Stories of Hope

Sandeep was only 7 years old when he lost his mother. Soon after, his father too passed away after which Sandeep and his brother had no option but to come to Delhi to live with his Uncle. Both the brothers tried to support themselves with whatever work they could find. They were also physically tortured by their uncle who would take away the little money that they earned. Unable to cope with the growing physical abuse, Sandeep’s elder brother ran away to Mumbai leaving him alone with his Uncle. Scared and without help, Sandeep too decided run away and started living at the New Delhi Nizamuddin Railway Station.
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Sri Lekha was diagnosed with AIDS at a very early age; her parents had died of AIDS. She survived through a long period of isolation and social boycott, abandoned by her relatives, and at one point in time she even struggled to find food and water. But she never let her courage fade, despite a very weak immune system, which led her to contract Tuberculosis (TB), making her extremely weak.
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For 8-year-old Sabiya Khatun, who attends a government school in Solgohalia village, West Bengal, English and Mathematics were subjects to fear. Despite her best efforts, she could not cope up with the academic curriculum of her class. Sabiya felt isolated, as she was finding it difficult to battle her learning disability. As a consequence, she started bunking school. Due to lack of income at home, her father, who is a fish seller in the local market, could not make her attend tuitions in the local area.
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Saika Bano and Saleha Bibi are sisters hailing from a remote village Modidih in Jharkhand. The village is predominantly populated by Muslims and Schedule Caste families. Both of them study in eleventh standard at Government School. Though not an adult, Saleha was married off at a tender age following the norm of their village where girls are married off as soon as they hit puberty. Their father and four elder brothers earn their livelihood as daily wage labourers and they live with their families in Kolkata.
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Karathittu is predominantly an Irula tribal hamlet in Tamil Nadu. The region is geographically very vulnerable due to its close proximity to the coast and backwater. The Irular community is primarily engaged in agriculture labour, rat and snake catching and other menial and low income jobs. The community faces extreme poverty as they have very limited skills and options to secure their livelihood. The rate of illiteracy is alarmingly high and people from the tribe are often ostracised by other caste groups. All families are largely dependent upon unstable and irregular work and their financial security and well-being remain a matter of concern.
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