Navajeevan
Navajeevan (“New Life”) is an aid project for street children in Vijayawada, India. The organisation is a safe haven for children to escape everyday life on the streets. Navajeevan has already helped many children lead a regular life, be it through reintegration into their families or further education opportunities.
Thousands of abandoned street children live in Vijayawada, a city of over a million inhabitants. In 1989, the city began taking measures to put an end to this situation by charging the padres of the catholic Order of Don Bosco with the care of these children. On this occasion, “Navajeevan” (“New Life”) was created. Now, the organisation has grown to 140 employees and it is no longer possible to imagine Vijayawada without it. Thanks to the active support of many volunteers, countless children were taken off the streets over the past years. “Shelter”, Navajeevan’s central contact point, is located close to the train station. Here, children can eat and wash as well as receive medical and psychological care. Many children can be reintegrated into their families or are given a new home in project-owned halls of residence. Another important aspect is also the access to learning facilities and thus new perspectives.
Navajeevan is furthermore active in the fight against child labour. To this aim, it founded the organisation “Bala Vikasa Kendram” (BVK) in 1997. BVK reports employers who illegally employ children and makes it possible for children to go to school and get an education.