The Hope Foundation
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Mission Statement
The Hope Foundation is a registered Irish Charity working to save the street and slum children of Kolkata (Calcutta) from lives of pain, abuse, poverty and darkness.Exposed to horrendous physical and sexual abuses on the streets, those who survive are left to fend for themselves, hungry, with no promise of a safe future. These children are some of the most disadvantaged children of our time.We work to change their lives, to restore childhoods and give children the chance to create better futures for themselves.HOPE funds and operate over 60 projects thanks to donors, sponsors, supporters and fundraisers like you.HOPE reaches out to the most forgotten; offering protection and shelter, healthcare, nutrition, education, rehabilitation and a family for life.
About This Cause
The Hope Foundation was set up in 1999 by Cork woman, Maureen Forrest. To date the Hope Foundation have helped over 3.2 million children and their families living in slum dwelling communities in Kolkata, India. HOPE currently run almost 60 projects on the ground in Kolkata covering areas including education, healthcare, child protection, and emergency response. OUR MISSION To improve the quality of life for the most marginalised street and slum connected children and communities, primarily in India. Ensuring their basic rights and enhancing their dignity of life, through protection, health, education and economic development in a sustainable life cycle approach. Achieving this mission through fundraising activities and initiatives. OUR AIM To support the development of underprivileged sections of society through partnership, support and capacity building. We believe in sustainable development. Our programmes aim to give street and slum children in Kolkata the support needed to create better futures. OUR VISION “A world where it should never hurt to be a child.” Restoring childhoods to children and sustainability to individuals and communities. Our Programme Areas Protection The Hope Foundation’s primary objective is the protection of children who live on the streets and in the slums of Kolkata. Child protection is about rescuing children from exploitation and abuse, starvation and sickness. It’s about protecting the most vulnerable in society and providing them with immediate care. Depending on the needs of the child, they may go on to live in one of our protection homes where they will receive our care and support for as long as they need it. There is no limit to our care. Children rescued by HOPE will have a family and support for life, not just until they turn 18. Other children we rescue may return to live with their families, while receiving on-going community based support from HOPE. HOPE's Child Watch Programme involves night rounds for the rescue, placement, restoration and rehabilitation of vulnerable children and adults in some of Kolkata’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged areas. This project also organises awareness camps, stakeholder meetings and networking with Government officials to unearth and work to solve the root causes of poverty among communities. Finally, this project helps encourage and support children in accessing mainstream education in government schools. Healthcare and Nutrition Through our healthcare programme, HOPE brings health services and practical health advice to needy communities in Kolkata. Improving the health of street children and families living in the slums of Kolkata is one of The Hope Foundation’s priorities, and is key in the fight against poverty. Healthy children, who become healthy adults, create better lives for themselves and their families. Through our healthcare programme, we have made significant progress in immunization, water sanitation and ante-natal care, saving the lives of thousands of infants and their mothers. We also provide emergency care and surgeries in our HOPE Hospital. Our aim at HOPE is to provide ancillary services to strengthen the existing health services that are provided by the Government of West Bengal.Over the past decade we’ve developed strong partnerships with local non-governmental organizations, and work together delivering services in 34 communities. Education HOPE believes every child has the right to receive an education. It is key to building an independent successful life and a chance to escape poverty. Education gives children an opportunity to find their strengths and empowers them to pursue careers and to provide for themselves, as well as their future families. HOPE understands that education is critical for the development of society as a whole. By giving more children access to education, the benefits will inevitably filter through into the wider community. It means that more children live free from exploitation. HOPE’s Goal is to enable and support children and young people in their education. To bring children to education and to increase student retention. Childhood should be a time of fun and learning. Life Skills and Vocational Training The Hope Foundation is committed to providing sustainable solutions to the social problems stemming from poverty. Self-development is crucial to achieving this. By giving people training, skills and trades, we are giving them power. The power to take control and change their lives forever, and to help others do the same. The Life-skills Training Institute delivers high quality vocational training to individuals that are unable to avail of such services elsewhere. Professionally designed training, which is tailored to suit the capabilities of the trainees, provides the young women and men with the opportunity to receive training and a job placement to provide for their families. Emergency Response HOPE and HIVE (one of our NGO partners) work in partnership to deliver a 24 hour, 7 days a week Emergency Response Unit, compiled of social workers, who respond immediately to those in need. The Unit attends to victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, human rights violations and medical needs. The Unit particularly focuses on those most vulnerable throughout Kolkata’s streets, its street dwelling children and women. Where possible and appropriate, the Unit reunites and restore individuals with their families, assists below poverty-line families to maccess medical care and through strong referral networks, places at-risk individuals into appropriate shelters and homes. The Unit also receives calls from the Kolkata Police and Fire Department, to respond to crises calls throughout the city, particularly road accidents, which are common among street dwellers. For more information on our work and how you can get involved please visit: www.hopefoundaiton.ie