Creating a positive impact on local communities has been a fundamental value of Dakri Cartons since the company’s creation. Our carton factory began its operations in Bambous in 1996. It is in this area that we encountered Mr. Veeren Gengan, the president and founder of Association for the Welfare of Orphans and Handicapped Children (AWOHC).

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Mr Veeren Gengan. What follows is a retrospective of AWOHC and Dakri Carton’s many years of collaboration.

Mr. Gengan, when did you create the Association for the Welfare of Orphans and Handicapped Children (AWOHC)?

AWOHC was founded in 1987. I created the association after witnessing the growing amount of children suffering from illnesses and disabilities. It was a natural decision for me to create a structure that would provide aid and assistance to the less fortunate.

How were the beginnings of AWOHC?

In the beginning of our activities as a NGO, AWOHC did not have a specific place of operation. We brought help and assistance to people in Trefles, Camp Levieux, Canot, Albion and other places in the Black River District. Back then, our team used movable marquees, where AWOHC would provide specialized assistance to the needy.

Do you now have headquarters for your operations?

Yes, our Daycare Center is located at Eau Bonne Road in Bambous. It is a 12,000 square feet building where we have a school for disabled children. I would like to say that Mr Hanif Dakri and Nazir Dakri provided us with invaluable moral and financial support since 2007, when we decided to build the Daycare Center. The Dakri family has continuously supported AWOHC in its initiatives since then.

What type of activities do you organize at the Daycare Center?

The AWOHC administration supports our children’s families. During the day, we care for the children and provide meals. Furthermore, we provide educational support with activities such as reading, writing, and drawing. Our goal is to help our children to find their natural talents and become well-formed individuals. It is not always an easy task, but we did not choose this path because we thought it was easy.

Tell us about the support that AWOHC provides to affected communities?

The association facilitates our children’s access to pensions and to medical help. Doctors from social security help us to provide medical assistance to our children. During Ramadan and end of year celebrations, Dakri Cartons and AWOHC organize the donations of food packs. For Christmas, we welcome around 200 children to participate in a festive event. Also, since the beginning of the pandemic and during the lockdown periods, Dakri Cartons Ltd helped us to get enough provisions to support the needy families.

AWOHC also provides as much help as possible to the homeless. Whenever people require medications or transport to the hospital, the association does the needful. We also organize donations of food packs, clothes and other provisions. Everything we do is on a voluntary basis, and we are blessed with the support of kindhearted donors.

AWOHC Contact Information

If you wish to help the activities of Association for the Welfare of Orphans and Handicapped Children, find their contact information below:

Dakri Cartons extends its thanks to Mr. Veeren Gengan for this interview. We provide AWOHC with financial support for the association’s day to day operations.