Empowering the Youth in India

Dear Reader

Greetings of the day!

Udaan - taking flight program of Rainbow Homes Program which entails the Futures (16-23 aged) group of children aka the young adults, focuses on the efforts to prepare the reintegrated street children in the society. Special interventions like career counselling, job placement programs, part-time job sponsoring/resourcing, group living, management courses to make better of their living expenses and finding a suitable earning are what the young adults learn through. 

We require all-time assistance to resource for these interventions which make sure that even after leaving the residential care homes, the child is not left without any plan or follow up and can earn his/her own living on their terms. This time around on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, we bring you three impactful stories of girls, who are an inspiration of their friends, family and society.

Teresa joined Rainbow Homes in the year of 2007 December. her father fell seriously ill, leaving him paralyzed and the family in complete distress. This resulted in her mother having to work, going out in the mornings and returning late in the evenings, and since there was no one to take care of her father, it affected Teresa badly. She left the residential care of Rainbow home and became a day boarder. She took over the responsibility of nursing and caring for her father day and night while she being associated as Rainbow girl she continued her day schooling with Loreto day school. Her hardworking attitude and dedication towards her studies toppled with a number of household chores and caring for her father brought out good results when she appeared for her ISC (Indian School Certificate) exam and scored 73.7%. With an increased motivation and dedication she is now pursuing a Hotel Management/Diploma course from Bengal Nalanda Group and has transited from our home and is staying in a hostel. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours, and all her fellow rainbow girls and younger mates in the rainbow homes look up to her now, appreciating her stance in life.

Similarly, Taniya, a fellow Loreto Rainbow Girl, hailing from Kolkata appeared for the H.S. (Higher Secondary) Class XII Board Exams in 2019. She secured 82 %. Presently she is doing her BHM 1st year. She was admitted in the Rainbows in ~ in the month of April 2010 in class IV after her father's death. She was brought here by a  Loreto staff. She has a brother and her mother is a cook. Apart from being a brilliant scorer in academics she also has talents in creative writing which won her many competitions. She also represented her school in State Level in Throwball, got prizes in drawing, talent hunt runners up. Presently she is getting a scholarship from Cognizant for her higher education. When asked about her achievements, she proudly says, " since my childhood I wanted to do everything, learn everything.  Who says you can excel in only one thing? I love having to do many things in life. And sitting idle is something I try to avoid. It gives you bad memories and makes you overthink". With her level of concentration and persistence, she hopes to achieve much more out of life. 

Flying high in the clouds is a head start for Tammana (meaning wish) who achieved her life long dream of becoming a flight attendant by getting selected in Indigo Airlines, as cabin crew. Hailing from Loreto Rainbow Homes, in her futures workshop Udaan when she was 16 years old, she shared this dream with her peers and teachers with such passion on how she always saw the planes soaring high in the sky, and what it would feel like to be in the air all the time? Tamanna is staying with Loreto Rainbow Bowbazar since 2016, passed her class 12 NIOS exam this year (2019) with 64% marks. She started as a day scholar as she lived with her mother alone and they both needed each other. She continued her studies with NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) board and scored 64 %. With all the courage and faith on herself, she passed all the rounds of interview and is ready to fly high as she dreamt. She will be joining from 1st November 2019.

What we are absolutely proud of are the different lives these girls lived and the circumstances they faced in life, and even after all the obstacles, they dream, they thrive to have their own place in the world. All they need is your support and helping us impact many more lives of the girls who dare to dream.

This international day of the Girl Child let us pledge to be a stepping stone to their success, to their wild, untamed unstoppable and unscripted adventures of life!

Hi friends!

It's so nice to be able to share my story with you all today. A story of how I, a Lorry driver's son living on the streets of India, who could never have dreamt of living in comfort, am now, on road to realising such dreams by becoming a successful learned professional.

Today, I am a student of IIIT, Basara for integrated B.Tech. A dream for many, but beyond imagination for a child like me. While on slum living, we lived by somehow in whatever meagre earning my father toiled for. Life was all about play catch with my friends, run errands when my father came home every evening to buy rice and eggs. I used to see the school children my age, with their shiny shoes and colourful bag packs, what interested me more was the free auto/bus rides they used to enjoy, and I remember being envious of that. We got to ride in autorickshaws in my neighbourhood when my friends' father used to come home, we would hop in the rickshaw and I would drive! It was during that year I remember people coming to see my father and mother and uncle talking to me about going to a place where kids my age and older live and play all day. They even get to ride on buses and go to school! I marvelled at the whole idea and agreed to go check it out. This was a turn in my life known as Rainbow Homes Program aka the place for me to find more friends. My home's name was Aashray Balatejassu Sheh Ghar. Life was good, and I loved chatting the ears off of my older "Bhaiya's"

In my 3rd class, I was forcibly dropped out of school by my mother. At that time, I did not know what happened exactly, but my parents got separated. Eventually, in the middle of the academic year, I and my younger brother went with my mother to live off with my maternal grandparents. I thought we would be admitted to another school at my grandparents’ place, but that day never came. We did not know the reasons, but my father understood what was happening to us. With an intention to retaliate against my father, my mother took both of us away from my father.

Fearing things might go bad, my father took a step! When my mother and grandparents were busy attending the funeral of some of their relative, my father secretly came to the village and took us with him. To avoid being caught by anyone, he walked five-kilo meters in the forest carrying both me and my younger brother on his shoulders. He did not have enough means to look after and did not know who would take care of us in his absence. What he had was love and utmost concern for our future. So he sought my paternal uncle’s support. My uncle is also an auto driver with a family of 3 children. Nevertheless, he extended support and suggested for our admission into some hostel for the less privileged. he searched for good quality homes and finally find out the one, Balatejassu Boys home. After due enquiry, he approached the home management and sought for our admission into the home. Listening to our vulnerable condition, home management took me back again.

After a short bridge course, I got admitted into the 4th class. Coming back I started concentrating on studies, noticing my spark for studies, home mothers and teachers encouraged me and continuously supported me to perform well in studies. My rising grades got me more love, support and appreciation from my "bhaiya's" (Older brothers in the home) and home mothers, I was happy. One of the donors visiting the home asked the home team to put me to English Medium schooling from 6th grade, to build up my potential and vocabulary. I found it really difficult and resisted incessantly, even resorting to crying, all but to no use. They knew that I can cope with the same and after a while, it won’t be much problem for me. With time and practice of different words and letters, I gained the confidence, understanding English better. The initial year proved to be a struggle, but with the support of home and school teachers, I could overcome the fear and started giving my best. Finally, in the S.S.C., 2019, I secured a whopping 9.8. GPA, paving a way for my admission into IIIT. While marks helped me to get admission, English medium education boosted my confidence to seek admission and fluency while communicating.

As I recall my years as a student and my time on streets, I truly thank my father for taking that decision that day who is now proud of me and all those who supported my education and helped me stand where I am today.

Thank you, dear readers, may this support of yours continue to impact many more lives like mine, helping people become empowered and truly conquer their inner fears and struggles in life.

Much Gratitude

Pavan (meaning breeze)