Rahul’s Story
"They are not coming, beta," said my aunt, her eyes welling up. My aunt said this when I was waiting for my parents to come home that day. Later that night, I remember someone telling me that my parents had an accident and did not survive. I was around 4 to 5 years old at the time of the accident, and almost every other detail seems like a faded memory. Although I have some memories about my parents, like once when my mother smiled at me, or when my father was taking me to a shop, apart from these, I don't remember much about them.
Since my parents passed away, me and my younger sister have been looked after by my grandmother. For years, she worked as a maid and made sure we both had everything we needed to survive. But even then, education was a luxury that we could not afford. Our grandmother looked after us for many years, but age has kept her from doing more. So I started selling newspapers and surviving on whatever we could get. It always haunted me that I could not read or understand what I was selling.
Three years ago, a family member of ours informed my grandmother about a place that helps out people like us. My grandmother made an inquiry, spoke with the concerned person, and me admitted to this shelter home. This place has unknowingly and slowly become my home. A home that I have had few memories of since childhood. Sadguru Foundation’s orphanage made sure that I not only got warm meals and good clothing but also helped me build my educational foundation, which I had been unable to get since childhood. I am in 9th grade now, and I can finally read and write like my peers after almost 3 years of extra care from the teachers. My dream is to become a doctor and provide for my sister and grandmother.
