DIVYA PRABHA – Thane and Vasai

Home for Girls in Distress

Divya Prabha – a Ray of Hope for girls abandoned on the streets and a dream project for the Poor Sisters of Our Lady began on June 12, 1999 in a small room at Vartak Nagar, Pokhran, Thane, with six girls.  The beginning was difficult - the girls were used to a vagrant life without boundaries and the Sisters had to work hard to establish a routine and wean them from bad habits.  It was also very difficult to heal the very deep wounds of a traumatized and deprived existence. 

With time and patience, our Sisters have done a marvellous job. Today, we have 54 girls in three houses, Thane, Vasai and Agra. The 25 younger girls reside at Thane and the 25 teenagers live at Vasai in two homes. Those schooling live in Divya Prabha No.2. Whereas those going to college stay in Divya Prabha No. 3. The other 4 girls reside in Agra. In the initial stages, we used rented premises and had to face threats of eviction and discrimination.With faith and perseverance, we now have our own premises and the children a secure future. The seed group now helps in the bonding of newcomers – and the ripples of grace are spreading ever wider, ever outwards.

Divya Prabha believes that when a child comes into the world, the hope and dreams of the human race are born anew.  Children are the future – and the world today, has the knowledge, the resources and the legal imperatives to give every child the best possible start to that future.  Our focus is on the girl child.  Our girls are given a sound environment, educated and helped to develop to their fullest potential so that they can take their rightful place in the world.

Our ultimate aim is for equal opportunity and dignity for all – this project is the beginning of the fulfillment of that aim.  The girls who are brought to us are in the age group of 5 to 16 and are usually found abandoned on station platforms or found begging on the streets.  Most of them have been targeted by antisocial elements, are victims of malnutrition and disease and /or have been ostracized by their families and community.  Some of them are orphans others may be children of prisoners. 

Our project concentrates on four areas –

Rehabilitation : Counseling, Recreation, Health & Hygiene, Confidence building.

Basic Needs :  Food, Clothes, Shelter, Education.

Livelihood : Vocational Training, Developing Talent

Environment Building : Family Interaction, NGO Interaction, Celebration of all ethnic festivals, Advocacy/Repatriation.

We look forward to all the help we can get –and we will be glad to answer your queries or give you any additional information you may require. 

VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES
 

(HOLY FAMILY CONVENT,  ANDHERI)
Sisters run a vocational training centre which imparts employment skills to poor women.  

(ST. MARY'S CONVENT, BHOPAL)
The vocational centre was added where poor girls and women are trained for employment - they are taught dressmaking, embroidery, soft toy and flower making through a three/six-month certificate course.  The centre also has a sewing section where the women work and are paid.

Msgr. George Fernandes Memorial Divine Child Polytechnic(2006)
Classes run in Divine Child High School, 4th Floor.