If you thought being an orphan was difficult, being an adult orphan is even more so. Orphans who reach adulthood are left shelterless and with no skill sets, they hardly stand a chance to make a proper livelihood. Vaibbhav Ashok Goel Foundation (VAG) has stepped in to help such youths.
The difficult life of adult orphans
18 is an important milestone for children as they step into adulthood from childhood. This is a time when they need support and guidance to pursue higher education and acquire employable skill sets that will allow them to make a better future for themselves. However, since they are forced out of orphanages after the age of 18 they have no place to go since there are no proper aftercare facilities.
With the immediate loss of shelter and limited means of livelihood, many of them face extreme circumstances that include human trafficking, prostitution, forced labour, and organ cultivation. Some of the orphans are even forced into criminal activities due to coercion, compulsion, and hunger. The lack of proper identity proofs and employable skills hampers their chance of gaining respectable employment and finding a safe space to live.
Girls are forced into marriages where many of them face both physical and mental domestic violence. The girls lack a support system to get out of such difficult situations. Boys face the chance of being employed in jobs that stop them from earning fair wages. Moreover, these orphan children are malnourished and suffer from ailments that go unattended. Living without proper shelter and protection only aggravates those issues into life-threatening conditions.
VAGF lends a helping hand to adult orphans
VAGF has stepped in to help the orphans with the aim of not only empowering them with skill sets but also instilling confidence in them. VAGF is developing a residential rehabilitation facility at Kamshet in Pune. The facility can accommodate 800 young adults, 400 boys and 400 girls. The facility has three blocks with a training and interaction centre in the middle and two independent hostels for boys and girls on either side.
The workshop and classrooms will train the adult orphans in vocational and professional skills. Their interpersonal skills will also be developed through these sessions. The courses are designed with the help of industry experts. VGAF not only wants to help them find employment but also wants to aid them in pursuing higher education. The facility provides recreational avenues as well which ensures all round development of the residents.
The atmosphere allows the residents to develop and nurture relationships that will work as a support system for them. VGAF aims to reach out to various industries to align their vocational training with employability and facilitate the financial independence of orphans which is essential for them.
The facility at Kamshet is fully funded by VGAF to support the NGO Ekta Niradhar Sangh which works for the welfare of adult orphans. VGAF wants to build similar facilities in all major cities of the country and develop a system of aftercare that will protect and foster young adults coming out of orphanages.
VGAF is partnering with several other NGOs besides Ekta Niradhar Sangh. Organizations like VGAF that are trying to make a difference in society by helping one of the neglected sections of society need help and support.
