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Pondicherry Annai Velanganni Orphanage is
in the poor area of Pondicherry.

An old French trading post, Pondicherry
became a state of the Indian Confederation
in 1954, inclued in another state, Tamil Nadu
whose capital is Madras, 163 km away.

In "Pondy", several languages are spoken :
Tamoul, the local langage, English, the
administrative language of India, and a little
bit of French.

Three main religions are practised in India ;
Hinduism, Islam and Christianity.

Gouverned by France for more than three
centuries, Pondicherry is rich in French
culture, and there is still a large community

of Indians of French nationality (1400 families). Nicknamed "India's rice loft", the Tamil Nadu is
relatively rich but there are poor areas in the main towns where there are many abandoned and
orphaned children.

Today the orphanage homes about 75 children, some of whom have been there since birth and will be
there until about 21-23 years old, 21 being the age of legal adulthood in India.

The orphanage also helps about 80 children who come from poor families but who live at home.

In 1981, at age 50, with the agreement of the Bishop of
Pondicherry, she decided to open an institution to take in
orphans and abandoned children who lived in the streets.

It was the P.A.V.O. Fondation.

The first 18 children were welcomed in a rented house.

Since 1985 the orphanage has had its own building in the
Venkata Nagar area in the middle of the Indian town.

Thanks to donations and financing from the French Charity
association A.A.V.O. , the outer buildings are progressively
being completed.