According to estimates, more than 54,000 children live on the streets of Bangalore. These children are often forced to be on the street due to varied reasons that range from unpleasant or traumatic home environment, abandonment by parents or death of parents to failure at school or fear of punishment for misbehavior. With no access to medical care, most of these children suffer from tuberculosis, scabies, gangrene, broken limbs, etc. Left to fend for themselves these children survive by collecting and selling waste paper, plastic, scrap metal, cleaning cars, working in small hotels and begging. With an aim to provide a home, education, medical care and a better life, the SAP Labs Centre of HOPE was established in April 2007 in Bangalore. The children living in the hostel built at the centre have come from the streets or were being taken care of by single parent and now are provided with the best facilities. All the children have been enrolled to be educated at the Royal English Medium School and at the hostel, three teachers have been appointed to assist them with the studies. Periodic medical checkups of the children are also done with an aim to improve their health. The children have shown remarkable progress and are destined for a bright future with the active participation and support of SAP Labs. Apart from the hostel, the Centre also boasts of a computer training centre and spoken English centre for the unemployed youth, tailoring centre for the women, as well as a GE Life Skills class. Exec. Director Mark Templer noted, 'SAP Labs is a wonderful partner-they help educate kids in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, take care or orphans in Bangalore and Delhi. Their employees and management are wonderful volunteers.
