Why I founded Shere Khan's Youth Protection ?

India's Promising Teenagers & the Gap after Life in Orphanages...

Shere Khan's Youth Protection is a Swiss non-profit association addressing an unmet need: funding the education of Indian teenagers and women in Tamil Nadu, helping them achieve financial independence. They study in order to give a sense of direction to their lives and taking them away from the dangers of a life in the streets. We aim at making education a possibility for the young Indian generation, especially for the ones coming from orphanages that have no guidance regarding their future.

Shere Khan’s Home is a Swiss non-profit association; ruled by its status and by the articles 60 and subsequent of the Swiss Civil Code. It is politically neutral and confessionally independent. It is seated in Founex, Switzerland and was founded on May 19th, 2018 by No?lle Alice Demole as statutes were signed on this date. The association is recognized as being of public utility by the cantonal administration and thus donations benefit from tax exemption.  

The association is composed of 6 active members: the Founder/President No?lle Alice Demole, the Vice-President Jean-Fran?ois Demole, the Director of our local partner SUEB Group (https://www.suebgroup.org/suebglance.php) Dr. Priscilla Nirmalakumari & 3 staff members who work for us directly on the field: SUEB Manager Mr. B. Srinivasan, SUEB Coordinator Mrs. Sridevi & SUEB HRD/Admin Officer Mrs. Hemalatha.

Today we are happy to announce that we are helping a total of 40 teenagers and women to study and get the degree they have always wanted to pursue.

How the idea started ?

' Coming back from India, after I went on my first humanitarian mission in 2012 with the organization Friends of India, I decided to help the orphanage where I worked the most of my time and raise funds. My first project was to help the St. Mary's Jesus Home for Children in Arni in order to build an additional building (dinning & sleeping room) for the 120 children living there as they did not have enough space in the current building they had. I was able to raise 50'000 CHF from family donations and especially from my beloved grand-father Jean-Pierre Cuoni. Later on, with the cooperation of Friends of India and their team, we organized and supervised the construction of the new 'No?lle Demole Building' that was finished two years later in 2014. I am very thankful to my dear friend Mrs. Pam Walsh (Founder & President of FOI: https://www.friends-of-india.org/) for helping me with the local workers for this wonderful dream project that became reality ! ' -No?lle Alice Demole

What we do...

How?

Together with our local partner we aim to have a direct positive impact on the student’s livelihood at a local level, therefore helping and maintaining them meeting their basic needs on the long term as well as giving them future satisfaction with their lives through a good quality of education, comfortable housing, satisfying meals every day, medical consultations, safety and of course psychological support if needed. We do not impose anything, we simply advise the future students. To do this, we first identify individuals in need in Arani that will soon leave their orphanages (as it is the law) as well as their families (if they have some left). These young individuals are often too modest to ask for any help. Then, we will make sure they are willing to study at a serious university/professional school and that they are committed enough to finish a complete training or degree program in a few months or years.

We are helping honest and hard-working teens and women with their application and we help them being accepted. Our local partners are working hard to make sure the future students will make good use of the financial support we give them one they are admitted to a certain college/school. And of course we assure an organized follow-up every year on how students progress in their academic program.  

Our supporters and donors must understand that we work on a case-by-case basis methodology focusing on authenticity and merit for each student. For now we wish to stay a small association but achieving real concrete results. Our local partner and their staff members are working hard in order to assure the proper identification of students, the good monitoring of their application process (including the visits to their homes & schools if needed), the surveillance of payment records and receipts (from the association's account directly to the schools) & finally the making of annual reports of the students and their academic completion back to us. The team all together makes sure that all activities and monetary transactions comply with our internal directives.

Why ?

The lack of access to education, the hard living conditions and the lack of parental care (abandoned by parents, from too poor families or from runaway parents) of children are great challenges faced by the population of Tamil Nadu in the south of India. Particularly young teenagers, young adults and destitute women that are too poor and have difficulties to finance their studies or training programs in order to achieve their long-term dreams. 

Poverty in India affects and puts limitation to the lives of young and motivated individuals willing to study seriously. Because of the high cost of education in India, teenagers become homeless living in the streets. This makes them vulnerable to life-threatening situations. We therefore aim to work with the local community and provide each individual with a choice of studies, a safe place to stay and call it home as well as meeting with all their basic needs while studying. We offer our support to the students in any way they want if they ask for our help. We act as their 'temporary parent'.

Our focus is aiming at the protection for the next Indian generation as they are facing an increasing endangered world where poverty rapidly leads to living in the streets where survival options often involve gang memberships, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, prostitution, weapons trafficking, alcoholism, poaching and wildlife trafficking, forced labor, organs trafficking, shoplifting, gender-based violences (such as domestic violence, rape, physical & emotional abuse, abduction, kidnappings, forced marriage of 'young brides' & dowry murders) and any other criminal activities or street violences there is. As mentioned earlier, poverty and the lack of education and knowledge makes the Indian youth extremely vulnerable to these dangerous temptations to survive. 

We also believe in the power of education as knowledge increases the respect for gender equality and decreases the mentality and perception that women are the property of men ( as gender inequality is still a serious issue in India today). We realized there was a gap in guidance of youngsters and uneducated women. In the entire country of India, a majority of orphans are taken cared off because of the many orphanages that are opened and controlled by the government in the country. But what happens after they grow up? What happens once they turn 18 years old and they are kicked out ? What about that period of their lives? Who guides them about their future? These were the crucial questions we have asked ourselves. Later on, these questions without answers became our drive and motivation to created this association ! 

What you can do?

If you want to take care of a student in particular and support him (as our case-by-case methodology), let us know and we will discuss with you the young individuals that are seeking for help. We will discuss your budget and depending on that we can help find a specific student that will be thrilled to go to school because of your kind help.

Any donation is extremely appreciated from our part and especially from the future students of the state of Tamil Nadu. Just so you know, with around 200 to 500 CHF (approx. 30'000 INR), we can send a student to college or any other professional school for an entire year. Usually, a bachelor's degree, for example, has a duration of 2,3 or 4 years at a respected and re-known local university. So if you donate approximatively 1'200 CHF (about 90'000 INR), you are giving a life changing chance for a student to earn financial freedom and hope for a better future.

With our hearts and empathy for the less fortunate, we can get together and make a real difference in India !

Please visit our website if you wish to read more about our association: https://www.sherekhansyouthprotection.com/