TSLD cautions
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 20 2013:
In view of the presence of large number of 'unapproved' Orphanages in India which lure children from the underprivileged families from their home with the promise of free education, boarding and financial help, the Tangkhul Shanao Long, Delhi (TSLD) has cautioned all concerned to examine the authenticity and reliability of Homes and Orphanages before sending kids to such places.
Most of the kids in many 'orphanages' in India hail from poverty stricken families and orphans of North Eastern part of India.
These kids often ends up in a small room of an unapproved orphanage that lacked adequate infrastructures where there are no proper sanitation, no enough food to feed the children, a TSLD statement signed by its Chairperson, Felicita Shongvah said.
The statement cited the incident where 76 children hailing from Manipur and Assam were rescued from an unregistered orphanage called Bedesta Blessing Home located at Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu some years ago and the incident where 22 children were rescued by the State Social Welfare department from Kerala Orphanage home in 2012, as just two glaring examples.
Many orphanages are generally run by a couple and/or their relatives, it pointed out while adding that they may have started by taking in a few kids and ended up with an "orphanage." They have never gone to orphanage school.
Many directors are not educated beyond junior high school.
It's sort of an occupation, a means of support.
In many cases they will skim off some of the money for their living expenses, the TSLD noted.
Drawing the attention of the public on the matter, TSLD statement said that there are good orphanages and bad ones, honest ones and plain dishonest ones and in most cases one can't tell the difference, as the front door always looks great when it's the back door that tells the story.