History
Introduction
…help us in helping the others…
Namaste Wings to Fly was founded in Vellanad, in the South of Kerala State in the year 2000, as an alternative solution to orphanages. Through the years the society has unexpectedly grown, helping more and more deserving children. Donors, mainly Italian philanthropists, were captured by our vision and way of aiding the underprivileged, so that they became more numerous and ready to help us in helping the others. In 2000 the charitable society could rely on one person only – its Secretary – and two housekeepers having 10 children each. Today it is an established Non Governmental Organization registered under the Travancore Literacy and Science Charitable Societies Act, 1955 and under the Foreign Contribution Act, 1976, having 15 family houses, sponsoring almost 850 deserving children, with many other relief and educational projects focusing on the neediest people.
Valeria Palmieri
…the inspiration behind this work…
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| Valeria Palmieri with some sponsored children | Valeria Palmieri with children studying at the SAI English Medium School in Vellanad |
Valeria Palmieri, inspiration behind this work, is an Italian retired teacher currently living in the north of Italy. Born in Bologna, daughter of teachers, she graduated in Philosophy at the Bologna State University and worked many years as Italian, History and Geography teacher in a Secondary School. After retirement, she decided to dedicate her life to the poor children of the South of India. First she cooperated as a social worker in an orphanage, where she realized the poor conditions of the underprivileged children of society. Her vision was to set up an institution, that could provide high quality education to poor, needy and destitute children of the south of this country.
Nowadays she is the President of an Italian ONLUS, Namaste Onore a Te, mainly focused on raising funds, aimed at financing Namaste Wings to Fly projects in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The place
Vellanad (Kerala)
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| Namaste Wings to Fly Headquarters in Vellanad | Tamil Nadu Multipurpose Building and Organization Headquarters |
Namaste Wings to Fly headquarters are based in Vellanad, a small village situated 25 km north-east of Thiruvananthapuram City, covered by rubber plantations and coconut forests. Vellanad Devi Temple, dedicated to Bhadrakali and Thanjaoor Ammaveedu are situated here. Vellanad is also the site of a renowned handicraft college and botanic research centre, Mitra Nikettan.
Namaste Wings to Fly can be reached by bus from Thiruvananthapuram and Central Bus Station and City Bus Station.
