The sponsor site of Bangalore, India is unique in that

it expands over Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala,

Karnataka and Maharashtra; five of the 28 states of

India.  There are 17 sub sites under the main direction

of Sister Regina Fereira of the Good Shepherd

Provincialate in Shanthi Nilaya, Bangalore.   Each

sub site has its own staff and programs for the

children or elderly in their care, with field visits

conducted on a regular basis.  Currently there are

over 1400 people of various ages sponsored in the

Bangalore sites, 1300 of these are young girls from

the slums of their respective areas or from

deprived, excluded sections of society.  The

sponsorship program in the Bangalore site offers

children the opportunity to receive continuous quality

education, proper nutrition, medical assistance and

family assistance.

As in Canada, the school year in Bangalore runs for

ten months, with two months' summer vacation.

On average classes begin in June ending with

final examinations in March. In each sub site there

are students living at home with their parents, and

those that require boarding at the schools.

Though most students attending the boarding

schools return home for their vacations there are a

few who, due to distance or family circumstances,

remain in the schools for the extent of their education.

The health of the children and their families is

addressed when a child is registered for school.

Each year shortly after school commences

children receive their annual medical check-ups and,

if needed, are given the necessary medications

and/or treatments. The families are also given

guidelines for maintaining proper hygiene.

The incidences of malnutrition have dropped

significantly as a result of the dispensing

of food supplies to families on a regular basis.

At the beginning of the school year students

are supplied with new school uniforms, fully

packed book bags and an umbrella.  The

uniforms required at the schools are made at

the site over the summer months.  For students

that wish to attend, there are classes held

during the summer break that are geared towards

young women becoming conscious of their rights

and duties to themselves, their family, society

and the nation.  There are also summer camps

established to teach tailoring, gardening,

handicrafts and English as a spoken language.

Many high school and college students

avail themselves of these classes as they prepare

to further their studies or enter the workforce.

 In addition to educating the children, the sites

have classes and frequent meetings with parents.

Depending on the sub site, the classes can range

from preparing a nutritionally balanced meal to

learning skills required to gain employment.

It is the goal of the site to make the parents

responsible for the growth and development of

their children. In one sub site a meeting

was held to discuss the consequences of child

marriage.  At the conclusion of the session

parents made the decision to no longer support

child marriage. Several parents who have already

planned marriages for their children made

the promise to cancel or postpone the arrangements.

The Good Shepherd Sisters offer assistance to

families in legal matters, crisis management,

childhood behavior and any other areas that would

benefit from their experiences and guidance.

Their goal is for parents to become not only

conscientious of their children’s future, but for

women to gain practical knowledge of the family

finances and the advantage of a community purse,

where each woman adds a small monthly amount

to the fund.  When someone is in need of a loan

from the fund they are able to receive it at low interest.

Through this program women learn to budget their

funds and acquire the experience of financial

independence.

The Good Shepherd Sisters are striving towards a

society where children and families enjoy holistic

development, which ensures their right to

education, health, survival, and participation,

while promoting social and moral responsibility.

Through the sponsorship program Sr. Regina and

her staff are able to guide their charges into a

future where they may participate as informed

self-reliant citizens living dignified responsible lives.