Hariharananda Balashram
- Orphanage /residential school for poor orphans and single parent kids
- Fosters overall development for young minds through love, education, nutrition and health.
- Currently supports 240 kids, extensible to 480 kids by 2015.
- Separate residences for boys and girls as well as living quarters for teachers all located within campus
- Clean dining halls, kitchens and other facilities for providing free and nutritious food to residents
Hand In Hand USA sponsors an orphanage cum residential school in Arua, in the district of Kendrapara, located near Balighai. It has been named 'Hariharananda Balashram'. The word Balashram means 'school for children'.
During the cyclone disaster of 1999, more than 48,000 people died in rural Orissa. Many children lost their parents overnight. As a result, the idea the Hariharananda Balashram residential school and orphanage, was conceived. HIH USA sponsors the Balashram, a home and campus for abandoned and impoverished children located in Arua, Orissa.
The Balashram was inaugurated in 2004 and provides primary through secondary education and boarding to many children from families earning less than $0.50 cents per day. Each year the Balashram inducts 40 new students. They are selected from extremely impoverished situations, and are either homeless or whose parents have no means to support the child. The aim is to have a fully operational center by 2015 with 480 children .
Children in Balashram are nurtured in a caring and homely environment that is conducive their overall development including body, mind and spirit. The school curriculum is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Delhi, India. The children are taught primarily in English but are also taught Hindi, Sanskrit and Oriya language. The students are ably assisted and guided by qualified teachers who live in campus. A number of separate residential dormitories for boys and girls are in different phases of construction that are all scheduled to be complete by 2010. Separate dining halls, cow sheds are being provided to supply the residents with nutritious food.
Students are given an opportunity to learn various co-curricular Activities such as Music, Dance and Art and are trained by professional musicians and artists. Children are also invited to perform cultural activities at various organizations
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
