Sundaraijal Children's Home

I lived with my mother when my father left us. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. My father married another woman and then we felt lonesome. After my father left us, we were in trouble. We had no food, no money, no clothes, my mother couldn’t pay the rent of the room. We started to borrow some food from neighbors and other village people.

My father gave us some money, once a week but that was not enough for us. My mother didn’t work.So I started to work in a hotel when I was 10 years old. I had to wash the dishes. I earned 1000 roepies per month and I got some food.
I didn’t like this work, because it was very hard for me to do it the whole day. I had to start at 5.00 am and I had to work till 8.00 pm. I used to sleep in that hotel. With the money, I bought some clothes and some food for my family.

After the 2 months of working in this hotel I left because it was too difficult for me. Nobody gave me respect or took care of me.Then, I went to Boudha’s soup kitchen. I started to play in Boudha with other children and started to live there on the street during the day. I started to beg. I learned it from other children. I didn’t sniff glue and I was very afraid of children who did sniff, because they hit me and tried to rob my money. In that time I felt very sad. I was always afraid on the street because of these children. In the night I went to my mother’s room, so I didn’t have to sleep on the street. My mother was very poor and used to live in a bamboo cottage. It was a very small hut. We had to sleep there with five people. Sometimes I went to school, but not regularly. One day when I went to school, Ram Hari saw me and he asked about me and my family. And he asked me if I liked to come to Sundaraijals Children’s Home. Then I decided to go to this project. Ram Hari contacted my mother and she agreed.

Now my life is very fine and easy. I feel very happy here, because I have enough food and clothes. I go to school and everything is available here. Sometimes I visit my family in my mother’s house. Sometimes I also visit my father.

I like to become a pilot. I also like to do some social work to help other poor children and people and give respect to them. I like to love other people and to help them in any situation.

Umesh is now 16 and he is in class 9