By Rahul Thomas | Coordinator - Donors
Sahaara believes that every person has a dream, and our work centres around ensuring that marginalized persons are able to articulate and work towards achieving their dream. Children living in Mumbai juvenile homes are one of the most marginalized children in Mumbai. Institutionalized, these children are most often from highly poverty stricken families.
As a part of the holistic intervention therein, Sahaara imparts computer education to the children between fourteen to eighteen years of age in the juvenile homes. Sahaara’s in-house computer course delivers a fitting foundation to the children preparing their skills for the technology-driven world outside the homes. The children attending the computer training get a start that will help them break out of the poverty cycle and fulfil their dreams of a stable future.
Below is the story of a child who has benefited with the help of the computer training carried out by Sahaara personnel.
Rajendra* finally receives acceptance and loving care.
Rajendra is a 15-year-old boy who was brought up by his parents in Diva in a remote area of Thane district located close to Mumbai. He came from a poor family that barely managed their expenses. In 2011, when he was 11, his mother passed away. While he was still recovering from the trauma of losing his mother, his father too deserted him and went away, leaving him to be alone.
Having pity on Rajendra, his mother’s brother decided to look after him. But finding it difficult, he decided to admit Rajendra in a Hostel in 2011. Rajendra, eager to be with someone he knew, ran away from the home and came back to his uncle. In 2012, his uncle again tried admitting him in another home, but he ran away from there too. Rajendra was going through a tough time. He was missing his parents and the only person he knew was not able to take care of him due to financial constraints. However, for the sake of receiving an education, it was best that Rajendra be admitted in a Home where his needs would be taken care of.
Finally in 2013, he willingly got admitted in the Umerkhadi Observation Home from where he was transferred in 2014 to David Sassoon Industrial School in Mumbai. This is a government Home where children receive basic accommodation, nutrition and education. Here Rajendra met many other children who face similar situations like his own. It is a quiet place surrounded by many green trees.
Sahaara Charitable Society runs a computer centre in David Sassoon Industrial School and this is where we got in touch with him. He was listed by the Home authorities to be enrolled for the Basic Computer Literacy Program. Our staff met with Rajendra and came to know about his situation. Initially Rajendra found it difficult to understand the lessons as he was weak in English. Our computer instructor noticed this and began coaching him in the English language. As time progressed, Rajendra not only improved in the English language but was also able to understand the computer lessons. He grew in excitement and eagerness. Rajendra has now learnt to use MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Paint. He is keen to continue learning.
Rajendra thanks Sahaara for teaching him English and basic computer literacy. Above all, he thanks Sahaara for showing personal interest in his life. He desires to continue learning computers once he is discharged from the Home and hopes to pursue a career where he has to use a computer.
*Name changed to protect identity.
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