Transform Outcomes for Children at Risk In India

The end of year means celebrations. Whether it is basking in the Yuletide spirit or welcoming the new year with eagerness, the air of festivity is all pervading. It is a joyous time in Make A Difference as well, as we begin to prepare for some exciting times!

Remember how it was when you were inching towards high school graduation? It was a strange admixture of nervousness and excitement. For our youth in Propel and Aftercare, which is our transition and readiness program, things are no different! With Career Counselling on full swing, many of our youth underwent counselling with the support of their wingmen to be aware of their competencies and feel empowered to make informed decisions with respect to their careers. The youth are also rigorously working hard in their studies with constant mentoring from Academic Support Volunteers (ASVs) to pass their boards with flying colours. Here’s what one volunteer had to say about her youth and their journey through this crucial time of the year,“It was a bright sunny day when I entered a shelter home for the very first time. Many kids came rushing towards me with beaming faces! A few of them took me to the girls’ room upstairs. There I heard everybody shouting, “Anjali, see your Didi has come”. Then, in the corner of that room, I saw Anjali for the first time.

Prior to my first class I was extremely worried about being a teacher. However, soon I realised that she was a unique kid. She was confident and very clear about her goals. But one thing that was missing from the picture was that she wasn't happy with herself. At that point of time I analysed that she needs more nurture and care than what a teacher can provide. Therefore I decided to be friends with her and that subsequently proved to be a stepping stone in our relationship.

Eventually she started confiding in me-from her parents to her school, her friends, her past and how she learnt from the multitudinous facets of life. Her goal is to be a Border Security Officer and she is very determined about it. To realise this dream, we focused specifically on current affairs and general studies along with her other academic work. I recall she used to ask me questions about general studies to check whether I remember facts. I use to give the wrong answer and she used to correct me every time. It was great fun!

Gradually we started focusing on her academics and made a proper time table. We began with English, the subject that gave her nightmares! However, true to her spirit she wanted to learn the language thoroughly. With continuous hard work she passed with a distinction in English.

In some situations, her overconfidence lead to laziness and weak performance. She is fiercely independent, accustomed to taking her own decisions. Thus to channelize her energy in the right direction we decided to go for yoga, meditation and outdoor activities. She began with Surya Namaskar, jogging and playing with other kids which helped her focus more on her studies.

As her exams got closer, I became tensed though she kept her cool! One day, she dropped a bomb when she decided to take Political Science as one of her subjects instead of Economics. This decision spurred from a printing error on her admit card! She had been preparing for Economics since the beginning. When I thought of getting it corrected, she said, "Don't worry didi! I will prepare for this subject only". We all tried hard to convince her but she was adamant. To everyone's surprise, she scored 62 out of 100 in the subject.

I visited her the day after her results were announced. I ran to her and gave her a tight hug. Even she could not believe that she had scored the highest in her shelter among 12th kids! She told me that her mother cried over phone after hearing her result.

My journey with Anjali was no less than a dream. Meeting a beautiful person like her has made my life more meaningful. It is rightly said, the more you give the more you get.”

While exam jitters keep our youth in 11 and 12 busy, our Aftercare youth are busy opening bank accounts! As an organisation, we realise that scholarships only take care of your tuition and basic necessities. A complete college experience would also include going to a cafe to grab a quick bite or catch a movie with friends! We want our youth to experience all that there is to a college life and hence we are piloting the Stipend Project, where every month the organisation will transfer a token amount to these youth for their personal expenses. We believe this will provide the youth with financial sense and of course, enable them to have a gala time!

To make this possible, however, we have our band of volunteers across the country working tirelessly to raise funds! For us, Community Fundraising is however not just limited to getting donations-it is also a way to connect the child in the shelter to members of the community. We know the community wishes to be more involved and with CFR, we hope to bridge the gap that exists between institutionalised children and the rest of the society.

And finally, keeping our spirits soaring sky high is the most exciting annual project of our MAD year-Dream Camps! In this three day outbound experiential camp, we motivate children to connect to their dreams. Through our sessions, we provide them with exposure and help them gain experiential confidence. The kids leave the camp feeling more connected to and more confident about realising their dreams. With Dream Camps, they also get a stress free holiday experience that they otherwise do not get. With cheers and good spirit, we leave the camp with memories of a lifetime. Here’s what Malvika from Coimbatore took away from Dream Camp.

“They say that the world is a scary place. But it’s a lot more frightening when you’re in a strange, new environment, and your kid, your little brother-someone you love, someone you care for, someone who’s entirely your responsibility-is lost without a trace.

Mustafa, from DB, was under my care for three days of camp. On the second day, he went missing. My co-mentor Rahul Ramakrishnan and I spent over an hour running all around the place, leaving no stone unturned, looking for our kid. After all the panic and anxiety, we finally caught him with a couple of his friends in another mentor’s room, treating himself to a good movie on TV, without any regard for mine or Rahul’s worry and concern. I hated having to scream at him and ruin both his and my morale, but he left me with no choice. Disappearing without notifying your mentor is not a joke, and I had to make him understand the seriousness of the issue. That night both of us went to bed with a heavy heart, not feeling good about our respective deeds.

The next morning had volunteers and kids rejoicing because we finally had hot water to wash our hands, and this was a necessity in the freezing cold weather up there. The water might have come as a blessing to others, but not to Mustafa. He went up to the basin to clean up before having breakfast, and the water, being flaming hot, burnt the insides of his palm, making his skin a pale, yet intense red. Mirthuna and I immediately rushed him to the nurse and had her smear cooling cream on the burns. After he was given the necessary medical treatment, I got him a plate of food and fed him Puri and bread. On seeing this, his friends began ridiculing me, saying, “Enna na ivalo periya paiyyanuku neenga ooti kudukkareenga? Ungalukkum yedhavchu aachu na yaaru na ootuvaanga?” (Why are you feeding a boy this big? Who will feed you if something happens to you?) This made Mustafa angry beyond control, and he furiously bellowed at them saying that if anything were to happen to me, he would be there for me, and provide for me with his own two hands.

After I was done feeding Mustafa, I was sitting with my other kids around me, chatting and sharing our anecdotes from camp. Mustafa came up to me with a plate of food and sat himself right next to me. That very minute, I was overwhelmed by emotion when I saw his tender, reddened hand quivering as he tore the Puri and fed me the delicacy, piece by piece. He didn’t care that it stung every time he stretched his fingers. He didn’t care that the burns caused him to flinch every time he used his hands. He endured it all, just to show his Anna how much he loved him. Despite my trying very hard, I couldn’t hold back my sobs. I could feel the cool air on my tear-soaked cheeks as I chewed, considering myself lucky for having found a reason for my every breath.

I might say that I was born in 1995, but over the last 20 odd years, I seem to have lost myself, lost my way, and lost my purpose. It was this golden moment that brought me back to life. DC 2016 easily became the best thing that ever happened to me for giving me the moment that showed me reason to live and made me cherish life.”

With Dream Camps starting throughout the country, we hope that our children are able to realise that no matter where they are today, the future that lies ahead of them is indeed quite bright!