India orphanage is environmentally friendly

Well, we did it: Wilmington-based Homes of Hope India has built the first LEED-certified orphanage in the world.Body type J: It is located in Secunderabad, India, and will be home for 150 girls who are orphans or once lived on the street. Working with the Salesian Sisters, our wonderful partners in India, we showed that building for the poor can also be eco-friendly, economical and sustainable.

And, on the occasion of Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, we at Homes of Hope and the sisters are dedicating this first “green” orphanage to the pope. LEED buildings produce 30 percent less carbon emissions, so we are doing our bit to reduce global warming. I will take the plaque to India later this summer.

Some of the other features of our Secunderabad orphanage:

• Solar-powered photovoltaic system to produce electricity

• LED lighting, supplied by CREE of Raleigh

• Efficient reverse osmosis water purification system

• Rainwater harvesting

• Recycled water for gardening

• Low-smoke, high-combustion stove

• Reduced water use with low flow fixtures

• Passive solar

• Use of recyclable and local building materials

“Home for Street Children – Auxilium Navajeevana,” is the formal name of the project, one of five Homes of Hope we have built in India: Kochi, Maradiyur, Solabasti and Kokrajhar are the others. We are now planning and raising funds for and a sixth and seventh orphanage, in Bangalore and Tangla. Each orphanage costs $300,000.

Homes of Hope started in a strange way: with a girl’s smile. My wife Tracy and I were on a trip in India in 2006 and came upon a 6-year old girl cruelly blinded to make her a “better beggar.” Hearing that, I grimaced. And little Reena smiled back in return. That did it.

Many generous people in Wilmington have helped us build our orphanages, but two groups do even more. IndoJax surfers have made six surfing trips to India, building self-esteem in girls who have been so marginalized. And yogis from Wilmington Yoga Center spend their Christmas vacation with our girls, being mentors and loving big sisters and brothers.

For those who may not know, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most popular and widely used green building rating system globally. While there are currently more than 69,000 LEED building projects around the world, we are proud to say this is the first orphanage building to achieve this distinction.

For more information, visit www.homesofhopeindia.org.

Paul Wilkes is founder and executive director of Homes of Hope India.

Body type J: Contact the community news desk at 910-343-2364 or Community@StarNews-Online.com.