There are numerous stone quarries in rural Karnataka where migrant labourers from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and other parts of Karnataka work as bonded labourers. They migrate from one place to the other in search of work and hence their children never get an opportunity to go to school. Due to extreme poverty, the children join their parents as child labourers in stone quarries. Harsh living conditions deprive the children of their basic rights. They are exploited by the quarry owners with meagre wages. They are forced to work long hours. Most of the children are victims of accidents, poor health, and hazardous working conditions. Due to lack of education of their rights, many are abused and are exposed to a difficult life at a very young age. Moved by the plight of the children in distress at North Bangalore (Rural), a devoted and dedicated team of the Sacred Heart Brothers started “PLANET HOPE”, a Non-Profit Organization to protect, promote and take care of such children.
The young orphans, children from broken families and those of graveyard diggers, stone quarry labourers were given food and shelter. “PLANET HOPE” works for the empowerment, education, and development of the children from the stone quarries in Bangalore rural area. Thus, PLANET HOPE began its journey in 2005 on the outskirts of Bangalore City to provide shelter and care for desperately needy children.
The Vision of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is to work towards a society wherein the underprivileged children have equal opportunities irrespective of their socio-economic background and to provide an atmosphere where in their Rights are upheld. The Sacred Heart Brothers have been working relentlessly among the marginalized communities in and around Bangalore for the past 70 years.
