Safe Haven Home

Project Description

Safe Haven Home is an orphanage in the state of Madhya Pradesh, in central India. The children housed here come from the Banchada community. Within this community, there is a deeply rooted tradition where the oldest daughter is forced into prostitution to support the family. Boys are also involved at a young age, as they are raised with the role of supervising and managing the income.

What does the day look like:

The day begins around 6:30 AM. At 7:30 AM, the children gather for worship and Bible study. They then have breakfast together at 8:00 AM. From 8:45 AM to 3:00 PM, the children attend school, where they also have lunch.

Dinner is scheduled for 7:30 PM. After the meal, if necessary, there will be time for studying and homework, after which the day will conclude peacefully.

Project information:

Safe Haven Home is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. The project is led by Ramchand Saranu, who, along with his wife and a dedicated team, cares for the children taken in there.

The children in this project come from the Banchada community. In this region, there is a deeply rooted and appalling “tradition” where the eldest daughter within a family is forced into prostitution. Boys are involved from a young age and are often assigned the role of managing the income for the benefit of the family. In this way, girls are confronted with exploitation and human trafficking at a very young age, often with no prospect of escape.

For many girls, escaping seems like the only way out, but this brings great uncertainty and risks.

Within the Banchada community, in many cases, it is decided in consultation with the family that children will be cared for at Safe Haven Home. Together, a different path is sought, in which the children are given the opportunity to go to school, develop new skills, and learn different norms and values. In this way, work is done towards a hopeful future, where they are no longer trapped in the traditional patterns of exploitation.

Through education, loving guidance, and a safe living environment, children learn that alternatives exist and that their lives are valuable. This not only creates change in the lives of these children themselves but also within their families and communities. The ultimate goal is to break these harmful traditions step by step, so that future generations can grow up in freedom, dignity, and hope.

Thanks to support, the children receive daily food, education and school supplies, housing, and medical care. This gives them a new future perspective and the opportunity to realize their dreams.