Laurin Strele

Every day, WIDE Children’s Home in Tiruvannamalai, South India, provides around 30 children with a safe place to live, regular meals, education, care and a genuine sense of family. The home is run by Kumari and her family and relies largely on donations and voluntary support to continue its work. My name is Laurin Strele, and I am an Austrian documentary photographer. I spent the past week at WIDE Children’s Home, photographing daily life at the home and getting to know the children, Kumari and the family caring for them. I originally came to help tell their story through photography. After spending time with them and seeing their work and circumstances firsthand, I wanted to do more. WIDE was founded in 2003 through Kumari’s determination to create a place where children could grow up with safety, dignity, education and long-term support. Today, around 30 boys and girls live at the home. They receive a place to live, regular meals, schooling, tutoring and continued support as they grow older. Providing this care every day requires constant resources. Donations help WIDE cover essential expenses such as food, clothing, education, school materials, utilities, transportation, maintenance and the many other costs involved in running the children’s home. At the moment, one of WIDE’s most urgent needs is replacing its school bus. The children depend on the bus every day to take them to school and bring them home again. The current vehicle is extremely old, increasingly unreliable and could stop working at any time. Without it, getting all of the children to school consistently would become extremely difficult. A safe and dependable replacement bus is not a luxury. It is essential for the children’s safety, education and daily stability. The money raised through this campaign will help WIDE: • Replace the ageing school bus with a safe and reliable vehicle • Provide food, clothing and other basic necessities • Cover education and school-related expenses • Pay for transportation, utilities, repairs and maintenance • Continue providing a stable and caring home for around 30 children Kumari and her family are also working toward a more sustainable future for WIDE. Their longer-term goal is to move from the current city location to a larger property in the countryside. There, the boys and girls could have separate, spacious living buildings and much more room in nature to play, learn and grow. All funds received through this campaign, after any payment-processing fees, will be transferred directly to WIDE Children’s Home and used according to the home’s most urgent needs. Updates about the fundraiser and the use of the donations will be shared with supporters. Every contribution, regardless of its size, helps WIDE provide these children with food, education, safety, stability and a place where they can feel at home. If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this campaign. You can also apply to volunteer at WIDE. Volunteers can contribute by teaching, mentoring, spending time with the children or helping with practical work around the home. Learn more about WIDE or apply as a volunteer: widechildrenshome Thank you for supporting Kumari, her family and the children of WIDE Children’s Home.