International Volunteers at LHCH

Project Summary: Education for Migrant Workers Children in South India

Bangalore (Bengaluru) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is one of the fastest-growing economic centers in India and is known as the "Silicon Valley of India". Bangalore was the fastest growing Indian metropolis after New Delhi for the decade 1991-2001. This city is now the third most populous city in India with a decadal growth rate of 38%.

Since 2001, this kind of development in Bangalore has demanded an increase in masonry and construction workers. These workers come from all over Karnataka State, as well as from the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. These workers – also referred to as 'migrant workers' – move place to place on different projects throughout Bangalore.

These workers are building homes and educational institutional institutes in Bangalore among other sites and don't have proper shelter for themselves nor education for their children.

In 2004, Living Hope Association through its programme, Living Hope Children’s Home (LHCH) started to work to address the problems of these children. At present, the Children Home has about 76 boys and 18 girls in Bangalore, 19 girls in Gauribidanur & 45 boys & 13 girls in Orissa who are provided with food, accommodation, clothing, education and basic health care. The children are enrolled in public schools nearby the centers. They enjoy games and other extra-curricular activities at the center as well in their free time. But the facilities at this center are very limited and minimal.

Living Hope Association creates opportunities for volunteers from India and abroad to give their love, time and money for these children.
Under-graduate students from US, UK, China and Japan have been involved in such programmes in the past .LHCH is always seeking for committed and loving volunteers to India.

We depend on Volunteers to provide exposure to the world for the LHCH children. This is the case for both Indian and International volunteers. The diversity of the volunteers in terms of culture, race, age, education, occupation provide the children with invaluable life experiences. They really do become children of the world.

Most importantly volunteers provide our children with positive role models to aspire, that they lack so severely because of the backgrounds they come from.