Luke stays in the Margaret Bosco Bal Sadan in Paliem,Ucassaim. He is in class 1 and is full of smiles. When asked to spell his namehe says, “L-U-E-K”. “No, it is spelt as L-U-K-E” we tell him. He shakes hishead and says we should ask his parents. Sadly, Luke’s mother is no more and hedoes not know who his father is. “You speak like my sister does” he says.“Luke’s father was an alcoholic and after having the first child, a girl, hismother left home. She then had Luke and a younger baby boy with other men. Whenshe could not take care of the babies, she returned to her sister and died sixmonths later. The sister took care of the boys but lost her life to cancer”says the Salesian in charge of the shelter. Another boy with intelligent eyes,Matthew, looks on. “We encourage the children to stay with their relativesduring the vacations, but this Ganesh vacation, nobody came to take Matthewhome” says the Salesian. “I stayed here and helped father plant trees,” saysMatthew. Matthew, from Keri goes to the government school, but before he wasbrought here he did would sit at the tea shop and watch the mining trucks passby instead of going to school.
While most of us crib about missing the bus to school/workor not being able to buy that brand of denims or about how life ‘sucks’, thereare these young minds who long to belong and to be loved and who grapple withnot knowing their parents. And there are ‘angels’ who dedicate themselves totending to children as these.
“We refrain from celebrating birthdays. We collectivelycelebrate our birthdays on Christmas day and Gandhi Jayanti or such holidays.Luke though, thinks it is his birthday when food is donated by people. We singfor him, people take pictures and he is happy” says the Salesian.
While most people crib about life, these young minds long tobelong to a normal family and to be loved and grapple with not knowing theirparents. The nuns of the Missionaries of Charity in Panjim, house infantsabandoned by parents or a single parent who did not want them or who could notafford them. The house also has fourhandicapped children who are given physiotherapy treatment every week. TheBethsada Life Centre in Santa Cruz takes care of children of AIDS victims, sexworkers, women in distress and those suffering from incurable ailments. “Weonce picked up a woman who was raped on the street and took her in with herbaby and 4-year old girl. The mother left within two months. Last year, wefound the elder child sad. She told us her mother would not visit since she didnot know where her daughters were” says Beena Martin Philip who established theCentre with her husband.
“It is very difficult to motivate these kids, some of themgive up halfway. Death is one thing, but not knowing who your parents are, is adifferent issue altogether. We want them to have a positive childhood,something they can build upon” concludes the Salesian of Margaret Bosco BalSadan.
