"In the first place
men should have a fear of the gods above, who regard the loneliness of the
orphans." - Plato
Asha (name changed) was a
bright girl who used to attend the SEDS school on a sponsorship program. All of
a sudden she stopped attending classes. When she returned after a couple of
weeks, she was four months pregnant. At the age of 12. Another disappearance
followed, and this time Manil sent the reluctant SEDS staff out to search for
her. When she returned again, there was no sign of her pregnancy. Patient
inquiries revealed that she had been 'sold' to a group of men by her own
mother, who had also arranged for the abortion.
Arun and Deepa were found
living alone in an empty house. Their parents had died a few months previously.
Arun used to dance on the streets, Deepa would try and do odd jobs to make
money. When they were found, their hair was lice-infested and living on rice
that Deepa would cook at night.
These are just a couple
of the stories from the SEDS hostel. Started with the aim of providing shelter
to children who needed shelter, the hostel has met with mixed success. Even
though it is SEDS that cares for and tries to help, the ultimate authority over
the child's future always remains in the hands of the child's relatives, sadly
often the very people who look to exploit the children rescued by SEDS.
Sponsorship for the hostel has been sporadic. One bright instance came in the
form of Belgian funding for a dedicated block of rooms.
But much can be, and
remains to be done.
[The article
originally written by Amit Manikoth, for SEDS's 30 years celebration. This is simply a
reproduction.]
