India is the most populous democracy in the world. It is also the seventh-largest country by geographical area and the second-most populous country. It currently has one of the fastest growing economy in the world but still suffers from high levels of poverty, illiteracy, disease and malnutrition. India is amazingly pluralistic, multilingual and multiethnic society.
ABC Children's Aid India
ABC has been working in India since 1992. The work has been at the Home of the Little Lights in Andhra Pradesh, the El Shaddai children's home in Tamil Nadu and then evening schools for Dalit children.
The Home of the Little Lights
The Home of the Little Lights is located in the city of Gannavaram which is about 20km from the city of Vijayawada in the state of Andhra Pradesh in south-east India.
The home was founded in 1992 by a Christian Indian man who no longer could watch homeless children suffer out in the streets with out doing something about it. With the help of supporters in Iceland, about 2500 children now live in the Home of the LIttle Lights.
The Vocational School of the Little Lights home was built in the year 2003 - mostly from funds raised by Icelandic schoolchildren.
Click here to read a blog from The Little Lights home.
El Shaddai children's home
The El Shaddai children's home is located in the city of Chennai on the east coast of India. Around 150 children live in this home - in a new building which was mostly built for funds raised by Icelandic schoolchildren. There is also a special building for infants.
Eva Alexander is the head and founder of Comforter Ministries that runs the El Shaddai children's home. The children are mostly sponsored by supporters in Iceland.
The Children at El Shaddai praying.
Click here to view a newsletter from the El Shaddai childrens home.
Evening schools for Dalit children
Evening schools for the Dalit children is a very exciting project that ABC is working on in India. Currently there are around 50 such shools in operation. Samuel, the leader of the Little Lights Children's Home has written up an excellent report on this project - click here to read it.
