Some notes on the Children´s Homes (4)

On 08.05.2005, I went to the Sakthi (Ladies) Childrens Home. I wanted to spend the whole day with them. Due to the lack of time, I was only able to spend a few hours with them.
Since we went on a Sunday, most people were sleeping. After knowing that we came, they all wake up and washed their faces and came with the thiruneeru (a holy ashes Hindus put) on their foreheads and greeted us with 'vanakkam' (hi or hello).

Most people seemed so young. At first, they were afraid for they did not know who I was. Later when I tried singing and playing with them they got along with me.
I will write briefly about what I saw when I was with them:

1. Lack of space:
More than 50 children are living in an old house. They all study, sleep, eat, and talk, all in a hall of that particular house. There is no space even to put their books and clothes. Everything were put on the floor. Because of this the room is crowded and it is hard to maintain the beauty of the place.

It is very hot inside. but there is no alternatives for that.
There is no bathroom or bathing facilities for the number of children there. Because of this and because they all are going to school at the same time, they must wake up at early morning about 4 A.M. This time is very inappropriate since a lot of children here are very small (Year 1). Since there is no other ways for them, they also have to wake up with the older children.

2. Place to play and toys to play with:
Even though these children have time for playing, since there is no place nor toys available, they are unable to play.

3. Lack of clothes
4. There is need for school bags
5. The necessities have to be made in order to go on with further education
6. Other than these, like we noted in Yokarswami Childrens Home (Notes-2), here also, we saw mostly religious related books in the book shelves. This state will only allow the children to think and live in a limited circle. To expand their thinking, we have to create the habit to read variety of books.

Also, since most the children here are very small - they are looked after by children here, who are older. but it is not enough. There is the need to keep cleanliness among small children.

In total, this home looks like a backward (under developed) stage of living. The children who are living here are also from underdeveloped areas. Since people from such areas live here, it is important to give them a new environment and a new culture. Through that make them a new person who is capable of living in any circumstances. However, the situation here is not anything like that. The reasons for that are:
1. The poor economical stage
2. The lack of knowledge of how to deal with the children, seen in the managers and the supervisors of the Home

In my opinion, we have to create a new world for them. For that we have to make a change in their lifestyle, habits, culture and all. For this, land is necessary. By providing an appropriate place -a place with necessities- is essential; then, we could make the rest happen, step by step, through resource workshops given to people that will teach how to manage a Home and so on.
I am asking the people who are in abroad to collect and send the books that will enrich these children's knowledge in wide range. Uthawi should give attention to this issue as well.

- Jeyakala
(Sri Lanka)

26.05.2005

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