“Mothers can look through a child’s eyes and see tomorrow” – Reed Markham
Rushing their children to school with school bags in one hand and their hand bags in the other; packing healthy lunch boxes, driving them around to their varied extracurricular classes, lending their warm embrace when their child is down and low—every day a mother juggles multiple hats and roles with the singular goal of giving her child the best life.
While every mother harbours the intention of bringing only the best to the table, not every mother gets a fair chance at providing for her children. In urban slums for instance, mothers struggle with several challenges such as poverty, unemployment and illiteracy, hindering not only theirs, but also their children’s growth.
As RCI’s outreach extended within communities across Delhi and Ghaziabad, our team members witnessed a slew of issues among children. Teenagers having dropped out of school loitering around under bad influence and easily falling prey to substance abuse. Lacking male mentors, adolescent boys had muddled thoughts about their future, unaware of the options available. An increasing pattern of violence in their conduct also cropped as a grave concern. Among girls, the concern about safe environs loomed large. Poor sanitation coupled with patriarchal mindset continue to stand as barriers for girls as well. Essentially, children and their families faced plentiful challenges ranging from systemic issues to in basic tasks of school admissions, securing scholarships, purchasing stationery and school uniforms and much more.
The resounding voices that brought all of these issues and challenges to RCI’s attention during our routine team visits were those of distraught mothers. Chronicling the stories of four such mothers across Delhi and Ghaziabad’s six communities, we present tales of grit and glory from the voice of the communities’ mothers.
1. Ritu Devi’s Hope Is Renewed with her Son’s School Enrolment
Clad in a red saree with a pallu over her head, Vikas’ (name changed) mother, Ritu Devi, (name changed) shares “Vikas had not been keeping well for quite a few days; hence, at the doctor’s direction, we took him to our native place. Since it took us some time to return from our native while Vikas completely recuperated, his name was dropped from the school.”
A resident of Daya Basti, Delhi, Ritu Devi’s family is among hundreds inhabiting the outskirts of Daya Basti Railway Station. As a part of RCI’s outreach program, our team routinely assists families with school enrolment, updating Aadhar Card, securing a bank account and more. Seeing Vikas out of school, our team approached Ritu Devi with assistance in securing Vikas’ enrolment in a nearby school.
Ritu Devi’s contentment reflects in her heartfelt statement “mere bacche ka admission karwane ke liye Bhaiyya aur RCI ka bohot bohot dhanyawad.” (I am grateful to Bhaiyya and RCI for securing my child’s admission in school)
2. A Transformation that Brought Joy in Sneha’s Life
Sneha Devi (name changed), hailing from Daya Basti, Delhi, was worried about her adolescent son being wrongly influenced and indulging in bad habits. She was seeking some platform where his youthful brilliance could be channelized in the right direction. She found her answer in Daya Basti’s Child Activity Centre. Visiting the centre every day, her son Suhas (name changed) learnt new skills through the myriad activities conducted there. He became a part of the adolescent boys’ group, where he would actively participate in scheduling and conducting meetings, bringing up topic of discussions and more.
His journey from a wayward teenager to a responsible group leader is best described by his mother Sneha Devi. “Mera ladka pehle bohot awaragardi karta tha. Mujhe RCI ki community space ka pata chala. Mera ladka vahan jaane laga, juda raha, aur ladkon ko bhi jodne laga.” (Earlier, my son would loiter aimlessly. I then came to know of RCI’s community space in my basti. My son joined the space, stayed connected to it and even helped other boys join the space.)
“Aaj uske swabhav mein bohot badlav hai. Vo bohot zimmedar ho gaya hai. (Today there’s a monumental change in his nature. He’s more responsible now.)
3. Daughter’s Potential Unleashed Delights Anita
Anita Devi (name changed) knew her 10-year-old daughter Suman (name changed) had tremendous potential. However, when she would see her return from school, drop her bag and simply while her time away chatting with her friends, she realized that her daughter needed an activity to be engaged in and realize the potential within her.
At this stage, RCI’s Child Activity Centre in Tulsi Nagar showed up as the answer to her concern. Here, Suman engaged with her peers in mindful discussions, participated in fun activities such as painting, drawing, newspaper reading and poetry writing. For Suman, though, the most fun activity among this enticing assortment was the newly introduced karate training.
Here she unleashed her inner strength and became acquainted with the physical prowess she was hitherto unaware about. While Suman eagerly awaits her evening Karate sessions, her mother beams with joy seeing her daughter engaged in a meaningful activity. Safe to say, her contentment is best reflected in her words. “RCI ke sahyog se, aaj meri beti karate seekh rahi hai. Iske liye main unki bohot aabhari hoon.” (With the help of team RCI, my daughter is currently learning karate. I am grateful to the team for this opportunity)
4. Pushpa Devi’s Resilience is Rewarded with a Transformation in Son Vicky’s Life
Staying on the outskirts of the busy Sarai Rohilla Railway Station is Pushpa Devi (name changed) and her family. Worry and anxiety had consumed Pushpa Devi as her teenage son had submitted entirely to substance abuse. Once a bright school student, her son Vicky (name changed) had dropped out of school after falling prey to addiction.
Commencement of a Child Activity Centre by RCI in her community, however, changed the trajectory of Vicky and his mother’s life.
Vicky began visiting the centre, and as the number of his visits increased, the number of days spent with peers who were proving to be a bad influenced reduced. An active outreach member of the team then met with Pushpa Devi and suggested enrolling Vicky in a de-addiction centre. Pushpa Devi agreed readily after realizing the monumental potential this one step held. Likewise, Vicky spent 3 months in a de-addiction, after which he returned a transformed young boy. He resumed school, began spending more time at the centre and took the reins of his life back in his hands.
Pushpa Devi sums up the entire journey. “3 mahine nasha mukti kendra mein reh ke aane ke baad, Railway Children India ke sahayta se, aaj mera beta swasth hai. Vo padh bhi raha hai. Main RCI ke Bhaiyya aur Sir ka bohot dhanyawad karti hoon.” (After spending 3 months at the de-addiction centre with the help of RCI, my son is healthy today. He is also showing interest in studying. I am deeply grateful to team RCI for this.)
Grit and determination to seek only the best for their children is an inherent quality in mothers no matter whether they live in a high-rise or a basti. However, for mothers like Ritu Devi, Anita Devi and Sneha Devi, who have been dealt a bad hand in life, external support proves life changing, as witnessed in these transformative stories. RCI’s endeavours in making a positive impact in the lives of children touches the lives of parents, especially their superwomen moms!
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the child and their parents
