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MANIKANTHA A DISABLED-ARTIST WITH GRIT AND DETERMINATION (2009)
Manikantha is now a young boy, aged about 19 years, and orthopedically challenged. He is an example of grit and determination. Cheerful by nature and never for a moment gives a thought about his disability. He narrated his story to us
He is the 2nd child of his parents in a family of five children and lives in New Gurappana Palya, Bangalore, India. When he was a small boy, he placed his hand in a pot of hot rice water. He suffered sever burns and was admitted to hospital. He suffered from an attack of the polio virus, which left him totally disabled from his waist downwards
With the support of his family and friends, he began to study on his own. Presently he is studying for the 10th std through private tuitions in Lilly Rose English High School. He takes his studies seriously, everyday getting up at 5am and retiring only after 10pm. He travels about in a tricycle and has to drag himself to move from one room to another.
From his young days, he used to mend pencils for his siblings, and his eldest sister encouraged him to draw. He began to go for competitions and win prizes for his drawings. Later he learned computers and began to draw using the computer software. His drawings are mostly on nature, freedom, and situations of the poor.
He finds it difficult to travel and feels sad that he will be never be able to walk. Fortunately he has a good company of friends who assist him to move about and also take him along for various activities. We Care discovered him through our programme in 2003 and have provided him with a tricycle, wheel chair and also assisted him to secure the government pension and scholarship.
We Care has helped him to promote his drawings, particularly to the employees of software companies. He holds small exhibitions where he sells his drawings and earns his living. His ambition to become a software engineer and to complete his training in software animation. He aspires to get a good job and then to devote his time for the welfare of other physically challenged persons. Presently he is also an active member of the Disabled People's Organisation.
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THE STORY OF VIJAY - PROVIDING HOPE (2001)
Vijay was a young boy, aged 14 years. He came from a broken family. His father was an alcoholic and his mother worked as a house maid. He has two sisters and an younger brother. His father had abandoned the family and lived separately. Vijay lived with his mother, brother, sisters, nephew and brother-in-law in a small hut measuring 80sq feet. The total income of the family was about Rs.1,200 pm. Vijay was a bright boy and was doing well in school. But owing to this miserable situation, Vijay decided to discontinue his studies from class 7th and began working in a small factory. On many occasions he worked for 14 hours earning a small income. On seeing the situation We Care decided to support Vijay in his education. He got admitted in a school for vocational training as an electrician.
Vijay's problems were not over. Often he used to go to school hungry as there was nothing to eat for breakfast. Once again, We Care made arrangements to give him a boiled egg and a glass of milk every morning before he went to school. Further he had to walk a distance of 2kms to school. We Care provided him with a bicycle.
Vijay means 'victory'. Vijay completed his course successfully. We are proud of Vijay who today is employed by an electrical contractor and is supporting his family.
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AN EXCELLENT WAY TO EXPRESS YOUR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP (2001)
Letter from Sandra D'Souza, Canada
" Enclosed please find a draft for CDN$150.00 to educate two students for the upcoming school year. I recently lost a friend (Shalini Carvalho) to cancer and instead of sending flowers, I thought it best to use the money to educate a student. Could you kindly send an acknowledgement to her family in her memory? It would be appreciated ."
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MID-DAY MEALS FOR TRIBAL SCHOOL GIRLS (2001)
St. Clare's Hostel was built by the government of Bihar (now Jharkand). It was built for the tribal girl school going children. After the construction of the hostel no government officials ever came forward to help in the running of it. It always lacked from sufficient food and proper lighting. The Franciscans, who run the parish, took charge of the hostel and they named it as St. Clare's Hostel. With the assistance and support of generous people they began to look after the young girls.
We Care intervened and offered to support the mid-day meal programme. Support was solicited from Missionzentrale Der Franciskaner, Bonn, Germany. About 32 school going girls benefited from this programme. Everyday the children were served with two nutritious meals.
Because of this intervention, the attendance and health of the girls improved. They also began to improve in their studies. We are thankful for the opportunity given to us to involve ourselves in the lives of these young children.
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SUKANYA - GOD'S GIFT TO We Care (2000)
Within two years of our existence we were given a beautiful gift to take care of, Sukanya, God's own gift of happiness. This is how it happened.
April 13th, 1998 was a fateful day for little Sukanya. It was the day fate struck her a cruel blow by snatching away her mother for a seemingly trivial reason. A minor domestic quarrel with her brother-in-law led to Sukanya's young mother, Saroja, impulsively to take her own life by hanging herself. She was rushed to the hospital but the blood supply to her brain had been cut off for too long and she was declared brain dead.
This is when FORTE (Foundation for Organ Retrieval and Transplant Education) came onto the scene. Forte were informed of Saroja's case and the counselor at the hospital spoke to the family and offered them the option of being able to save somebody else's life even though their own loved one was no more. Although they were from a poor illiterate family, they were able to understand what was being asked of them and had the courage and generosity to over come their own grief and save the life of someone else through the gift of organ donation. Both Saroja's parents and her husband Chinnanna gave consent for organ donation. One kidney was transplanted into a 31 - year old housewife and mother and the other into a 50- year old bread winner of a family, both of whom received a new lease of life and are doing well after the transplant. Sukanya's father, Chinnanna was put behind bars for allegedly being the immediate cause of his wife's death.
His innocence was however proved and he was released from jail and ready to start life again. Meanwhile the child was with the maternal grandparents at Jigani, a village about 25 Kms from Bangalore . At the function that was held to honor the families of cadaver organ donors in Karnataka, 2 year old Sukanya was also present and caught the attention of one of the guests who offered to help with her education. She sent a cheque for Rs.6,000/-, which has been handed over to the Social Service Organization, We Care so that the interest from this could be used for her education. In the meantime Sukanya's father also committed suicide by hanging himself and she is now an orphan in the care of her maternal grandparents at Jigani. Sukanya has been receiving support for her education from We Care and we are privileged that God has blessed us with her care.
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PEDRO - SNATCHED FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH (2000)
Pedro is a married man with two children. Owing to prolonged illness, his backbone became weak. As a result, he lost his job and was no longer fit for manual labour. He was in deep financial crisis and was left with only tow options - either to borrow at exorbitant rates of interest (which he would not be able to repay) or to commit suicide with his family. He was contemplating the latter choice. At this juncture, We Care brought a new ray of hope in his life. We Care provided him with a sum of Rs.12,600 to set up a tea stall. He began to work hard and with lady luck favouring his business he fared well. He has improved in his health too and is now once again enjoying the goodness of life.
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Stories of Hope
