SUKRUPA is a registered, non-profit, charitable organization that addresses the socio-economic development of the disadvantaged in urban and rural Bangalore, India. The SUKRUPA Education Centre currently provides free schooling, nutritious food and basic health care for 450 children who thrive in a clean, safe, friendly and happy environment. The SUKRUPA Residential program offers a secure, full-t
ime home for up to 10 children. In this loving family environment, children who are orphaned, have single parents or come from families in crisis receive affection, nutrition and guidance. This affords these children with the stability required to fully develop as young adults, to build personal confidence and restore self-esteem, and to see directly the potential that exists within them to achieve personal fulfillment. Sukrupa recognizes that some of its participants will enter the program as young adults. For these older children and teens, many of whom have been child laborers or school drop-outs, the SUKRUPA Youth Training Program is a 5 year curriculum in personal life skills, social skills, leadership as well as academics studied through distance learning. Sukrupa’s Community Development serves women and young adults in the community, in particular the parents and siblings of the children who attend the School Program at the SUKRUPA Education Centre. The Community Development Program offers health camps, family counselling, parenting and life skills training as well as vocational training. These components of the Sukrupa program provide a complete foundation for dignified employment and self-sufficiency. Consistent with all Sukrupa programs, the ultimate goal of this program is to provide a path out of the slums, to provide sustainable relocation to mainstream neighborhoods. For this program, Sukrupa collaborates with Jain Hospital and Baptist Hospital to address medical issues of the community. In addition to the permanent Sukrupa program, we continuously innovate supporting programs that further the Sukrupa mission. The following are current pilot programs:
In the Outreach Program students from the SUKRUPA Youth Training program teach English to underprivileged urban slum and rural children studying in Kannada Government Schools from Class 1 to 7. This provides a benefit to both the government school children who receive this additional educational reinforcement, as well as to the Sukrupa Youth Training participants who develop leadership skills and reinforce their own sense of community contribution and participation. The program features creative activities including art, craft, music, dance, games, all of which are designed to enrichment the learning experience through language practice. In 2009, 400 children participated in this pilot project. The project was considered a success and will be fully implemented when funding is available. Addressing the challenges of rural poverty as the underlying cause for the formation of urban slums, SUKRUPA has established a pilot project with two villages in rural Bangalore, including an ongoing project offered in collaboration with Sai Trust. The Rural Development Program provides pre-school activities, supplementary education for government school children and vocational training for young adults and women. Future sources of revenue generation for the villages may include organic farming, dairy farming, and renewable energy.
