MAINATH, UTTAR PRADESH – Meet 12-year-old Nikhil who studies in Class 6. He lives in Mainath village in the state of Uttar Pradesh, with his parents, grandmother and two younger siblings. The six of them live in a small one-bedroom house. Nikhil’s dad is the breadwinner for his family. He works at a brass factory, and his job involves working in poor conditions for long hours with little pay. It became difficult for him to make ends meet and this took a toll on him. He turned to alcohol which led to violent outbursts at home. In these conditions, Nikhil’s family struggled. There were no opportunities for the children of this community to get an education.
Orphan’s Promise recognized the need in Nikhil’s community and started a School of Life (SOL) program. He and his siblings were enrolled in the SOL Centre as this was their only means to receive proper education. The Centre also provides nutritious mid-day meals every day to the students so that they can focus on their studies and at the same time learn the importance of a nutritious diet. The students’ health were closely monitored by maintaining a record of their Body Mass Index (BMI). The Centre also organized regular physical and dental health check-ups with medical professionals for all the children. When Nikhil came for his appointment, the healthcare worker discovered that his BMI was significantly lower than it should be for a child his age.
FROM SHADOWS TO SUNSHINE
Your support has enabled Nikhil and his siblings to have access to education and healthy, consistent meals. The Project Coordinator at the Orphan’s Promise School of Life was able to intervene by meeting with Nikhil’s parents to explain how important it was for Nikhil to receive better nutrition. A doctor prepared a nutrition plan for Nikhil, and with the help of Orphan’s Promise, he now has access to healthy food like eggs, milk, lentils, wheat bread, and vegetables. Not just that, with the help of counsellors at the Centre, Nikhil’s dad is now on the path to recovery which makes their life at home more stable. Thanks to wonderful partners like YOU, it has been a joy to watch Nikhil, who once was a quiet boy flourish like never before. His favourite thing to do is to sit outside and paint, and he recently won an award for his excellent drawing.
When Nikhil was asked about his dreams for the future, he says he wants to be a police officer someday.
