BERACHAH ORPHANS HOME (ASHRAYAM means THE REFUGE), is the Charitable wing of Berachah Ministries, Presenting Him in Actions. It is a faith based community, started by Bro. Kiran Paul, envisioning the need and experiencing the heart breaking cry, moral perversion, and brutal exploitation of the feeble and prosperous future lives of the Orphans, destitute kids and the street kids. He began it with 7 kids in the year 1998 with the vision and a mission to share the heart of God and thus be a father to the unprivileged kids and share a father’ heart and love with the Orphan and destitute children, and thus mould them as best possible citizens of this world and for the kingdom of the Lord. The initial number 7 had grown to 96 kids today and increasing every day. We are also Sponsoring Childern who are financially poor but intellegent and interested in studies.
We find a lot of children in India in each and every region, not in homes and security but on roads, foot paths, railway platforms and in bus stops in the form of beggars, hawkers, wastage collectors, pick-pocketers, rabble resources and these grow to an extent of becoming professional killers. These are the kids like any of our kids but they are not fortunate enough even to have an assured single meal or a cup of milk or tea in a day or a place to rest in the nights. Instead of parental care and Loving words these kids are exploited by various classes of the society. . We try to counsel the street kids bring them to the Orphanage, try to see, they change their life style, get educated and thus become a respectable citizen of the Nation and if possible and willing a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
For the cause of the slum kids and the orphans we have started two slum schools which provide free education to the poor slum kids.
We go to different schools, villages slums to give “Polio and various preventive Vaccinations”. This continues month after month. We give Books, pencils, pens, text books, slates, school uniforms to the poor kids, of the village schools. We arranging mid -Day meals to the slum kids those who attend the Free" BERACHAH educating Schools" in the slums to encourage them to study. We are concentrating much on the tribal and less privileged kids to bring about a remarkable change in their spiritual and physical lives.
The new beginnings:-
I have taken 7 boys initially into my home, who became a part of our family, not with an idea from where I could get the money for their food, clothing, studies and needs in the future. My mother and few widows helped in caring and cooking besides me as we couldn't afford hiring a cook, a care taker or a house.
The children home was initially constructed in the year 2001 due to increased need, with bricks and thatched roofed. It used to be a congested place, with few beds for the kids and with very basic needs provided. They had their bath out side, ate food in leaf plates on the floor, played in that very congested place, read, pray, and almost every thing is done in this little place of 220 square feet and in between the four walls.
The New Building:-
The Lord blessed us with a new Orphanage building, in the year 2007 with all good physical construction in an area of about 2 acres of land. Now 90 and more kids are living in it. We looking forward to helping hands to furnish the dormitory with beds, cup board and various needs are yet to be met.
The most important need is for personal or collective Sponsorship to the kids. We are looking for the like minded people, Churches, Organizations, to join hands with us to see a Healthy society, with the heavenly hope to these kids in Christ, and to see equality through, the shared love of Christ, by reaching the un-reached and catering to the needs of the Orphans, old aged, destitute kids and widows, the heart beat of God. James.1: 27
In spite of all physical arrangements, kids that enter in experience, “Totally a new world of spiritual growth, parental love and care and a hope filled tomorrow. Above all a sensation of security and belongingness.
Land for the Ministry, about 4 acres of land is needed and God gave us 2 acres of land in which we were able to build an orphanage. We are in need of 2 more acres which is supposed to accommodate the Orphanage building, School building, Dining Hall, Kitchen, Vocational and Training Centre, Library building and Living quarters for the Staff, Play Ground and for any other future construction.
Daily Routine ::
The daily routine begins at 5:30 a.m when kids wake up from their nights rest, begin their day with the family prayer till 6:15, have a time of physical exercises till 6:30 a.m, go through daily routine , and get ready for their morning break fast at 7:30. They finish their Breakfast at 8:00 am and have their study time till 8:45 and then go to their respective schools. They return back to the Home at 12:45 for Lunch and leave for the afternoon school at 1:15 p.m and reach the Orphans Home the ASHRAYAM (Refuge) at 4:15 in the evening, have snacks and milk and spend their time in sports, then take their evening bath by 6:00 p.m and get ready for their evening tuition class, which goes from 6:00p.m to 8:00 p.m They gather for night prayer from 8:05 to 8:45 p.m finish their dinner by 9:15 and study till 10:00 p.m and then retire for good night's rest after their individual prayers.
Sprouting smiles and security:-
The children are very happy in our Home. It takes a few months for us to see smile on the faces of some kids after we take them into our Children Home. The poverty, insecurity, deaths of their parents, terrific scenes of their fathers being killed in front of their eyes, exploitation, has left its indelible mark on some kids.
The children learn to sing, dance and participate in extra curricular activities. Some do very good in school that they make high grades. Several of them have been saved.
The Pictures of Transformed lives - Can you be a channel of Transformation.
Interests of the Kids :-
The boys love to play cricket, shuttle badminton etc and girls like skipping with rope, throwing ring, and games like Carom Board, chess, Checkers etc. All of them love to ride bikes. The children love to go to the seashore (beach), parks, Historical places and big cities. But we need much to spend for their trips.
Their Heart breaking Histories:-
The kids in the Orphanage are with no parents. They lost their parents may be due to suicide, sickness, starvation, murder or the kids may be sent away from their homes due to superstition, inability or hatred.
The brutality of men made Joshi an orphan :-
Joshi was a 7 year old boy when we first saw him, his elder sister was 9. They came to us along with their widowed mother almost starving to death. We saw their condition, gave some food to eat and then asked about the reason for their condition. The mother who is with us till now, started to break into tears as she told the brutal political murder of her husband in front of their own eyes, at their house. We all broke into tears when she depicted the scene, how he was stabbed to death in spite of their cries to save him. This picture of hatred and revenge grew in this little boy, as I was surprised when he answered for what he would become when he grew older? He answered he would become a strong man to avenge his father's killers! He slowly was healed from the hurt caused and today he is in grade 9 now and is 14 years old. His sister Monica is 16 years and is in +1 pressing forward to be an engineer if God provides.
The seas can make kids Orphans (Mark) :-
As you know we are situated on the coast of Bay of Bengal, much of our ministry is concentrated amongst the poor fisherman community and in the villages situated on the coasts. One day, one of our village church Pastor came with a kid of 6 years and his grand mother about 80 years old. This kid’s father was a fisher man, who is used fishing into the seas on a small wooden boat. As usual he went on fishing in year April, 1997, and never returned home. His poor house wife waited him, gave up hopes and passed away in the year 2000 leaving mark and his elder brother Orphans. As we are of low financial assistance we took Mark in the home, he was pale and this 6 year old boy weighed 23 kilo grams when he came to us, by God's grace and because of the notorious food he picked up 8 kilograms in 3 months. His hair which was brown in colour became black gradually. He is now in 8th standard. Awesome is our God.
The Sin and misconduct of the parents can make kids Orphans :-
We took few boys named Henamth, Satish, and David Kumar who were from a good cast Hindu families, but their fathers didn't even care for moral character and social values, instead fell a prey to sin, lust and adultery, thus giving raise to HIV Positive which turned into AIDS and died in their very young age. Many kid’s fathers and mothers died due to sickness, lack of proper medication and health awareness and financial ability to get proper medication in need time. Some kids lost their mothers even before they could open their eyes on this earth.
Child Labour is Crime, But...,
Just yesterday on the 7th, December 2004, a boy was brought by a local railway policeman and a church believer. This Boy was found at the railway track, trying to committee suicide when the train arrived. His name is swami, of about 12 years old, Orphan being placed in some relative’s house after his parents died when he was 2 years old. But they used him for every kind of labor work forcefully. Bet him like a buffalo, with strips on his back and on his body, and treated him like a donkey for labour work, Vexed of his life this 12 year old boy tried to commit suicide which he thought is the ultimate solution for his life. After much prayer and spiritual fight in side my heart I agreed to take this boy into the ASHRAYAM with faith and faith alone for even his and our tomorrow. We gave him good food, few old cloths, slippers and gave him a hot water bath and got all his tons of dirt off his body, and my eyes went running as I saw the strips on his body while giving bath to this boy. My heart is to help but from where shall our help come from?
