The Ramakrishna Mission Boys’ Home came about as a result of the Second World War (1942). The war claimed hundreds of lives leaving children orphaned and homeless. It was at this juncture that the Swamis of the Ramakrishna Order gave refuge to these helpless children. This was the beginning of our Home to render assistance and guidance to children who had no one to turn to. The present building of Ramakrishna Mission Boys’ Home as we know it today was opened in 1950, with space and facilities to accommodate children who need love, guidance and care.
The primary intention of our Home is to educate the children while inculcating moral and spiritual values in them based on the ideals of Swami Vivekananda. These ideals evolve around character-building through the development of a child’s physical and mental faculties and moral & spiritual values. This is carried out in the Home through a structured and disciplined life incorporating activities such as physical exercises, games, studies, moral education and spirituality.
The objective of our Home is to re-unite the boys with their families as soon as possible, when both parties are ready. From the point of admission, we are working towards discharge. Our programmes are geared towards the provision of wholesome and therapeutic interventions, holistic care in a nurturing environment and relationship building to prepare the families for the ultimate reunification.
Residents are provided with a conducive environment to enable them to learn and grow into wholesome individuals. They are provided with opportunities to develop their potentials, up to tertiary level.
” We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one is able to stand on one’s own feet. Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making, and assimilation of ideas. If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library. Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man. The education which does not help the common masses of people to equip themselves for the struggle of life, which does not bring out the strength of character, a spirit of philanthropy and the courage of a lion – is it worth the name? “
The Ramakrishna Mission was established in Singapore in 1928. It initially functioned from Norris Road (Little India). The Ramakrishna Mission Boys’ Home came into existence as a result of the Second World War in the 1940s. The present building of our Home was opened in 1950 by the then Prime Minister of India, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru.
In the beginning, the monks, few care staff and volunteers manage the Home in their best effort to create a happy, healthy and helpful environment for these boys. The number of boys in the Home varies through the years, from near 100 residents in the past to our current capacity of 33.
Many of our old residents have done well in life and return to contribute to the running of this Home. Amidst our graduates are lawyers, teachers, police officers, Chartered accountants and successful businessman.
Hon. Chairman :
Swami Samachittananda (President)
Hon. Secretary :
Mr. Surendra Narayan Abhyankar
Hon. Treasurer :
Mr. B. Uthayachandran
Hon. Members
Mr. Kumaran K Paithal
Mr. Srinivasan Lakshmanan Chettiar
Mr. Aparnath Raivatgiri
Ms. Swarna Kalyanasundram
Mr. Soumya Saha
Mr. Varadarajan s/o Annamalai
Ms. Lim Hui Fang
Management & HR
Superintendent : Mr. Ong Hwee Lai
Admin officer : Ms. Tay Geok Lan, Sandra
Professional & Care staff
Social worker : Mrs. Amrita Das
Senior Supervisor : Mr. S. Jayabalan
Supervisors
Ms. Yap Lay Ting, Phoebe
Mr. Low Teck Ping, Bryan
Mr. Babu Balaji
Mr. Singaravelan P.
Mr. M. Balachandran
A group of dedicated support staff: Cook, driver and general workers.