About Buds of Christ - NOW
Buds of Christ focuses on children who have lost their parent/s and is living in disadvantaged circumstances of poverty, caste discriminated communities and HIV & AIDS. We recognize that children without the care of parents or guardian are often vulnerable to various forms of abuses and exploitation. We strive to empower these children to reduce their vulnerability and help them grow up to be capable adults in this world.
Our Vision – Empowering Children, Enabling Wellbeing
We believe that unless children are empowered, their wellbeing is not complete. Buds of Christ works under the H.E.A.L strategy with a mission “to love, listen, learn and lead orphans and vulnerable children to live life positively and with dignity and be children of hope and courage to their peers and to their community”
What do we do?
Health: We influence the care provided by adults and social conditions that the child lives so as to improve a child' health
We do this by
- Providing counseling for children, adolescents and youth
- Forming support groups for children without parents and children living with HIV
- Visiting the family of children living with and affected by HIV
- Ensuring treatment and follow-up care for children living with HIV
- Facilitating emergency support for medical care, travel cost and nutrition support for care takers and children
Education: Buds of Christ encourages children to pursue their education to improve their condition
We do this by
- Providing Life Skills Education for young people on decision making, goal setting, problem solving, coping with emotions and handling peer pressure
- Supporting to aid their schooling
- Conducting spoken English and computer classes for young people from rural areas
- Generating monetary support for 10th and 12th standard towards special tuitions and for books and guides
Advocacy: Buds of Christ advocates for upholding the rights of children and encourages their active participation in articulating the issues that affect them.
We do this by creating forums like:
- Vetri Kootam represented by young people living with HIV who actively advocate on issues faced by them and their families at the district, state and national level.
- Changemakers represented by young people in villages who advocate on issues around child abuse, health of young people and HIV prevention and care.
Livelihood: Buds of Christ aims at making the families independent in fulfilling their basic needs.
We do this by
- Facilitating support through social security schemes for orphan children, widow pension scheme and old age pension scheme facilitated for deserving families (widow and grandparents headed families).
- Forming special groups of young widows living with HIV and motivating to the to aiming towards economic independence
- Helping parents and extended families access soft loans for establishment of small businesses.
You can render your support by
- Talking about our work and share our web-link to your friends and like-minded people who would be interested in similar work
- LIKE us on Facebook (search for “budsofchrist” and you will be able to locate our page). Follow us on Twitter (@budsofchrist).
- Volunteer with Buds of Christ for a specific period of time
- Share your talent and skills with young people and children we reach
- Monetary support for carrying out our activities
All donations are exempted under Sec 80 (G) of Income Tax