About us
When you visit our homepage for the first time, you will certainly ask yourself: What is it all about, who is behind it, …? ?
We would therefore like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves.
Our supporting association “Die indische Kinderarche e.V.” has a three-member board: Stefan Klautke, Tabea Zimmermann and Christian Stier – from left to right in the picture opposite.
Previous history
Contacts with the family of the Indian pastor Raju go back to the 1970s. In 1999, a group of four people from Germany visited Rajahmundry. Rajahmundry is a large city in the state of Andhra Pradesh in south-eastern India, about 70 km from the Indian Ocean.
The idea
Inspired by the impressions gained in India and the exchange with friends there, the idea of a Christian-run home for needy children, especially orphans and children from the poorest backgrounds with no prospects for the future, was born.
The implementation
The realization of this idea was planned in close consultation with Paul, a son and successor of Pastor Raju.
Sponsors and donors were sought in German-speaking countries to finance the project.
In November 2001, the Indian Children’s Ark was able to start operations by taking in 15 children in a rented house in Rajahmundry.
At the same time, the non-profit organization “Die indische Kinderarche e.V.” was founded in Germany.
The development
The demand for admission to the Kinderarche was huge right from the start. As a result, another house soon had to be rented to accommodate the children.
Finally, a plot of land was acquired near Kesavaram, about 20 km outside Rajahmundry, for the construction of their own home.
The new children’s ark was completed and occupied in 2015. This has capacity for up to 100 children.
After the coronavirus lockdown, the authorities no longer allowed boys and girls to be accommodated in a facility. Since then, our girls have been supported and cared for by their families in the villages.
Finally, since summer 2022, another pillar of our work has been the education center in Rajavaram, a somewhat remote location with poor infrastructure, where needy children from the surrounding area receive outpatient school care.
