To:
The Friends of Children at Risk.

We would like first to introduce ourselves – Liberal Association for Movement of People (LAMP), which is a non-profit making, non-political and secular voluntary social service organisation of national repute working for the sustainable development of the socio-economically backward, culturally oppressed, politically under privileged and disadvantaged group of people of both rural and urban India. LAMP is registered under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act XXVI of 1961. For last twenty six years LAMP has been engaged inter-alia in the work of integrated development of children at risks (street & working children, children of commercial sex workers and leprosy sufferers, children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS etc.) to address the problem of the children at risks of Kolkata metropolis is a challenging task. With its limited resources LAMP has now established Shishu Jagat

Outside Kolkata Metropolis, LAMP has been also running integrated development activities among the Children at risks in Mayurbhanj district of Orissa, in Bankura and Burdwan districts of West Bengal and in the squattors of Delhi, where we are deeply involved with nearly 9,000 poor and oppressed children especially belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes . LAMP visualizes, calls for strength of mind, body and soul, and the precondition to this is to create a liberal and sustainable social situation, a society that is egalitarian economically, socially, politically, culturally and also environmentally.

LAMP is supported by six Ministries of the Govt. of India, State Govts. of West Bengal, Orissa and NCT of Delhi, UNICEF, UNESCO, and many international funding bodies.

Internationally, LAMP is a member of FICE (International Federation of Educative Communities), a network formed by the UNESCO in 1948, which works through its Member Sections spread over in more than 30 countries. LAMP is the President of the FICE- India section.

LAMP has also become an Accredited member of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme; CRIN, United Kingdom, Micro Credit Summit, USA and Planet Finance, France.

In course of last 35 years’ involvement, LAMP along with its friendly associated bodies of twelve different states of India have successfully formed an all India Network under the banner of “ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES (AIAVA)” and it is registered at New Delhi, in 1997. At present, LAMP has been maintaining the Secretariat of the AIAVA, at Delhi.

LAMP believes that Childhood lays the foundation of developing human resource and civil society. It is the most cherished period of life and has to be protected well. For, children are the promise of the future of progress of any nation and country. Unfortunately in the metropolis of Kolkata alone about one hundred thousand children, infant to adolescent, live on its streets without adequate shelter and with amidst hunger. Some of them stay in makeshift shanties in slums. 53% of them are boys and 47% are girls, including adolescent girls. Nearly 15% of them are engaged as labourers and earn a paltry sum of less than US Dollar 2 a month. Born in a state of destitution they grow up amidst squalor and hunger and succumb as victims of exploitation. They have lost their childhood and have no dreams.

LAMP had been successful to organise “Children Parliament” in January 2002, for strengthening the leadership and integrated development.of the Children at risks . As a result of that initiative, we have become successful today to form 252 grassroots level units of Street and Working Children in different parts of Kolkata and Howrah cities under the banner of “Shishu Jagat”, and 51 NGOs/CBOs are today associated with this programme.

It is worth mentioning that Sri Sourav Ganguly, India’s former Cricket Captain , has been extending his whole-hearted support towards our endeavours for integrated development of Children at risks.

We are really grateful to the passengers of the trans-Atlantic flights run by the Virgin Atlantic Airlines for their kind-hearted donations and support received through the Hope for Children, United Kingdom.

LAMP has been also successful to set up two centres (“House of Hope for Children at Risks” i.e. “ASHANIRH” in Bengali), in central and south Kolkata. Its objectives are to give night shelter to the deprived and vulnerable children, to impart primary education to them, with facilities for sports, recreational and cultural activities, and also vocational training with a view to enable them to lead a meaningful life when they grow up. A secured night-shelter, particularly for the adolescent girls of vulnerable age, which is very much necessary for obvious reasons, is also provided. In the near future similar “House of Hope” centres will also be set up in other cities including New Delhi, which are also facing similar vulnerable children problems.

The project is to be a continuing one, as it would take care of the vulnerable children of the age group of 5-18 in suitable batches every year for a long period. So what the “House of Hope for Children at Risks” (ASHANIRH) really needs a permanent structure of its own and also a Corpus Fund for sustaining the project after the gestation period say, 3 or 4 years is over. The interest from this fund will help us to continue our work of providing opportunities for education, health care, nutrition, vocational training to thousands of children at risks in different states of India.

We fervently appeal to you to extend your helping hand to LAMP in accomplishing its noble task by donating your benevolent contribution for any or more of the following components of the project detailed below. The estimated financial support required of one child is also mentioned against each component. Your contribution may mean virtual adoption, fully or partly, of one or more of the forlorn and deprived vulnerable children.

1. Education per child – Rs. 2,000.00 per annum.
2. Food per child – Rs. 5,000.00 per annum.
3. Health care per child – Rs. 900.00 per annum.
4. Clothing per child – Rs. 600.00 per annum.
5. Recreation, sports etc. per child – Rs. 250.00 per annum.
6. vocational skill development per child – Rs. 3,000.00 (one-time lumpsum)
7. Fund for income generation for one skilled child – Rs. 5,000.00 (one-time lumpsum)
8. Full time education with residential care per child- Rs. 18,000.00 per annum.
9. Corpus Fund for running the House of Hope for children at risks – Rs. Any suitable amount.

We will be writing to you regularly about the children’s progress through our newsletter – Shishu Jagat . You may be absolutely sure that your valuable contributions will be put to good use and that it is going to make a big difference in the lives of vulnerable children. I look forward to your being an important member of our family.

With all best wishes and regards,

Yours faithfully

(N.B: All donations are exempted under 80-G of the Income Tax Act)