These Young Ladies Need Your Help!
In 2006, Abode for Children was incorporated as a public charity. Its original project was St. Joseph Orphanage and School in Nigeria, which has since achieved independence under the auspices of the Diocese of Ogoja. The next project was the establishment of St. Thomas Orphanage and Mary Rose Buds School in the Diocese of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, India. After several years of operation, a need was recognized to provide another orphanage for destitute girls. Mother Theresa Orphanage was dedicated in 2014. Ten girls were admitted as boarders, with a view of adding ten more per year, up to the building capacity of sixty. In April 2021, three of these original girls successfully graduated from the 10th Level of Education. |
Recent Improvements to the CampusThanks to our sponsors and other donors, the campus in Cherukupalli, Andhra Pradesh has developed into a high-quality facility. From having the boys’ orphanage, the school and the rectory, the campus has grown to include a parish church, Varala Matha (Our Lady of Graces), a convent, a shrine to Our Lady at the entrance, the girls’ orphanage, and various outbuildings. Recently, under the direction of Fr. Allam Showreddy, reliable clean water has been made available through a new water pump; the grounds have been raised and leveled to correct a flooding problem; buildings have been repaired; the wall near the girls’ orphanage has been raised and grilles added to the balcony to increase security against intruders; and a track and volleyball courts were added. Necessity of a Junior College for GirlsAs previously mentioned, three of the original girl boarders completed their education at Mary Rose Buds School through the 10th grade. We are expecting seven more from Mother Theresa Orphanage this coming school year. These young women have dreams of furthering their education but are prevented by the lack of funds and the rural culture climate. Their families are too poor to scrape the money together to send a girl to secondary education; that money would go to a boy. Girls tend to return to the family to help earn money in some low-level job or else to be married off. This is heart-breaking for talented teens who would love the chance to become a nurse or business major or some other career. Boys are seen as having more potential for raising the family’s circumstances. Girls are a liability. We would like to help girls assist their families, too. Just two more years of education, the 11th and 12th levels, can do so much to improve a young woman’s chances of lifting her family out of dire poverty. Instead of menial labor, working in the local farm fields or a sweat shop, she can actually be employed in an office or other business that pays more than a subsistence wage.
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The new college will be located to the right of the entrance to the school, just inside the wall. The auditorium side will face the road.
The ground floor will contain an office for the principal, a staff room, the library, a computer lab, botany lab and zoology lab. The first floor will have four classrooms and two labs, one for physics and the other for chemistry. The second floor will have the girls’ dormitory and the auditorium. |
Since the plans were drawn, it has been determined that the girls’ dormitory, which is to be on the top left side of the building as seen from the front, will have three toilets and three showers, strictly for use by the boarders. The hall directly to the right of the dormitory will not have restrooms. Anyone in the auditorium who needs to use a toilet will have to go down to the next floor. The dormitory will have private access for the girls only. The ground floor and first floor will both have three toilets each for general use.The auditorium will feature a podium, or stage, for speakers and performances.
Projected Budget for Administration & Maintenance of Junior CollegeAn on-going expense for this project will be the teaching, caregiving and maintenance staff costs. |
Update on Progress!
Currently we have completed phase one and are trying to raise the needed funds for phase two. We need to raise $120,000 by the end of October to keep the project on track for the start of the 24-25 school year. A generous donor is offering to match funds up to $60,000, through the end of October. As of October 16th, we have raised $23,700 toward these matching funds (includes individual donations and $7,500 pledged by Rotary Clubs). We have completed the excavation, footers, and the foundation. Below are some pictures of the progress.
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Give a future and hope to young women in India!