…a memorable weekend;
lot of happenings, lot of people to meet, lot of chit chats, lot of experience,
and an incredible dream of a young chap something which amazed me. Saturday, when I started my weekend,
preparing for my bloggers meet I have got a call for an urgent requirement of
blood and to enquire with my friends. Immediately
two things came to my mind: one; somebody remembers me when there is an urgency
felt really blessed and happy to gain such a status which Siragugal gave
me. Second: We talked about an idea from
Mohanraju to collect all the blood group of Siragugal members and maintain a
record which we failed to do. I called
up, messaged all that I know and to give me shock I got a reply from, my more-than-a-Sis,
Silambarasi ‘Urgent call me immediately’ before I dialed her number she called
me to say ‘I am of that group let’s go’ Oh! I am proud to be your brother dear. Anyways it was a requirement for an operation
on Monday to I called back the one who called me to say we have a back up.
Divya welcomed with charming smile, because we stayed away looking at a dog at the entrance. We saw a small group of children about 25 and 5 charming volunteers of Bhumi. We started interacting with them while Revathi was busy collecting the data of dress. We met an old mother who takes care of the entire home of 25 children.
Immediately (my
vice-captain) Prithvi called me to remind me that we are supposed to go to Bethel Home for girl children to
collect the dress sizes so that we could get them suitable new dress before Diwali. I called Jaishri (a volunteer of a great NGO Bhumi) to check the right time to reach Bethel
home in fact I kept calling her and messaging her whenever I remember that I
have to go to Bethel home, thanks for her patience.
Saturday; the day started with few amazing
responses and shocking replies and ended in meeting lot of complete strangers
in a bloggers meet where I turned few complete strangers to complete close
friends. And one last time (for the day) I disturbed Jaishri o know the timing;
she said she would redirect me to Divya (another volunteer of Bhumi) and I ended
the call without getting Divya’s number.
Sunday; as usual I started
it lazily but as and when the hours passed I fastened myself to prepare for the
pre-visit of Siragugal’s visit because this time this is going to be big and
something different and I started feeling the heat it created.
Story
behind: We in Siragugal were planning a visit to Bethel Home for Girl Children
(where we funded and installed water purifier as part of Siragugal’s activity)
for quite a long time. When Diwali was
ahead we planned to make those kids in Bethel Home to celebrate Diwali with us rather
we celebrate Diwali with them (if your question is ‘what is the difference’
please wait). Sriraman (an active
volunteer of Siragugal) called me and said that he read somewhere, in an
article where a girl in an orphanage says people celebrate their birthdays with
us and we do not have anybody to celebrate ours. Uff! That is something which
gave me Goosebumps. So instead we collect and give old clothes let us give them
new clothes and make them celebrate the Diwali.
So
let us make some difference.
When I was half the
way to Bethel home, I have to take two trains and when I was waiting in the
second station for the second train a guy met with accident and entire crowd
joined together to talk about what had happened and the next moment as and when
the next train horned everybody moved away on their way but then I could see
everybody staying away, unusually, from the approaching train on the platform
as a result of fear.
Prithvi (My Vice
Captain and young chap of Siragugal) and Revathi (a singer, who stays near to
Bethel home and a active member of Siragugal) was already on time and waiting
for me in the destination station (St. Thomas Mount) from where we have to travel
along to Bethel.
Meanwhile I messaged Jaishri o get contact number of Divya and before even I ask, Jaishri alled
up Divya and informed we are coming and message her number to me. We hired an auto and I started my touchier session
on auto driver. When we are very near to
the Bethel home, the autowala didn’t seem to know the correct place but still
we made him to roam around though he was murmuring something on the money we promised
to pay. And finally we reached Bethel
Home (and on the way I learnt we are suppose to pronounce it as Beth-el and not
as Be-thel)
Divya welcomed with charming smile, because we stayed away looking at a dog at the entrance. We saw a small group of children about 25 and 5 charming volunteers of Bhumi. We started interacting with them while Revathi was busy collecting the data of dress. We met an old mother who takes care of the entire home of 25 children.
‘Only
till twelfth standard we keep them here and after that I try to put them in the
college to the max near to their home town. Four of them were studying nursing’
she said with a proud in her voice
‘Every
kid here as a story, a book to write’ she continued ‘did you see those two kids
they are twins and were eye witness of a murder case’ she continued
I was wondering what
she was talking about, meanwhile we got our coffee (in fact boost) to drink. I slowly sipped it and listened to her. In between Revathi has finished her job with
the children and came to the old mother to ask her age as part of data
collection.
‘…
their father who is in jail requested a pastor who visits jail for prayers to
take care of his children and then thru that pastor those twin kids were taken
over by Bethel home. Recently their
father came out in Berol to see them and said that he is handing over his life
to us to take care’ she said
Ok! But what is that
eye-witness! I wondered.
‘That
guy chopped his wife’s head when she was feeding her children, by then they
were just two and now they were the eye-witness’ she stopped for a second.
Oh! For a second those
eye-witnesses gave eye wetness in me!
Many more stories to
learn but I don’t think I can bear that much heavy feelings in a day so I
turned to children to interact with them and had photo session. Gave chocolates that my vice captain bought
after we reached that strange place. After some times the old mother thought something and said remove my name and add our driver's name Emmanuel; oh! you see that is why she was able to run such a mission.
We bid good bye finally, Divya and her friend helped us to reach bus stop.
We bid good bye finally, Divya and her friend helped us to reach bus stop.
When I and Prithvi were
in travel back home, he said ‘Captain, do you know my ambition; I want to build
an orphanage on my own. If fact I
already had built one in dream; it is square in shape and in the middle a big
tree, first ground floor entirely for aged people and the first floor is for
children and you know lot more things I dreamt’ he said running out of words. I was awestruck on listening to such an
ambition for the first time in my life and that too from a young chap. I pray his dream should come true one day.
And I messaged Jaishri o thank her and end of the day many learning, many smiles, many chweet
friends in Bethel and a good friend; Divya, and special friend; Jaishri,
thanks for bearing me.
Here is the pics : Bethel Home Photos
Here we are in Facebook : Siragugal
Bhumi : Bhumi
Comments and suggestion towards the blog, post and Siragugal are invited :)
Here is the pics : Bethel Home Photos
Here we are in Facebook : Siragugal
Bhumi : Bhumi
Comments and suggestion towards the blog, post and Siragugal are invited :)
https://plus.google.com/photos/110391930091137793083/albums/5650757404028164705
ReplyDeleteYou are associated with such a noble cause. Knowing such horrible issues, like you mentioned here is disturbing. Good what people are doing for kids out there. I wish I can associate with such organisations once i am back in India.
ReplyDeleteYeah Saru, people amaze me sometimes with things they do. Once your back to motherland will surely let you know few such organisations :) thanks
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