Virgin Atlantic launches 'Zindagi Dawakhana' for street children

Mumbai, Aug 24 (UNI) Britain's second largest long haul airlines Virgin Atlantic Airways today rolled out ''Zindagi Dawakhana'' project in association with New Life Educational and Medical Trust (NLMET) and Rachaels Children Trust (RCT), which aims at providing quality medical care to the street children in Mumbai.

Launching the project here today, Airline's Regional Manager, India Subcontinent, Judith Wilcox said, '' With our support for NLMET and RCT, Virgin Atlantic Airways stands committed to make a sustainable difference in the region.'' Virgin Atlantic's ''change for children'' is an on-board appeal in aid of charities, undertaking projects that benefit children the world over. Under the programme, the airline takes all the change that noone knows what to do with, and uses it to support charities projects, especially concerning the children's health.

''Zindagi'' is an initiative of the Rachael Trust, which is a diaspora-led charity registered in the UK. The charity supports the children who would normally not have access to quality pre-school education, are benefitting from the ''Balwadi'' project run by NLMET in Mumbai.

Set up in 1982, the NLMET at present runs 42 ''Balwadis'' in the city, which have a combined strength of 2,368 children.

In India, the project ''Zindagi Dawakhana'' has been chosen to benefit from the Airline's initiative, which provides over 1800 children in the ''balwadis'' with mobile medical and dental screening.

The project will also cover under it the provision of required drugs and vitamins that are prescribed to the children for their treatment.

Commenting on the initiative, NLMET founder and president Dr S Joseph said, ''The programme targets street children and works among communities where education is a low priority. Today's street children of the city have the capacity to become tomorrow's leaders of the nation.'' UNI