In Bengali, the language of the Indian state of West Bengal, udayan means dawn or new beginning. For the children here, Udayan does indeed represent the dawning of a new life.

Udayan is a secular institution that embraces the three main religions of India: Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. While no religion is specifically taught, all are respected and honoured.

Currently, Udayan has 220 boys and 80 girls in its care, ranging in age from five to 19. All the children here are affected by leprosy in some way. Most of them were born in leprosy colonies and have parents who suffer from the disease. About 5% of the children at Udayan have leprosy themselves. After 6 months of the treatment that their parents are unable to afford, these children are 100% cured

During their years here, they receive education (through both Bengali and Hindi mediums of instruction), food, clothing, medical care, access to recreational facilities, and vocational training. Udayan is located in the countryside and is surrounded by rice paddies and mango groves. The healthy and peaceful setting of Udayan is very different from the environments these children were born in.

The children stay at Udayan until they complete their education and vocational training. This gives them the opportunity to grow up in an environment free of the crippling stigma associated with leprosy. They leave Udayan's doors with the education and self-confidence necessary to be productive members of society.

Udayan closes three times a year for approximately two weeks each time to give the children a chance to visit their homes. These children are the only treasures their parents have. It is through them that the families can look forward to a brighter future. Most of the families rely on begging for a living and in many cases, if the children stayed home for any longer than two weeks, malnutrition would be the result.

The children wake up at 5:30am and assemble to sing their morning prayer before roll call. The next couple of hours are spent with morning exercise (running around the fields and climbing trees), bathing, and chores. The floors are all scrubbed, pathways are swept, bushes are trimmed and the garden is tended to. Keeping a compound of over 5 hectares looking good is no small task!

Breakfast is at 8am and shortly after, the children leave for school. The primary grades (kindergarten to class IV) are taught on the premises while the older ones head off to the local village schools. After classes, the children have lunch and then hit the play fields for a couple of hours before evening prayer is sung at 5pm followed by study time with private tutors. At 8pm, dinner is served and afterwards, the children lay down with a book to read or chat for a while with their friends before the lights go out at 9pm.

Regular school studies are not the only studies that Udayan feels are important. We feel very strongly that education in the arts is an important aspect of a child's development. Music is an integral part of life at Udayan. Traditional Bengali hymns are sung in the morning, evening, and before each meal. A Bengali singing instructor comes twice weekly to work with the children as does an Indian tabla instructor.

A talented local dance teacher teaches Bengali, Hindi, and Punjabi dances and a violin programme that was started in 1998 now consists of over 20 dedicated students. Many others hang around the music room during practise sessions, eagerly awaiting the time when they too will be able to play.

Yoga is taught to all the younger children and an art teacher nourishes the talents of the artistically inclined kids. Udayan also teaches traditional handicrafts and simple tailoring skills to many of the interested children.