Every year approximately 7 million children grow into adulthoods as orphans, with no place to call home. Big Hug Foundation aims to tackle the issue and provide underprivileged children in India and around the world with shelter.
Due to a lack of funds Cornerstone Trust rented an old warehouse and tried their best to create a home for the children in their care. As the number of children increased the warehouse became extremely hot, cramped and unsanitary. The property only had one room that was used as a dormitory, study, dining and play area for all the children.
Trustees from the BHF worked closely with volunteers at Cornerstone Trust and moved the children out of the unsuitable warehouse into a hygienic, child-friendly home. We set up the home with all the necessary amenities such as clean, running water, electricity, toilets and bathrooms. View the images below to see the difference Big Hug have made to the children at the Cornerstone Trust; click on an image to enlarge it.
The old home (left) was an abandoned warehouse. With very little space to move around and walls disintegrating around them, the living conditions were unsuitable for young, growing children. The structure of the new home (right) gives the children the 'homely' feel they have yearned for. They now have enough space for all their daily activities.
The kitchen in the old home (left) had deteriorated; the area was cramped, unhygienic and did not have the necessary facilities to cook for the children and their carers. The new kitchen (right) is a larger, safer and more hygienic area to work in.
The children used to sleep side by side on bunk beds (left), which were also used to store their personal belongings. This room, with very little ventilation and light, was used for all purposes. In the new home (right) the boys and girls sleep separately. We installed fans and lights to make it a suitable environment for the children.
In the old home (left) the children had to work on the floor with dim lighting in the stifling heat. At the new home (right) we have created an airy study area, which is also used for recreational purposes. The children are finally able to work and play in comfortable conditions.
Nandini joined Cornerstone Children’s Home with her sister, Kritika, in 2010. Their father suffers from mental instability, and has required constant attention from their mother, often to the neglect of the girls’ education or wellbeing.
