India: SAVE education and rehabilitation for street children

Local aid organisation SAVE is active in Tirupur, an industrial area in India with a history of child labour. SAVE combines two important values for the future: child aid and environmental aid. The organisation is developing a sustainable, ecological theme park which also provides aid for street children. Thanks to this initiative, over 100 street children are provided with food and shelter each year. The street children are given vocational training, while learning about ecological management and organic agriculture. Attention is given to the development of strong, independent people. In the broadest sense, these children learn to care for themselves, for each other and for nature in a lasting manner. SAVE's objective is to have the park be self-sustaining within four years. They have yet to achieve the goal, but the need for support is decreasing. All children receive an education; older children are given vocational training and work in the field. The ecological park is largely self-sufficient thanks to its own (ecologically sound) agriculture and cattle farming, but there are also a number of income-generating activities such as paper recycling and compost processing.

In 2007, Net4kids contributed to completing the construction of homes for the children, three meals per day, increasing the livestock (cows, goats and chickens), schooling, healthcare and vocational training. The ecological theme park's infrastructure is now solidly in place. From June 2007, 73 children could call it their home.