"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today ..."







Tuesday, December 4, 2012

AJITH – The Junior Champ



Winning trophies and awards at games and sports meet is nothing new to Ajith – this fifteen- year- old teenager who does not have a family to call his own except Don Bosco, Palluruthy. Ajith has competed at state level and national level Judo competitions. 

At the recently held 56th Kerala State Schools Games Championship 2012-2013, in Kottayam, Ajith won the third place in Judo thus bringing honour both to his school and to Don Bosco. Ajith is a junior champ! He was only following the footsteps of our Karma who was the Junior state champ last year in Judo! They have set a tradition of winning! 

Ajith is a smart boy. He is a School Student Police leader besides being good at sports ! 

We are proud of Ajith and wish him the best in his life!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012


BESWIN
Though just fourteen he is the tallest in his class and is still growing! He attends an English medium school which follows a non-state syllabus. He does well in his studies, has his own select company, owns a delightful sense of humour,  and is fun to be with. Of late he has joined Judo classes and is also learning to play guitar.  Games? He does not have much taste for them except may be for basketball! He does hard work mainly because : “ I want to strengthen my muscles! It is good for my judo!”
“ Your father is on the line! He wants to talk to you.”  “ Please tell that guy never again to call me. I hate him! He has no heart and has ruined my life!”  Beswin hates his father and has no kind words about his mother too.   For all practical purposes he is an orphan – a psychological orphan!
I was overwhelmed as he shared with me with tears flowing down his cheeks  a few of the saddest experiences in his life!  This boy has gone through hell and high water and needs a lot of healing. That is what we try to do! Someone like him cannot be ignored! Ignoring him is a disservice to humanity! He has many contributions to be made to the society.


SEENI
Seeni is an athlete!  He has given me the latest certificates he received from the school for winning the races he participated. He has a collection of such certificates. He runs his races bare-footed .  He is about 14 years old. Seeni  is happy all the time and playful too. Mingles well with his peers. He has difficulty with Malayalam. His father is from Orissa and mother from Kerala. His father abandoned him and his mother  taking with him his daughter!
Seeni  loves his mother. He is a good boy who does not easily get into troubles.  I am sure Seeni will grow to be a fine gentleman!




RESI ( Remya Sasi)
It is hard to be homeless. Living under bridges, being a victim of uncertainties, exposed to unhealthy and unhygienic  environments is tough for anyone. It is all the more traumatic for helpless young women and young girls. They are preyed upon by unscrupulous victims of human passions.
Resi has endured all these traumatic situations. This fragile child found herself abandoned by her father who left her at the sudden demise of her mother.  Today she is eleven years old and attends school. This is her fifth year with us. The scars of the past do not seem to have broken her spirit. She is a happy child. Loves to sing and dance.  Resi is friendly and helpful.




TWO MYSTERIES
Being abandoned by their mother, sexually harassed and abused by men and being under the care of a criminal father – who now is serving a sentence -  is the worst that can happen to two young innocent  girls! They were referred to us by the Child Welfare Committee for temporary shelter maximum  for a month. The committee had no choice since the girls were uncontrollable  and had to be shifted from home to home! They were troublesome and used to be violent bullies.
It is almost one year that they are with us. They seem to be aroused by boys and get easily distracted by the mere sight of men. They have difficulty in concentrating on their studies.  The school authorities are constantly complaining about their bad influence on other girls in the school.  They tell lies, make clandestine calls and bully the younger ones. They have formed a clique of four ! The other girls are afraid of them.
All is not tragic with them. They have their bright sides too. They are friendly, sociable, take initiatives, like to do things, do not seem to nurture any grudge, are creative , can sing and dance well!  We keep praying that we may know how to handle these two lovely girls who can become real assets to society. There is an element of goodness even in the apparently most wicked young person. The educator is challenged to make it blossom!

MY DEAR ALOK....

He is fifteen, tall, has a flair for Maths and loves to read. He is studying in Std. VIII.  Alok finds delight in being alone and has very few friends. Plays volley ball, basket ball as he chooses. He feels very uncomfortable with rules and regulations. Seems to be allergic to instructions. Feels uncomfortable with rules and regulations.  If not permitted to enter a room he uses his own ‘keys’ – stone! “ I asked for the key. I had to enter the room! What do you expect me to do?”
There are moments when he prays loud at prayer assemblies though he does not manifest a taste for things spiritual. “ I don’t believe in prayers!” We don’t force him either.
Recently he got into a fight with his companions, ran to the police station when he was punched and complained of harassment by hiS companions.  Soon he was back. Remained sullen for a few days until he was called and listened to!
Alok has no home! He knows that he is from Andhra Pradesh. Ran away from home and landed in Kerala. He was just 8 years old! Kept in a Govt, home and was repatriated to his ‘ home’. Soon he escaped and found himself here!  In fact, this is his second coming !
Alok is dear to me. I do like him a lot. He teaches me to be patient, understanding, unconditional and forgiving. As a teen he has his ups and downs, mood swings, highs and lows, good days and bad days. I am sure he will turn around and be a great guy : “ I want to become rich and famous”, he told me.  He has to shed his selfishness and be healed of his  ‘allergies’! I am sure he will make it big in life!

SHYAM

 They call him Shyam which is not his real name. He is  past 17 yrs and hails from the neigbouring state of Tamil Nadu.  His father left them while he was a toddler. He has no memories of him. His mother committed suicide spending a few years begging with the boy. Life was cruel! He recalls the days when they used to beg in the streets! Shyam was brought to us by a kind-hearted man through the Child Welfare Committee. The scars of the past are clearly visible in his behavior. He is a victim of mood swings. Resents being corrected, had difficulty in facing authority. Becomes sullen for days.  Refusing a request is taken as a big let-down in his life.Shyam is good at Judo , is a member of our band troupe and ‘chenda’ brigade!Shyam needs lots of loving attention, recognition, appreciation and affirmation. All of us need these. Don’t we?


The Country Singer


He was just 8 yrs old when he ran away from home! His father was a drunk, was brutal, a womanizer and a dirty bully! Arun’s older brother was born with just two stumps in the place of his arms! His oldest brother was a vagabond! Almost everything went wrong in the family making it impossible for the little ones to survive!

Arun spent more than a year begging and singing for his survival before he was rescued by CHILDLINE and placed under our care. The rough days he had to endure have made him tough in his dealings! He is not refined, tells lies and is quite unpredictable in his reactions.
His ‘ singing days’ have equipped him with a few folk songs which he renders with gusto! He loves to sing and dance. Arun is clever and can do well in his studies with a little more application.
Arun loves his mother and wants to take good care of her. With love and determination everything forebodes well for him. He will do well in life with a little more of loving follow-up. The little but bright flame of love in his heart has to be kept alive! 

RAMSEN – The Circus Boy


Ramsen was brought to us 12 years ago when he was 4 years old with his three siblings – one brother and two sisters. The sisters were accepted by Nuns and the two boys joined us. Ramsen is the youngest. The children ran away for their parents one night while they were asleep. It was easy to do so as they were on the roadside sleeping under the dark skies!

The family belonged to a nomadic group that performs roadside circus. This was their only source of income. The children had to starve since they made only enough money to buy hooch for the parents! The kids had planned their escapade days in advance knowing nothing of the future! The risk was worth it since they could no longer take the cruel beatings and thrashings!
It is 12 years now and they have no clue about their parents whereabouts. They don’t care either.

Ramsen is writing his Board exams now ( March 2012). He is good at heart and works hard. He may not clear the exams though we hope he does! There are not very many options open before him. We will find the best for him. He deserves it! He will do well in life with his simple, amiable and loving ways!

BIBLIN


Biblin seems to be in a world of his own! With his gullibility he gets into trouble after trouble. His not so great an IQ , slow grasping power and simplicity make him an easy prey to the cunning hawks among his companions. Biblin does any kind of work. However studying is not his cup of tea.
Biblin’s father was murdered when he was about six years old. This tragedy drove his mother mad and now she is in a convent doing odd jobs. With no home of his own Biblin’s future is bleak if we abandon him to his fate.
He is not sure of clearing the Board Exams! We need to work out some ways of rehabilitating him. The Lord will show the way. We won’t let him down!