Four Hands’ Learn to Live Foundation announced that it is expanding its partnership with the Miracle Foundation (TMF), to support the ongoing sponsorship of 20 orphaned children in TMF’s Sooch Village orphanage (Ranchi, India) and the construction of two orphanage cottages at the Bhawani Home for Children (Jharsuguda, India).
The Miracle Foundation, based in Austin, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of orphans in India and around the world. TMF operates four children’s homes and one home for unwed mothers. Founded eight years ago on Mother’s Day by Caroline Boudreaux, TMF renovates existing orphanages, builds new ones, raises money for construction and finds sponsors for the children.
Learn to Live was created by Four Hands founder and CEO Brett Hatton to improve the lives of disadvantaged children in India. Hatton is excited about the growing partnership with TMF and looks forward to additional projects, including the construction of more “ideal village” orphanages.
“I am thrilled to announce our new joint venture with Caroline and the Miracle Foundation” Hatton said. “This is a commitment that we have undertaken throughout the entire company with our employees taking an active role in sponsoring these 20 children, writing letters, exchanging photos, and even visiting with them when we are in India during the year.”
The sponsorship of a child for $100 per month includes education, transportation, food, clothing and medicine. Four Hands employees received photos of each child as well as biographical information. As part of the sponsorship, Four Hands will receive letters, report cards, photos and even video emails from each child throughout the year. The 20 children are from Sooch Village, a community of twenty free-standing cottages, situated just outside of Ranchi. The village, which opened in March 2008, is currently home to more than ninety children and will eventually house more than 200 children. Most of the children are under six-years old.
Each of the two cottages being constructed by Learn to Live at Bhawani will house 10 children and a house mother. The cost of constructing both cottages is $20,000. The intimate family environment allows the children to receive individual attention that is very difficult to achieve in a traditional orphanage. Each cottage has its own kitchen, living areas and bathrooms. Bhawani, which was taken over by TMF in March 2007, houses approximately 200 children between the ages of five and 12 years old.
“It is really an honor to work with people who understand we live in a global world and that no matter where you live, every life has equal value,” Boudreaux said of the partnership with Learn to Live. “Brett and Four Hands are helping take care of those who can’t take care of themselves, and that is really a selfless act. We are honored to have Four Hands be a partner in our journey.”
Currently, India has more than 25 million orphans – equal to the population of Texas. Hatton noted that his foundation’s goal is to help improve each orphan’s life and to work to end the cycle of poverty through education. “TMF is a natural choice for us to partner. They have achieved so much in such as short time.”
In March 2008, Hatton coordinated with Four Hands vendors in India to donate more than $50,000 of furniture to TMF’s Sooch Village.
About Learn to Live: Learn to Live aims to better the lives of children in India by providing them with the self-esteem, confidence, education, skills, and mental aptitude to become tomorrow’s world leaders. Founded by Brett Hatton, Founder & CEO of Four Hands, the foundation aims to change the lives of children through support on both a personal and community level.
About Miracle Foundation: The Miracle Foundation empowers children to reach their full potential, one orphan at a time. We work collaboratively to empower families living in poverty to keep, feed, and educate their children. We partner with and support existing orphanages to upgrade them to a global model, and we build family-style orphanages to provide children with personalized attention. www.miraclefoundation.org