Educating 100 rural orphan children

Today, I would like to reflect on a grandmother we first met when we began our work through Buds of Christ. She was 60 years old then, but whenever we asked her age, she would smile and say, “I think I am 50.” Today, when we smile and say we are 50, she still says the same.

She had two small granddaughters, both living with HIV. We met her just a month after the children’s mother, her daughter, passed away. At that time, the girls were in Class 2 and Class 4. The children had no understanding of HIV, but the grandmother knew that what her daughter had, the granddaughters also had.

Many people advised her to place the children in a hostel. Even her own son told her that he could not help and warned her not to expect any support from him as he had a family of his own. Yet none of this shook her decision. She remained firm in her resolve to raise her granddaughters, with the quiet support of her husband.

Because of that courage, the children had a home to live in, a neighborhood to grow up in, and roots in their own community. What I saw in this grandmother was a dynamism that overcame every weakness. Her age and physical strength never became excuses. Every morning she woke up at 4 a.m. to cook and prepare meals before leaving for work at 6 a.m. as a daily wage laborer in the agricultural fields. The grandfather worked as a watchman in a nearby factory.

Despite their struggles, she always tried to give the children the best she could. She saved whatever little she could and made sure the girls had new dresses for Diwali, their birthdays, and every special occasion. When the elder granddaughter attained puberty, she gathered all the women from our centre and celebrated the occasion with dignity and joy. Even late at night, when a child from our community lost her mother, this grandmother, with the help of another member, went to visit and comfort the family at 10 p.m.

There are moments when I feel tired in my own journey, but the thought of this grandmother always pushes me forward. If she can do all this, why can’t I do more?

In spite of the grandfather’s struggle with alcoholism, she ensured that savings were kept for both her granddaughters. They lived in a rented house, yet she managed to obtain government plots in each child’s name for their future. She wanted both of them to study in a private college because it was closer and more disciplined. She was even willing to pay part of the fees, while Buds of Christ supported the rest.

Her love and sacrifice were truly selfless. Today, the elder granddaughter has completed her graduation, and the younger one is in her third year of her under graduation. A year ago, the elder granddaughter chose to marry a person of her choice against her grandmother’s wishes. This caused deep conflict. But when the girl returned and expressed her regret, the grandmother accepted her back with grace and forgiveness. I witnessed the pain she carried during that season, yet I also saw the beauty of her forgiving heart.

There are times when I personally feel hurt when children do not listen to us; But this grandmother’s pure love taught me how forgiveness can heal one’s own heart and also rebuild broken relationships.

Now in her seventies, she still speaks to us with authority and warmth. After an accident, she can no longer stand for long hours, so she now works as a helper in the vegetable market. Yet she continues to wake up early, still active, still determined to see her younger granddaughter complete graduation and even pursue post-graduation.

As the years go by, her body grows older, but her mind remains young. Her determination and purpose continue to give life, direction, and hope to her granddaughters. Truly, her story reminds me that it is not physical age that determines one’s energy, but determination and purpose.