About Snehasadan
Snehasadan has 12 houses in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai city. We also have two contact centres, one at CSTM railway station (AMCHI KHOLI) and one near Borivali railway station (NIVARA). These centres work directly with the vulnerable children that dwell there. The centre staff is also involved in community outreach programs and conduct study classes for the children from the neighbourhood community. They also identify the children in need of care and protection and refer such children to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
Snehasadan is a non-governmental organization that provides a Home and a future for homeless street children in Mumbai, India. Over the past 60 years, Snehasadan has been providing shelter for numerous children.
On 4th April, 1963, the second Snehasadan home was started with a childless couple as houseparents in Gundowli village in a rented building with donated materials. The idea seemed to have caught and Snehasadan’s experiment was on its way. The expansion now was sustained and supported by many well wishers.
In 1964, Holy Cross Church at Kurla, offered Snehasadan a third home in its compound. It was in a low lying area and could not survive the monsoon. But the next year on 5th May, 1965 on donated land in Mogra village, the fourth home was opened with twenty five boys to relieve the over crowding at the other homes. The carpenter who helped build it stayed on with his wife as houseparents.
Our Story
How We Got Started
The beginnings were small and hesitant. The first house of Snehasadan began in a make-shift hut at Kajuwadi in Chakala, Andheri with just five boys, who all ran away after the very first night. But as word went around and Snehasadan too got better known, other children came. The home stabilised and expanded and soon another house was needed.
How It's Going
In 1964, Holy Cross Church at Kurla, offered Snehasadan a third home in its compound. It was in a low lying area and could not survive the monsoon. But the next year on 5th May, 1965 on donated land in Mogra village, the fourth home was opened with twenty five boys to relieve the over crowding at the other homes. The carpenter who helped build it stayed on with his wife as houseparents.
Founders
The first Snehasadan home was set up in Andheri (North of Mumbai) in 1962. Fr. Ricardo Francis a Spanish priest troubled by the large numbers of street children that lived on pavements and stations around that area, began to invite the children into his home in the evenings to take refuge while they slept. The boys he took in belonged to different castes and backgrounds. There was one thing they had in common; they were on their own on the street through choice or circumstance.
Helping children on the streets trust and believe in someone is a herculean task but one that the founders of Snehasadan were willing to work at.
Our Team
Fr. Noel Pinto S.J.
Director
Fr. Welington Patil, S.J. & Fr. Frankline Colaco, S.J.
Assistant Directors
Houseparents
The backbone of Snehasadan is the houseparents who take care of the needs of the children day and night. They are supported by the social workers, counselors,s and administrative staff. The management team coordinates and facilitates the functioning of the entire team
Become a Volunteer Today
A few hours a week of your time can go a long way in helping our children to not only cope up with their studies but to also excel. Many of our children have a weak foundation in some subjects due to having missed out on some years of schooling.
Saving Lives & Building Families Since 1963
Childern on street
Mumbai homeless Kids
Composition of slums
We’ve Raised to Help Homeless Children
A few hours a week of your time can go a long way in helping our children to not only cope up with their studies but to also excel. Many of our children have a weak foundation in some subjects due to having missed out on some years of schooling. But with a little motivation and some persuasion, many of them do relatively well while some stand out with their performance. If you can spare some of your precious time to help our children do contact us
