A Begging Child finds Hope
Dinesh (name changed), 11 years old, comes from a very difficult past. He was misunderstood and severely punished by his parents for not excelling academically. The scars on his head, where hair will no longer grow, and the scars on his body from burns inflicted by his parents, not to mention the emotional scars that sink deep into his heart all give a glimpse into his horrible past.
After only completing Kindergarten, Dinesh ran away from home feeling helpless, hopeless and worthless. For very short intervals over the years that followed he would return home only to run away again because of the abuse and feeling misunderstood.
He found temporary comfort and escape from his troubles only through inhaling substances and becoming intoxicated. His life was one on the run. No permanent place to lay his head at night, no safety from the elements and no one who really cared. To survive he begged and sorted through garbage dumps for re-cycling material to sell. He had no hope for any future. No one believed that he would amount to anything. His existence was meaningless.
Then one day, in Dec. 2011 during ‘Operation Rakshane’, conducted by several departments of govt. of Karnataka, including the Police department, the staff of RESCUE organization found him on the street along with some other children with inhalant stained clothes. They were wild and untamed. Standing in one place was almost impossible for longer than a couple of seconds. They cared for nothing and no one. Everything was an opportunity to fight and their language was harsh with one volume—extra loud!
We met Dinesh’s parents and they said that they didn’t know what to do with their son. He was actually the product of a first marriage. His father had left them and his mother had remarried when Dinesh was very young. His mother and step father saw what they thought was deliberate laziness in behavior and learning, and punished him severely thinking it would bring about positive change. Instead, the change that came was nothing but negative. They asked if RESCUE organization could take him in and help him. RESCUE agreed as they saw so much potential buried deeply within Dinesh—things that they wanted to help him explore and find his value.
It is not by compulsion that any of the children at the RESCUE Home stay. Each child has great value and RESCUE staff seek to create an atmosphere that helps them to find that value and grow—developing their individual talents and abilities.
It has been 12 months now and Dinesh has never once run away or even alluded to the thought of running away. He has changed so much. The desire for inhalants to escape has gone. He has become thoughtful of others, he cares when someone else has been wronged, and he has slowed down—he doesn’t have to be ready to run in fear. He can stand still and relax and enjoy playing and interacting with the other children talking calmly knowing that he is valuable.
Through testing at NIMHANS, he was found to have some measure of a learning disability with ADHD which all contributed to his trouble in school as a small child. His parents had no idea. RESCUE has included them in the process of determining what his issues are. They are amazed at the changes that are in process with him. They have shared their sad regrets for past abuse because they didn’t understand him nor did they know that there was a valid reason for his challenges in learning. It was not obstinacy but a disability that, if addressed properly, could be managed and he could be a success! Healing is coming gradually in his relationship with his parents.
Dinesh has started his classes at a special school this academic year. He is in a lower standard, to begin with, so that he can catch up on all that he has missed with teachers who are familiar with teaching children with Dineshs’ learning challenges. They will equip him so that he can develop processing skills to be able to eventually learn in a completely normal class setting. He is doing so amazingly well!
He now has the hope of becoming something. He has been given the freedom to dream! He said he thinks he would like to become a doctor so that he can help people get better when they are sick. What a selfless desire!
RESCUE and his family are excited to see what the future holds for Dinesh and all of the other children at the RESCUE Children’s Home, Nireekshanalaya. Who knows what they could become and what positive impact they may have on India and the world in the future.
Children are our country’s FUTURE! Let’s nurture them and help them to become all they are meant to be.
