram,

Machilipatnam, Krishna district Andhra Pradesh –521002

INDIA.

Phone: +91-08672-228303

Mobile: +919440369809

Send e-mail to: villagechildrenshome@gmail.com

Are we a model for others?

We believe we are a model for rural villages throughout India. We are a small intimate family. We will not allow more than 30 children to reside within each compound. With a small number of residential students we have been successful in structuring our daily activities to reflect a commitment toward strong family and social values. Problem solving and scholastic achievement do not include corporal punishment.

Most of our land is used by our children who maintain a large vegetable garden. The children keep an accounting of the income generated by the selling the produce form the garden, and once a year they use their resources to purchase train tickets for a ten day excursion.

Our Telugu medium school maintains a very high standard. Daily attendance by both resident students and day scholars is mandatory. Examination marks below fifty percent are failing, and proficiency in English as a second language is stressed. After completing Seventh class, vocational training or higher education in a nearby city will be provided. For those who qualify, small business start-up loans will be available.

Pictures of VCHome