THE EL SHADDAI STORY
Matthew and Anita, Goa 2024
In 1996, Anita Edgar, a British lady, visited Goa and was deeply moved by the many children living deprived circumstances. While praying about their plight, she met Michael, a young Goan Christian, who suggested that she meet the Pastor of his local church. The Pastor was Matthew Kurian and one Sunday morning they found they shared the same vision to help the children of Goa. With a shared vision of bringing a better childhood to children who had never experienced one, Anita and Matthew jointly founded the El Shaddai Charitable Trust, which was formally registered in Goa, India in 1997.
In 1999, Anita and Matthew established El Shaddai Charitable Trust as a registered charity in England, with the intention of solely supporting El Shaddai Charitable Trust in Goa, India, and it continues to do so.
THE INDIA CONTEXT
To understand what El Shaddai Charitable Trust stands for, we first need to understand the context of a developing nation. India is a country of diversity of cultures, languages, peoples and economy. Not just in culture, language and its people, the diversity extends to the economic front as well.
In the 1990s, the Indian economy boomed as the government opened up the economy to market forces. Since then, the middle class has multiplied generating tremendous growth. However, there still remains a vast rural economy of the poor, a dichotomy where these workers migrate to the cities and work for menial wages, with many living in slums. Children are often left to fend for themselves resulting in them begging and open to exploitation. Many are exposed to drugs and prostitution.
INDIA HAS PRODUCED SOME OF THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE ON EARTH. AND YET,
LARGE SWATHS OF THE COUNTRY HAVE LITTLE TO NO DEVELOPMENT. THAT IS THE DICHOTOMY.
HISTORY AND TIMELINE
Founders – Matthew and Anita, 1997
In 1997, El Shaddai Charitable Trust opened their first Children’s Home, Victory House in Chapora, Goa with just a few children and then the numbers started to increase steadily. Four more homes were opened in Goa by 2002. In 2003, the first community project was opened in the capital city of Panjim, as a practical project to assist the many children who were living in the slums and on the streets and gave them a safe place to rest, have a shower and hot meals. The aim was also to provide education and skill training for the betterment of the children’s futures. Since then, several more projects have been opened, aiding children at risk in other locations.
With experience, we saw the need to work with whole families in local communities. They were counselled on the benefits of good hygiene, family planning and the need for education instead of child labour to bring about change. Women were empowered with skills with an emphasis on enterprise.
We also saw the need to support villages to improve their skills and living conditions so there was no need for whole families to travel to Goa in pursuit of work. In particular, we built wells so they had a constant water supply. One of the villages we supported was Adrahali, Karnataka – the village from where the first children of El Shaddai came.
27 YEARS ON – The Founders’ Legacy
since the establishment of the first home, Victory House in 1997, ANITA AND MATTHEW'S VISION has led to THE transformation of many underprivileged children into successful cItizens inspiring the founders to continue their mission.
El Shaddai Charitable Trust Ltd
1st Floor, The Pavilion
56 Rosslyn Crescent
Harrow Middlesex HA1 2SZ
Email: ukoffice@childrescue.net
Phone: +44 7538 897011
El Shaddai Charitable Trust is a not-for-profit charity registered on July 28, 1999 in England with the charity number 1076768.
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