Veteran actress Waheeda Rehman on Tuesday said children are the future of India and hence they should be given proper education and heathcare.

She was speaking at the inauguration of SOS Children's Village at Alibaug.

"Children are the future of India and as responsible citizens we need to ensure that proper education & heath is provided to them for their overall development, " said Rehman.

"It gives me immense pleasure to be associated with SOS Children's Villages of India for two decades now. I am sure that the needy children of Maharashtra would get a family in this village and will lead a successful life in future, " she added.

SOS Children's Villages of India, the NGO providing family based childcare, on Tuesday inaugurated the SOS Children's Village at Alibaug, Raigad district of Maharashtra.

Rakesh Jinsi, Secretary General, SOS Children's Villages of India dedicated the SOS Children's Village of Alibaug to Maharashtra, with a mission to provide a model of comprehensive child care.

The plaque was unveiled by Hollywood couple and Global brand ambassadors Maggie Gyllenhaal & Peter Sarsgaard.

Spread across around three acres of land, SOS Children's Village Alibaug is established by the benevolent support of ESPRIT as part of their 'Big Bang' programme.

The Children's Village will comprise of 14 family homes' each headed by devoted and trained Mothers and will be home to nearly 140 children from Maharashtra.

At present there are 45 children in 6 homes under the loving care of SOS Mothers in family homes namely Sukh Chaya, Prajakta, Chaitnya, Sahayadri, Shivner, Swapnpurty and Phul-Pakharu.

Among them 25 are boys and 20 are girls in the age group of 8 months to 12 years.

SOS Children's Village Alibaug, will also comprise of a Kindergarten, Social Centre for holding cultural activities, Tutorial Support for children requiring extra support to cope up with the syllabus, Library, Music Room and a Computer Centre. All the children besides one infant are admitted to various local Schools in and around the Village.

Speaking on the occasion, Rakesh Jinsi, Secretary General, SOS Children's Villages of India, said, "As per the target fixed, we have planned to bring-home 70 children by the end of the year and all the family homes will be operational by December 2010. In first half of the year 2011 we plan to bring home another 70 children thereby having 10 children in each of the 14 family homes."

With the opening of SOS Children's Village at Alibaug, the Maharashtra region now has three villages, others being at Pune and Latur.