At Axenic we are proud to have been able to support and donate to the Karunai Illam Trust for several years now. Axenic’s association originally started with Axenic staff Jim Shaw and Jo Coffey supporting the children’s home in India with both time and money. Over the years Axenic’s support has included a photographic exhibition at The Mahara Gallery in Waikanae and the “cleaning” and donation of much-needed laptops to the Trust. Our most recent support has gone towards furnishing the boys’ hostel within the new Illam complex where the children live outside the school day.
A home away from home
The vision behind the Illam is to provide underprivileged children with educational opportunities that can help them develop the tools to help with leading a productive life. The Illam is a “home away from home” for children who have come from families that struggle to financially support them.
Jean Watson, who started the Illam in 1987, was a great believer that the money would come and the new building for the boys is a wonderful example of this. For many years Jean’s vision had been to replace both the girls and the boys’ buildings thus providing better facilities for the children as well as providing additional accommodation for the local boys. The new hostel for the boys enables them to have similar facilities to the girls and a larger area for more boys to be taken in. Read more about the new boys’ hostel here.
Growing from strength to strength
In 2014 a new building for the girls was opened but there were insufficient funds to build the fence. This gap in funding was filled when an Indian insurance company agreed to make a one-off donation. This led to the insurance company’s staff becoming aware of the work being undertaken at the Illam and they were very impressed. When their staff heard that the Illam in New Zealand was raising funds to replace the boys’ accommodation they stepped in and paid for the building. How amazing is that!
The Illam Trustees focus then shifted to raising funds to fully furnish the new building for the boys and the donation from Axenix will go towards that. Axenic is pleased to be able to support such a great organisation that can help shape the children of our future. To learn more and see how you can help visit the Illam website.
