Hollywood star Maggie Gyllenhaal has opened a village for orphaned and abandoned children in India.
The Crazy Heart actress, along with her actor husband, Peter Sarsgaard, is an ambassador for the village.
Gyllenhaal says she was overwhelmed by the response they received when they visited.
“I’ve never been greeted like this by anyone, I’ve never seen anything like this,” exclaimed Gyllenhaal.
“I tired not to have any expectations… I have never been to India before so I didn’t know what to expect.
“It’s exceeded anything I could have imagined.”
The couple were given a tour of the village and met the families living there before they were treated to a traditional dance at a dedication ceremony.
The SOS Children’s Village in Alibaug in northeast India has been built in partnership with lifestyle brand Esprit.
It will accommodate 140 children, who will live in small groups in individual family houses and go to a nearby school.
Without the initiative many of the children would have had to live and work on the streets of India.
Sarsgaard is optimistic the village will change the lives of those who live there.
“Everyone involved really believes in what they are doing. There is a real sense that this is different… the way everyone reacts and participates is ideal.”
