Firstly, I would like to thank you for bringing the needs of this NGO to my attention some two or three years ago. It gave me an opportunity to consider and I decided to adopt a taluka in Krishnagiri district because you were involved and coordinating the whole thing. A big thank you also to you for sacrificing your weekend to accompany me to Krishnagiri to meet with the children, and given my introvert nature I would not have managed meeting the children on my own nor would I have got the fuller perspective of the children’s background or the NGO.
Yesterday’s trip was my first visit to this place and meeting with the children certainly helped me gain a very good appreciation of their background and see first-hand how cheerful these children are despite difficult and, for some, life threatening medical problems. There were 12 children yesterday and I would like to share their dreams as told by them:
Valarmathi – A young, energetic and beautiful looking girl who kept Murali on his toes throughout our meeting, wants to become a doctor. I was shocked when I heard through the administrator that she is HIV positive.
Asha – A calm and nice looking 10th grade student and she wants to become an engineer – she is currently scoring around 75% and promised to score over 80 – 85% in her board exams.
Munirathna – Another 10th grade girl wants to become a doctor and she is also scoring around 75% currently. Unfortunately, she is also HIV positive.
Ajith Kumar – He is in mid school and wants to join the Army
Mohan Babu – He is also in mid school, wants to become an engineer.
Sathyanarayana – He is in the final year of diploma course (automotive and mechanical) and hopes to find a job in Hosur when his final exams get over in April so he can return home each day to take care of his grandmother. He is HIV positive and when he told me that there may be an issue with medical test before any company giving the job offer and he wants some help, it was extremely difficult to control my emotions.
Rajeshwari – A 4th grade girl who wants to become a doctor. You won’t believe that Murali was finding it difficult to keep up with her ability to talk. She currently scores 794 out of 800 and yes there is no typo here.
Karthik – A small boy but he is in grade 8 and wants to join the police force and is very balanced.
Shalini – A very small girl who joined us towards the end and perhaps is in first or second grade.
Kalpana – A third standard student. She is a HIV positive girl and the disease seemed to have affected her ability to speak fluently.
Sathish – An 8th grade student but very small built and it was sad to know that he is a HIV positive.
Munikrishna – Another small boy who also wants to join the Army.
Arasu and Sheila two people who help the NGO and Murali on his visits. They were very calm but always smiling and positive and genuinely engaged with the children, and I was shocked to know that they both are HIV positive.
Hats off to the grandmothers and grandfathers who brought the children from Kelamangalam – how dutiful and committed they are despite very old age and very little financial support or other help at their disposal.
I am happy that I made the trip yesterday. I took a picture of the children for a selfish purpose – to see the picture every day or may be more than once whenever I think I am having a problem or issue in life.
The first thing I told Murali when we got into the car after meeting with the children was ‘hats off’. He is doing a great job. Murali interacted with the children, their guardians and parents and the administrators in a manner only Murali can. Everyone was very happy to see Murali, as I always feel whenever I meet with him. I wish him good health, further courage and support so he is able to progress with his ‘home’ plan for the children.
Thank you Murali and God bless you.
Srini