Note: When I heard the Boy’s Dormitory at Shanti Niketan Children’s Home was completed, I began looking for the opportunity to go and see to tell the story for EMI. In early October, three of us spent four days at the Home to catch up and rejoice with the Home staff.
The original concept we developed in 2012 for Shanti Niketan Children’s Home had an image like this. The building was only a render then.
Our idea for the boy’s dormitory was to consolidate housing yet provide the needed age group segregation with better quarters for staff caretakers. This master-planning move allowed three other buildings on the campus to be renovated and repurposed. Their idea was to call the place ‘Shalom’.
Completed in late-2021, the Home’s 47 boys now enjoy dedicated study hall rooms for each age group.
When you visit Shanti Niketan, you can’t help noticing the plant pots. They line steps and walkways, railings and walls. The Home has always repurposed plastic containers such as these to grow new cuttings.
Small boys at the lowest level enjoy a game of ball in their own open hall area. They could be heard throughout the building.
Meanwhile, a group of older boys practice their free-throw technique in the last light of evening.
One of the Home customs is for the staff to gather for an evening meal in the Director’s quarters.
EMI staff photographer and videographer Jenni Keiter attracts interest while set up near the boy’s dorm.
EMI intern Brittany Smith joined us in India for the trip and for this sketchy expedition down a hill to try a new spot to photograph the SNCH campus.
Another custom at the Home is for the kids to put on a programme for visitors. Kids of all age groups sang and danced or recited verses. From the planning to the lights, sound, and host-MC — everything was done by the children. Home staff sat with us in the back to watch.
Suvarna is the Home operations manager, and the Home Director’s husband. They have been partners for 15 years now, leading the Home through extreme challenges, and seeing God’s faithfulness to the children of Shanti Niketan all the way.
During project construction, EMI India staff hit upon using the old narrow-gage railway line from Kalka to save the Home some time & distance for pickups.
The Kalka-Shimla Railway is a UNESCO heritage site and dates to the early 1900s, when it turned a multi-day journey to Shimla in the Himalayan foothills into a 4-hour trip over 900 bridges and nearly 100 tunnels.
Back at EMI India in Delhi, history repeated itself. Another structural engineer Office Director was wed to another staff architect. It’s a match Ivy & I highly recommend.
Due to illness, Ashok wasn’t able to join our visit to Shanti Niketan where he grew up. As an architect now, he is helping other children’s homes in India with design and planning as an EMI intern.
Asia Regional Director and EMI Global colleague Chad Gamble and I go way back. In 2003, he was launching EMI Uganda while I was leading EMI India. 20 years later, he and his wife are spending a year in Delhi to support the team.
For over ten years now, EMI India has continued on a journey of faith and service from this particular basement in South Delhi. And I know the Lord will continue to look after this team and their ministry together.
