How One Man Turned 25 Acres of Barren Land Into a Loving Home for 123 Abandoned Children

Shankarbaba Papalkar is a caregiver and advocate who has spent over 35 years raising abandoned or orphaned children, many with disabilities. His work began after he learned that girls with disabilities could face prostitution, exploitation and death. He decided to provide safety, family and opportunity instead.

In 1990, Papalkar started an orphanage on 25 acres of barren land in Wazzar, Amravati. Only four girls with disabilities lived there at first. He later stopped admitting children when the number reached 123, because he could not responsibly care for more.

The land became an ashram and a family. Today, it houses 98 girls and 25 boys. Papalkar gave the children his name on their Aadhaar cards, placing his own name in the father's column. He also built a system of work, learning and shared responsibility that supports their independence.

The Vazzar Model is Papalkar's way of organizing life around independence, responsibility and mutual care. It matters because children and adults with different disabilities are not treated as passive recipients of food and shelter. Each person is given a meaningful role based on what they can do.

Residents care for one another, perform suitable work and learn practical skills. Those unable to take conventional jobs receive other responsibilities. For example, Papalkar taught residents with intellectual disabilities to care for plants. They watered trees with simple cans that carried water directly to the roots.

This model links daily tasks with dignity and community participation. It also changed the physical home. Residents helped care for trees until the once-barren land became green, with around 15,000 trees growing there today. The approach prepares residents for greater independence while keeping support at the center of shared life.

Papalkar's ashram houses 123 children and adults: 98 girls and 25 boys. Many arrived as infants or after being abandoned within hours, days or months of birth. The ashram therefore provides more than a place to sleep. It offers family, care, education, responsibility and preparation for adult life.

Residents have varied disabilities and support needs. Some are visually impaired. Some are deaf and non-speaking. Others have physical or intellectual disabilities. These differences shape the work and training they receive. For instance, residents with intellectual disabilities were taught to care for plants, while Papalkar taught Mala Braille because she had 95% visual impairment.

Their needs continue beyond childhood. Papalkar stopped admissions at 123 because he knew larger numbers would be irresponsible. He also advocates lifelong rehabilitation and care, since some adults may still need protection and support after institutional care normally ends at 18.

The green transformation began by giving residents meaningful responsibility. Papalkar wanted children and adults to develop independence, so he created tasks suited to their abilities instead of excluding those unable to do conventional work. Caring for plants became one such role.

Residents with intellectual disabilities watered trees using simple cans that delivered water directly to the roots. Other residents also helped care for the growing plants. Repeated daily effort made tree care part of ashram life. The work gave residents a practical contribution while meeting the land's basic needs.

Over time, the 25 acres changed dramatically. What began as barren land became a green home with around 15,000 trees. The result shows how shared responsibilities can support both personal dignity and the wider community. The trees are not described as a separate project; they grew through residents' continuing participation in everyday life.

Institutional care can end when a child turns 18, but disability-related support needs may continue. A young adult may still need help with safety, daily responsibilities, work and community life. This gap matters because leaving care without support can expose someone to serious harm.

Papalkar specifically worries that young adults may face exploitation, homelessness or being forced into begging. His concern comes from seeing how vulnerable abandoned children can be, especially girls with disabilities. The ashram responds by teaching practical skills, assigning meaningful work and building a family structure that does not disappear at adulthood.

Papalkar has spent years advocating lifelong rehabilitation and care for people who need it. The article also shows why long-term planning matters: 21 daughters and three sons have married, and 12 residents have secured government jobs. Continued support can help adults move from protection toward safer, more independent lives.

Mala's journey shows how sustained support can change a vulnerable child's future. She was abandoned at Jalgaon railway station, and Papalkar took her in when she was 10. He gave her his name and raised her within the ashram's family and responsibility-based environment.

Because Mala had 95% visual impairment, Papalkar taught her Braille. This gave her a way to study and pursue an examination rather than limiting her future to institutional care. Her achievement depended on practical support, education and the confidence of having a family behind her.

In 2025, Mala cleared the MPSC exam and became a revenue assistant at the Nagpur Collectorate. Her progress connects early protection with adult independence and public employment. It also demonstrates why Papalkar argues for lifelong support: children may need tailored help to reach opportunities well beyond childhood.

People with disabilities may need support that continues across childhood and adulthood. The article presents independence not as being left alone, but as having the right help to participate safely in family, work and community life. That help includes belonging, education, practical skills and long-term care.

Papalkar gave residents his name on their Aadhaar cards and built daily roles around their abilities. He taught Mala Braille, helped residents care for plants and supported adults who later married or secured government jobs. These examples show the value of tailored learning, meaningful responsibility and recognition as family members.

Lifelong support also requires planning beyond age 18. Papalkar advocates rehabilitation and care because vulnerable adults may otherwise face exploitation, homelessness or forced begging. A strong support system can protect people while helping them contribute, develop confidence and move toward as much independence as their abilities allow.