History of the home's establishment
formation history
The story of Snehalayam begins with Tojo, then 22 years old, on Christmas Eve in 1995. He had been out to dinner with some friends and took the leftover food to give to a homeless young man outside the restaurant. When Tojo tried to hand the prepared bag to him, the young man replied, 'Look at me! I have two ears, two eyes, and two arms. Why don't you give the food to someone who really needs it?' Overwhelmed by such selflessness, Tojo decided to change his life and spent the following years working in various facilities to provide a safe home for street children. In 2001, with financial assistance from people from Italy and India, he founded the Snehalayam orphanage, the 'Roof/House of Hope.' With limited resources, Tojo (also called Papa by the residents) and Leela (also called Auntie by the residents) were able to provide the children with protection and a warm family environment; however, education or school attendance was out of the question. This changed after our support association in Berlin began regularly transferring funds.
In 2015, Tojo passed away unexpectedly at the age of 42, and from that point onwards, Leela took sole responsibility for the children's and orphanage home.
Leela, like Tojo, hails from Kerala in southwestern India and grew up in humble circumstances. Serving as Tojo's right hand, she assisted in establishing the children's and orphanage home and continues to dedicate her life to this work. Her structured, persevering, and humorous nature holds the Snehalayam family together, providing a secure refuge, especially for the children living there.
Leela and Tojo (2014)