Family Health Care and Nutrition Program:

Due to illiteracy, poverty, ignorance, wrong beliefs and unhygienic conditions, the health status of the sponsored children and their families remains poor most of the time. Prevention of disease is the main objective of the Family Health Program. However diagnosis, the disease and its cure is also done by the doctor.

Before or after starting the sponsorship case, the first routine health check up of the full family is done. In case of further investigation, the client is referred to the general hospital. The social worker maintains regular followups. The doctor at the clinic also recommends nutritional health after assessing the client health status. Under the special nutrition program high protein calorie diet powder, milk powder, bananas, eggs etc. are given to the family.

Based upon the screening from the doctor of the children and family members, the sponsees are given a nutrition diet once a day at the community center. This is done to bring them up to a particular health standard.

Family Assistance, Economic Assistance and Income Generation:

Families who face financial difficulties due to a sudden crisis like the death of the breadwinner, are given time–bound assistance in the form of cash or grains to assist them through the crisis period. To augment the family income, economic assistance is provided to start a small business / vocation.

Tailoring Class:

A tailoring class for young girls and women is held, to enable them to learn the trade, thereby making them independent to either do their own tailoring or accept outside tailoring orders. Training in other skills such as book binding, envelope and chalk making etc are also given from time to time.

Mahila Mandals and Self Help Groups:

Educative discussions / talks on health and social issues are organized for women who form the mahila mandal. A “Bachat Gat”, savings group has also been formed, whereby the women put aside money on monthly basis and from this consolidated amount, avail  loans mainly for business purposes.

Children Activities / Camps:

Camps are held twice a year for children. Various activities, which include different forms of entertainment and education, are held during these camps. The children gain a lot of information and opportunity to display their talents through these activities. Educational field visits / outings are also arranged for the children.

Balwadi:

20 children avail of a well-equipped Balwadi at our center. A teacher conducts the class and a nutritious snack is also provided to the children. This entire program has a holistic approach and although the sponsorship assistance is on the name of one of the children in the family, all the members of the family benefit from our multi- faceted programs.

Employment Assistance Scheme:

Most of the families of the sponsored children go through financial crisis due to unemployment. There are three basic reasons for unemployment:

-Poor ability for professional jobs and therefore they have to do underpaid, unskilled jobs.
-Alcoholism.
-Ill Health.

In such circumstances the social worker helps the sponsee to help themselves. The sponsees register their names with BSSK. They mention their requirements and expectations. After assessing the sponsee's ability and accessibility the social worker refers them to the employer. The sponsees, after completing their school years tend to select routine higher college education, which consumes more time, money and energy. Employment opportunities remain poor even after completing these courses. As the children cannot compete with others, the social workers counsel children to take up vocational training and technical courses, which lead them to better job opportunities or self-employment.

Special Medical Aid:

After the initial medical check up of the sponsored children and their family members it was observed that many cases needed immediate expensive medical treatment. In such cases help is provided to these children and their families through the Special Medical Aid.

Personality Development Camps:

Personality Development Camps are organized for the sponsored children and their siblings, every Diwali and summer vacations. Varieties of activities are included in such camps for creativity, entertainment, value orientation, building self-confidence, developing social skills etc. Lectures of experts are organized for providing information on various subjects and creating awareness about social problems. Some field trips are organized too. Some competitions are organized to encourage children to express their talents.

Future Plans:

To expand the sponsorship programme in terms of providing services to the community i.e. to the non-cliental community people.

To have need based short courses which can develop skills and help the school drop-outs / 10th & 12th std. pass-out students to have their own income generation activity.

To have a programme for adolescent girls and boys about Personal Safety Education on child sexual abuse.

Considering the growing activities and scope of work, BSSK needs to have a bigger place. At present, all the activities are conducted in the small office area. In the subsequent years the program has been growing in terms of increasing number of cases, more and more sponsors and various supporting services. It was possible mainly because of the involvement of kind Indian sponsors and sponsors abroad. Their timely help is touching the lives of many needy children in many ways. We seek to attract highly motivated and dedicated people to fulfill this monumental task.