Charity begins with a home
Are you currently undecided about what you want do when you leave Sixth Form? Looking for a purpose and a reason to get out of bed in the morning? Do you want to do something that will provide you with a sense of achievement? Working with El Shaddai, Year 9’s chosen charity, might be the answer to your problems.
El Shaddai is a charity based in Goa, India, that cares for underprivileged children and orphans in the streets and slums of the city. These vulnerable children are in desperate need of care and support and The El Shaddai Charitable Trust provides medical attention, food, shelter, education, counselling and love for these forgotten children.
These children come from the so-called ‘untouchable’ class. This means they are born into the lowest part of the Indian caste system, an unjust and corrupt system of class that determines from birth what your life and employment chances will be. They do not have birth certificates or any official identity. They are seen as less than human and impure; their basic human rights are often abused.
Rucha, who was taken in by El Shaddai as a child, visited the school recently to discuss her experiences of being cared for and now working for the charity. “We had to travel miles to get water,” she said, reflecting on her early life as a destitute child in Goa. “Street children aren’t seen as real people. They’re just objects in the way. If you go into a village of untouchables and ask someone how old they are, they won’t know. They will simply have to guess,” she added. This is one of the most important things El Shaddai works on, giving the children a sense of individuality. They apply for birth certificates to give each child, they then help them to build an official identity. Afterwards, they provide them with high quality education to enable them to achieve in life.
Rucha’s mother died when she was young and Rucha struggled to look after her brothers and sisters. A local fisherman told her about the charity and she met a volunteer who took them all to a shelter. “When I first arrived I was scared and frustrated,” explained Rucha, remembering her first weeks at the shelter. “I didn’t want to talk to anyone. However, I soon realised that every girl in my shelter was going through the same thing as me, and as I talked more, I made more friends and settled in.”
She talked about how refreshing it was to be finally treated as a human being who mattered and who should be cared for. “We have the same feelings, the same emotions as anyone else and people forget that,” she told us.
The scale and impact of El Shaddai’s work is huge. On average 150-200 children come to their shelters every day.
“There are issues with lots of different languages and religions,” Rucha said, but she believes that is a fundamental strength of the charity. The diversity of the children teaches them acceptance and shows that anyone is welcome if they need help.
Rucha now works as a volunteer and believes the experience is an enriching one that everyone should try.
“There’s nothing like the sense of warmth and achievement you get when you see hundreds of children’s smiles,” she told us. “You really feel like part of the family. You’re helping children build self-worth and self-esteem, which is the most important thing in their lives.”
With El Shaddai, children have been given a life where they will have opportunities and security; with education, support and friends, they are able to look forward to a job and a home of their own in the future.
Unfortunately, the number of vulnerable children is not diminishing.
El Shaddai need your help.
If you would like to learn more about volunteering, or about how to sponsor a street child through El Shaddai, go to www.childrescue.net today.
El Shaddai: loving, caring, sharing.
Abi Epstein, Year 10
El Shaddai is a charity based in Goa, India, that cares for underprivileged children and orphans in the streets and slums of the city. These vulnerable children are in desperate need of care and support and The El Shaddai Charitable Trust provides medical attention, food, shelter, education, counselling and love for these forgotten children.
These children come from the so-called ‘untouchable’ class. This means they are born into the lowest part of the Indian caste system, an unjust and corrupt system of class that determines from birth what your life and employment chances will be. They do not have birth certificates or any official identity. They are seen as less than human and impure; their basic human rights are often abused.
Rucha, who was taken in by El Shaddai as a child, visited the school recently to discuss her experiences of being cared for and now working for the charity. “We had to travel miles to get water,” she said, reflecting on her early life as a destitute child in Goa. “Street children aren’t seen as real people. They’re just objects in the way. If you go into a village of untouchables and ask someone how old they are, they won’t know. They will simply have to guess,” she added. This is one of the most important things El Shaddai works on, giving the children a sense of individuality. They apply for birth certificates to give each child, they then help them to build an official identity. Afterwards, they provide them with high quality education to enable them to achieve in life.
Rucha’s mother died when she was young and Rucha struggled to look after her brothers and sisters. A local fisherman told her about the charity and she met a volunteer who took them all to a shelter. “When I first arrived I was scared and frustrated,” explained Rucha, remembering her first weeks at the shelter. “I didn’t want to talk to anyone. However, I soon realised that every girl in my shelter was going through the same thing as me, and as I talked more, I made more friends and settled in.”
She talked about how refreshing it was to be finally treated as a human being who mattered and who should be cared for. “We have the same feelings, the same emotions as anyone else and people forget that,” she told us.
The scale and impact of El Shaddai’s work is huge. On average 150-200 children come to their shelters every day.
“There are issues with lots of different languages and religions,” Rucha said, but she believes that is a fundamental strength of the charity. The diversity of the children teaches them acceptance and shows that anyone is welcome if they need help.
Rucha now works as a volunteer and believes the experience is an enriching one that everyone should try.
“There’s nothing like the sense of warmth and achievement you get when you see hundreds of children’s smiles,” she told us. “You really feel like part of the family. You’re helping children build self-worth and self-esteem, which is the most important thing in their lives.”
With El Shaddai, children have been given a life where they will have opportunities and security; with education, support and friends, they are able to look forward to a job and a home of their own in the future.
Unfortunately, the number of vulnerable children is not diminishing.
El Shaddai need your help.
If you would like to learn more about volunteering, or about how to sponsor a street child through El Shaddai, go to www.childrescue.net today.
El Shaddai: loving, caring, sharing.
Abi Epstein, Year 10