Author: Soumik Dey
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: August 17, 2007
URL: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=251504
The VHP is planning to set up a home at Siddhpur
in Mehsana for abandoned children, senior citizens and women who have been
thrown out of their home, where they would be formed into family units. "Each
child will get a mother and a grandparent. We will adopt the children with
permission from police. In recent years an increasing number of children have
been found abandoned in hospital compounds and public places," says VHP's
sahprant pracharak for Gujarat and Rajasthan, Prakash Sharaff.
Fifty acres of land for the 'vatsalya gram'
has been donated by a California-based Gujarati businessman. The home is expected
to be ready in a few months.
Facilities planned for the 'vatsalya gram'
include separate residential complexes for children, old age home for senior
citizens and a women's home. Each woman will be mother to three-five children,
says Sharaff adding: "This is an unique social concept backed by renowned
psychiatrists." The children will also attend inhouse school where they
will receive education in the subjects they are interested in, he says.
"Ganpat Patel from USA donated the land.
More donations were made by NRIs hailing from Gujarat. We will start the project
in September, following a yagna in Surat as a number of businessmen from Surat
have contributed generously to the cause," says Sharaff.
The concept was formulated by sadhvi Rutumbhara
and a project is already on in Mathura on a ten-acre space. Currently $ 600
is being received as donation per child. Around 120 children have been taken
in at the Mathura home, he said. The VHP had earlier undertaken a similar
initiative for children hailing from troubled areas in the North-East.
