gokulam

About the Children’s Home

Gokulam is a refuge for needy children. The Home gives children everything they need to succeed as good citizens of the world – food, shelter, medical care, a full education and the loving embrace of caring mothers.

Children are victims of the civil war, poverty and most recently the tsunami of 2004. However, at the Bhaktivedanta Children’s Home, these traumatized children find solace in the awareness that they have a new and genuinely caring family.

There are eight caretakers, eight teachers, and two cooks employed at the Children’s Home. The staff provides all the care and attention each child needs, thus becoming their new family. According to Nandarani Devi, the founder of the Home, “Whatever the children have lost before, they can find it here.”

Mission Statement

Gokulam firmly believes that all children deserve a safe and nurturing home that encourages them to learn and grow into successful and happy adults. Our goal is to provide orphaned and needy children with a caring and holistic environment, a complete education, and to instill in them spiritual values, so that they gain the self-confidence, determination, and integrity to realize their full potential in life.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of Gokulam is to give orphans and impoverished children from around the country a place they can call “home.” We strive to provide them the environment and encouragement they need to feel that they have a loving and accepting family.

Gokulam believes it is important to teach our children that they are all brothers and sisters, regardless of their background, ethnicity, or history. We therefore try to foster a spirit of unity and love among all people. Our approach is non-sectarian and we teach the children to respect all religions.

Gokulam plans to support a total of 250 youth. Steps to expand our facilities and improve our existing complex are currently underway with completion projected to be in 2006.

History

In 1999, Nandarani Devi saw the necessity to establish a program to care for children who were orphaned or poverty-stricken in Sri Lanka. In desperation, Nandarani took 23 children from the Trincomalee district into her home, providing them with food, clothing and medical care. Two houses in Colombo were soon rented, one for the boys and one for the girls. Nanadarani would take the children to the local temple for meals and schooling.

In 2000, Mrs. R. Navaratnam and her family donated land to build a proper children’s home in memory of her husband, the late Mr. Navaratnam. With the help of many donors, new buildings were constructed to accommodate even more children to come in the future. The present Children’s home contains dormitories for sleeping, classrooms, a large kitchen, gardens, and play areas for the children.

Today, Gokulam serves as a benchmark for service organizations around the country. Its quality driven comprehensive care is a demonstration of the high standards other institutions strive to attain.

The Children’s Home is currently constructing new buildings for more children, hoping to someday house 250 youth. The center has already begun expansion of the girls’ dormitory, and plans to build a new dormitory for the boys, as well as construct a new Bhaktivedanta International School building.

Gokulam is affiliated with Food for Life Global, which is constantly engaged in humanitarian work around the world and is based in Washington DC.

The Children’s Home Activities

Gokulam’s childcare is unparalleled amongst children’s organizations based in Sri Lanka. Bhaktivedanta Children’s Home provides the education, nourishment, and most of all, the love the children need to lead a healthy, happy life.

Education

The children of Gokulam are given a complete education, with special attention given to each child’s needs. Eight teachers work with the students at the Bhaktivedanta International School located within the orphanage. Classes include English, mathematics, science, health, physical education, art, computer skills, classical dance, music, and crafts. The children also participate in games, public speaking, sewing, dramas, and other fun activities. Courses are taught in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, giving students an exceptionally comprehensive background.

The school currently has five computers, with qualified teachers holding classes for students age six and older.

Each child is placed in a class according to his or her skill level, and curriculum is based on current standards of education as established by the International Schools Services.

Education would not be complete without field trips, so the children go on picnics, to temples, and to notable places of interest such as Kandy on a regular basis.

In the future, the Bhaktivedanta International School will expand to include the following resources:

An Information Technology center with the latest software
A laboratory equipped with science and technology supplies
Television and audio-visual aids in each classroom
An auditorium for performing arts
A new playground for expansive physical education training

Recreation

Another aspect of the progressive education at the Bhaktivedanta International School is to offer the children recreational classes focusing on their health and well-being. The Children’s Home believes that a balanced mind and body is imperative to children who have gone through any kind of trauma as are many of the children who come to Gokulam. Recreational courses provide the children with improved mental stability, as well as physical skill:

Qualified teachers train the girls in Bharata Natyam, an Indian classical dance that yields physical and mental fitness as well as equilibrium.
All of the students participate in Hatha Yoga, giving them better physical balance and a clear consciousness.
The children are trained in classical music, such as the Carnatic Music of South India. Playing music allows the students to express themselves in creative ways.
Children participate in both outdoor and indoor sports, such as badminton, volleyball, and gymnastics, allowing them to release stress and improve coordination.

Health & Nutrition

When children arrive at Gokulam, they are typically from poor backgrounds and thus many suffer from malnutrition, which is the greatest killer of children in the world today, especially younger children. It takes a great deal of care to nurse these children back to good health, which the Children’s Home is eager to provide.

Doctors come to the Children’s Home one to two times a month to check the general health of the children. For urgent medical issues, the children go to doctors with private medical clinics for immediate attention.

To stay healthy, the children participate in physical activities including dance, yoga, and regular exercise. The children’s physical and mental health is a priority at the Children’s Home.

At Gokulam, children eat three full meals daily. The meals are balanced and nutritious, consisting of rice, dhal, vegetables, fruits, yoghurt, and fresh milk. The meals are completely vegetarian, and the dairy products come from protected cows kept on the premises. Kitchen facilities are kept immaculately clean at all times and cooks follow strict hygienic and nutritional guidelines.