In 1970, Father Placido Fonseca became director of Snehasadan, a Jesuit initiative in Mumbai aimed at helping street children find their fe...
In 1970, Father Placido Fonseca became director of Snehasadan, a Jesuit initiative in Mumbai aimed at helping street children find their feet and their dignity. Over the decades, more than 40,000 children passed through the doors of its 17 homes, each group of 20 or 30 cared for by house parents under Fonseca’s affectionate, committed supervision.
Over the next few decades, Snehasadan became a model for child welfare in India. In recognition of his work, Fonseca received a National Award for Child Welfare in 1985.
When Fonseca died on July 31 at the age of 84, several Snehasadan alumni took to social media to express their sorrow. Among them was 41-year-old Amin Sheikh, who spent several years in Snehasadan before going on to start his own cafe.
Many of the workers in his establishment are Snehasadan alumni.
In 2013, Sheikh published a memoir titled Life is Life, I am Because of You, detailing his life as a street child in Mumbai and about his time in Snehasadan. Here is one section detailing Fonseca’s devotion to the children in his care.
Snehasadan. That was the name they gave it. But for me, it was the home of my dreams, the kind you see only in your dreams. Sometimes, all my dreams do not come...
