The History of Lar Tia Edna

Lar Tia Edna was founded in 1957 by Edna Blanche Deakins, an American missionary whose heart was moved to shelter orphans. Her goal was to offer parent-abandoned children a home with a loving environment and to see them through to their adulthood and into a dignified standing in society.

Just after Edna´s death in 1986, the work was taken over by her adopted son, Henri and wife Nilma, who have since been taking care of the house. They have also held on to Edna´s philosophy whereby the home is to be a place where children are loved and raised with dignity.

Lar Tia Edna has been a law-abiding institution, officially registered with the São Paulo City minor authority since 1975, as a nonprofit organization not entitled to any government funding. Rather, it is entirely spontaneously supported by volunteer donors.

The premise of this home for the upbringing of the children is that they are to be comprehensively assisted in their biological, psychological, social and spiritual needs. For the most part, these children’s natural families are unfit both emotionally and financially to provide the parenting that would foster their potentials.

This institution provides 22 children (most of them young kids and teenagers between the ages of 03 and 21) with support around the clock, in an attempt to merge them in a daily routine that is similar to that of an ordinary home, as perceived by society.

Over the years, the home has raised many parentless children, some of whom have married off or are now fending for themselves. They all willfully make an effort to tighten and strengthen the family bonds.