Meera who is now 6 years old, was not hard to spot as when our Case Counsellors would visit her home way back in 2018, her oldest sister Tara was enrolled in our Beacon Learning Centre (BLC). The next year, June 2019, her second sister Aarya too was enrolled in our education program. Since then Vision Rescue has been in touch with the family and providing assistance and support in different ways such as education of the children, medical facilities and nutritional benefits. Their father, Firdauz moved to Mumbai from Basti district in UP for a better income 15 years ago. After transitioning through many daily-wage jobs, both regular and irregular over the years, he now works as a tailor who stitches school bags.
They are a family of six. Meera’s parents, two elder sisters, her younger brother Riyaz and herself.
They live in a rented ‘kachha’ house made of tin. Even for this makeshift home, they often found it difficult to close the rent on a regular basis, but nowadays, they manage better with Firdouz’s regular job. Their home is close to the dumping grounds and surrounded by unhygienic conditions.
In 2021 Meera was enrolled in Junior KG at our Beacon Learning Centre. Her mother Raziya continued to attend the various awareness programs on health, hygiene, nutrition and legal aid conducted in the community by Vision Rescue and was regular at the Focus Group Meetings for parents, till she had to take a break due to her pregnancy. Through these programs, it has been observed that there is a big shift in the hygienic conditions of the home and even in the personal hygiene practices and health of the children.
When Vision Rescue first met Meera & her family, sickness was common in their home. Through counselling by our Case Officers & through the intervention of our healthcare team, the family’s physical wellbeing has improved. However, their home environment was still far from peaceful. Meera’s father struggles with alcohol, as do many men in their slum community, and this led to constant arguments, with some occasions of domestic violence too.
Vision Rescue’s Community Champions – our army of volunteers from within slum communities who champion the causes of education, healthcare, advocacy etc – have spoken with the family often, and counselled them on the importance of peace at home, especially for the children to thrive in their growth & education.
There has also been indirect intervention of the Case Counsellor through which the family atmosphere has become more peaceful as compared to earlier. The Case Counsellor works as a support to Meera’s mother by guiding and directing her on how to deal with difficult situations at home. In the process she has also regularly spoken to her about the importance of financial savings.
All of these interventions have empowered Meera’s mother, who has now been able to save a considerable amount using the practices taught by the Case Counsellor. We also put her mother in contact with a factory that makes wall-hanging decorations. After going through basic training, Meera’s mother now makes them herself and supplies them to the factory. In this way she earns some money that she can put aside and save.
Today, Meera’s elder sisters are in formal school while Meera still continues in our classrooms and is now in Senior KG. Meera is able to recognise numbers, alphabets and read a little. She participates actively and attentively in class. She also enjoys sports. As she receives good education she also receives good nutrition and health care through the BLC. Meera loves to help others and she helps distribute lunch boxes to the other children in school.
We will continue to encourage, engage and sustain in education Meera and follow up with her sisters and mother regularly as we guide them on the way forward. We thank you dear donors for giving generously towards the cause of uplifting families like Meera’s.
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Vision Rescue exists to rescue children from all forms of exploitation by engaging and sustaining them in education. We are a registered NGO for child education under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950.
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