By Rahul Thomas | Coordinator - Donors
Sahaara believes that every person has a dream, and our work centers around ensuring that marginalized persons are able to articulate and work towards achieving their dream. Children in observation homes are one of the most marginalized populations in Mumbai.
The children who live in these Homes come from different states of India and are educated in a Marathi medium school run by the Home. The language difference makes it difficult for them to learn. Remedial education helps in coaching the children in the Marathi language as well as their school subjects thereby helping them understand what they are learning and maintaining their interest to continue education once discharged from the Home.
Sahaara staff procures addresses of discharged children from the home authorities. The social workers then traverse through labyrinthine gullies of Mumbai slums searching for the children’s residences. Through such home visits, networking with local schools, facilitating assistance in books and materials, the child is facilitated entry into formal education paving the way to a bright future.
Rakesh* is one such boy who has regained his right to education by the interventions carried out by Sahaara's personnel.
Name: Rakesh* (Name changed to protect identity)
Grade: 3rd
Age:12 years old
We met with Rakesh in July 2013 at the Chembur Children’s Home at Mankhurd. He joined our coaching class and was in the 2nd standard.
When Rakesh initially began attending the coaching classes that Sahaara conducts in CCH, he had no interest in his studies and appearance was dirty and his bathing habits were very irregular. He made many attempts to escape from the Home – but he was always caught by the authorities and brought back. In our daily interactions with him we noticed that he was a loner and a very emotional child. He rarely mixed around with the other boys and he was constantly caught up in his own world. As the teachers engaged with him, he slowly began opening up and shared his entire life story.
Rakesh and his family lived on the streets in Bandra, a suburb of Mumbai. He and his sister used to beg on the streets and his parents were daily wage earners. One day when Rakesh, he was around 8 years old at this time, and his sister returned home – they could not find their parents. They looked all over – but they could not find them. Not having a place to stay and not knowing what to do now, both he and his sister continued to beg on the streets for a living. A few days later he could not trace his sister either. He searched all over for her – but he never found her. Rakesh was adrift as in a matter of a few days had lost his parents and his sister and wandered around and slipped into bad company and, in a short while, got into substance abuse and began to steal for a living. This continued for some time and, one day, while he travelling in the train with a friend, he was apprehended by the police and placed in the New Observation Home at Mankhurd.
His addiction to cigarettes and whitener compelled him to make many attempts to run away from the Home – but he was always caught in the act by the guards and brought back. At this tender age he had gone through more than what many have gone through in their entire life. He had a lot of mood swings because of his addictions and his not being able to get to them and this made him frustrated and angry.
But his opening up helped him as, for the first time, he felt that someone was listening to him and actually guiding him. He began sharing about his life and all about his stay and struggles in the Home. This sharing of his and the counsel that he received from the teachers began shaping him and over a period of four months it was noticed that he had begun mingling with other children and made new friends in the Home.
As the staff spoke to him about the importance of studies and appearance – he too began to take an interest in this. He got taken up by the incentives that the staff offered to those children who are regular, neat, focus on their studies and make noticeable attempts to improve their handwriting and is trying hard to get stars and prizes in all these areas!
Rakesh is now one of the more responsive children in the classroom! He is regular, neat and attentive in class and his handwriting has improved and has grown in obedience to the teacher.
Your generous donations have enabled Sahaara to provide what is necessary for Rakesh to continue his education and have an opportunity to dream of a better tomorrow!
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