Rains and Reminiscences

The south-west monsoon has announced its arrival in my city with thunder and lightnings, and I was idly looking out of my kitchen balcony.  The children of a school nearby – waiting for their ride home, were screaming, laughing and trying to dance in the rains, and the staff were running around to control them, barely.

It was such fun to watch, and how I wish I could capture their gleeful voices also in the picture!!

The thought of rains and these children enjoying the rain without any worries – gifted with proper homes – brought me back to the children of Bala Mandir, and the unprecedented, devastating floods of 2015. 

 

Being an old organization with buildings at a lower level, Bala Mandir had always had problems during rains, and the tragedy of 2015 floods was even telecast in national news and in newspapers. 

A widespread appeal was made for funds, and donations in cash and kind poured in as overwhelming response, which helped in restoration and rebuilding of the organisation.  Now we can say that we are well-equipped to face the floods !!

Donors and well-wishers came in boats and on foot to extend help during the difficult 3-4 days, as also the staff chose to stay in and help.  I too had gone on foot, wading through thigh high waters, to salvage what I could of the files and computers of the Bala Mandir office, and to give some bread and buns to the children of the home.

What I saw there will stay in my memory always.

  The premises was flooded thigh-high, with  no power backup, but the children were enjoying the rain and the flood.  They were happily helping shift things from one place to another, keeping the donation items safely, and pushing out water stagnated inside their rooms…

It was told to me that the children were collecting rain water directly into buckets and other big utensils, and all through the rains they used only this pure water for all their washing, bathing and cleaning purposes.  Packaged water was used only for drinking, and I was amazed at their improvisation and making the best of what nature gives us…

The smile and enjoyment they could bring up, at such a situation, was remarkable.  I doubt I would have been happy if I had faced this situation personally – with no families to cuddle you during cold, no hot pakora and chai at the comfort of home, no hot water – but still, the children of Bala Mandir were making the best of their situation and having fun in water and floods.

Needless to say, that the positive impact on the minds of the children was brought about by their peers, matrons, social workers and the organisation as a whole !