With every kid there is a story of a lifetime. Every kid is a story and their life is no less than a roller coaster ride. Unlike ours it has too many bumps and free falls too. We do have our own challenges in life but they have to face it everyday to survive. It’s a question of survival at the cost of their dreams.
A girl wishes to study but is unable to do as she has a younger brother to look after, or sometimes two. Nandini had to bring her little brothers with her if she wanted to study. One was few months old and the other barely two years old. She herself was five at that time. One can’t imagine our kids to be taking care of two other babies at this tender age. She used to carry one and hold the other by his hand and some how manage to reach school everyday. We couldn’t say no to her for the simple reason that she wouldn’t have gone to school at all. So if Nandini wanted to study she had to bring her brothers with her, make the baby sleep, occupy the other with some toys and then get on with her daily lessons. This was August 2018. God bless her and her determination to study.

In 2024, the same story continues with Rukhaiya, who is just 9 years old. She is not allowed to come to school as there is a younger sibling at home. There is always a baby at home who needs care and the easiest available caregiver is the youngest child who can be held at home. Taking away her right to education is the parent’s mistake but the child has to pay for the rest of her life.

There are many such stories, as I said every kid is a story and a living example of dedication and determination.
One could only imagine their life but having lived one is what these kids do everyday. Not only they live it but they get through it with a lively attitude. They know the value of each and everything they have or receive.
Teaching them values was the focus of our vision. Our goal was to inculcate the basic values in them. But to our surprise we discovered they already had so many of them in place. Humility and gratefulness were the most pronounced ones. They valued whatever big or small they received. Valuing every bit of it made them more and more content with what they had and thankful for what they received.