My First Visit…

I was working as a social worker in Bala Mandir for nearly 10 years. I was pulled in by the management to talk about a new concept, where in we would have to meet children from Covid-impacted families, and take them under our fold, virtually! Yes, virtually. I was happy to join the team, as I knew that unlike the home children, these children had a family taking care of them and we would top up required financial and other support to the children over the long term.

I was given a data sheet from the Government, where I had to make calls to the families and ascertain that they met our pre-defined criterion to become part of Bala Mandir’s virtual home. This was my first visit for the new assignment. The call was answered by the child Devinasree’s** grandmother. She managed to understood that we were from a Trust and we could offer her help. She shared her address and gave me an appointment. As per my data, the child was an infant and had lost her mother to Covid. So, I was expecting to meet the father and gather more information.

On the visit day, in the peak of Covid, I learnt that Devinasree was all of 5 months, who had lost her mother just 10 days after her birth. Her father had abandoned the family after his wife’s death. Devinasree’s maternal grandparents and maternal relatives were taking care of the baby. The grandmother who was working as a domestic help, quit her job, to take care of the baby. The grandfather was a painter and the family raised the baby with his income, which was, obviously, not sufficient.

When the grandmother knew that we were from the Trust and that we could help, all that she wanted was milk powder for the child for a month, before the infant could be started on solid food. Given that we have infants and toddlers for whom we stock milk powder at Bala Mandir, the very next day I rushed to her place with enough milk powder to last her for over a month. I told the grandmother about Bala Mandir’s home and that she could admit the child for about a year, so that she is well taken care of. The grandmother was in tears and refused to do so, as she had promised her dying daughter that she would raise Devinasree. Though financially poor, the family is rich in love and have a circle of committed relatives who pledged to raise the child, such that she would never realise the absence of her mother. To date, I am in touch with the family and have seen Devinasree grow over the last two years as a happy child.

Amidst  adversity, I am happy that Devinasree has a loving home and doting grandparents. She is the source of joy for the family. I know that God has a plan for her and that I am part of that plan to help her. When she is three years old, she will be inducted into our Kinship Care programme and we will pay for her education and offer other value-added services with the intent to see her reach her full potential. It is the ability to help those in need each day that is most gratifying to me as a social worker.

Devinasree’s**: Name changed to protect the identity of the child who is part of Bala Mandir’s Kinship Care programme