Since 2001, Vijayawada has had no orphanage. In a place where poverty is so widespread and so many parents cannot take care of their own children, this is a grave lacuna. Scores of babies are abandoned every year. Many of them simply die alone in the streets, most often hidden beneath a heap of garbage.

In 2005, the local government asked us to care for the abandoned babies. In just weeks, we rescued more babies than our facilities could handle. We thus quickly arranged a makeshift nursery in Daddy’s Home, but even that soon proved insufficient to care for their growing numbers. In 2008, we completed and inaugurated a large home for newborns on our Daddy’s Home campus. Over the years, we have cared for over 165 babies, 90 of whom were subsequently given out for adoption to local couples by the state government.

The babies obviously need great attention and care. We have hired new staff – 20 nannies and 3 nurses – who looks after them 24/7 with great affection and enthusiasm. Their care, however, has proven very expensive, as we constantly need to purchase powdered milk, clothing, sheets, towels, diapers, and bottles. And only part of those costs are covered by the sponsorship fees.

Nannies’ salaries: $150×20×month
Nurses’ salaries: $250×3×month
Diapers/clothes/sheets/towels: $225×baby×month
Powdered milk: $50×baby×month