Late Dr. Banoo Coyaji

Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra (BSSK)

Founded in Pune in October 1979, Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra is one of Maharashtra's oldest child-welfare and adoption agencies. From its head office 'Bertha Varada' in Koregaon Park, with branches in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Chiplun and Sangli, BSSK runs child-care centres for orphaned and abandoned infants, facilitates domestic and inter-country adoption as a recognised Specialised Adoption Agency, restores children to birth parents where possible, counsels young unwed mothers, and supports thousands of vulnerable children through educational sponsorship and day-care programmes.

Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra (BSSK) reports the following, on its own site:

• Placed 4,729 children in permanent families through adoption to date
• Helped 17,209 children with educational support to date
• Restored 880 children to their birth parents to date