With a view of helping more street children at risk, Stepping Stones, our second Day Care Shelter is at a strategic location in Margao, was opened in 2005. It has the same aims as Asha Deep. Margao is the commercial city of Goa situated in the south where the main railway passes through, bringing with it countless migrants who come seeking employment and fortune along with their children who wander around the city begging and working for measly sums of money. This too is done usually to satisfy their hunger and their parents’ hunger who are often alcoholics and drug addicts. Getting these children into school is a battle in itself as most parents are ignorant about the benefits of an education. We have hundreds of underprivileged children availing benefits like formal and non formal education, coaching camps and tuition classes, Day Care facility etc.
We provide about 300 – 500 daily lunch packets called Manna Khanna for the homeless people and beggars.
We conduct many awareness programmes, women empowerment campaigns and campaigns on the prevention of child abuse. Various camps like medical, health, summer camps along with the outings are organized. Our fieldworkers distribute clothes and food in the slums situated in and around the city.
At present, we are running a few slum schools for children who are not able to attend the Shelter facilities, due to the distance.