5 years of tara

7/22/2019 5 Years of Tara

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TARA Homes for Children: 5 Year Review: 2008 - 2013

The NeedIt is estimated there are 18 million children living on the street in India, working,

begging or simply trying to survive, amidst all kinds of violence and abuses. Delhi itself

counts more than 15 million inhabitants, among which it is estimated that up to 500,000

children live abandoned on the streets.

The Inspiration for TaraThe founders of Tara each had previous involvement working with abandoned children in

India; in both local Non Government Organisations (NGOs) and large shelters. From this

experience they were inspired to create homes with a family-like atmosphere which

focused on education and the childrens well-being; similar to the opportunities children

have in more economically advantaged conditions. The first home, Tara Boys, opened in

August 2008 and caters for boys aged six to 18 years old.

The Tara model includes the following principles:

All the children living at Tara are abandoned children,

in need of care and protectionA maximum of 20 children can be admitted per Tara

homeA family-like atmosphere should be createdEducation is a key priorityEach child is regarded as an individual and treated

with respect and dignity

After clearance by the Child Welfare Committee (the

Indian government authority assigned to deal with

children in need of care and protection) an o!cial

placement order is issued for the child/children to

reside at Tara.


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The Tara VisionThe Tara vision contained several important ideals:

A family-like environment Embracing non-violence

Mainstreaming quality schooling Reinforcing positive social and cultural values Fostering personal identity A safe place for childhood

A family-like environment

A maximum capacity of 20 children per Tara home ensures each and every child is

provided with su!cient attention. Each child is treated as an individual, taking into

account their di"erent needs and talents. Tara ensures there is a mix of ages to

encourage balanced relationships between the older and younger children.

Embracing Non-violence

Vulnerable or abandoned children are often recovering from previous violence. Tara

strives to remove violence between children by looking at the cause as well as treating

the symptoms. Training is provided to sta"on non-violent discipline methods as well as

teaching the children how to deal with violence in a non-violent manner. This is also a

key reason why Tara has decided to keep its homes small, as it has been documented

that larger homes for children greatly increase the risk of a violent and unsafe

environment.

Mainstreaming quality schoolingEducation breaks the cycle of inter-generational poverty. Quality education is the

ultimate goal for every child in Tara. This leads to a sustainable outcome, as each child

has the opportunity to become an independent and contributing member of the

community.

The ambition for every child admitted to Tara is to be mainstreamed into a suitable

school and supported through regular tutor sessions in small groups. Most children

enter the homes with significant academic gaps and require a bridge period where they

undertake intensive tuition in small groups to catch up with their age group before the

commencement of the next academic year.


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Reinforcing positive social and cultural values

Integrity, Courage, Solidarity, Dignity, Generosity, Education, Having a Critical Mind,

Peace, Tolerance, Humility and Hygiene are values reinforced through regular activities

(such as theatre workshops, discussions, contact with a range of Indian and expatriate

support sta") as well in a daily mantra before dinner (e.g. Every day I try to become a

better person).

Fostering personal identity

Strengthening the unique identity of every child is a core element within the Tara

concept. It involves transforming children who have been previously treated as objects.

Tara believes this can be achieved by consistently encouraging the children to express

themselves, teaching them their rights, spending time listening to them, taking action

when they legitimately ask for it, and by encouraging the practice of active democracy;

for example through having a child representative elected by the children who attends

the sta"meetings, represents their concerns and feeds back to the children after.

A safe place for childhoodTara aims to provide a place that is safe in every aspect; so that children can live their

lives in a home that is non-toxic and protected. This is critically important as many of

the children have experienced serious traumas; often bearing responsibilities beyond

their young years. Tara recognises the importance of having a childhood as part of their

educational development. Adequate time is given for playing games, going to the park

and social and creative outings.

Accomplishments: 2008-2009Taras early years focused on creating a solid foundation suitable for a sustainable homefor abandoned children. The first two years required a combination of determination and

patience. Ideas and concepts were tried and tested; hands-on experience was gained

from learning by doing; outcomes both intended and unexpected were instrumental in

shaping a robust framework for the future. Key milestones included:

The creation of a financial and legal Tara structure Identifying the first group of Tara children Securing initial funding Developing a community based on Tara values, including committed Trustees and

volunteers Broadening the childrens view of their world Securing licensing by the Authorities


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The creation of a financial and legal Tara structure

To ensure Tara operated professionally two NGOs were established:

! ONYVA: is a registered Indian NGO holding all primary legal and financial

responsibility. It is accountable for all administration and communications with

Indian authorities.!

CHAYA FRANCE: is a registered French charity responsible for generating funds,providing technical assistance and ensuring the smooth strategic running of the

programme.

Identifying the first group of Tara children

The Tara programme began as a small part of a larger Delhi NGO (Deepalaya). The larger

NGO acted as an incubator during the first year. The first group of Tara children came

from a large shelter run by Deepalaya. Through sheer persistence and e"ort Tara traced

and located at least one family member for every child. Due to this contact Tara was able

to obtain parental/guardian written consent for their placement at Tara.

Securing initial funding

Initially, it was an uphill battle to find ways to sponsor a newborn project in the middle of

an international recession. Funding for Onyva was provided by the personal savings of a

small number of founding members.

Step by step the Tara model was embraced and potential donors were convinced of the

approach. Funding slowly trickled in and within two years the first prestigious sponsors

(the French Embassy in India and private corporation Hermes) were secured. Thus began

the start of a strategic and longer term funding base.

Developing a community based on Tara values

An important and crucial element was the hiring of

sta"willing and able to role-model Taras values.

Processes and procedures were documented that,

while rigorous, reflected Taras family-like

environment. Life in a childrens home like Tara

needs to be firmly structured around routine

(homework time, sport time, music time, computer

access, cleaning chores, washing of clothes, etc...).

Tara introduced regular opportunities for the sta"

to meet; mechanisms for the children to complain,


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suggest or provide feedback to sta" (e.g. through the complaints box in the foyer and

the elected Child Representative who attends all sta"meetings); mediation tools to solve

conflicts though dialogue; on-going thorough documentation of the childrens history

and progress.

Broadening the childrens view of their world

A distinctive feature of Tara is that the sta" and volunteers team is made up of bothIndians and expatriates from numerous countries and backgrounds. This allows the

children to be raised in a truly multi-cultural environment. Tara places a strong emphasis

on diversity, keeping three languages present in their every day life (Hindi, English and

French). Tara volunteers and trainees come from all over the world bringing with them a

range of skills and experiences.

Licensing by the Authorities

Taras Indian NGO was vigilant in complying with the law (e.g. the Juvenile Justice Act,

other texts related to child protection, tax compliance with the vital FCRA - a registration

required to get donations in foreign currencies). The NGO needed to ensure its financialand accounting procedures were in order to secure accreditation by the Authorities.

Similarly, the French NGO endured scrutiny by the French government; in due course it

was accepted to grant tax deductibility to French donors.

Positive change

From the very beginning it was evident the Tara vision was reaping the desired results:

The children became less anxious as they learnt that their new home was a safe

environment and they became noticeably less violent towards each other. Their health and hygiene improved as Tara standards were enforced (e.g. washing

hands before meal times; providing vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals on a

weekly basis under the guidance of a qualified dietician; making sure every child

brushed their teeth morning and night). The children responded positively to the routine of learning and playtime; they

smiled and laughed and slept well. After only six to twelve months most children began to start speaking English. The childrens self-confidence increased when they understood the sta" at Tara

listened, considered and acknowledged their input. Several of the expatriate volunteers commented on the good manners of the

children; with some commenting they were better behaved than many of theirchildren back home!


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Accomplishments: 2010 - 2013The next phase of Tara continued to build on the successful elements of the model. The

following themes emerged in Taras next phase of development:

Educational goals The continued development of sta"professionalism The establishment of Tara Tots (the model is replicated) Measuring the change in the childrens lives Becoming a well-known reputable NGO Connecting with supporters

Educational goals

As highlighted above, education is a critical element

in breaking the cycle of poverty. Tara focused on the

specific learning needs of each child: identifying the

academic path for each individual was a key goal

during the early years. The Tara team worked hard

building relationships with a range of quality

schools from both the private and government

sectors.

Complementary to mainstreaming the children was

the design and implementation of Taras own education programme; Bridging the Gap.

The programme is tailored to meet specific learning needs given the majority of children

who come to Tara have little or no education. The dedicated programme enables newly

admitted Tara children to catch up the academic level of the children of their age group;

as a result they are mainstreamed into school as soon as possible.

Many of the boys have become leaders at school, e.g. being nominated as class monitors

and representatives. Most visitors, Indian and foreign alike, are surprised by the level of

self-confidence of the Tara children. This self-confidence shows in the boys academic

results, their sports achievements, their ability to speak publicly, and the popularity they

have amongst their classmates. All the children have been promoted to their next class

level at the end of each academic year.

In 2013 the two eldest boys passed Class 12 exams with flying colours. This was after

only two years of intensive study at Tara followed by two further years in mainstream

school. As a result the boys were granted admission to one of the best universities in

Delhi, and are now at college.

Sta!professionalism continues to develop

The children at Tara are supervised 24/7 but no adult lives in Tara. This policy aims to

avoid sta"burning out and reduce indiscriminate behaviour towards the children. Sta"

must be professional and fully understand Taras philosophy, values and child protection

policy. Tara has only hired professionals who are committed and take theirresponsibilities seriously. There must be a su!cient-sized team to cover 24 hours a day/

7 days a week; there now are 5 full-time and 1 part-time adult for Tara Boys, 10 full-

time adults for Tara Tots and 4 extra full-time adults working on both projects.


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Tara Tots: the model is replicated

The second Tara home, Tara Tots, was started in 2012. Tara Tots provides a home for

girls and boys below 10 years. Tara Tots has taken the best learning from Tara Boys and

adapted it for a younger age group.

Measuring the change in the childrens lives

As Tara matured, changed and developed the Tara team felt it was time to assess itspractice and understand what true change it was bringing to the lives of the children.

Partnering with GoPhilanthropic, a methodology was developed to capture the rich and

insightful details of change experienced by Tara children. These stories of change

provide valuable information for internal learning in addition to providing meaningful

information for donors and funding proposals.

Tara becomes a well-known reputable NGO

As a result of Tara actively pursuing its vision consistent with its philosophy it is well

regarded in the NGO community and beyond. Tara is regularly presented in the in Indian

and French media (print and TV). Tara has been supported by the French Embassy sinceits creation and is regularly shown to various o!cials visiting India such as Members of

Parliament and Ministers. In 2013 the French First Lady visited Tara Tots and met with all

the children. As a result of these connections, a special long-term working visa for our

Director was granted by the Indian Home Ministry.

Connecting with our supporters

Keeping the network of donors, supporters and volunteers informed of all the daily

activities is very important to Tara. Sharing the inspiring changes the sta" have the

luxury of noticing on a daily basis makes a

huge di"erence in supporters really feelingpart of the Tara story. Facebook, blogging

and regular updates make donors realize

the genuine impact and value of their

support. All of the children have individual

sponsors and regular communication

between them is a maintained. Several

volunteers return each year to spend time

helping with Tara Boys and Tots; the

children appreciate and respond to the

continuity. It continues to make theconnection even more meaningful.


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Lessons Learned: Tara funding and investmentTara believes that continuous improvement is fundamental to the success and growth of

the Tara model; the team keeps a keen eye on what works well and where the greatest

challenges lie:

Financial transparency Monthly reccurring donation schemes Corporate sponsor focus

Financial transparency: donors want to know precisely where their money goes

Being considered a small project in funding terms allows Tara to easily provide clarity to

every individual or corporation on exactly where the funds are spent. Learning this early

on has helped to create a well-defined and transparent funding model.

Monthly recurring donation schemes

Tara has a very successful monthly donation scheme whereby individuals contribute a set

amount on a monthly basis. Tara Homes are supported by 152 individuals residing in

France, the USA and India. The individual sponsors subscribe to a Tara Scheme, which

identifies one particular recurring cost (i.e. school bus fares, rice, home tutoring) that the

sponsors commit to support each month.

Collectively, the schemes generate an income of 54,252 Euros per year, i.e. one third of

the total Tara budget.

Corporate sponsors focus; they prefer to fund new projects and fixed assets

Taras budget is predominantly recurring costs for ongoing projects. However corporate

sponsors prefer to fund new projects, fixed assets and one-o"costs. Understanding this

requirement was a learning curve given Taras budget is mostly recurring costs for

ongoing projects. Tara has changed its economic model to match new projects with

corporate funding; funding the day-to-day through reccurring donations from

individuals (i.e. the monthly recurring donation schemes).


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The ChallengesThe Tara team is happy to share its challenges as this is important for any journey that

involves looking after and caring for children. Some of the current complexities are:

Stress on sta" Family relationships

Mental and physical health Child retention Cost of quality care Financial stability

Stress on sta!

Running the Tara homes requires sta" to be available around the clock. This creates a

stressful environment in which to work as sta" can face constant intrusion into their

private time. Tara continues to work towards creating a roster with better outcomes for

both sta"and children.

Family relationships; the risk of children being taken back by families for the wrong

reasons

Sometimes families want to have their children back home, yet rarely for reasons that will

benefit their children. When Tara feels the child is in danger in his/her home

environment, Tara recommends the child not be restored to family. The Child Welfare

Committee becomes sovereign allowing us to provide continued care.

Mental and physical health

Increasingly, Tara is managing cases of children with special needs. Tara is not able to

host a heavily disabled child but can take care of children with minor physical orpsychological di"erences. Managing children with mental or physical issues requires

specialist expertise from the sta"; sometimes they are not equipped with the training

and experience related to these complex needs.

Child Retention

Most, if not all, of the children who come to Tara have been through traumatic periods in

their lives. Despite what Tara o"ers not all are able to recover and adapt to mainstream

conditions. Consequently, the Tara programme will never achieve 100% success for each

child. Many problems occur during the adolescence/early teenage years (e.g. issues

relating to social stigma, changing hormones) - often resulting in outbursts that threatentheir future at Tara.


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Cost of high quality care

The Tara model in its aim for high quality care comes at a high financial cost. That is,

requiring the children to be supervised 24/7 by professionals is expensive. As is

sending them to good schools, funding their tuition and providing nutritious food and

quality health care and psychological support. Our greatest challenge is in justifying thecost of the programme particularly those children who, for a variety of reasons, exit the

programme prematurely.

Financial stability

Funding Tara requires an on-going commitment to continually create su!cient

awareness about the programs for sponsors and others to provide financial investment.

Tara is a project with no end date, so new funding needs to be constantly sought.

Looking Forward: The Next StepsThere is much to look forward to in the coming Tara years: building on past success,

creating new success and exploring ideas and options not yet thought of. The following

are some of the immediate next steps:

Tara Girls Expanding sta"training More detailed individual care plans for each child Exit plans Measuring the impact Our ultimate goal

TARA Girls

The Tara team is currently working on its third Tara Home: Tara Girls 2014/15. This will

be a home for 20 girls aged 6 to 18 years. Timing for the shelter will depend on being

able to access adequate funding.

Sta!training

Taras foundation relies on a properly trained and professional sta". We hope to solidify

permanent training sessions for our sta"relating to a range of subjects including sexual

education, first aid, child protection and others.

More detailed care plans

Going forward, Tara is committed to making sure we have the time and opportunity to

consider every child individually and to work as a team in building their unique futures.

This will require creating robust case studies on each child.

Exit plan

It is essential for Tara to begin preparing for the next group of Tara boys who will be

finishing Class 12; entering university or vocational training, and eventually exiting the

Tara programme. In the future, Tara will have approximately nine boys entering into this

important stage at the same time.


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Measuring our impact:

Tara is committed to continued measurement of its work and achievements, through the

stories of change and other means.

Our ultimate goal

Our ultimate goal is to build 10 homes so that 200 children can be rescued, nurtured and

provided with the opportunity of a happy future. We will demonstrate it is moreproductive for society to take care of these children in small groups of 20 in a family-like

environment; thereby providing an important and necessary middle ground between

institutional care and foster care.

Stories of Change

Story 1:

I belong to a Tribal community in Chhattisgarh.If I remember my early childhood, it was not

good. Due to my silent attitude, in the village I

was called Pagal (crazy) or Bewakoof (foolish).

I did not talk much and became involved in

abusing substances, like tobacco, gutka (chewing

tobacco)and homemade alcohol with my friends.

I was brought to Delhi by my mother and put into

a the Deepalaya childrens home. After few

months I was transferred to Tara Boys. I did not

know anything when I came here. During fouryears of my stay at Tara, I have got the

opportunity to develop my English,

communication skills and computer skills. But

after June 2012, I started feeling a significant change in my life. I got admission at

Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya school, where I have got lot of opportunities to

participate in di"erent sports activities. At the beginning, I was feeling very

uncomfortable with new friends and with girls at my school. I felt very shy while talking

to them, but now I am confident and have so many friends at school including girls. I

have joined the National Cadet Corps, take part in all sports activities and have had

opportunities to visit the Cabinet Ministers of India. I want to do something extraordinary

in sports, therefore I take part in every sports activity. Not only at school, but at Tara I

have developed a lot - after becoming Child Representative I feel more confident, as it


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has developed my leadership, discipline and management skills. Tara is a place where

children are from di"erent cultures and religions, but in spite of all these diversities, we

understand everyones situation and live together. I feel happy that people trust me and I

try to maintain this trust. I have also learnt values and the importance of respecting and

understanding others feelings. Helping depressed people gives me happiness and

mental peace. Before becoming Child Representative, I felt hesitant while sharing my

feelings with others. But now I do not feel hesitant and raise my voice if I see anythingwrong anywhere. I try to make children and other people happy with my behaviour. I

realise that this is all because of Tara - Tara is my life.

By: 16 year old boy, living in Tara since 2009

Story 2:

I feel that during last three month I learnt few new things in Tara. As a result of regular

supervision and motivation, I feel that I have become more responsible towards looking

after myself and taking care of my own belongings. Tara Boys has some rules for

everyone that sometimes I do not like, but later I realise that we learn from it how to

make ourselves disciplined and it help us in our physical and mental growth. One more

thing which I have learnt in Tara is value - we are taught in Tara about non-violence,

truth, discipline, respecting, helping each other, avoiding bad words etc. We are taught in

Tara that we should respect elders and behave with them properly. I remember once I got

very angry with Raj* bhaiya [older boy living in Tara], I said bad words to him and

became very violent with him. But after sometime on becoming calm, I realised that I had

made a mistake and should not have behaved with Raj bhaiya like that. The next day I

apologised to Rajbhaiya and decided that I would never say bad words to anyone again.

The most important thing I have learnt is

telling the truth. I do not tell lie, sometimes

I also make mistakes like other small boys,

but I accept my mistake, and try not to

repeat it. I believe that we learn from our

mistakes. I have lived in an abusive and

alcoholic environment at my home and on

the street. I would like to share that

recently in June I went to my home to spend

one week's summer vacation with my family

and enjoyed a lot this time with my sisterand other family members. But one day

after consuming alcohol my father fought

with my brother in law late at night and it

made me very upset. I requested my father

to stop this habit of alcohol and he said that

he would leave it one day, but he does not. I feel that now I am very small and cannot

help him in getting rid of this bad habit, but one day I will be grown up and will help him.

I feel that Tara is a place where children are strongly motivated for education. I am doing

my studies very sincerely and honestly. I am improving in all the activities whether it is

yoga, dance or study. My teachers are happy with my performance. I want to be agentleman. * Name changed to protect identity

By: 8 year old child, living in Tara since 2011

5 years of tara

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