U.S. Ambassador visits Sharanam Home for Girls

On 11th May 2010, the Ambassador of the United States, Mr. Timothy Roemer, and his wife Mrs. Sally Roemer, visited CORP’s Sharanam Home for Girls in Dharavi.

The distinguished guests were heartily welcomed by CORP’s Director, Mr. Nirmal Chandappa, and by the children and staff of Sharanam. Our girls presented greeting cards to the Ambassador and his wife, and also gave a dance performance. The couple interacted with the girls and praised their talents and proficiency in English. They expressed optimism for the girls’ future successes in life.

During the visit, Mr. Roemer expressed his heartfelt feelings and said that although he has traveled extensively, Sharanam is the first place where he has felt genuine joy, serenity, love and affection. The Ambassador also said that he would share his experiences at Sharanam with U.S. President Barack Obama.

Mr. Roemer promised to Sharanam again in the future and applauded the Director for the good work carried out by CORP, assuring the organisation of his valuable support in implementing programmes for the prosperity of these children in future.

Dedication of CORP's new centre in Jogeshwari

It is with great pleasure that we announce the completed reconstruction of CORP’s Jogeshwari Centre. The new centre was dedicated by Bishop Dr. Elia Pradeep Samuel and Mrs. Monica Aruna Samuel on March 28, 2010.

Since 1988, CORP has been providing a number of services in Premnagar slum in Jogeshwari, including balwadi, non-formal education, sponsorship for poor children, and other vocational courses such as tailoring, beautician training and crèche teacher training for underprivileged youth and women. We're excited to have new facilities so that we can continue to serve the residents of Jogeshwari and make a positive difference in their lives.

Launch of the new CORP website

We are delighted to announce the launch of the new Community Outreach Programme website. Updated and redesigned, the new site provides information on all aspects of our organization, the work we do, and how you can support us. We would like to extend a huge thank you to 2adpro in Chennai for donating their time and expertise to design the site.

We’re excited about all the good things happening at CORP and we’re thrilled to have a new website to showcase our work. We hope you'll like it too!

Film features CORP beneficiaries, raises money for NGOs in Mumbai

Nitin Das’ film, Magic Feather, draws together seven fictional narratives, seen through the eyes of children in Mumbai’s slum communities.

“The stories are not about poverty, misery or hunger; rather, they take you to an unusual world through the eyes of children. They show you that even in the darkest times, it is possible to find happiness, friendship and hope,” says Das.

The film stars young people from seven Mumbai-based NGOs and shelters, including Tejal and Bharti from our Sharanam Centre for Girls. Das selected the girls to act in the film after conducting a series of theatre workshops for young people, many of whom had never acted before.

Magic Feather can be viewed on the film’s website for Rs 100, or can be downloaded for Rs 200. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds will go to local NGOs that support children in the city.

To learn more about Magic Feather, read the recent feature in DNA (Daily News & Analysis), or watch the teaser.

Women's Day Campaign at Mocha

We're thrilled that we were chosen by Mocha to be their Women's Day partner. For the week starting on Monday March 8 (International Women's Day), all 16 Mocha locations across India highlighted our work. They asked patrons to make a donation on our behalf. Thanks Mocha and Impresario!

CORP celebrates International Women's Day

International Women’s Day is a global day to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women. This year, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day with a special event at the Central Railway Sayog in Matunga. Our programme featured singing, dancing and skits, showcasing the talents of the women and children who benefit from our programmes in and around Mumbai.

Over 500 people attended the event, including a number of special guests:

• Mrs. Monica Aruna Samuel (President, Deasonesses Bombay and Gujarat Regional Conference, MCI);
• Mr. Paul Folmsbee (Consul General, US Consulate); and
  
• Mr. Soloman Bhopale (Officer, Maharashtra State Social Welfare Board)

The guests spoke about women’s rights and the importance of women in Indian society. Three beneficiaries of CORP’s programmes for women also shared their success stories with the audience, setting an inspiring example and illustrating the ways in which we help to empower women in communities across Mumbai.

Many people contributed to the organization and success of this event, including a group of Bollywood makeup artists from Fat Mu who did the makeup for the dance performers.

Launch of the new CORP blog

Welcome to the new blog for the Community Outreach Programme! We'll use this space to share updates and news about our programmes.

Thanks for your support!