The news of the donation was received with great joy and gratitude not only by the Danish chairman of the Hyderabad Fund, Peter Simonsen, but also by the orphanage in Hyderabad, India.

– It is truly fantastic – with this donation we can ensure further education for 22 children, which is of great importance in a country like India, says Peter Simonsen.

In addition to the donation of 100,000 kroner being sufficient for the education of 22 children, there is also money for necessary repairs at the orphanage, which was established in 1955 by an Indian couple. The couple had consciously chosen not to start a family because they witnessed how poor children were abandoned by their parents. Instead, the couple dedicated their lives to providing these children with better living conditions.

A break with the social inheritance

The Hyderabad Fund consists of Danish sponsors who support the operation of the orphanage, which today has a school approved by the Indian government. Thanks to the education at the school, several of the students have performed so well that they have the potential to attend university, which costs 10,000 rupees per year – equivalent to 833 Danish kroner. The orphanage does not have the means to raise this money, and therefore contributions from sponsors and funds are very significant.

– India does not have a social safety net, and there is still a caste system. If you come from an orphanage, you are regarded as being at the bottom of society. With an education, these children and young people can break free from the caste system, break the social inheritance, and create a foundation for a good job, says Peter Simonsen.

Adoption led to the fund

The Hyderabad Fund was established by Peter Simonsen's uncle, Finn Ortved Petersen, who in 1974 was in India with his wife to adopt a little girl. It turned out that their little daughter had been left under the hedge by the orphanage. The home made such a strong impression that Finn Ortved Pedersen, immediately after returning to Denmark, began to raise money to help the Indian orphanage, which at the time was really struggling financially.

Finn Ortved Pedersen remains active on the board but passed the chairmanship to Peter Simonsen ten years ago, who became involved in the fund when he was in his mid-20s.

During a round-the-world trip, he spent some time at the orphanage, where he met the then charismatic leader of the orphanage, Mrs. Dhage, who at that time had lost her husband. Throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s, she became a 'mother' to more than 200 abandoned children.

– She knocked me off my feet because she was a kind of Mother Teresa – a selfless and caring woman who helped the many abandoned children. When I returned home, I was very affected by my meeting with her, and I asked my uncle if I could help, says Peter Simonsen, who today runs the Aalborg-based consulting company Blendit with a partner.

A dream has come true

The couple Margit and Kjeld Andersen established Sol og Strand Holiday Home Rental A/S in 1979. The couple has now transferred ownership to a foundation with the desire to both preserve and develop the business in Danish hands and to support charitable and local causes.

– We are pleased to support the Hyderabad Fund, which makes a great effort to help the Indian orphanage. We are very aware of the importance of a good education, and education is synonymous with knowledge, development, and democracy. Therefore, we believe it is very important that these children are helped to receive an education so they can support themselves in the long run, say Margit and Kjeld Andersen.