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Back ground
India is a country of huge contrasts and extremes. Rapid growth and expansion is taking place in some areas whilst others remain blighted by chronic poverty and disease.
More than 27 million children are born in India every year, yet despite the steady decline in birth rates and increased child survival rates, around 3 million children -under the age of five- still die every year. Of those who survive, not all realise their full development potential or active learning capacity. These children grow up in difficult circumstances suffer from deprivation, exploitation and neglect through no fault of their own and for reasons beyond their control.
 
The National Plan of Action for Children aims to provide improved protection to all children in especially difficult circumstances, and to eliminate the root cause leading to such situations. Clearly the survival, protection and development of these children require a National Plan of this scale as well as local initiatives to tackle the basic cause of such problems.
   

Our Story

Our humble beginnings started in 1986. Moved by the sight of two street children scavenging in a bin for food, Revd Stanley Rajan wanted to provide the impoverished children in the city where he and his wife lived, with a home where they would be safe, cared for and educated.

Initially two street children joined Stanley, his wife Kasturi and their two children Vijay and Mala in the family home. A year later this number had risen to 8 children and it was at this point that the growing family moved to larger premises.

By 1994, the number had grown to 47 children and again another move to a larger home was needed. In 1998 now with 80 children, plans were underway to create the purpose built Ebenezer Children’s Home in a rural village just outside the city of Chennai. The new building opened in 1999 and today is now home to over 300 orphan and semi-orphan children.

In 1999, we extended our support for children into the urban community by starting a newprogramme that helped children and their families from slums within Chennai. Meanwhile, we continued to forge strong links within our local community surrounding the Ebenezer Children’s Home and in the year 2000, community programmes were started, helping local infant children and the elderly.

Following the December 2004 Tsunami, our community outreach expanded dramatically. Immediate relief programmes were set up to help rebuild the lives of the people affected.
1987 - 8 Childrens
 
1994 - 47 Childrens
 
Today - 300 + Childrens
(Click to Enlarge)
 
Once these initial relief programmes were established, we then extended our community outreach throughout various districts within Chennai. Today, these programmes continue to play a vital role in supporting both the post Tsunami community and other deprived areas within Chennai.

With much hard work, plus the direct help and dedication of family and many friends, we have managed to create something which addresses poverty issues directly whilst being a valuable and living part of the local and wider communities. Through the Ebenezer Children’s Home, community outreach, training and education and relief work, we provide a quality of care and support for those in need, in and around the city of Chennai.