Shree Sisters…

As a social worker, my heart goes out to the poorest of the poor, those dwelling in slums and those who study in Government schools, because they can’t afford a paid school. A case in point is the information about Shree Sisters, that I got from the Government database for Covid deaths. After my due diligence over the phone, I fixed an appointment with the mother for a field visit. The location was Padi Kuppam, a big slum, next to Rail Nagar and behind CMBT. Even as I went to the destination, I did not know that there could be such a slum tucked in between the large colonies of posh flats and high-rise buildings, that define the new Chennai horizons.

The main road deviated to a smaller road across the Coovum river. Alongside the stench of the river, I could see the vastly different hutments and tenements that spoke volumes about the lack of a quality of living, hygiene, or safety. After reaching the street, I called the mother to confirm the address, and she came down to receive me wearing a nightie. The family was in the first floor. The narrow stairway to a dilapidated building led me to their home that was nothing but a tiny single room, where the mother and her two daughters live on rent. It was appalling that there was no door to the house and an old saree hung in place of a curtain, to ensure some privacy. A cardboard plank of 2 feet x 3 feet was placed at the entrance to block entry of stray dogs or cats. I could not but be concerned about the physical safety of the young girls and the mother; the tough conditions during rains; leave alone other material comforts.

What was heartening though was the bright smiling faces of two young girls, who were polite, well-mannered, and good in academics. Both the children walk to the near-by government school. As a social worker, I was happy that I was given their names as I could help such a family living in abject poverty and penury, and give the children an opportunity to realize their potential.  I learnt that after the death of the breadwinner, the mother had taken up a job as a housemaid to just make ends meet— that meant paying the house rent and the food on their plates for the three of them. The children in Class 6 and 8 needed private tuition support to clarify doubts. I decided that would be the starting point to support the family with good education and returned home feeling that these were well-deserving beneficiaries of our programme.

As I walked down the road, a thought crossed my mind. What will children in the affluent, high-rise buildings think about the slum children? Will they have empathy and care to help when they grow up? And what will children such as the Shree Sisters think about the children in those rich homes? If there is a level playing field, it will be when the Shree Sisters make it big in life with their education. I hope the children write their own script and change their destiny through the gift of education – the only means to break away from such poverty.