Deepam Children's projects at Batlagundu
Sr. Jeya works with very poor children in and around Batlagundu. This is her description of the project:-
"WELCOME TO DEEPAM! It is a registered society running for the development and empowerment of Dalits (the lowest caste), including women, children, youth and the poor.
As far as the children are concerned, we help them to develop in educational, mental, physical, psychological and cultural ways. Our children are first generation learners, which means that in their family he or she may be the first person ever to go to school. Thus their parents and older siblings are unable to help them in their studies. So we have started 'after school programmes' for all our Dalit villages - and now have nearly 70 projects running this programme! We have 73 (volunteer!) part-time staff and a coordinator.
Apart from extra tuition and studying, we are teaching them all that is necessary for the holistic growth of each child. We have initiated a 'Children's Parliament' where the child learns to be a real leader and takes social responsibility.
In the summer and all other holidays, we will engage them with a variety of activities to learn, enjoy and contribute their best to society."
We would like to help the DEEPAM team by contributing to the cost of notebooks, stationery etc and for small prizes awarded at their annual 'Children's Day' celebration.
They also help disabled (or 'differently-abled' as they say!) children and also children with AIDS or whose parent(s) have it. They are given both counselling and practical help.
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I joined children supported by DEEPAM in their Pongal (Harvest) celebrations one year. It is a very important festival in the state of Tamil Nadu. Children were invited who would not have otherwise been able to join in celebrations. We had great fun and the highlight was eating Pongal. This is a thick, sticky, sweet concoction made of rice, milk and sugar which was served on a plantain (banana) leaf, along with a small plantain and a piece of sugar cane.
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2011 - £140. 00 donated by Kettering Soroptimists
2013 - We gave £200 to pay for, well whatever they need most to help the children. Thanks to CM for their donation.
2020 - £1500.00 was given along with . . . .
2021 - £2165.32 to help alleviate suffering caused by Covid. Sr. Hilaria sent us lots of photos to show how she spent the money - click on 'Helping: re Covid' to see them!
2022 - £350.00 given