27/08/2026
The orphanage established by Sister Theresa in 2001 to house abandoned boys and girls or children from extremely poor families is called Karunyatheeram.
The facility originally consisted of two adjacent yet separate houses accommodating 30 boys and 35 girls. Currently, due to legal regulations, it only houses girls, with 30 resident girls at present.
For the past few years, the other house has been welcoming 23 elderly women who are alone and often rescued from the streets. (The elderly poor represent another major issue in India due to a lack of facilities and virtually no government support).
The staff consists of 11 people.
Karunyatheeram welcomes girls regardless of caste or religious belief. It provides food, clothing, medical care, and education. It guides them into the workforce and supports them in arranging their marriages.
The orphanage's activities are supported entirely by the local community, volunteers, and sponsors.
Karunyatheeram requires approximately ₹150,000 (around €1,500) per month to cover the basic daily expenses of the resident girls, excluding medical care.
Support can be provided through long-distance sponsorship, with the cost of supporting one girl being ₹5,000 per month. For the grandmothers, it is difficult to quantify an exact cost as it depends on their medical treatments.
KARUNYATHEERAM is located in Kollam, a few minutes' walk from the Eravipuram junction.
KARUNYATHEERAM
Eravipuram
Kollam 691011
Email: [email protected]
http://www.karunyatheeram.org/
