Vision

To break the cycle of generational poverty and improve satisfaction in life through formal and informal education.

 

Mission Statement

Helping Hands Social Trust believe that education is the key to giving children a chance to make a success of their lives, breaking the cycle of poverty for the children, and for future generations.

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We work with some of the most disadvantaged families, migrants from other states in India, who make a living collecting rags or working as daily labourers. In order to support the family, the children are often required to work from a very young age or are simply left at home alone, with siblings or extended family members where, safety, discipline and stimulation are lacking.

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Our mission is not only to provide formal education, we believe in an holistic approach to caring for our children.  We provide nutritional, health and hygiene support, individual and family counselling, and value the importance of play, creative art, sport, dance, and of simply having some fun in a safe environment.

 

Objectives

Although State education in India is compulsory, it is not enforced, especially for the children of migrant workers. 

 

To attend school, a child must have a birth certificate and pay for their own books and uniforms.  Many of these children do not have their births registered, and their parents often cannot, or will not, pay for the necessary school items. 

 

Many of the children who are of school age will have either never been to school or have attended sporadically and are therefore well behind their peers.

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Helping Hands Social Trust aims to provide under-privileged school age children in the Cunchelim and Karaswada area of the nearby city of Mapusa in Goa with access to state schooling and support them in their studies and wellbeing. 

 

We chose this area because of the prevalence of a high number of migrant workers and their poor living circumstances.  We help the parents to obtain birth certificates for their children, register them with a State school and, crucially, provide them with extra tuition, a safe space, time and support to do their homework and develop as individuals.

 

Helping Hands Social Trust also provide pre-school age children with a day care facility that aims to support them into State education at the appropriate age so that they are not at a disadvantage to their peers when they start school.

 

In addition to education, it is a key part of our aims to provide a social service to these children and their siblings with issues relating to family, health and nutrition.

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We believe in an holistic approach to child care and to this end we provide the children with daily arts, crafts, dancing, singing and games.

 

Our objectives are that all of our children should:

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• Feel Safe

We teach our children to respect one another and their communities. Our aim is to keep them safe from violence and bullying, accidental injury, crime and anti-social behaviour.In our care, we provide them with a safe, secure and stable environment.

 

• Be Healthy

Encouraging our children to be physically, emotionally and mentally healthy through diet, fitness, counselling and wellbeing. Giving them guidance to be aware of and speaking of any health and emotional issues that may arise, taking part in medical treatment, counselling or therapy if and when required.

 

• Enjoy and Achieve

We support our children to have good school attendance and participate in all aspects of the school curriculum to enhance their personnel and social development, giving them the skills to interact with positive peer groups.

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