Bethania Kids Care Centers

There are five Bethania Kids Care Centers located in and around Kodaikanal, a bustling village in the hills of Tamil Nadu (elevation 7,000 ft.).

Girls and boys receive day care between 8am and 4pm every day except Sundays. All of the children come from poverty-stricken families with both parents working as “day laborers”. Without the Centers, these kids would be roaming in the streets with no adult supervision, getting into trouble and forming bad habits.

The vision of all of our Bethania Kids Care Centers is to nurture children physically and spiritually; to give them a strong foundation so that they may grow up to be well-balanced adults.

Mabel Kids Care Center

By Gethsy Jayapalan, Director/ Unit Leader and Dency Michael, Trustee

The Mabel Center is situated in a quiet residential area of Kodaikanal, nestled in the middle of a pear orchard.  The day starts and ends with prayer. The children take part in games and are trained in hygiene and basic etiquette. They are taught the alphabet, numbers, Bible stories, rhymes, and songs. From the age of 5, they are taught to read and write. Health and nutrition are given priority, as the children are provided with a well-balanced lunch and nutritious mid-morning and afternoon snacks. Basic health status of the children is monitored through height and weight charts and regular checking for infections.

It is a joy to see the transformation in the children after a few weeks of attending Mabel Center. They become well-mannered, caring children, waiting for their turn, and eager to learn new things.  Many of them start incorporating their new knowledge in their homes and communities. We also receive positive feedback from the primary schools into which these children get admitted. The constant observation is that “Bethania children stand apart.”