- Howrah, West-Bengal 🇮🇳
In India, the population is growing faster than employment opportunities. In this challenging context, where poverty and lack of access to education hinder ambitions, our programs provide concrete solutions: funding for training, support toward stable and secure employment. Our workshops and programs give the most disadvantaged, young people with disabilities, and women a chance to break free from precariousness and find their place in society.
Training and education are expensive or highly selective (and corruption is widespread), and unemployment is high, especially among young people: in fact, 45% of Indians aged 20 to 24 were unemployed in December 2023, according to the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy.
For women in particular, the challenge is significant: in India, the female employment rate was only 25% in 2024 (Economic Times).
Finally, more than three-quarters of Indians work as street vendors, delivery workers, drivers, or tea sellers: the informal economy and informal jobs represent nearly 85% of the economy (The Hindu, 2024). For the poorest, where everything is more difficult, families struggle to provide an environment conducive to their children’s education (such as poor sanitation, insecurity, and overcrowding) or often do not understand the importance of higher education.
Our “After 10” program (for students after 10th grade) is designed for adolescents who wish to continue their studies and receive support in their job search. We encourage every teenager leaving HSP to complete their final two years of high school. We also encourage them to pursue higher education or professional training. The program also supports underprivileged and orphaned children who have not stayed in our homes. After 10 provides financial assistance, training, local job opportunities, help with administrative procedures, and more.
Since 2023, a girls’ home (Howrah) and a boys’ home (Jalpaiguri) have been opened to provide a supportive environment for those in need of educational assistance. A career fair is also held every year to introduce children to various professions and inspire them.
We offer professional opportunities tailored to the people with disabilities we support, through various training workshops. They are provided with training in agriculture, printed fabric production, batik, jute crafts, or the making of orthoses for children with disabilities. These workshops primarily aim to promote autonomy and showcase each individual’s talents. In our orthoses workshops in particular, we meet the needs of children from our homes as well as other children in the local community. Each activity thus becomes a concrete way to restore confidence, dignity, and independence to those who need it most.
Located in Howrah, the workshop uses the traditional batik dyeing technique to produce tablecloths, sheets, churidar tops, wall hangings, blouses, and more. Creating a single piece can take up to a month due to the multiple layers of colors required. Over 200 pieces are produced each year.
Located in Howrah, the knitting workshop produces sweaters, scarves, tops, and other warm items, all in bright and cheerful colors. The items are either sold or used to meet the needs of the various homes. Around one hundred items are produced each year.
At the Maria Basti home in Jalpaiguri, women with physical or mental disabilities spend their lives working. They work according to their abilities to produce jute items, candles, and incense. The proceeds from their sales help support the needs of their home.
Two workshops (one in Howrah and the other in Jalpaiguri) meet the needs of children from various homes by producing ankle-foot orthoses, gaiters, special chairs, braces, belts, surgical shoes, strapped sandals, and more. Each piece is designed for a specific child. Children who do not reside in our homes can also benefit from the workshop.
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