How they got to Nitya Seva, one Story
Prakash,Bhola, Pavan and Bodhi, four brothers from a broken family!
The brothers had never attended school.
In the two years they have been at Nitya Seva, the four brothers have thrived. All showed amazing catch up growth. It was also amazing to see how quickly the oldest of them, Prakash caught on with reading and writing and was placed in regular school within a few months. All are in school now and doing well. The oldest Prakash is a serious young man, the younger ones are as naughty as boys that age can be. To watch them now, you would have no inkling of their past. They exude a confidence that is possibly only when a child feels secure.
Bhola age 9, Prakash age 12, and Pavan age 6 left to right back row. Bodhi age 4 front row. Picture taken upon their arrival.
They were brought to Nitya Seva in October 2022 by Child Welfare Agency that responded to a tip on the ChildLine and found the eldest fending for the younger ones.
Their father had died earlier from liver cirrhosis. He was an alcoholic, a day laborer earning a mere 500 Rupees ($ 6.13) per day on the days he had work. A substantial part of his meager income was lost to his addiction. Estranged from his wife, he forcibly brought five of his six children, the youngest merely a few months old. The oldest, a sister aged 14 was left behind with the mother. After the father’s death, authorities tried to locate the mother, but she could not be traced. And that is how these children lost their father, mother, and their sister.
Their youngest sibling who they also lost, died under most unfortunate circumstance. While the father was at work, a wild cat entered the one room, tin-shed where the family lived, attacked the youngest and dragged him to the roof. The boys screamed for help; the neighbors were able to rescue the child, but he did not survive.
The brothers now.
Pictures taken in December 2023