Bangalore International Airport (BLR), India, has committed to providing shelter and education for 300 young girls who have lost one or both parents to Covid-19.
Chinnara Dhama (‘a sanctuary for young children’) will be a residential and learning facility within the existing Makkala Dhama shelter campus. The initiative is designed to meet the children’s basic needs, such as shelter, food and healthcare, and offer social and psychological support. It will provide access to quality education by enrolling the children at one of the BLR-adopted schools, where they will learn basic and vocational skills. The Makkala Dhama campus is being developed on a two-acre property owned by Sparsha Trust in Bettakote Grama Panchayat limits, near Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.
Chinnara Dhama will be managed under the CSR arm of Bangalore International Airport (BLR), KIAF, and its flagship program, Namma Shikshana (Our Education). The initiative is being set up in partnership with Fairfax Financial Holding and the Sparsha Trust NGO. The entire project is being monitored by an independent team of governing volunteers consisting of entrepreneurs, corporate executives, defense veterans and social luminaries. The campus will have a built-up space of approximately 4,300m2 . The first phase of construction is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of October 2021.
Hari Marar, managing director and CEO of BLR, said, “As India continues to fight Covid-19, many children have been deprived of their parents and their emotional and financial stability. As a responsible corporate citizen, it is our primary responsibility to help the most vulnerable among us in their time of need. Through this programmatic intervention, we hope to reshape the lives of 300 girl children.”
