We live in very different worlds.
On one hand our involvement at Jeevan Sahara Kendra allows us a ring side view of some of the most wrenching and wretching parts of people's lives.
On the other hand we inhabit an upper-middle-class world where things are very aspirational.
Sheba attended the 'orientation' for parents of this year's standard 1 students (of which Enoch is a proud member) this afternoon. The headmistress sagely coaxed the parents 'not to use the words exam for every test that the school holds".
At the end of the session there was a sea of demands from our fellow parents:
"tell the teachers to make sure our children eat all their tiffin"
"my son says they ate food without washing hands after doing their clay modelling"
"my son said the teacher told that 'girls are better than boys' - what will this do to him?"
"please have the children rotate in how they sit in class"
etc.
All this after just a single week of the new school year. Aspirations run high in our neck of the woods - and these aspirations breathe down the necks of the kids. And there are plenty of kids - a whopping 7500 attend this school. The classes are staggered so that maximum students are taught in the sprawling buildings - and even then more and more parents what their charges to be nurtured in this Jain Trust run institution.
Just next to JSK is another organisation which has been reaching out to women in prostitution. One of them had come with her son - leaving 'the trade' and hoping for a new life. Being HIV positive may have led the madame to let her go. I don't have the whole story, but we could tell that she was very happy to be out of the situation she was in. Her son, all of 3 was a tremendous joy to all - and to his mother as well.
About three months ago, this lady said that she wanted to go to her village. Though the request caused a vague unease in the heart of the folks looking after the home, they concurred and bought the rail tickets for the woman and accompanied her to the train.
No news after she left. None, that is, till a govt. social worker called on our neighbours and asked why the woman was back in prostitution in a nearby town. She had got on the train - and then got off and the first station and had taken her son with her back into the brothel life. Shocked and hurt, our neighbours could only pray - and that is what we did too. The lady communicated that she wanted to continue with the trade and did not want to come back.
Last week she returned. With her son. Prayers are being answered.
Now the hard part - to see this dear sister live out each God-given day as she develops into the person she was made to be - ditto for her little boy!
Last week this little family came back.
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