St. Antony’s Home for Children

A place of refuge, dignity, and lasting transformation in South India

In the village of Kurusady, in India’s Kanyakumari District, St. Antony’s Home stands as a long-standing refuge for children who have faced deep hardship. Located at the southernmost tip of the country and surrounded by the beauty of the Western Ghats, the region is known for its lush landscape and seasonal monsoon rains. Yet for many families living here, daily life is shaped not by abundance, but by instability, poverty, and limited access to opportunity.

In this community, many parents depend on informal work to survive. Street vendors spend long hours—often from early morning until late evening—selling fruits, vegetables, or small goods along crowded roadsides, facing unpredictable income, harsh weather, and frequent harassment. Women, in particular, carry a heavy burden, working long days for minimal wages while trying to support their families without protection or stability.

Alongside these economic challenges are deeply rooted social barriers. Many of the children who come to St. Antony’s Home are from Scheduled Caste (Dalit) backgrounds, where generations have faced limited access to education, employment, and social mobility. Families often survive on low-wage labor such as street vending, sanitation work, or day labor—work that is physically demanding and offers little opportunity for advancement.

For children growing up in this environment, the path forward is often uncertain. Some are orphaned or separated from their families. Others are never enrolled in school or are forced to drop out early. Many spend their days working, collecting recyclables, or simply trying to survive alongside their parents. Without intervention, the cycle of poverty continues—limiting not only opportunity, but hope.

St. Antony’s Home was founded in 1967 by Mother Scholastica of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to change that trajectory. What began as a response to the needs of abandoned children has grown into a place that has served thousands over the years—many of whom have gone on to live dignified, independent lives and remain deeply grateful for the care they received.

Today, the home provides a safe and stable environment for more than a hundred children each year. Many arrive without reliable shelter, consistent meals, or access to education. At St. Antony’s Home, those needs are fully met. Children are given food, clothing, and a secure place to live—but just as importantly, they are welcomed into a community where they are known, valued, and cared for like family.

Education becomes the foundation for a new future. Children are supported through their schooling and encouraged to continue through graduation, equipping them with the tools and confidence needed to build independent lives. With consistent care and guidance, they begin to see beyond the limitations they were born into and step into new possibilities.

At its heart, St. Antony’s Home is more than a place of shelter—it is a place of transformation. It is where children who were once overlooked are given the opportunity to grow, to learn, and to build a life marked by dignity and purpose.

Because when a child is given safety, education, and love, the future begins to change—not just for them, but for generations to come.