When I walked to mass at 5:30 this morning through the streets of Kolkata, I was wondering what most children in wealthy countries are doing at 5:30 in the morning. Many of the children are probably still sleeping and later will wake up to a breakfast and then get ready for school if it is a school day.
Today, we brought two more children to Don Bosco. Sumit and Prince both age 5 are now given a home and a chance for a future. But before I went to mass and picked up the two boys, I walked past a landfill where a mother and her son, (perhaps 7-8 years old) were scouring through the landfill searching for valuable garbage that can be sold. For many of the children in Kolkata, they don’t get to sleep in at 5:30 in the morning. Their early mornings are always busy with work; finding trash, fetching water, digging for coal/charcoal to cook with and never a thought about getting ready for school since that is not an opportunity given to them. The future for these children are the things surrounding them; the landfills, and the occasional jobs they may find, and life in the streets.
Today, we brought two more children to Don Bosco. Sumit and Prince both age 5 are now given a home and a chance for a future. But before I went to mass and picked up the two boys, I walked past a landfill where a mother and her son, (perhaps 7-8 years old) were scouring through the landfill searching for valuable garbage that can be sold. For many of the children in Kolkata, they don’t get to sleep in at 5:30 in the morning. Their early mornings are always busy with work; finding trash, fetching water, digging for coal/charcoal to cook with and never a thought about getting ready for school since that is not an opportunity given to them. The future for these children are the things surrounding them; the landfills, and the occasional jobs they may find, and life in the streets.
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Sumit and Prince are two fortunate children who were found by the Sisters living on the “foot path” one year ago. Prince and his mother were homeless after his father left for another woman and leaving him and his mother with nothing. Sumit and his father and mother were homeless when they decided to marry for love instead of the traditional way of arranged marriage. Their families disowned them and they ended up living in the streets with his mother taking care of Sumit, while his father work to feed the family. A little over a year ago, Sumit’s mother passed away and his father became jobless, because he had to care for his son. Had the Sisters not found them, Prince and Sumit would still be living on the “foot path” and perhaps not having a chance to grow up.
As of today, both Sumit and Prince are at Don Bosco and will have a chance at a future like the rest of the children who are sleeping at 5:30 in the morning and then waking up to get ready for school.
As of today, both Sumit and Prince are at Don Bosco and will have a chance at a future like the rest of the children who are sleeping at 5:30 in the morning and then waking up to get ready for school.
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