Night shelter for children opened in AP

Vijayawada, July 12: The long-cherished dream of a night shelter for street children over the age of 14 in the city has come true with the inauguration of a night shelter-cum-vocational training centre at Kanuru, last night.

Abbott Fund, a philanthropic foundation of the US-based Abbott, a global healthcare company, which funded the centre, dedicated the shelter to Freedom Fighter and Social Reformer Saraswathi Gora.

Addressing a gathering, Abbott Fund Vice-President Reeta Roy said there was conspicuous need for a night shelter for hundreds of street children who sleep on pavements.

The Abbott Fund agreed to sponsor the project in response to a plea from VMM, a local NGO engaged in community-based care and support programmes for people affected with HIV/AIDS.

Ms Roy said the fund provided care and support for more than two lakh children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in the country since 2001.

Atheist Centre Executive Director Vijayam said the centre could accommodate 150 street children. He said there were only four shelters in the region and all of them focused on younger children, leaving adolescents with little to turn to.

''These children are at very high risk of becoming victims of violence, sexual predation and diseases such as HIV,'' he said adding the shelter will not only provide the children with a place to sleep, but help them learn a trade to be able to take care of themselves.

UNI