About us > Who we are
For the poorest of the poor
Howrah South Point (HSP) is an Indian organization founded in 1976 by father Francis Laborde, a French roman catholic priest of the Prado. This event has build bridges between France and India in a unique way. At first, a small home for handicapped children with a dispensary for the poorest were established in Andul Road, Howrah (West Bengal). Then for nearly fifty years services grew up. Now our action goes through four main programs: Homes for handicapped and destitute children, Schools for the destitute, including special and non-formal schools, Empowerment program and Health programmes to reach out those who can not access to any structure. A total of 9 homes, with more than 300 children; 11 schools with more than 1600 childrens; all with around 220 staffs.
Our Founder
“In the year 1976, coming to Andul Road parish, cardinal Picachy came to visit me. Seing a vacant land on the church site, he simply told me: what would you put here? It was the third time he was asking me. I was not prepared to this question. Having seen the extremely difficult conditions of the handicapped children in the slum of Pilkhana and the difficulties to address them, I spontaneously answered: "We could establish a home for handicapped children." Much to my surprise, the cardinal approved immediately. "Let it be so! Start the work and add a dispensary for the poor". The conversation hardly lasted five minutes. The cardinal left, but HSP was born !"”
Francis Laborde, born French, always wanted to come to India. After he became a priest, he arrived at Pondichery before settling in the suburbs of Calcutta. His first nine years of indian life inspired Dominique Lapierre for his best seller «The City of Joy». This was the nickname the inhabitants of Pilkhana gave to their own slum. And actually, despite going through the most arduous circumstances, they could keep smiling at life and feeling that it is worth living. This is the spirit of HSP.
