A HOME FOR THE FEMALE CHILDREN OF LEPROSY PATIENTS

ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION

As female foeticide is increasing at an alarming rate, the Balikagram has been set up for the female children of leprosy patients. This institution was founded by Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Mission Board, Kerala in1993. ST.GEORGE BALIKAGRAM is located at Dehu Road on the Pune-Mumbai Highway 28 kilometers from Pune. A modern, well equipped building now houses the Balikagram. An English medium school built for the children also functions in the campus.

H. G Dr. Yuhanon Mar Thevodoros is the President. Very Rev. G.Thomas Kutty Ramban serves as the Director and Rev. Sister Elizabeth as the Manager, Mr. Sajan Thariyan serves as the Treasurer and the day to day affairs areably managed by the convent sisters. Female children of leprosy patients who have not been affected by the disease are admitted to the Balikagram, irrespective of caste, creed or religion.

Key Focus Areas

Over 50 un-affected female children of leprosy patients from 5 years to 20 years of various castes, religion and region are the inmates of this Balikagram. They study in various classes from LKG to Std X at St. George English School, which is managed by Balikagram to provide education to these children up to Std X.

Children who have cleared the Std X are sent to nearby colleges for further education. Two of the inmates of Balikagram are studying for B. Sc nursing and other professional courses in and out station colleges and St. George Balikagram has taken the complete responsibility of educating them.

It gives us immense pride to say that two inmates have completed MBBS and two are studying for MBBS from our sister institution in Kerala.

St. George English School functions in a permanent building admeasuring 15000sqft area. A new administrative cum class-room building admeasuring 9000 sq ft has just been completed. The school has a play-ground of 24000sqft, a library and two school buses.

The school was started with the idea of giving education to the inmates of Balikagram as it was difficult to send the girls to distant schools. At present children of economically backward people of the neighboring villages are also studying here. The school maintains excellent standard both in curricular and extracurricular activities.

OUR OBJECTIVE

Our objective is to transform the afflicted and marginalized girl children of leprosy patients, to provide them necessary facilities and make them responsible citizens of the nation. With the support, help and prayers from the people we are confident of achieving our objective. Since inception we have admitted 152 children to the Balikagram. Of these, 12 have been married off after the completion of their studies and 4 have been provided with houses sponsored by this institution. About 26 children have completed have completed various professional courses (MSC, Nursing, BSC(Nursing), MBA, MBA, BBA, BCOM, BTECH, Visual Technician Course, DEd and working in different regions of India and abroad. Currently, there are 52 children, of whom 10 are enrolled in nursing, BBA, BCOM etc and living in hostels in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. The rest are staying in the Balikgram and completing their studies.

INFRASTRUCTURE DETAILS

The children are accommodated in a magnificent building of 12000 sq ft area on 3.5 acre land. The building has one dormitory and six rooms on the ground floor and three dormitories and two rooms on the second floor, a kitchen, a dining hall, and a store-room and work area.

Vegetables necessary for the Balikagram is cultivated in our own farm. Milk for daily needs of the children is obtained from our dairy. The institution has a jeep for its daily use.