by: Sneha Nayar
Vibha helps many different projects in India by providing them the funds raised through various fundraising events. One of those CORP- India began with a single center and three staff in Asia’s largest slum, Dharavi, with a four year grant from the World Hunger Project of Methodist Churches in South Asia. Today there are 13 slum communities across greater Mumbai, with a total of 20 centers and a staff strength of 70. Since inception CORP has reached out to over one million children, youth, women, and senior citizens across 13 slums communities in Mumbai.
CORP – India stands for Community Outreach Program and their mission is to provide platform for the holistic development of children and women. CORP – India offers many programs and establishes goals as listed below:
- Shelter Homes – homes for deprived, abandoned, orphan, street children where the aim is to enable children to experience the joys of childhood, while receiving education, healthcare, and proper nutrition.
- Additional Coaching – encourage and facilitate academic performance of children with disadvantaged backgrounds. This include parents who are illiterate, possess small homes, or lack suitable spaces. CORP helps these children succeed by providing after –school tuition programs – inclusive of homework assistance, individual attention, conducive learning environment, and nutrition.
- Non-formal Education – intention is to promote
mainstream schooling to reintegrate these children into formal education system.
- Supporting the disabilities – CORP helps children with disabilities by catering to their educational and medical needs of children with hearing impairment and physical disability. Operation, calipers, prosthetics and hearing aids are provided as necessary. Mentally challenged children are identified and referred to appropriate institutes.
- Creches – this program monitors children of low income waged mothers, by providing a safe nurturing environment, while parents step out to earn their income.
- Community support – the community care and family counseling center regularly follows up cases of women with problems either through police intervention or through family courts.
- Vocational training for Youth – CORP also provides youth training with leadership skills. It teaches them to
shoulder responsibilities through youth clubs and vocational training. Garment making, beautician course, teachers training, self-help groups, and income-generation programs are included as a part of this program.