Children Presently Residing at the RESCUE Home
Since it's inception in 1999, 25 children have come through the RESCUE program. We now have five boys residing at Rescue home. Two of the boys, Naresh and Anji are orphans; two others, Sharath & Charan, are semi orphans and Chandru is from a very poor background. All of them are in a school program.
Reunions with Parents and Relatives
Naresh and Anji's grandmother, who is also their legal guardian, came to the Rescue Home at the beginning of the school year to see the home and make sure that the boys got settled in well. Their grandmother is a very old woman who's only livelihood was planting and harvesting rice as a daily laborer. This task was very challenging for her and we dialogued with her about how Rescue might be able to help her find a source of livelihood more suited for her health and age limitations. The best solution that was found was, if Rescue could purchase an initial investment for her of two baby goats, she could raise them for a few months and then sell them at the market for double the price. This would not be labor intensive but would give her an initial income equivalent to what she was making as a daily laborer and, depending on how many goats she purchases with subsequent income, could help her to earn much more. We, along with Naresh and Anji, went to the village to meet their grandmother and purchase the sheep with her. We were welcomed by everyone in the village and a great relationship has started between Rescue and their grandmother as well as the other people of their village.
In order to keep the boys at the RESCUE Home legally we need to try to locate the families and get written legal letters from the parents. We have spent most of the past month visiting villages, some near and some very far (traveling overnight by train) seeking out the families of the five boys. We have been able to locate all boy's families and have taken all of them to meet their parents. What emotional reunions!!!! Some were positive and some were negative.
Chandru Growing up and Making Decisions
Chandru is now 16 and has been in school fourth past 2 years since he came to the RESCUE home. He is now feeling the need to move into something that will give him some practicle work experience and income. We are working with him on exploring options for vocational training.
We also met a young 12 year old boy who lives near the Rescue Home and decided that we would get him cleaned up, buy some nice clothes for him, give him a good meal and take him home to discuss with his parents how we might be able to help. We were thinking in the area of the same kind of help that we are giving the children at the Home: education or vocational training, but the only difference is that he would be living at home with his family and then we would go on follow-up visits. This would be a great opportunity for relationship building with the family as well. What a sweet reunion this was with his parents. They thought he was dead. We decided that their son should help his parents for two years in their livelihood, which is selling vegetables. By then, he would be old enough for us to send him for vocational training. Another follow-up visit is planned soon.
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