ABOUT US
Aid projects need personal devotion … of its helpers.
For 50 years, the Castelhun family has been supporting children that live on the lowest level of society. At first during a 10-year,
business-related stay in Mumbay for Siemens. Abandoned babies, “slum dog children” and all their hardships lead to the decision
of provide help on a permanent basis. They start to support the Andheri Hilfe in Bonn, Germany.
The parish initiated contact with Hemalata in 1977. From 1977 to 1989 (12 years), in addition to 20 sponsorships, there was
occasional contact with the Hemalata orphanages via letters, but without any visits.
As of 1989, the respective pastors of the parish handed the management of the “Hemalata project” over to the Castelhun
family. In the following 27 years leading up to 2016, the Castelhun family visited the orphanages a total of 21 times. This ensures
useful planning and care on-site. A Forchheim, Germany-based music publisher was very taken in by our concept and with two
large donations enabled the construction of the first buildings.During the past 25 years, our „on-site planning and care“ concept led
to many more large donations and also more than 200 sponsorships, which cover more than 80% of the monthly costs for support
and education of 350 children.
2012 Irmgard Castelhun was decorated with the order of the Federal Republic of Germany. In the eulogy of the Minister of Welfare,
Mrs. Haderthauer, was mentioned: "... a special aim of your Hemalata-Orphanages aidprogrammes is, beside the guaranteing and
improvement of the basic provision for 350 children, is the vocational training of the youth, so that they are protected from a later
life on the road or landing in the slums again, where they are coming from ..."
Our dream came true:
"As long as the children are small, give them roots and when they have grown, give them wings!"
The children’s long-term perspective has increased significantly because they went to school and received a professional education.
Talking about personal devotion......, the practical work with sponsors in Germany and the Hemalata orphanages is taken care of by
the Castelhun family from their own home. They have set up a home office from which they can telephone, fax,SKYPE, email and
write letters. This is a half-day volunteer job but reduces the administrative costs for the projects to only ca. 2%.
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