Accommodation, activities, education, nutrition, health and a future
The Illam children receive education and whole child development in a caring environment. They stay in our home and study in nearby government or its aided schools.
Through the work and legacy of Jean Watson
Wellington writer, the late Jean Watson, founded the Illam (‘Home’ in Tamil) in 1987 to help poor children in Nilakottai, Tamilnadu, India. The DHAN KARUNAI ILLAM is now a model institution caringly built over 30 years with the support of mostly New Zealanders. The Illam is managed by DHAN a highly regarded Indian development organisation.
Poverty and illiteracy in India
India is a growing economy. Yet most children get fewer than six years of schooling and one in nine is illiterate. Poor diets mean that 38% of children under the age of five are so underfed as to damage their physical and mental capacity irreversibly, according to the Global Nutrition Report.” – Economist magazine Jan 13-19 2018