hearts AFIRE

A Child

Walk the path of a child
See one's dreams and wishes
Give a heart to a heart in need
And watch it heal

Go back to the past
And be a child again
Give a child a memory
And share the happiness of giving

Rhea Ittoop (8 years old - New Jersey, USA)

*****

Christopher, a social worker, Maya, a specialist in paediatrics and community health, and Venkatesh, a clinical psychologist, were happy with the little boy they screened for Shanti Bhavan. His socio-economic background made him an ideal candidate. His health was good and the evaluation of his cognitive ability was positive. The social worker at Abhay Ashram, a government halfway home remarked, "Vinay is a very mischievous and active little boy.

"That was early August 1997. In a fortnight there was no trace of the bright little boy or his pretty young mother. Christopher was determined to track him down. After 3 months, in the sprawling slums surrounding the national games complex, his queries evoked a gory tale of suicide by burning. The young woman, said the slum dwellers, had poured kerosene over herself in the dark, dingy confines of her small hut. Her despair was the result of a gang rape she reportedly suffered when job hunting in a nearby city. As the flames began to devour her, she cried out to her five-year-old son. The child rushed in and put his arms around his burning mother, only to get burnt himself in the process. Neighbours heard their screams of agony and rushed in. They managed to save the boy but the mother was already gone. "Yes," said the labourers, "We are sure that is the child you are looking for." Christopher's search took him to Victoria Hospital where he found the severely scarred and traumatised child with his grandmother. Christopher decided in that meeting that Vinay would heal emotionally and physically in the company of the other children at Shanti Bhavan. The peaceful, loving atmosphere and structured routine of Shanti Bhavan would give Vinay a new lease of life.

Vinay's arrival at Shanti Bhavan was a red-letter day. His grandmother was asked to spend a few days at the school to ease the child into his new surroundings. Venkatesh and Christopher held a special conference with the staff at the request of the principal. The staff was instructed on how to attend to the physical, emotional and psychological needs of a severely traumatised and bewildered child. The jeep with Christopher and Venkatesh had scarcely left the outskirts of Bangalore when a distress call came from Shanti Bhavan. The child was emitting animal-like cries of fear and was trying to scale the walls of the dormitory. On seeing the other beds, Vinay thought he had been brought back to the Victoria Hospital ward.

Three weeks later, Vinay was engaging in lively conversation with his schoolmates. He is still distrustful of others. But he no longer has emotional outbursts. The once unmanageable boy has become calm and unafraid. He is even mischievous on occasion, much to the delight of Shanti Bhavan staff. The other children seem to have no problem accepting his deep scars of disfigurement. On January 25, 1998, when Dr. George addressed a gathering of parents of children of Shanti Bhavan, Vinay's grandmother stood up and said, " I want to express my gratitude for what Shanti Bhavan has done for my grandson. Only we know the state he was in when he was brought here. Today he is a changed boy.

" Need we say more? "

[ home | projects | news | volunteer | donate | contact ]