Deepalaya - Enabling Self-Reliance

On 30th April 2007 Deepalaya celebrated another milestone by inaugurating the Girls Hostel at Deepalaya Gram, Gusbethi, Haryana. The hostel caters to run away girl children, children of sex workers, children whose parents are HIV positive and for many other poor and marginalized sections of society. Impressed with the work of Deepalaya, the Japanese Embassy and the Foundation India Run (Netherlands) supported the construction of the Hostel. The children are rehabilitated emotionally, socially and vocationally and are able to join the mainstream of society. Ultimately, they will be able to become economically self reliant and as responsible members of society.

The inaugural ceremony of the hostel was presided over by District Commissioner Gurgaon, Shri C R Rana, Ms. Fazia Tiwarie from the Foundation India Run and her family, Mr. H. S Doon, the SP, delegates from the Embassy of Japan and 82 representatives from Edukans, a Netherlands based funding partner, Mr. Sukhbir Jaunapuria, MLA of Mewat and other friends and well wishers of Deepalaya.

The Foundation India Run and a group of ladies from Hilversum, Netherlands completed a challenging relay cycling over a distance of 2500 km crossing Sweden, Denmark and Germany. The Team?s aim was to collect money for building II floor in the existing Girls Hostel at Deepalaya Gram, Haryana. The credit for this goes to Ms. Fazia Tewari, introduced to Deepalaya by Ms. Anne Ramanathan, a Dutch volunteer.

While Shri C R Rana, Chief Guest on the occasion said. “Mewat is still living in 1981, which is almost 25 years back from other developed parts of our country. Schemes are no doubt formulated but either are partially executed or never at times’. He added that there was a strong need of organizations like Deepalaya and wanted others to replicate the Deepalaya moves in order to foster a self reliant and legitimate society”. He later announced a grant of Rs. 51,000 from Child Welfare Fund. Ms. Fazia was happy that the situation has changed now and the girls could feel safe with the opening of the hostel. On this occasion, Deepalaya launched its Merit cum Means Loan program. This program shall award scholarship to meritorious students who are unable to pursue higher education because of financial constraints. Mr. Anand Swaroop Yadav, who is pursuing his BE in IT from Madhav Institute of Science and Technology, Gwalior is the first recipient of the merit cum means loan.

The gathering was oblivious to the soaring temperatures as the Deepalaya children presented a colorful cultural program. This included a foot tapping action song, ‘Vande Maatram, a song by the Deepalaya Choir on the theme of spreading the light of knowledge and a round off with the children dancing beautifully to the song ‘Desh Rangeela’. The program ended with the singing of the National Anthem.