Provide vulnerable orphan children permanent, stable, and secure homes

In today's episode, we will learn about the work of 'Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra', an organization set up for the safety, care, and protection of homeless children from birth to six years of age, as well as to provide them with shelter. The 'Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra' was established in 1979 in Pune with the aim of helping neglected infants and children in society. This was a time when the number of such children was much more than the facilities available for such children. The facilities available were not being implemented properly. Due to extreme poverty, lack of literacy, misinformation about personal health and pregnancy, children born out of wedlock and extramarital affairs are found to be destitute and society has a different view of such children and therefore such children were abandoned. For the safety of such children, Mrs Usha Modak, Dr Banu Koyaji and Shri. Gadkari - the trio set up an organization called 'Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra' in collaboration with Holt International Children's Services in the United States. The initiative was later supported by Verden's Barns in Norway. In the present situation, the work of the organization is started with the help of generous people in society and people in the field of industry. The journey started by the organization in a small house has been going on continuously for 42 years now. The organization has branches in Aurangabad, Sangli and Chiplun in Maharashtra. At present, there are 86 children in the institute. The admission process of every child coming to the institution is done by the order of the Child Welfare Committee. The main focus of the project is the birth parents, the families, the homeless children as well as the children in need of care and protection. The following activities are carried out by the organization -

1. Childcare Center: - Every child has the right to live and feel protected. The first 6 years are very important for shaping the growth and life of a baby. Homeless children admitted to the institution are kept in childcare centres. A separate rehabilitation plan is decided according to the needs and requirements of each child. Each baby is cared for separately. Strict care is taken in various ways for the holistic development of children. The following aspects are implemented in the care program. Proper rehabilitation of children through medical care, therapy, counselling, recreation, social skills development, physical and emotional well-being, formal and non-formal education and alternative services.
2. Advice and guidance for virgin mothers and abandoned mothers: - To take care of the physical and emotional well-being of the mother as well as take care of the prenatal and postnatal needs and to rehabilitate the mother and carry out the necessary legal procedures in the best interests of the children through the Child Welfare Committee.
3. Permanent rehabilitation of abandoned children:often these children are underweight and malnourished and they need urgent medical help. To provide immediate medical aid to such children. The legal search process and the search for the families of the children found in a state of neglect, with proper counselling of the parents and the families, handing over the children to the family of birth as and when required. Also to help in times of family difficulties.
4. The organization provides educational assistance to children from class I to XII who are out of school or deprived of education. These children are budding and have a strong desire to get an education. The organization has recognized the importance of higher education in the changing times and accordingly the organization helps and guides the needy and budding children from time to time to get higher education. Thanks to the help and efforts of the organization, many children have become stable in their field of work and the alternative has raised the standard of living of them and their families.
5. Under the Educational Aid and Settlement Development Project, the 'Educational Aid' scheme for low-income out-of-school children in the slums seeks to enable children to grow up in their families through the 'Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra'. At the community level, parental counselling, guidance workshops, library, distribution of educational materials, distribution of bicycles, etc. are carried out.

By the year 2020, the organization has taken care of a total of 6055 children and rehabilitated 4569 children in eligible families through adoption. Also, 629 children have been returned to their birth families. In addition, 274 children have been sent to appropriate institutions for their further rehabilitation. Considering the goals, objectives and values of the organization, society should come forward and give a helping hand to the organization for the protection, care, education and permanent rehabilitation of the needy children in the society. Also, for social projects, 'Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra' needs the community support of all of us.