Life after Suffering
By Iris Wilkinson (March 2003)
Our work with the children is progressing quite smoothly. I am evolving a certain plan for reaching out to the children, understanding their reactions, their psyche. These children have suffered a lot but still are trying to retain their childhood and be happy, protective of their parents and their faults and have a great deal of self-respect. Their parents go to work in the morning and return late in the evening. The whole day the children are on their own no one to check them or control their actions. They spend the day playing. In some cases parents insist they go begging and bring in an extra rupee. We have to handle them very carefully, if you scold them they just walk out on you. They like to learn, write, listen to stories and sing. Some of the children love to dance for us.
Bantu, Bebe and family
Two little brothers, Bantu and Bebe, come from very poor background , used to come dirty unwashed but our daily persuasion has brought about a great change, they bathe and today they came with their hair cut. Bebe has given up tobacco chewing, at least at school.
We have a 9 year old girl Renuka, a Gond (tribal), a good singer and a dancer who sings Gondi songs. Her 5 year old brother Hemant has bright eyes and the cutest smile. Today their 11 year old brother Rajkumar also came. The boy works in road-side tea-stall, and earns Rs. 20/- per day. On his own he has made arrangements with the tea-stall owner, he will work only after school hours, he will get 5 Rs. less. These children have no mother, Renuka does all the house-work, looks after her younger brother. Their mother died of burns. Rajkumar said his parents were fighting when he fell asleep. Then a smell of burning and screaming woke him up. He tried to put out the fire but it was already too late, his mother died in a government hospital, after fifteen days. He wasn't sure who poured kerosene on his mother and lighted a match. The younger two were too small, they slept through or pretended they were asleep. Their father a cycle-rickshaw-puller was taken into police custody, ultimately was released since they couldn't find any concrete proof. Most children have had a sad life and still do but once they are with us they become children again, happy and playful. Little Hemant never walks, he runs and tries to do what the older ones do. But if teased, he fights back like a cornered cat!
I love all these children and I hope whatever we are doing for them will make a difference in their lives and bring some happiness to their sad little lives.