PROJECTS AT HOPE
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The Home provides a shelter to traumatized children especially those without families.
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To improve traumatized children's emotional, mental and physical health by providing health care and counseling support.
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The unit was set to give employment opportunities to poor adolescent girls.
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24 HOURS child protection program for the deprived children on the streets of Kolkata
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Day care for children of working mothers and Additional learning skills for children in school.
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To identify 15 vocal members of the community who were willing to be involved in building an environment for children’s appropriate development.
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FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
 Dear Friends,
The work of Hope Kolkata Foundation
has continued to grow during the past eleven years reaching out to more children
in need. HKF continues to be committed to working in the areas where we can make
a difference and develop those areas where we can. The modern world invests a lot
in children; they are a subject of much political debate, educational developments,
employment opportunities and markets. Despite this, nearly half of India’s youths
are unable to take advantage of such opportunities; 25% of our nations youths engage
in high risk activities such as consuming alcohol, tobacco and drugs, drug abuse,
delinquency, poor school performance and soon another 25% are at ’moderate risk’;
Almost 1/3 of India’s youth fail to graduate from high school. A quality education
is essential for developing the skills necessary for facing the realities of life,
this may mean learning ’life skills’; Life Skills include communication and interpersonal
skills, self-awareness, empathy, coping with emotions and stress which are all essential
during a child’s formative years.
In India, education is and has always been considered as the key to economic freedom
and the path to success and independence. However the education related stresses
provoked by competitions, proliferated career choices and peer group pressure is
taking it’s toll on urban students. Life Skills training in the homes provided by
psychologists enables the children to make confident decisions an enable them to
realize their full potential, get employment, be successful in managing their families,
household and subsequently giving a meaningful contribution to the development of
society and the country as a whole.
The commitment and dedication of the Hope Staff, volunteers and the community has
brought about visible growth of HKF’s vision; HKF now looks after 10,000 children
and 100,000 people in 14 wards intensively and in a further 20 wards through the
child watch and night round programmes. HKF achieves this through rights based interventions
in education, health, protection, vocational and life skills programmes, self help
groups, child watch, emergency relief and quality care that respects the dignity
of each child, ensuring that each child’s individual value is paramount. To make
the Millennium Development Goals a reality by 2015 we must ensure that individuals
and corporations take responsibility for the quality of individual’s childhood and
adulthood.
Our individual project activities from April 2009 to March 2010, are detailed in
this Annual Report. HOPE is a source or relief and light in the lives of thousands
of children that live in difficult circumstances. Amazing changes have taken place
in Kolkata in the last ten years and this has been achieved with the wonderful support
of international people who have generously raised funds for the children in various
projects, the effects have been wonderful.
We would like to express our gratitude to the community we serve, as well as to
individuals, other network organizations and donors. We are also grateful to Maureen
Forrest, Director of the Hope Foundation, Ireland who has received numerous awards
for her commitment and dedication and Jenny Browne, Our Overseas Director for her
commitment to caring for the needy people. Volunteers, Friends of Ireland (schools,
college, corporate and individuals) and other overseas donors must be thanked for
their constant efforts in raising funds for last ten years. We also like to thank
Irish Aid for supporting Primary Health Care projects, Weight Watchers Ireland for
setting up children's hospital for underprivileged people and EDUCO centre for setting
up an educational outreach programme for adolescent children, for the training centre
and life skill development we would like to thank the Hope Foundation UK group.
We now plan to strengthen our outreach services by working with the numerous high
risk individuals identified by the Child Watch Programme, and we wish to have shelter
home for the mentally ill.
It is in the hands of all the people in this world to make a better place for children
and adults living in difficult circumstances. Together we can ensure that positive
change is possible by giving hope to the most underprivileged and neglected in our
society.
Geeta Venkadakrishnan
Director
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