India is a huge country and social issues need to be addressed on a large scale to make an impact. Christel House India – an initiative which strives to help children from impoverished backgrounds break the cycle of poverty – believes otherwise. Through a model focused on education, nutrition, character and healthcare, this NGO has made a small but powerful transformation of 1000+ economically disadvantaged children by introducing them into the mainstream as educated, contributing members of society.

Christel House alumni donate Rs. 70,000 to enable the organization's vision

At the recent cultural event held at the Bengaluru centre, Christel House shared plans to emulate its standard of success at its other center in India viz. Atal Nagar. With a robust K – 12 education program, the Bengaluru center continues to reach more children with each new group of kindergartners added and the corresponding graduating class of PUC 12^th graders moving on to the College & Careers program. The center is making a significant social impact. When its graduates gain employment – many with well-known multinational firms – they help their parents, siblings and extended family to reach an improved standard of living.

Christel House Students celebrate Mr. Bart's visit to India, by recreating Rajasthan and it's culture

On this occasion, the working alumni group of Christel House made a heartfelt gesture towards the organization and donated a sum of Rs. 70,000 to Mr. Bart Peterson as a token of appreciation for Christel House and the impact it has created on their lives.

Visiting International CEO Mr. Bart Peterson said, “Christel House India has produced extraordinary successes, which help set expectations for our second center in India – Atal Nagar. Continued support from State Governments, as well as socially responsible corporations and individuals will help us demonstrate the potential within every impoverished child, if given the right environment and opportunity.”

Christel House India has been working with children living in urban poverty for the past 18 years. Christel House International, its global counterpart, currently helps over 5000 children around the world, and close to 1500 children in India. Christel House India also has over 200 graduates in its College & Careers program who are studying further, working, or doing both. Through this model Christel House India, successfully impacts, not just the students, but their families as well.

Mr. Peterson met the students and their families to understand the challenges they face daily as a part of his India visit itinerary.

About Christel House

Christel House, founded by Christel DeHaan in 1998, is an NGO with a model engineered to transform the lives of impoverished children around the world. But, Christel House is much more than a school. Academic standards are high, meeting or exceeding applicable state and national standards. Character education is built around the universal values of Respect, Responsibility, Independence and Integrity, and informs the curriculum, extra-curricular activities and the school culture. 

Christel House invests 18 years in a child’s transformation – from kindergarten through high school graduation, plus an additional 5 years of support through the College & Careers program. Robust services, including physical and mental health and nutrition, character education, service learning, counseling, mentoring, and social services, are embedded in the model to support what is so often missing in the lives of impoverished children.

Only about 4% of students who start kindergarten at government schools in India will graduate from university. At Christel House Bangalore, 90% of 12^th grade graduates continue into university, and there they have a 91% persistence rate. 

For more information, please visit www.christelhouse.org/india.