Core challenges and hardships faced by the child

Anjali’s mother is the sole income earner for the family. She is now working as a domestic helper and earns Rs 3000 per month (approx. £33); this income is not sufficient for the entire family. Because of this financial hardship, her mother is not able to take proper care of Anjali and her younger brother. At present Anjali is studying in class 9 at La Maternelle High School. She has remarkable leadership qualities, is very creative and has a passion for playing cricket. Unfortunately, because of her financial crisis, her mother cannot fulfill her wishes.

What has the child achieved despite the challenges and how?

Anjali is a bright child but due to her family’s financial condition she could not express her creativity freely. HOPE’s intervention helped her a lot. She now attends school regularly and participates in every activity, including sports. With HOPE’s support, Anjali will have the opportunity to play at the Street Children Cricket World Cup in London.

How has Hope Kolkata Foundation contributed to the betterment of the child?

Before coming in to HOPE’s care, Anjali was in a very vulnerable and dangerous situation. She was living on the streets of Kolkata, where the conditions are extremely unsafe, particularly for a girl. She had no protection and no proper nutrition. HOPE provided Anjali with a loving home, nutritious meals and a formal education. Now Anjali is a healthy child, she attends school regularly and participates in every extracurricular activity. Hope Kolkata Foundation helped Anjali to rediscover her enthusiasm for sports, which ultimately resulted in her being selected to take part in the Street Children World Cup.

What are the child’s thoughts about his/her future?

Anjali wants to become a nurse or air hostess and, if given an opportunity, she would aspire to become a cricketer.

Core challenges and hardships faced by the child

Soni’s parents admitted their elder son in English medium school but denied Soni to provide quality education, admitted her in a hindi medium school which Soni did not like and opposes. Her parents cited the reason of financial crunching but Soni still persisted to her wishes. She ended up dropping out of school. Soni has grown up in an urban slum of the metropolitan city of Kolkata where electricity and clean and safe drinking water was always an issue. Due to the unavailability of clean water it caused hindrances in not only going for school or tuitions but also to sustain a healthy life.

What has the child achieved despite the challenges and how?

After joining the mobile learning centre initiative by Save the Children, she started going to school again and became sincere with her studies. She is currently in class 9. Along with that she took the responsibility of imparting her knowledge about child rights to other children in her locality. After the intervention in the community Soni was identified as an encouraging child who came forward to be a member of the children gropu in EJC dock Junction area. She was undergone several trainings on Child Rights.

On 12th April, 2016, when the MLA had come to visit their area, she refused to accept the chocolates that the MLA was distributing for pleasing the children and demanding for the improvement of the conditions of her locality with utmost confidence. When no action was taken, she along with her friends from their children’s group submitted an application to the MLA reminding him of the work that was promised and has not been done. They did so without the help of any adult. Solely because of the efforts made by Soni and her friends, roads were built, electricity and clean water supply was provided to her locality. She has also decided to visit or write an application to the MLA every month t remind him of his responsibility till all repairs have been made in her area.

How has Save the Children contributed to the betterment of the child?

Save the Children motivated her to continue her studies and enrolled her into a school again. With the Mobile Learning Centre initiative, Save the Children has been able to help Soni with her studies and personality growth. Today she is an outspoken and confident yet humble girl. Save the Children also enlightened her about the Child Rights Act and encouraged her to spread the knowledge of the same. In her own words Soni had said that Save the Children has showed her the correct path of life and equipped her to follow it and now it is her own responsibility to diligently follow it.

What are the child’s thoughts about his/her future

She wants to train children, especially girls in Karate for their own safety. She also wants to use her knowledge to teach children. When she grows up she wants to become a social worker like Mother Teresa. She got this motivation from Anoyara Khatoon. She says she has realised that even to become a social worker, one needs some experience. Hence, her first aim is to become a politician. This would give her direct contact to the masses and then she will work for their betterment.