Mr. Claus D. von der Fink in an interview with Bollywood-worldwide.com about NITYA SEVA e.V.

Interview

What can be better than children's bright eyes and happy children's hearts ?

Should be a roof over their heads, regular meals, a good education and, of course, loving affection not really a matter of course for children?

While in countries such as e.g. Germany children and family in the worst case can be supported still largely by the state (at least as a minimum), there are countries where the living conditions were far below the subsistence minimum. The worst hit are always the children. Homeless, without family, without food, without education, they are forced to live on the street and in order to live their daily survival faced by begging.

One is not looking away, but actively tackles, Claus D. from Fink. After he started 17 years ago to help children in the slums of Mumbai (Bombay) through various projects, he concentrated increasingly on the living conditions of street children in Bhopal, alert by his wife Asha along with her brother and sister-in-law.

After the founding of the nonprofit association Nitya Seva e.V. in 1998, the couple determinded began to build a children´s home, which then also could be opened on 9 July 2000. 30 children were able to initially supply. However, the run became bigger quickly and the couple organized donations to open up second children's home in 2004. Meanwhile, 186 children in residential care.

Besides the two children´s homes, in which the children will have a good and clean housing, nutritious meals, a school and vocational training, medical care and, above all, security and loving affection, as far as possible more distressed children beyond the homes will supplies.

Although the association Nitya Seva e.V. receives support by the government of Madhya Pradesh, it is mainly the responsibility of the founding couple to fund the projects and to organize appropriate funds - a real effort - but the result is worthwhile. Every child who is brought from the street is one "victim" less and every effort helps to make the world worth living - at least for these children.

We all have a responsibility - for ourselves, our families, our children, but also for the people who are not living just in our immediate neighbourhood - whether it is in Germany, India or the world - because we all live on the same planet called "Earth"

Wir alle haben eine Verantwortung - für uns selbst, unsere Familie, unsere Kinder, aber auch für die Menschen, die nicht gerade in unserer unmittelbaren Umgebung wohnen - ob das nun in Deutschland, Indien oder weltweit ist - denn wir alle leben auf dem selben Planeten "Erde" -

HELP to HELP !!!

It is shortly before 2 in the afternoon. On the railway platform of Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh in India, it is time for brisk business. Travellers have arrived on the platform, hours before the departure time of their trains, and are dosing in the afternoon sun. Some are waiting to pick up friends or relatives arriving on Shatabadi, the fast train from Delhi, others want to take the Shatabdi to travel to Agra, Gwalior or Delhi. A couple of patrolling policemen and some hawkers hoping to sell their small goods also wait expectantly.

Slowly small dirty faces slither in and come into view. Some only five years old. Their clothes are dirty and torn. Most have scars from old wounds, some limp and walk with self-made crutches. A young boy disabled by polio pulls himself forward with his lower arms on the platform. Another with both legs missing, moves on his palms. Some are supporting a nine year old boy, helping him to walk. His left leg is paralysed and gets pulled behind him. It is clear, that he is in a lot of pain.

At 2.30 the Shatabdi steams in. There is a big push towards the edge of the platform. The small ones use their elbows and force their way to the front, struggling to cut through the mass of humanity in front. Some run slowly alongside the rolling train, open the doors and spring in. As in life, the fastest have the best chances. They search through the bogies for left behind plastic bags, garbage and other waste lying here and there, for eatables. Shatabdi is always a good gamble. Food is given in the train to the passengers and often quite a bit is left over. In addition people carry a lot of food on these long runs. The children collect whatever is useful, sometimes stuff it directly in their mouths or store it under their shirts. From the other end, passengers push through swinging outsized suitcases. Small babies are reached out through the windows. Everyone pushes and shoves to get a place. In the meantime, the platform children, who have got their food for the day, busy themselves in trying to sell water or other small things needed for the journey, for a couple of rupees. Seconds before the train departs, the children carry the smaller ones and also their disabled friends out. The stronger ones jump out of the rolling train. Some travel to the next station illegally. Today was successful, but it is not always so.

These children sleep on the platform or next to the railway lines, live from hand to mouth, have stunted small bodies covered with boils, have worms and cough constantly. Some have crippled arms and legs. Some are orphans, others have run away from homes, because of poverty or abuse. Life has treated them harshly. Most of them have blunted their feelings to survive. Most have also forgotten to laugh. For them the struggle to survive is a relentless task continuing day after day without a break .

Nitya Seva experienced the sadness and struggle in the life of these children and decided to help and support them under their project AASHIRWAD

source: homepage NITYA SEVA

More and detailled information about the children projects in Bhopla/India you will find on the website of NITYA SEVA e.V.

http://www.nityaseva.eu/