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Udayan Ghar Programme

Udayan Care had set up its first Udayan Ghar (Home) for children in 1996 and created its own model of LIFE: Living in Family Environment. This model enables erstwhile children in need of Care & Protection to grow in a loving family environment. In these homes, the children are loved and cared for by a group of Mentor Parents-socially committed individuals (volunteers) who groom the children with a team of Coordinators at homes, along with resident Care Givers, Supervisors, & Volunteers.

These homes are located in busy, middle class neighborhoods, so children can reintegrate themselves into society through direct community involvement which helps in mainstreaming the children ahead. Our children and young adults are receiving quality education in some of the best educational institutions such as: The Sagar School at Tijara, Alwar, Mata Bhagwati school, Genesis Global school, Tagore International School, East of Kailash, Banyan Tree School, Global Indian International School etc and colleges/ universities like College of Vocational Studies, University of Delhi, Hi- Tech Institute of Engineering, Ghaziabad, Punjab University, Lingaya’s University and so on.

Since inception, Udayan Ghars have nurtured over 1020 children with love, care and protection in 16 Homes across 4 states of India. Presently, there are 186 children across all homes. 26of our young adults are also being supported through our After Care Programme.

Expanding its embrace of care and protection to reach out to more children at-risk, Udayan Care has opened 2 new homes (girls Home in Gurugram, Haryana and another one in Vasant Kunj, Delhi) during the period December’18 to February’19, making it to the total of 16 homes.

Workshops/ Activities during this Quarter

During the period of December, 2018 - February,2019,the team continued working for the betterment of children and the programme. The quarter went well with children engaged in preparing for their final-term examination. The quarter brought along some major celebrations including adidas-Udayan Care Winter Carnival and 13^thadidas-Udayan Care Annual Sports Day. Workshops being a monthly affair addressed several concerns pertaining to Children, Care-givers, Mentor Parents and Coordinators and also served for building their capacity.

Workshops were held with all the programme stakeholders (mentors, coordinators, caregivers, and children).In order to strengthen the stakeholders the following workshops were held during the quarter:

December

• Workshop on “Time Management” with Children
• Workshop on “FAIRSTART Training (Phase III), Session III” with Caregivers and Supervisors.
• Discussion on “Understanding Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) as a Mental Health Concern in Alternative Care” with Mentor Parents and Coordinators

January

• Workshop on “FAIRSTART Training (Phase III), Session IV” with Caregivers and Supervisors.
• Discussion on “Preparing Individual Care Plan of Children” with Mentor Parentsand Coordinators.

February

• Workshop on “Care Giving, FAIRSTART Training (Phase III), Session V” with Caregivers and Supervisors.
• Session on “Understanding UdayanGhar Model” with Mentor Parents and Coordinators.

Children don't naturally know how to make good choices. Life skills help children know what to do in everyday situations as well as how to make good decisions about more abstract, long-term choices. Since in a constantly changing environment, having life skills is an essential part of being able to meet the challenges of everyday life, Life Skill workshops at home were also held every other quarter which focused on various subjects like self awareness & self identity, coping with emotions, relationship building, healthy & unhealthy relationships, knowing self, decision making, stress management, healthy habits; family & community, communication and problem solving.

Opportunities, events and outings are some of the things that never end for our Udayan Ghar children. The major recreational and co-curricular events that took place during the quarter include –

Theatre Show by Salaam Balak Trust

Children from Sant Nagar, Mehrauli and Ghaziabad Ghars went to see theatre show by Salaam Balak Trust, a not for profit organization providing residential care to vulnerable children. The play, Street Dreams portrays the story of three children living on the streets and facing various hardships take a call to transform to their destiny with their utmost determination. The skit for the play was written, directed and performed by the alumni and children of Salaam Balak Trust. The children were truly thrilled and motivated after seeing the play.

Christmas Celebration Josh Technology

Our Boys from Gurgaon Ghar were invited for Christmas party by Josh technology at their Head Office in Gurgaon on 21st December’18. Children from other organization were also a part of the celebration. They were engaged in different fun activities. Children danced, got Christmas presents and enjoyed some delicious food. 

Greenlam’s Family Day Celebration

Girls from Ghaziabad Ghar were invited to be a part of Greenlam’s Family Day Celebration on 22nd December’18. Girls performed a skit and were made a part of several games and activities organized by Greenlam. The day ended with presents distributed to the children followed by a mouth-watering feast.

Heritage Walk by Apni Basti Mela

Children from Sant Nagar and Mehrauli Ghars went for a heritage walk in Nizamuddin on 23^rdDecember’18 organized as a part of Apni Basti Mela. The children walked through the medieval settlement area, Nizamuddin, named after the highly venerated 14th century Sufi saint, Nizamuddin, wherein, they saw medieval era tombs, shrines, mausoleums and step-wells.

Adidas-Udayan Care Winter Carnival

The cadre of children and staff across different Udayan Ghars got together to celebrate “Adidas-Udayan Care Winter Carnival– Awaken the Superhero Within” at Jagshanti Udayan Ghar, Greater Noida on 5^th January’19. Loaded with tons of fun, exciting games, mouth-watering eats, beautiful décor and banger that makes anybody dance, the carnival threw some spectacular performances where children dressed as superheroes revealed the colors of their super power to make the world a better place.  They also gave some jaw dropping group dance performance as a part of talent hunt show.

Art Workshop by Art Reach India Foundation

On 12^th January’19, participants of the Artroom Programme by Art Reach India Foundation went for the art workshop where they painted and drew posters and info-graphics inspired from the nature walk held at Lodhi Garden, Delhi.

Republic Day Celebration

Republic Day was celebrated across different Udayan Ghars on 26^th January’19. Each home celebrated the glorious with its own taste where, some sang patriotic songs, participated in quiz and others hoisted flag, made presentation on revolutionaries and shared their stories. The day is celebrated at Udayan Care in order to inculcate patriotism, loyalty and a sense of responsibility in children towards the nation.

13^th Adidas-Udayan Care Annual Sports Day – “Clash of Titans, Let’s settle the score”

Udayan Care organized and celebrated 13^th Adidas-Udayan Care Annual Sports Day – “Clash of Titans, Let’s settle the score” on 10^th February’19. One of the grand events, hosted by Udayan Care and supported by Adidas, Sports Day offers an opportunity for all children and staff across different Udayan Ghars to get together on the same platform and compete against each other in the track & field events with healthy sporting spirit.

Track & Field Event by JyotiYatra

Children from Sant Nagar, Noida Boys & Girls and Mayur Vihar Homes participated in the track and field event, Khelyatra, on 16^th February’19, organized by Jyotiyatra, a not-for-profit, working to promote sports among underprivileged schools and children. Giving a tough fight to the competitors among 20 different teams from various schools and NGOs, our young Udayanites bagged gold and silver medals in 100 m dash, 200 m dash, 400 m relay race etc. under different age categories.

Success Story

“A family beyond family”

A girl child is the god’s greatest gift to the world and, such gifts are to be received with all love, pampered, and cared for and to be nurtured well. But, the fate had it’s own plan for the five little sisters, Neelam, Shalu, Komal, Kanchan and Sheetal, who have been through a traumatic past in their delicate childhood. The mother lost her life while giving birth to the youngest girl, Sheetal, one among the five sisters, rendering them into semi-orphanhood. Their father couldn’t withstand the loss of his wife and sank into severe depression and was diagnosed with Tuberculosis too. Holding his little girls responsible for the misfortune, the father decided to leave the children with their paternal uncle and aunt who showed complete unwillingness to take the poor little girls into their care. The father with the hope to get helped by the children’s maternal grandparents moved to Delhi but, due to financial constraints at their place, the family returned back with a rejection again.

Left with no other options, the father decided to put all his 5 children into Hope Foundation (an adoption home). But, as nobody came forth to adopt the children, they were transferred to Udayan Care in June, 2004, for their long term care and protection.

By this time, children had experienced so much of trauma, neglect and several rejections which affected their delicate childhood, their socialisation process and their mental & emotional well being. The time when these little sisters were supposed to play, learn, to be loved and free from any worry struggled for shelter, their protection and survival.

Neelam, Shalu, Komal, Kanchan and Sheetal were just 14, 10, 8.5, 6.5 and 5 years old respectively when they came at JagshantiUdayanGhar, Greater Noida. They had low sense of self worth, low confidence and limited educational background and often break out into tears for their fate.

With conducive environment at Udayan Care, the girls were nurtured with all the required love, care and affection and they believed that they have found a new family at UdayanGhar. The efforts of the ghar team, that consists of mentor parents, social worker, care staff & mental health professionals, have transformed them into  responsible, independent and confident adults who share their experience of traumatized past without any hesitation.

The sisters were supported through the basic need of love and education too. They were enrolled into best schools and colleges as per their interest and capabilities where they have proved themselves and made some extraordinary achievements ranging from topping the batch to fetching scholarships in renowned institutes.

Today, Neelam is working with IBM an MNC for last almost 5 years. Shalu after working for a year with a pharmaceutical company  Vygon India Ltd. is currently pursuing M. Pharma from Delhi University. She is presently in second year. Komal is working with a leading travel company Airbnb. Kanchan is working with Policy Bazar. The youngest one Sheetal is studying in NIFT, Mumbai on 100% scholarship. Currently she is in second year in Fashion Designing. It is worth mentioning here that Sheetal competed in an All India test conducted by NIFT in 2017 and secured an All India rank of 277.Definitely a very big achievement for her and a very  proud moment for all associated with her.

Moreover, being raised in a family environment and inculcated with the right values, the girls are also supporting and looking after the same old ailing father who had abandoned them once in the past.

Udayan Ghar Programme 

Udayan Care had set up its first Udayan Ghar (Home) for children in 1996 and created its own model of LIFE: Living in Family Environment. This model enables erstwhile children in need of Care & Protection in to grow in a loving family environment. In these homes, the children are loved and cared for by a group of Mentor Parents-socially committed individuals (volunteers) who groom the children with a team of Coordinators at homes, along with resident Care Givers, Supervisors, & Volunteers.

These homes are located in busy, middle class neighborhoods, so children can reintegrate themselves into society through direct community involvement which helps mainstreaming the children ahead. Our children and young adults are receiving quality education in some of the best educational institutions such as: The Sagar School at Tijara, Alwar, Mata Bhagwati school, Genesis Global school, Tagore International School, East of Kailash, Banyan Tree School, Global Indian International School etc and colleges/ universities like College of Vocational Studies, University of Delhi, Hi- Tech Institute of Engineering, Ghaziabad, Punjab University, Lingaya’s University etc. 

Since inception, Udayan Ghars have nurtured over 990 children with love, care and protection in 14 Homes across 4 states of India. Presently, there are 186 children across all homes. 28 of our young adults are also being supported through our After Care Programme.

Workshops/ Activities during this Quarter

During the period of September - November, 2018, the team continued working for the betterment of children and the programme. The quarter went well with children engaged in preparing for their mid-term examination. Workshops being a monthly affair addressed several concerns pertaining to Children, Care-givers, Mentor Parents and Coordinators and also served for building their capacity.

Workshops were held with all the programme stakeholders (mentors, coordinators, caregivers, and children). In order to strengthen the stakeholders the following workshops were held during the quarter:

   September

• Workshop on “Dealing with Depression and Anxiety” with Children
• Workshop on “Child Sexual Abuse & POCSO Act, 2012” with Caregivers and Supervisors.
• Discussion on “Confidentiality” with Mentor Parents and Coordinators

  October

• Workshop on “Understanding Inspections at Udayan Ghars” with children.
• Workshop on “FAIRSTART Training (Phase III), Session I” with Caregivers and Supervisors.
• Interactive Session on “Unpacking Deinstitutionalization in the Context of Udayan Ghars” with Mentor Parents and Coordinators.

  November

• Workshop on “Moral Values” with children
• Workshop on “Care Giving, FAIRSTART Training (Phase III), Session II” with Caregivers and Supervisors.Workshop on “Ghar Expense Analysis” with Mentor Parents and Coordinators.

Children don't naturally know how to make good choices. Life skills help children know what to do in everyday situations as well as how to make good decisions about more abstract, long-term choices. Since, in a constantly changing environment, having life skills is an essential part of being able to meet the challenges of everyday life, Life Skill workshops at home were also held like every other quarter which focused on various subjects like self awareness & self identity, coping with emotions, relationship building, healthy & unhealthy relationships, knowing self, decision making, stress management, healthy habits; family & community, communication and problem solving.

Opportunities, events and outings are some of the things that never end for our Udayan Ghar children. The major recreational and co-curricular events that took place during the quarter include –

Teacher’s Day Celebration
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
-Einstein

Boys from Mayur Ghars (Home 2 & 8) gathered together with staff and mentor mothers to honor and give tribute to their tutors on the occasion of Teacher’s Day, widely celebrated across India on 5^th September’18. The boys honoring their tutors gave handmade beautiful cards expressed their thoughts on the hard work their teachers do to make them excel in life. The day was followed by a dance performance, activities for the teachers and some mouth watering snacks.

Visit to Madame Tussauds Museum
Children and staff from Sant Nagar Ghars (Home 1 & 13) visited Madame Tussauds in CP, Delhi, on 21^st September’18, sponsored by YUM Group. The children and the staff had a wonderful time while looking at the spectacular wax statues of celebrities from Bollywood, Hollywood, Sports and Politics. They also clicked pictures with the statues and enjoyed the day along with volunteers from YUM Group.

Soccer Tournament by Round Table
Team Udayan Care, consisting of boys from Gurugram and Mayur Vihar Ghars (Home 2, 5 and 8), was invited to play a soccer tournament at Plaza Farms, Delhi, organized by Round Table, an organization that promotes the interest of underprivileged children, on 23^rd September’18. Teams from several other schools and organizations participated in the event. Moreover, the event was made special with the presence of some renowned sports personalities that too joined in and played football with the children. The fun was doubled when team Udayan Care after playing several matches against different teams stood out victorious as the sole winner.

Joy of Giving Week (Daan Utsav) Celebration
Each year, Udayan Care celebrates Joy of Giving Week (Daan Utsav) through which children at Udayan Ghars are reinforced with the idea of giving back to the society. The objective of the event is to ensure community engagement of the children as well as developing their conscience.
This year the participation of children across the Udayan Ghars was quite high and the children were actively engaged with the communities around their Ghars. The activities included tree plantation drive, organizing sports competitions and distributing snacks & goodies.

Einstein Hunt Programme
Children from Gurugram and Mehrauli Ghars participated in the Einstein Hunt Programme, a part of Talent Hunt event organized by Cognizant wherein children submitted their working models on Electricity Management, Water Management, Volcanic Eruption and Solar & Lunar Eclipse. Two models on Water Management and Solar & Lunar Eclipse were shortlisted and presented to the National Level Committee and result for the same is still awaited.

Event by Baxter
Every year Baxter Ltd. celebrates its annual day bringing all the employees and their families under one roof. The children from Gurgaon ghar were invited to be part of their celebration among others. The children were engaged in activities such as tattoo making, shooting, football board, remote car racing, and fun house for the smaller kids.

Halloween Night
With a tattooed face, our little wonders from Noida Girls Ghar dressed like cute ghosts went onto enjoy the Halloween Night organized in the ghar itself.

Going Live at VIVO Pro Kabaddi League Season 6
On 2^nd, 3^rd and 8^th November’18, children from Greater Noida, Sant Nagar and Noida Boys and Girls Ghar got an amazing opportunity to watch live kabaddi matches at Shaheed Pathik Stadium in Greater Noida. They also got a chance to cheer and meet their favorite kabaddi players and get exposed to one of India’s oldest traditional sports.

Children’s Day Celebration
The first happiness of a child is to know that he is loved. – Bosco
Every year November 14 gives us an opportunity to look back at our childhood, get our heart filled with all the nostalgic experiences and also enrich the lives of the young ones around us. The day is recognised and celebrated as Children’s Day.
Children’s Day was celebrated across different Udayan Ghars thereby making children feel loved, special and also know the importance of the day. To mark this celebration, the ghar team organised games and other activities such as quiz, dance performance, visit to parks, group song performance etc. for the children. Children also went onto participate in the events organized in school and community.

Tree Plantation Drive by Team HP
On 16^th November, 2018, a team from renowned enterprise Hewlett Packard (HP) headed by the Managing Director, Som, himself visited the Gurgaon ghar to drive a tree plantation drive along with the kids. The team had an interactive session with the kids wherein, they shared some inspirational stories and asked children about their interests, aim and aspirations. The event was followed by some toothsome snacks and a group dance.

Art Workshops by ArtReach India Foundation
ArtReach India Foundation continued to organize workshops for the participants of its Artroom Programme. The children are being oriented towards honing their artistic talent and look forward to a successful career as an artist. During the quarter workshops on different themes relating to music, illustrations and popup art were organized.

Success Story (any one)- 

“The love of the family is life’s greatest blessing”

For 9 long years, Ali was deprived of this blessing! Having lost his way when he was 6 years old, Ali was unable to furnish details of his family before the police. It was then; the CWC decided and placed him in a CCI in Gurugram, where he lived for 8 years before finally being placed to Udayan Care in early 2017. 

On a trip to an amusement park, he mentioned to our Udayan Ghar coordinator that he was familiar with the places en route. This triggered the quest to find Ali’s family, which after persistent efforts met success.

We applaud our team’s continuous and untiring efforts in reuniting a family and hope the best for Hasan, who has now returned to his family.